Fairmount Ave. Loses “Best of Philly” Winner Ali’s Wagon

Very sad news out of Fairmount this morning. Ali’s Wagon, the two-time “Best of Philly” winning home and baby supply store on Fairmount Avenue, will be closing next month. Despite a strong first year, the store’s web site reports that “during the last three months sales have weakened sharply, and we are very concerned that sales will most likely continue to drop in the months ahead as the economy straightens itself out.”
While this is bad news for the trying-so-hard-to-be-hip Fairmount Avenue, it is even more disheartening to see this labor of love fail. Owners Jessie Menken and Nat Weston posted this to the store’s homepage:

In our better moments we have laughed that were it just the two of us we would sell the house and eat ramen noodles in the car to keep this store which we so love, but we are parents to a two year old and our second child is due in February. As community members who have so enjoyed meeting all of our neighbors, and being so supported by this neighborhood we love, we are devastated. This store has been a labor of love, and closing it feels like a death in our family. It is also very frustrating, since we have been open for only two years, and in better times we believe that the store would have thrived. But the times are against us, as well as many other businesses, families and individuals.

The store will remain open throughout January and part of February and the Friday New Mom’s group will continue through the end of this month.

Via The Clog.