Powell’s Sweet Shoppe on Prospect Street shut its doors overnight without warning, and Tigris — a high-end woman’s clothing and accessories store on Girard Avenue — is going out of business after 15 years in the village. Powell’s Sweet Shoppe closed abruptly on Sunday, Sept. 13, leaving behind a near empty store that once housed rows of candy jars and dispensers that sold new and old-fashioned candies, toys and soda pop in glass bottles. The ice cream counter and cash register were gone, as were the child-sized chairs and TV that played “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” It’s unclear why Melissa Gilleon shut the store, although the upstairs tenant — Lila Jolla Studios, a yoga studio — surmised the poor economy had taken its toll. Co-owner Kent Horner said his yoga studio is doing well but that its overhead is half the expense of Powell’s, which occupied 2,000 square feet. Promote La Jolla was also in the dark about the closure. After 25 years in the dental field, Gilleon had opened the candy store less than a year and a half ago at 1,000 Prospect St. with the intent to create an escape from reality. Powell’s Sweet Shoppe is a franchise with 14 locations in California and one store in each of three other states, Oregon, Idaho and Colorado. Michael Powell opened the first store in Windsor, Calif., in 2003 to recreate the nostalgic candy store on America’s main street. Tigris will close in two months after 15 years at 955 Prospect St. Tourists largely support the store but business has declined in the past three years, and foot traffic in particular has dropped off this past summer, said owner Ramin Salehpour, who is also a real estate broker. Salehpour surmised that La Jolla residents shop at the malls and have been conservative with their dollars since the recession. Geared toward middle-aged woman, the store is offering 50 percent off its merchandise for the next two months. “The sale is not there but the rent is up rather than going down,” Salehpour said. “La Jolla rent should be half of what it is. The rent just doesn’t support the sale.” Salehpour said that rent in La Jolla is typically $7.80 per square foot. Salehpour turned the store over to his 22-year-old daughter, Shadi Salehpour, six months ago to give her experience in running a business. Shadi also has a full-time job working at a biotech company. “Sometimes an experience costs more than you think,” Salehpour said.
