After 20 long, empty years, 399 Washington Street in Boston flooded once again with shoppers on Friday, as Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo made its Downtown debut.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was on hand to help cut the ribbon at the store. A long line of eager shoppers queued up outside, taking in the opening-day festivities, which included a giveaways and a taiko drum performance.
Once inside the brightly lit storefront, customers perused displays of floral maxi skirts, linen blend shorts, and workout T-shirts. Spanning more than 20,000 square feet across two levels, the storefront got a substantive refresh from Uniqlo, which bathed the space in an airy white but preserved the exposed brick ceiling, embellished columns, and central staircase.
The debut of Uniqlo marks the first time that this retail space has been occupied since Barnes & Noble moved out in 2006. Just down the block, Asian lifestyle store Teso Life is also preparing for an opening in another long-empty storefront, sparking optimism about the future of the neighborhood.
The downtown location is Uniqlo’s sixth in Massachusetts, joining outposts on Newbury Street, at the Shops at Chestnut Hill, at the Natick Mall, in Braintree’s South Shore Plaza, and at the Burlington Mall.
Take a look at some more photos at the scene from Uniqlo’s grand opening.
Dana Gerber can be reached at dana.gerber@globe.com. Follow her @danagerber6.