Brookside shop says it has to relocate during its busiest month

After a decade in Brookside, locally owned Shopgirls is moving.

Owner Katy Hamilton said she will close the shop, at 6245 Brookside Plaza, at the end of business Nov. 30 when her lease expires. She said she was “unable to come to reasonable terms with the new ownership, First Washington (Realty Inc.).”

“The timing could not be worse,” Hamilton said. “I asked for an extension to stay through the holiday season. I even offered them $7,500 if I could stay through Jan. 15 and even as I was offering it I was simultaneously wondering how I was going to pay for it, to make it work. No small business wants to close Nov. 30. December is the month where everyone makes a point to come to see you.”

First Washington Realty officials didn’t have a comment Thursday morning.

Hamilton said she has never been late on her rent in 10 years, and also is a longtime patron and resident of Brookside. So she plans to continue to serve her Shopgirls customers at her Hamilton KC store, which opened a year ago at 6215 Oak St., in an area now dubbed Brookside East.

Shopgirls had a steady stream of customers Thursday morning for the moving sale with all items 40 percent off.

Hamilton started working in retail when she was 15, so she came to know a lot of Kansas City consumers.

“I refer to Shopgirls as a ‘Cheers’ for women and women always love that when I say it,” Hamilton said. “I’m trying to be positive. I don’t have time to be upset. We are doing social media and marketing to let everyone know about the move. Yesterday I said anyone with a drill needed to show up, with a toothbrush, to help pack up the store.”

She may change the name of the Hamilton shop to Shopgirls. Meanwhile, Brookside landlord Joe Zwillenberg has offered her a free second floor space for a possible Shopgirls pop-up in December.

This story was originally published November 30, 2017 at 1:39 PM with the headline "Brookside shop says it has to relocate during its busiest month."