Vendors Left Reeling by Charlotte Collective’s Sudden Closure

A March 19 Instagram post from Charlotte Collective owner Amy Crowe announcing the imminent closure of her South End boutique has drawn sharp criticism from local vendors who rely on the shop to sell their wares and feel that Crowe should have provided more warning to allow them to find alternative outlets for their respective businesses. 

“After almost 6 years, Charlotte Collective will be closing March 30,” Crowe posted on March 19. “I’ve worked with close to 200 small businesses over the past 6 years, which is incredible to think about! For me, it’s just time to close this chapter and go enjoy the next one! I hope Charlotte continues to show up and support our amazing small businesses.”

Vendors say Crowe notified them about the coming closure via email just nine minutes before she announced it on social media. 

One vendor pointed out that Crowe’s South End boutique, which houses several small women-owned businesses that sell art, clothing, handmade jewelry and leather goods under one roof, had advertised an open spot for a pet services vendor five days before announcing the closure.   

“That’s part of the reason that a lot of [vendors] have such strong feelings,” said the vendor, who spoke to Queen City Nerve on condition of anonymity. “Why would you bring in new vendors and not tell them when you have plans to close the store?”

One local business owner rebuked Crowe online for blocking and removing all comments on her post “when [it] is flooded with hurt, confusion, and questions.”

“I have lost all respect for the owner,” McKalia Blair told Queen City Nerve. “It’s extremely disappointing to see a local business close but it’s even more disappointing to see that the owner has zero regard for the vendors that have helped put money in her pockets through their businesses.”  

South End was last remaining location

After opening Charlotte Collective at 1222 Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood in 2019, Crowe launched a second location for her business at 110 West Blvd in 2021. 

Then in 2023, she shut down the Plaza Midwood location, stating in a social media post then that “small businesses are facing rent increases that aren’t sustainable for a small business, and we are now part of that sad pattern as well,” though the property owner disputed Crowe’s claim that Crowe rent had risen to the Charlotte Observer.  

A profile on the South End neighborhood website states that “Amy has worked hard to curate vendors that are a good fit for the store. When looking for brands to add to the collective, Amy notes that she searches for good quality vendors that love their business, are passionate, and are looking for a space for shoppers to come in and engage with their product.”

An anonymous vendor tells a different story, however, claiming that the owner only seemed interested in filling vacancies with whatever businesses she could find. The vendor maintains that the situation was exacerbated by the fact that she seldom saw Crowe at the store.

“I only actually met her one time,” the vendor says. “For the period of time that I was there, I think meeting her one time is kind of crazy, considering that she’s the owner.” 

The vendor believes Crowe’s absenteeism had much to do with Charlotte Collective’s failure. 

“There was no glue keeping [the store] together,” they say. 

In addition to paying rent to Crowe and giving her a percentage of sales, vendors are also required to work unpaid shifts to run the shop, helping to sell wares for other businesses, the vendor continues.

“[We] didn’t know how to sell other people’s products because we didn’t know them,” the vendor says, noting that a few hired salespeople on staff weren’t trained on how to sell the vendors’ products either. “Basically vendors were working on their own. It just kind of fell flat.”

Finally, as the store began to look increasingly empty, vendors began to wonder if Crowe was considering selling or closing Charlotte Collective.

“There was no communication … that something was up, and no confirmation when we confronted [Crowe] about it,” the vendor says. “She would just ignore us whenever we would try to talk to her about it.”

As of Tuesday, Crowe had not responded to Queen City Nerve’s requests for comment.

Vendors see an unsure future

The most recent social media post from Charlotte Collective was on Saturday, March 22, touting No Man’s Land, a South End street fair that featured nearly 80 women-owned businesses, including some Collective tenants. “Let’s give these badass babes a South End send-off they deserve,” the post reads. 

If there is a bright spot about the boutique’s imminent shutdown, it’s the fact that the store’s vendors have drawn closer during their final days, the vendor notes, building a close-knit network that they hope can help them find an alternative to Charlotte Collective.  

“We came together and tried to salvage the store in some way,” they say. “[Because] for some people, it’s their primary income.”

According to Crowe’s closing post, Charlotte Collective will host a party on March 29 “to celebrate our success” and give customers a chance to support their favorite vendors one last time in the store.