Closing Sales Underway At Coucou & Olive And The Gap In Evanston

EVANSTON, IL — Store closing sales have begun at two clothing retailers in the 1700 block of Sherman Avenue in downtown Evanston. One is a locally owned small business and the other a corporate chain, and both plan to permanently shutter next month.

At Coucou & Olive, the women's clothing and jewelry boutique at 1716 Sherman Ave., has marked down all items by 30 percent. There is also a rack of merchandise discounted by 40 to 50 percent.

Owner Kellie Poulos said the business will be open through the end of January. No official final day has yet been set.

Poulos first opened up shop at the location in the mid-1990s with a store called Asinamali before opening an adjoining boutique in 2007 aimed at older customers named Coucou, according to past reports. Asinamali closed in 2014 as Poulos combined the operations into Coucou & Olive.

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A couple storefronts south of Coucou & Olive, the Gap store located in the former Varsity Theater building at 1706 Sherman Ave. is also closing for good next month.

Store staff said the closing date is scheduled for Jan. 26, unless all merchandise is sold before then.

Merchandise has also been marked down by up to 60 percent, but deeper discounts are possible as the closing date approaches, according to staff.

No further information was immediately available about any reason for either of the closures, which were both first reported by Evanston Now. No future tenants have been announced for either storefront.

In 2018, the preservation nonprofit Landmarks Illinois listed the 1700 block of Sherman Avenue as one of the state's most-threatened historically significant buildings.

The block had been proposed as the site for a 39-story mixed-use development the prior year. Developers withdrew that plan before it reached the Evanston City Council.

Read more: Varsity Theater Block Among State's 'Most Endangered' Places