Random Harvest Closing After 40 Years
By • March 26, 2026 One Comment 658
While Georgetown may be blooming with new retail or eateries, the occasional loss of a longtime hometown favorite like Everard’s Clothing gives us pause. This week brought news of another.
Random Harvest Home Furnishings, the stand-out store of handpicked selections of furniture and accessories at 1313-1315 Wisconsin Ave. NW, will close on May 2 — but, until then, it offers 40 percent off on everything, something they’ve never done.
Owner Beth Aberg spoke with The Georgetowner about her decision to shut down the business after 40 years.
“We started in New York City in 1982 ,” she said, before moving to the Washington area and opening a store in Old Town Alexandria. “Then, we opened in Georgetown, right after that. A few years after that, we opened in Bethesda. We opened in Arlington.”
Now, the Georgetown store is the only Random Harvest left.
What’s the reason for closing? Aberg said, “It’s a combination of high rents, costs and tariffs and old age. All things in their time.”
Are furniture stores in peril?
“But everything is cyclical,” Aberg continued. “Right now, furniture is quite depressed. You know, during the pandemic we were high, and apparel was completely in the toilet. Now, apparel has had a real resurgence, and furniture stores are not doing as well. But everything comes and goes, and it will absolutely cycle back.”
What’s next for the owner of Random Harvest?
“I’m not sure. I am exploring a whole bunch of options, but nothing that I’m really prepared to talk about,” Aberg replied. “I don’t think I’m ready to retire.”
“Georgetown has been wonderful,” she added. “Just wonderful. It’s just a fantastic venue, if you will, for retail. Everything about it. I know people complain about parking and all of that, but there’s plenty of parking, and there’s a lot of interesting stores, and some of the landlords, Richard Levy [Random Harvest’s landlord] in particular, took great care to keep stores like mine and to keep it interesting and not just do full corporate. I think he deserves a lot of credit. And Anthony Lanier, I think deserves a lot of credit for the same thing. They didn’t just take the easy road. They went for more interesting places and even recently when there’s more higher end clothing. It’s still clothing that isn’t in the malls, you know, it’s only on Madison Avenue … in Soho. It makes Georgetown, to me, a real shopping destination.”
Everard’s to Close on April 16
Another longtime favorite that is closing is Everard’s Clothing at 1802 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Anything left is discounted, and its last day is April 16. Owners Louis Everard and wife Jennifer Nygard are shutting the doors “after 27 wonderful years.”
The Georgetowner asked Louis Everard about his last days in the store. He replied, “It’s been absolutely incredible! We’ve swamped ever single day since our closing announcement in January. The community has been so supportive.”
Devastating to lose two legacy local businesses this year. We’re lucky to have enjoyed Random Harvest for 40 years and Everard’s Clothing for 27! Thanks for sharing these stories, Georgetowner!