West Elm Moves into Downtown Reno

Local businesses hope to see a positive impact from a new home furnishings store that just moved into Downtown Reno. West Elm is the new tenant at the old U.S. Post Office building on Virginia Street. 

The store is different from any other West Elm in the country because it has Reno-based designers and their work featured inside.

Handmade soap from Pantry Products is just some of the local items being sold. 

"Really giving a voice to all these local makers that are popping up and revitalizing the city in so many great ways, is something that was really exciting to us," said Nicole Sutliff, the Director of Communications for West Elm.

West Elm takes up the entire main floor of the former U.S. Post Office. It has kept the historic mailboxes and bank vaults since the building opened in 1933. 

The store has also joined the other shops in the Underground Marketplace. Businesses down in the Basement say that's it's a benefit to have a major retailer like West Elm come to Downtown Reno.

Beautiful Bearded Man Barbershop opened up last year in the Basement. While it has been buzzing away with business, the owner says West Elm is a welcomed addition. 

"To see a huge retailer come in upstairs, it does nothing but good," said Josh Arias, the owner of Beautiful Bearded Man Barbershop. "It just means that there's other businesses that are going to want to follow that trend hopefully."

Next door, Sugar Love Chocolates founder Krysta Bea Jackson is looking forward to her new neighbor and a place to shop. 

"First of all, I hate my couch so  I can't wait to get a new couch, also I'm just excited to see retail back in Downtown Reno," said Jackson. 

This is the first major retailer to come to downtown since JCPenney's and Woolworth's closed more than 30 years ago. The Basement tenants think it will bring in more customers to their stores too. 

Jackson adds, "The type of clientele that West Elm serves is exactly the same clientele I'm going after, so it's a perfect marriage for me. And then of course, who doesn't love chocolate and shopping."

West Elm also plans to utilize their store for the community. 

"We actually are going to designate a certain space right outside of our store that will be for community events. So everything from local art pop-ups to workshops, demos," said Sutliff. 

West Elm will officially open it's doors at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 11. To celebrate the opening, a local artist will be giving out a handmade tote bag to the first 300 shoppers with a $50 minimum purchase.