Business keeps pace with change

When Tim and Deanna Muir bought Sisters Drug and Pharmacy 19 years ago, little did they know that they would also operate a high-end gift store, as well as a gourmet food and chef shop.

The Muirs began business in what is now The Palace on Cascade Avenue. Two years later, they moved to their present location.

"The original store was about 6,000 square feet," Deanna said.

Sisters Drug and Pharmacy has since expanded into 11,000 square feet.

The secret to their success, she maintains, is change. The diversification of products has helped with business.

"The pharmacy, the higher-end gifts, the food -- we have a wide variety of items, and so a wide variety of people come in," Muir said. "We have people who come from Seattle twice a year just to go shopping at our store."

Keeping that level of diversity requires imaginative buying. Deanna recently returned from an extensive buying trip.

"Tim and I go to seven major gift shows a year, and we walk many miles doing it," she said.

"I buy spontaneously. If I have to think about it, I shouldn't buy it. If it strikes me, I'll get it. My husband says I know how to spend money."

Not just any old item will do.

"When I buy merchandise for the store, I'm looking for something that makes a statement," Muir said. "It's got to get somebody's eye.

Muir seeks to avoid a static inventory.

"The key is change," she said. "Keep things fresh, keep it moving around.

"Displaying is just as important as buying," she continued. "I give credit to our employees for their enthusiasm and help. They set up the merchandise so that it's attractive."

If the only constant is change, then it follows that the Muirs have more changes in store for the store.

"We are starting new food lines with our own private label, and we're very excited about it," Muir said. "A lot of tourists are looking to buy something from here, and this will help get the word out about Sisters."