Retail Roundup is a new WDCEP series highlighting the people and places driving DC’s neighborhood and downtown retail resurgence. Each edition features local and global brands that chose to call DC home and reflect the city’s dynamic mix of innovation, design, and community.
Downtown Washington, DC is alive with creativity, confidence, and community.
From homegrown gyms to global design houses, local businesses are writing the city’s next chapter of growth — one storefront at a time.
This month we highlight five businesses fueling that energy — each contributing to a more vibrant, experience-driven downtown.
Ambitious Athletics
What began as a small training studio in Woodley Park has grown into a downtown anchor for wellness, movement, and connection.
Ambitious Athletics has expanded twice since its founding, each move bringing it closer to the heart of the city and to a growing community of professionals who live, work, and train downtown. Its success reflects the strength of DC’s small business ecosystem — one that rewards creativity, resilience, and commitment to place.
Museum of Illusions
Since opening in 2022 at CityCenterDC, the Museum of Illusions has quickly become one of downtown’s most visited attractions — blending science, art, and play into a uniquely interactive experience.
Now approaching its three-year anniversary, the museum continues to draw residents, tourists, and families from across the region. More than just entertainment, it’s a symbol of how experiential retail can spark new foot traffic and reimagine downtown as a place for discovery and joy
Peruvian Connection
For nearly 50 years, Peruvian Connection has brought artisan-made alpaca and pima cotton fashion from Peru to discerning shoppers around the world.
Its F Street NW boutique has become a downtown fixture — and this November, founder Annie Hurlbut is inviting the DC community to celebrate with a special event:
📅 Sip, Shop & Save
📍 950 F Street NW
🕙 November 6 | 10 AM – 8 PM
The event celebrates craftsmanship, culture, and connection — all hallmarks of DC’s evolving downtown retail mix.
HUGO BOSS
As one of the original tenants at CityCenterDC, HUGO BOSS helped define the area’s luxury retail landscape.
Now, with its new F Street NW location, the global fashion brand continues its investment in the District — reaffirming confidence in the city’s market strength and ongoing downtown revitalization.
The move reflects a broader trend: established retailers not just staying in DC, but reinvesting and modernizing to meet new audiences.
Scio Iris Photography
The newest addition to F Street’s creative corridor, Scio Iris Photography opened in 2024 with a concept that’s as original as it is visually striking.
The studio transforms photographs of a customer’s eye into vivid, abstract art — turning a moment of individuality into something truly personal.
By blending technology, design, and emotion, Scio Iris captures the kind of innovation that’s redefining what retail looks like in downtown DC: experiential, artistic, and human-centered.
A city in motion
Each of these businesses — from fitness to fashion to fine art — reflects a DC that’s evolving with purpose.
Downtown’s story is one of renewal, investment, and imagination.
And as new concepts take root and established names expand, the District continues to prove why it’s a place where businesses and communities thrive.