Longtime Uptown Boutique Local Motion to Close

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Photo by George Heinrich

Local Motion storefront

Before Instagram and Etsy, before virtual stylists and same-day delivery, there was Local Motion in Uptown, celebrating local designers and creating community among shoppers. After 33 years on Hennepin Avenue, Local Motion will close in late April. Blame it on founder Barbara Heinrich’s new granddaughter.

“She’s the love of my life,” says Heinrich, 64, who is still in the store most days. It’s taken me a long time to get to the point where I was ready to walk away.”

Heinrich plans to continue designing clothes—probably under the Local Motion label—and host the occasional pop-up, or sell her wares at art fairs. That takes her back to the early days, when her community of fellow artisans and designers in the Warehouse District inspired her to go into retail. It started with the Warehouse Club, a cooperative of local designers, and evolved into Local Motion.

“We believe in customer service, Heinrich says. “That’s what’s kept us in business.”

She acknowledges that business isn’t getting any easier—especially in Uptown, where indie boutiques are few, and even some nationals have struggled to hold on. Goorin Bros. hat shop recently closed; Victoria’s Secret’s high-profile corner spot at Lake and Hennepin is vacant. Road construction planned for Hennepin this summer factored into Heinrich’s decision to close this spring rather than hanging on through one more Uptown Art Fair.

But she’s hopeful about the future of independent retail in the Twin Cities.

“I know people who shop here don’t want to go to mall stores, and they don’t love shopping online,” Heinrich says. “There’s strength in numbers. I’m proud of Minnesota, and our arts community. I can’t think of a place I’d rather live.”

New merchandise is still arriving at Local Motion. A closing sale will happen later in April. 

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