Returning from vacation on January 4, I realized I had to get my act together and start planning the Alexandria Walkable Warehouse Sale. It’s a February tradition that’s going to happen whether I’m ready or not, so I’d better get ready.

I launched the Alexandria Warehouse Sale over two decades ago with just a few other boutiques based on an idea we’d heard about from Atlanta. This is the 21st year of the sale – is that even possible? How did so many years pass?

As many of you know, it started in 2004 at its first location, the Campagna Center, and as it grew so did the space. Next came the George Washington Masonic Temple and then the Westin Hotel. We just kept outgrowing our location. Then Covid happened and we were forced into solving the problem of how to hold this event without having an off-site location.

We came up with the idea of a "walkable warehouse sale" and it was a hit with both shoppers and shopkeepers! Shoppers really wanted it to be two days long (which a rented location wouldn’t allow us to do). And shopkeepers really hated loading up all their merchandise and moving it for a day – it was a ton of work.

This seems to have made everyone happy so we decided to stick with this version of the sale even after the pandemic. It also allows all of Alexandria to take part in the fun weekend as well, even if you’re not a boutique keeper. As a walkable sale, you can shop, then stop and get lunch or a cocktail and make it a day. You can check out Alexandria Stylebook to find out which stores are participating. You should also follow @alxwarehousesale on Instagram to get a sneak peak on what great deals and items each store will offer. Look for details on a contest as well. 

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