Jan. 04--Skin care products maker H20 Plus has closed its store on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, its new chief executive confirms.
The store's windows were mostly glazed over Monday morning, and there appeared to be no fixtures inside.
H20 recently announced plans to move its headquarters from Chicago to San Francisco and also to close its West Loop manufacturing operations.
"Yes, the store is closed," Joy Chen, H2O Plus chairman and CEO, said in a response on LinkedIn. "It's part of our new business model and strategy," including a brand relaunch to occur this April.
In a Twitter direct message, she added that the spring brand relaunch would be "retaining" what has made the brand successful.
"It is a very exciting time for the brand," said Chen, who took the helm of the company last February. "The relaunch may bring in the pop-up store concept but not permanent retail."
H2O Plus has been unprofitable for at least five years, Chen said last year. A series of ownership and leadership changes, lack of product innovation, increased competition in the natural skin care space and the closing of almost all of its branded stores have cost it business.
At its peak, the company had more than 300 stores. Last year, it had just two, including the one in Chicago.
byerak@tribpub.com
