Buffalo Exchange has closed its east-side location, leaving Tucson with only one of the high-end used clothing stores.
The national chain was started in Tucson v42 years ago by Kerstin Block, who has since opened shops in about 20 states.
The east-side store opened in 1978, Block said. But it had been at three other locations before landing in the Monterey Village shopping center on Speedway and Wilmot Road in 2000.
“We moved that store four times. We could never really make it work, even though it’s been around for 40 years,” Block said. “That was our third store we opened. … It just never found a good home.”
Because of a changing resale landscape, the store had not been financially viable for several years, Block said.
“Resale in Tucson has really changed in the last ten years,” Block said. “There’s just much more of it … There’s a lot more competition for resale now than there used to be … and clothing is cheap these days. At least fast fashion is cheap.”
Closing the store was not what Block wanted to do, but she decided it was best for her company.
“I am sad. Nobody likes to give up on something like that,” Block said. “It was something I resisted doing for a very long time, but the time had come. The lease was up and it was an opportunity for us to move on.”
Employees of the east-side store were all transferred to the remaining Buffalo Exchange shop in Tucson, 2001 E. Speedway.
Block doesn’t plan to open any other stores in Tucson and said the university-area location does really well.
“I think we’re gonna stick with the one we have and really make Buffalo Exchange the best it can be,” Block said.
Buffalo Trading Post west of Tucson, 2740 S. Kinney Road, a version of the resale shop that is aimed at older customers, is still open.
