(left) 5-year-old Ruby Knutson and (right) 6-year-old Mia Smith enjoyed their last time at Shoppe 7 on Feb. 22 Battle Ground Wa.
Shoppe 7 owner Michelle Smith helps Andrea Knutson from Rochester with her transaction at the building on Feb. 22. Shoppe 7 had its last day of business Feb. 23 as the building owner plans to to sell it off, though details of the potential or official buyer remain scarce.
Old Town Battle Ground’s Shoppe 7 closed its doors over the weekend.
The store hosted a clearance sale starting Feb. 21 in an effort to clear inventory before closing its doors, with the remaining merchandise headed for Haute Madre, a similar shop north of Hazel Dell near 99th Street. Both businesses are owned by Michelle Smith, who told The Reflector the decision to close was due to who would be owning the building itself in the future.
According to Smith, building owner Brett Haberman made the decision to sell the building late last year. Smith explained she had a lease for the building through the end of April when she initially planned to close up shop, though with the imminent closure she wasn’t able to take in new consignments, hurting business. On Feb. 7 she spoke with building owner Haberman who told her if she was out by the end of the month she wouldn’t have to pay rent through the end of the lease.
As to who will be the new owners, details are scarce.
Haberman did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A listing for the property on Loopnet, an online commercial real estate listing service, shows it still for sale as of Feb. 25.
Smith had taken up ownership of the store from previous owners in May 2018. At that time she said Haberman told her he did not intend to sell the building, having taken it off the market from a previous sale attempt at the time when the business was with its previous owners.
Smith decided to invest in renovations including painting, installing a security system and extensive work in the interior. She estimated the renovations were in the $10,000 range and noted that after that work Haberman put the building back on the market.
Though initially when she took over the shop Smith asked whether the building would be back for sale, by the time it returned to the market she and her husband were no longer in a position where they could buy the building themselves.
Though she would still be operating at Haute Madre, Smith said she felt that the business was “not really Battle Ground’s vibe” compared to Shoppe 7. Ideally, she would find a big enough spot in Battle Ground to have all operations, adding she has reached out to nearby property owners but hadn’t heard back on any opportunities as of Feb. 22.
Smith noted that local businesses have been supportive in offering space or other resources for her during the transition. She lamented how Shoppe 7’s closure would limit shopping options in the district.
“There’s no Ross, there’s no Target, there’s no mall. This is where people go when they want to get something to wear,” Smith said. Outside of Kidz Cloz and “a few racks” at nearby businesses, there isn’t a dedicated adult clothing store in Old Town.
Though she understood the business decision to sell the building, Smith wanted the public to know that if she could stay in Old Town, she would.
“I don’t want people to think that it’s my choice (to leave),” Smith said. “I want the store here, too, and I did everything I could.”
