Bape Store New York Closing?

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We heard some rumors that the Bape Store New York will be closing its doors, or at least moving. We could not confirm which one it will be yet. With news of the recent sale of the Japanese brand, due to its financial trouble, coming out, as well as the rather unexpected and quick closing of their Los Angeles store, we are actually not very surprised about the development at A Bathing Ape in New York.
With Bape having been featured in lots of music videos in the US a couple of years ago, the store was rather frequently the scene of people lining up for new product releases. After having built an impressive business in Japan over the last two decades, we are a little surprised of how fast the excitement around Bape cooled down outside of Japan. It really seems like once the access was easier, the brand became much less interesting for the consumer.
Furthermore it really looks like the new owner of Bape, Hong Kong’s I.T. group, is concentrating on expanding the brand in Asia and China specifically, rather than working on a worldwide expansion.
Once we hear more about the 91 Greene Street store, we will of course let you know!