An empty Shop.Photo: BoweryBoogie

The Lower East Side boutique Shop shut down this week with no warning sign to shoppers. Employees closed the 94 Orchard Street location late Sunday night, carrying out furniture and packing up merchandise, which ranged from up-and-coming labels like Antoinette Lee and Lewis to big names like 3.1 phillip lim and Sass & Bide. This is surprising, considering that owner Lydia Burd just celebrated the store's ten-year anniversary in October, moved to a new location, and began throwing trunk shows and shopping events in the larger space. But the recession swiftly reversed that positive outlook, and now it's just another casualty of These Economic Times. Hold your clicks for the online retail outlet, too — the customer-service line is disconnected. [Bowery Boogie via Racked]