PORT TOWNSEND — Monday is likely to be the last day that retailer Swain’s Outdoor will be open, though manager Grant Cable may be in the store sporadically after that time to sell the last remaining items by appointment.
In the meantime, two other stores are gearing up to take some of the slack, with the greatest beneficiaries likely to be the Carhartt company and the people who wear its products.
Both Henery’s Hardware in Port Townsend and Hadlock Building Supply have made plans to carry the clothing line, which has built its reputation as work clothing but also works as casual wear.
Henery’s, 218 Sims Way, has devoted an entire room at the front of the store formerly used for cabinet display for its clothing line, which will also include Dickey’s (similar to Carhartt) and Georgia Boots, which were also available at Swain’s Outdoor.
Hadlock Building Supply, 901 Ness’ Corner Road, will begin selling a wide variety of Carhartt products within the next month, according to co-owner Cassandra Arey-Rogers.
Both stores are rearranging their inventory to provide what was offered by Swain’s Outdoor, though Henery’s Hardware’s owner, Matthew Henery, said the 16,000-square-foot store “is pretty packed.”
He said more room could be created in the store if it could get permission from the city to move its lumber stock outside.
Once more room is available inside, the store will add a line of sporting goods and fishing supplies, Henery said.
Rogers said her store will be upgrading and redecorating over the next few months, beginning with a concrete pour to shore up several floors this weekend.
Eventually, it will be upgraded to a “destination True Value” where all the product lines will be expanded.
She plans to expand the paint department to include a second line of products in addition to the True Value product that is already offered.
It will also open a garden center this spring, she said.
Another area where the store will be taking up Swain’s Outdoor slack is the availability of hunting and fishing licenses, which it already offers.
“We want to offer more of the stuff that people really need,” Rogers said.
The new expanded product line will hopefully discourage shoppers from going to Silverdale or Sequim, but she also hopes to draw shoppers who think Port Townsend is too busy.
“The traffic going in and out of Port Townsend is getting really heavy, and it takes too long to get in and out of town,” she said.
Both stores are looking to encourage people to buy in Jefferson County, as it saves gas and generates sales tax revenue for the county.
And while both stores attempt to fill the void left by Swain’s Outdoor, this is a reluctant move.
“Swain’s closing is a big loss for the community,” Henery said.
“I wish they were still here.”
Cable said last week that several stores had expressed interest in taking over his lease at 551 W. Washington St., which expires in September.
A local consortium is investigating the idea of opening a community-owned store that would sell some of the items offered by Swain’s Outdoor and plans to hold public meetings as to what should be offered in such a store.
The closure of the Port Townsend store does not affect Swain’s General Store in Port Angeles, which has a different owner.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie. bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
