Photo by Peter Hilton.
Moleskine-the official notebook of That Guy Sitting Next to You on the Bus Sketching Other Riders-is opening its first DC-area shop in Georgetown this winter. Similar to other segmented openings, the shop will begin with a “pop-up” for the holiday season. A full move-in will follow in 2015. It will occupy 3029 M St., which was most recently Scotch and Soda, and Betsy Johnson before that.
Moleskine notebooks have achieved an iconic status. You can recognize them by their typically black covers and straps:
This is an Eastbanc property, and an interesting tenant choice. The trend for M St. has been so uniformly towards clothing, that a stationary store like this is unusual.
Retail consultants often discuss the concept of “co-tenancy”. That’s where a retail district has multiple shops that complement each other, making the district more successful than the sum of its parts. For instance, Cady’s Alley has a very distinct home furnishings co-tenancy. Very rich people looking to renovate their homes can come to Cady’s Alley with their designer and visit multiple shops with obscenely priced fixtures they may want to purchase.
Which brings GM back to Moleskine. It will open right next to the Paper Store, which also caters to creative types. Would a third store of that type make it a trend?
The Georgetown Metropolitan 