Don't Be Too Surprised If Barneys Co-Op Leaves Walnut Street

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News broke this morning that Barneys New York is rebranding, dropping the Co-op nameplate from two of its largest Co-op units—2151 Broadway on the Upper West Side and The Grove in Los Angeles. The two stores will be rebranded as simply Barneys New York come summer.

Don't be surprised if Philadelphia's Co-op location follows suit or (gasp!) shutters altogether: a source close to Barneys says that the ten remaining Co-op stores are being evaluated for the same rebranding—a retail concept that comes courtesy of CEO Mark Lee. It's whispered that Lee wishes to eliminate cross-shopping between the Co-op and Barneys New York brands, allowing for a more cohesive, streamlined Barneys shopping experience. Worst case scenario, the 18th and Walnut store will join the five other Co-op stores that have been closed since 2011. Stay tuned for updates.
· Barneys is slowing eliminating Co-op stores [Racked National]
· Barneys New York Revamps Co-Ops [WWD]