PORT TOWNSEND — For the second consecutive week, a group of businesspeople will meet privately to discuss a proposed community-owned and operated department store in prime downtown retail space.
Swain’s Outdoor announced Jan. 7 that it was going out of business in the space at 1121 Water St.
A loosely knit group of businesspeople formed to discuss how to fill the space with a variety store that offers merchandise not currently available in Port Townsend.
“There are a lot of things you can’t buy here,” said Steve Moore, a member of the group who is a partner in Mystery Bay Shipping Co.
“We want to figure out what it makes sense to offer.”
Aside from Moore, the group includes Port Townsend Mayor Michelle Sandoval, Team Jefferson member Shelby Smith and Writer’s Workshoppe co-owner Peter Quinn, who is charged with developing a mission statement for the project.
The Wednesday meeting, like the one last week, is private but there will be significant public input during the process, according to Moore.
Meetings soliciting what the public wants to see in such a store will only be the beginning, according to Moore.
The group hopes to conduct “crowd-sourcing” experiments that will poll the public to determine exactly what products they will purchase.
Social networking will also provide a source of input while gathering public preferences about the store’s particulars, Moore said.
The Swain’s interior has about 17,000 square feet of floor space. Everything else is up in the air.
Moore was not willing to say when the new store could open its doors; “there are a lot of details we need to work out first,” he said.
Selling food isn’t part of the plan, but the new store will be “organic” in a different way, as its mission will evolve even after its opening.
“Once we get up and running, we may decide to not do what we planned, and may do some other things that we add along the way,” Moore said.
Aside from passing around the mission statement for input, the group is contacting retail stores to determine how inventory is chosen and matched to the needs of the public.
This research isn’t restricted to stores that use a community owned or cooperative model, Moore said, although those that use alternative marketing concepts are studied more carefully.
One example is Powell Mercantile in Powell, Wyo., which was started by 800 community investors who bought one or more $500 shares to start the business.
Powell, which is now profitable, has become a tourist attraction, according to the Billings Gazette in Montana.
Moore said the new store would borrow ideas from a variety of places to put together a model appropriate for Port Townsend.
While the buy-in idea could be used, the shares would probably be less expensive than Powell’s.
Sandoval has said she wants to keep the entry price low so more people can participate.
Swain’s lease expires in September, but store manager Grant Cable said a sublease agreement would be considered.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
