There’s an interesting retail dynamic taking place on Elmwood Avenue currently. A long time retailer (iconic actually) has closed her doors after being in business since the 70s. Linda Matt, owner of Positively Main Street made an enormous impact on the gift shop scene in Buffalo, starting with her first business on Main Street (hence the name), near the Granada Theater. Eventually she bounced to Elmwood where she made her mark for years, supplying countless Buffalonians with wild, wacky and wonderful gifts that spanned the globe in origin.
Moving forward Anna Grace (a nearby clothing boutique) will be opening a gift shop in The Pos (or PMS) location. Urbanist Chuck Banas managed to capture a photo of the old sign coming down, exposing sweet retro signage underneath. The sign dates back to the days of Perfection Shoe Repair, which I find funny considering that just yesterday I posted on a new young cobbler moving onto the street – Sole Man.
While the end of The Pos era is hard to fathom, it’s great to see a gift shop taking over the space. Witnessing the old exposed cobbler sign, knowing that another cobbler is coming onto the avenue… it’s a reminder that there’s somewhat of a cyclical pattern to all of this, thankfully.
Pos will be missed for sure. But Anna Grace (owners Joanne Dina and Gordon Scherer) has already made its own mark on the street since opening in 2006. I’m happy to see this young generation of retailers making a go of it – no one likes seeing empty storefronts. Fortunately, Elmwood is still a hip and dynamic street that manages to be one of the central building blocks of this city.