Brooks Brothers May Bow Out Of King Street-Again

For nearly 20 years, Brooks Brothers has stood like a pressed and polished anchor at 205 King Street — a symbol of classic tailoring amid the rhythm of Charleston’s retail corridor. But its time there may be nearing an end.

The ground-floor space the menswear retailer occupies, just south of Market Street, is now being advertised as available starting February 1.

A new lease listing from Beach Commercial describes the site as a “prime retail suite” with nearly 7,700 square feet, “boasting large wrap-around glass windows” and surrounded by “a vibrant mix of upscale retailers.” The rent: $85 per square foot.

It’s a high-profile piece of real estate at the corner of King and Princess streets — just steps from Target in Majestic Square — and a location that’s seen more than its share of retail reinvention.

Maybe.

Carlmichael Harrison, a senior brokerage associate with Beach Commercial, told the Post & Courier the national retailer could remain if “it could work out a deal.” But there’s already been interest from other prospective tenants, he added.

In October, Harrison said the situation “is going to be awhile before it gets resolved.”

Brooks Brothers did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Post & Courier about its plans for the Charleston store.

Founded in 1818, Brooks Brothers is America’s oldest clothing brand — a standard-bearer for tailored suits, striped ties, and button-down shirts. It opened on King Street in April 2005, part of a wave of national brands drawn to the city’s growing luxury market.

The company filed for bankruptcy in 2020 before being rescued by Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group. Today, it operates more than 135 stores nationwide, including four in South Carolina.

Still, the high-end men’s apparel scene in Charleston has thinned. Just this month, longtime Meeting Street merchant 319 Men closed after decades downtown. Jos. A. Bank shuttered its King and George location five years ago amid its parent company’s bankruptcy.

If Brooks Brothers departs, it would mark the end of a near two-decade run at one of downtown’s most visible corners — and another reminder of how fluid the city’s retail landscape has become.

The exterior of Victoria Center, which houses the Brooks Brothers space, has been under renovation this fall. For now, the store remains open, quietly marking time beneath the scaffolding.

Come February, though, King Street could once again find itself with a freshly pressed vacancy — and the promise (or uncertainty) of what’s next.