The 34-year-old Georgetown retail institution Commander Salamander is officially closing its doors. It was announced in January of this year that Commander Salamander and its sister store, Up Against the Wall, would be closing. Though Up Against the Wall shuttered quickly, Commander Salamander has hung on, and there seemed to be a glimmer of hope last month when the store removed the “Store Closing” sign from its window. The entire Up Against the Wall chain, which features locations in Maryland, Virginia, and California, is going out of business.

According to Chris Peterson, a manager at Commander Salamander, store employees were officially given notice of the closing last Thursday. He does graphic design for Up Against the Wall and was informed of the chain’s demise earlier, but he says that other Commander Salamander employees weren’t surprised to hear the news. “There were lawyers going in and out of the store all week,” he says.

Commander Salamander’s entire inventory is for sale right now, at reductions of 30-40 percent off. Prices will continue to drop until the store shuts its doors forever on Dec. 31.

Photo: Georgetown Voice