National athleisure store is closing in downtown SLO after 7 years
Athleta is closing its downtown San Luis Obispo store after nearly seven years.
The national luxury athleisure brand is set to close its location at 879 Higuera St., according to a sign posted in the window of the business Wednesday.
“Goodbyes are never easy,” the sign read. “We’re closing this location, but you can still find us at athleta.com.”
Additional signs in the window alerted customers to a 25% off closing sale on all inventory.
Athleta opened in the space in August 2019, taking over what had previously been a Gap store.
The brand, known for its upscale athleisure clothing, is owned by Gap Inc., which also owns Old Navy and Banana Republic.
The store did not offer any more information on why the location was closing or the timeline for when it would fully shutter, though the company’s most recent financial filings indicated the Athleta brand was struggling.
In its fourth quarter and fiscal 2025 financial report released March 5, Gap Inc. said Athleta’s fourth quarter net sales were down 11% compared to the previous year, and it’s full year net sales were down 10% from 2024.
In 2025, Athleta’s net sales were $1.2 billion, according to the report.
“We remain focused on rebuilding the brand for the long term,” the report said. It did not indicate there were any plans for major closures of its Athleta stores.
A request for comment from media representatives on the local store’s closure was not returned Wednesday morning.
New tenant already lined up for downtown SLO store
According to Therese Cron of Jamestown, which owns the space, a new tenant is already lined up to replace Athleta when the store closes in May.
“We’ve enjoyed the Gap Inc. brands now at the Downtown Centre for 25+ years,” Cron wrote in an email to The Tribune on Wednesday. “I have a great new tenant coming in that (the) community will enjoy.”
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