Updated as of 7:36 a.m. on Feb. 27 to include information about Mackenzie Brown.

After eight years in business, Simply Oak, a boutique in downtown Elon announced that it would be closing its doors through its Instagram on Feb. 25.

Melissa Troutman ’13, who attended Elon University for both undergrad and graduate school, said Simply Oak started because of Elon.

“This was a school project.” Troutman said. “Last semester of grad school, we had to write a business plan so I did it on a boutique, just because I always love the idea of owning a store and owning my own business.”

Opening its doors in January 2017, Troutman said she wanted Simply Oak to be a boutique for women in any situation or stage of life. 

“I wanted it to symbolize not only growth for me as being a student at Elon but being a business owner in the community, and for students as well,” Troutman said. “They could find pieces that were going to suit them their first year, and then as they got older, and we're able to find pieces that were going to suit them for job interviews or internships.”

Troutman made the decision to close the business after her landlords, Joel Brown and his daughter Mackenzie, told her that her rent would increase once she renewed her lease. Mackenzie Brown currently serves as the chair of Elon's downtown board.

“We were prepared for some sort of increase,” Troutman said. “And then about mid February, we got a call with our new lease terms, and there was going to be a significant increase in rent. It just kind of felt like a rug was being pulled out from under us.”

After consulting with her husband and thinking through other options, Troutman ultimately made the decision to close the store at the end of March. Throughout the rest of the month, Simply Oak will be hosting sales to clear out the rest of its inventory. 

Simply Oak is not the only downtown business facing an increase in rent. According to Alamance County property tax records, the Brown family also owns the buildings that The Root, Subway, All that Jas and Campus Technology Support reside in. 

An anonymous source who is a downtown tenant told ENN that their rent was also increasing as well. 

Caitlin Brooks, the owner of All That Jas, said with online retailers and the prices of goods, people can no longer afford to shop locally. 

“We're already up against so many challenges with the way that the economy has pivoted towards online shopping,” Brooks said. “We can't compete against that. And so we really have to have community support in all fashions. It has to be from the university, it has to be from property owners, and it has to be from the community.”

Simply Oak will reside in its space at 108 W. Lebanon Ave. until March 31.