Dear Relationships community,

To those near and far—here in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, visiting from across the city, or exploring and supporting online—we have made the difficult decision to to close our brick-and-mortar location at 920 Fulton Street. Our last day of full operation will be June 17, 2020. From so many close friends and everyday customers, to those newly introduced to ideas, designers, and artists at our space, or visitors in for only an afternoon, we will miss you! 

Relationships has always valued creativity and inventive solutions, and operated accordingly. The reality of running a profitable small business in New York, however, has radically changed in the last months, and with no meaningful intervening action on the City, State, or Federal level given the scale of current and forthcoming challenges. Even as we are fully aware of how much the independent retail and service industry operates on tight financial margins, the economic impact of COVID-19 has amplified the risks of running a business tenfold. Monthly costs of rent, utilities, insurance, and taxes, remain unchanged even as the realities of the pandemic come to bear fully on our community. The everyday budget concerns of a small business are simply becoming insurmountable obstacles across the country, and nowhere more so than here, in New York City. 

We also want to thank all the amazing people that we had the privilege of working with. From our colleagues at the store, who have made such a profound impact on daily operations in personal and creative ways, to the astonishing talent of designers and artists, who have contributed to Relationships with their work and time. 

We’ve loved every single moment of running Relationships, and with our beautiful community in mind, we are committed to re-establishing and redefining the business over the coming months in newly configured ways. This is not a good-bye, but a we will see you soon. Please come and visit us over the next two weeks! 

With love and gratitude, 

Nina and Su

p.s.

We look forward to seeing you over the next two weeks, but beyond that want to encourage you to invest in your ongoing relationships with your neighborhoods and people. There are so many wonderful small businesses, which often represent long harbored dreams, and the fruits of hard work, that need your support. 

We got to know you through this wonderful opportunity that is Relationships, now we want to explore how we can further serve. We urge you to find ways to see how you can provide your skills, passions, and purpose to be an agent for change. With the urgent need for drastic systemic, structural, and lasting change, we want to use our platform to highlight the work of grass-roots community organizations like Bed-Stuy Strong, NYC Black Mutual Aid, or Mutual Aid NYC to which you can donate your time and resources.