House of Swank is leaving downtown Raleigh

House of Swank, the downtown retailer known for its humorous t-shirts and merch, is closing its store due to declining foot traffic in the area, owner John Pugh told Axios.

Driving the news: House of Swank, founded in 2011, is moving all of its operations from 119 E. Hargett St. to the Loading Dock Raleigh coworking space on Beryl Road.

• Pugh said the company will shift attention to its online store and local pop-ups.

What they're saying: At "the retail spot downtown, the foot traffic just isn't there," Pugh said, noting the company's lease was ending in the spring.

Zoom out: Downtown as a whole has seen an uneven recovery from the pandemic. Some districts, like Glenwood South, are booming. Others, like the Fayetteville Street district, home to House of Swank and many of downtown's offices, are still below normal.

• The city, for its part, is trying different tactics to boost its downtown core, including the creation of a social district and plans to use federal money on improvements.

What's next: House of Swank will make the move by Oct. 31.