RIP, Racked Philly

The local arm of the national site folded on Friday.

In local blog news, I received confirmation this morning that Racked Philly is folding on Friday. The retail-focused site started off with regional coverage in New York, LA and Chicago, adding Boston, Philly and San Francisco in 2012. The national blog announced the dedicated local coverage in December 2012, and hired Julie Davis—formerly of DailyCandy and The Feast— to helm the blog.

“The site’s parent company was bought out some months ago and, as is the result of most acquisitions, it was decided that the focus ($$$) should be directed elsewhere,” said Davis in an email announcing the site’s closure. “I believe that Racked Philly will stay live (or will be consolidated under another vertical), but just in case, I would recommend screen-grabbing any coverage that you’d like to preserve for promotional purposes.” (A good note for local shops who’ve earned kudos on the site.)

I spoke with Davis this morning, and while she’s disappointed at the site’s shuttering, she’s still excited about the local retail landscape.

“The retail scene here is a bit divided,” she noted. “You have an influx of major retailers setting up shop on Walnut and Chestnut, proving the city as a viable market, and then you have the indie boutique scene—the glue holding this whole thing together. As far as the future of the Philly retail scene, anyone’s guess is as good as mine. I’d say the sky’s the limit.”

An email to Racked’s editorial director has not yet been returned, but stay tuned for news on the future of Racked’s other l0cal sites.