Another vacancy on South University will be created next month as the S3 Safe Sex Store closes its doors after 20 years.
Owner BethAnn Karmeisool confirmed the closure Wednesday morning, citing changes in the management of the building and in the habits of shoppers over the last couple of years.
"More and more people are relying on the internet. Amazon Prime is having an impact. There's an instant gratification that a brick and mortar can't sell," Karmeisool said. "Trying to stay with the trends and trying to stay positive with what S3 does, the push to move to a purely online establishment makes sense for us."
S3 will not be going out of business, but is closing the store on South University while moving some of its services online. An official closing date has not been finalized, but Karmeisool said it will close by the end of October.
Karmeisool said she will still be available to customers through the store's telephone number and will answer questions submitted via the S3 website.
However, some of the services the physical store provided such as HIV testing, counseling and walk-in assistance will no longer be offered. She plans on holding quarterly sexual health workshops and is working to continue to offer free HIV testing in the community.
Karmeisool said that not having a physical location for students and people in the community to turn to for advice will hurt the community.
"More than just selling products, the impact will be when the person that doesn't know where else to turn to and they need help doesn't (have a place to go)," Karmeisool said.
S3 has been in business in Ann Arbor for 20 years, Karmeisool said, and also operated locations in Royal Oak and East Lansing in the past.
The building located at 1209 S. University near the campus of the University of Michigan has been land leased to developer Ron Hughes who has been rumored for months to be actively buying property in the South University corridor.
Property owner Harry Hawkins will retain ownership of the building and the property, but Hughes will have full control over the property and development of the site.
Several storefronts on the South University corridor stretching from State Street to Washtenaw Avenue are vacant, including the former YCI Clothing store.
Karmeisool said the projected rents after the building management changed helped her decide to close the physical S3 store.
"The whole space and look of South University is going to be changing. Quite honestly, the projected rents per square foot are going to price these small mom-and-pops out of the area," Karmeisool said. "There is no way that small retail will be able to afford rents projected into the future."
Karmeisool is disappointed that she wasn't going to be able to keep the physical store open, in large part because she won't be able to connect with people she's worked with for the past two decades. Because of the personal nature of the business, Karmeisool said she's become close with many customers who started visiting as students and returned later as alumni.
"Those reunions become like family," Karmeisool said.
Matt Durr is a business reporter for The Ann Arbor News. Email him at mattdurr@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.