News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Catherine Hayden of Your Store. The shop has been providing souvenir clothing items and Outlaws gear to locals and visitors alike for decades. decades.
Chances are, if you've been to Sisters any time in the past three decades, you've walked through the doors of Your Store.
The shop at 121 W. Cascade Ave. is a go-to spot for a T-shirt or sweatshirt commemorating the area and for Outlaw logo wear. This summer marks Your Store's 30th year in business.
The store was originally founded in Redmond by Bonnie Jacobs-Halosek and Neal Halosek with the unique selling point of having all of its inventory priced at $10 or below. The concept was high-volume, low-margin.
"We started off as a women's boutique," said the Halosek's daughter Catherine Hayden, who manages the Sisters store. "At one time we had 30 stores across Oregon."
As big-box stores made inroads into small retailers' markets, they shifted their focus to resort communities, and now maintain three stores - in Sisters, Sunriver and Seaside.
They also took on their own printing on shirts.
The most popular items in Sisters feature the mountains and print that references Oregon - often souvenirs of a trip to this beautiful part of America.
"We offer families an affordable souvenir item. In general, our best-selling item is a pull-over hood," Hayden told The Nugget.
The business continues to be a family affair. Catherine's parents operate the Seaside store. Jake Turpin is the master screen printer, and Cara Hudson is the business manager. The family prides itself on providing jobs that pay better than minimum wage and offer benefits.
Catherine says that her favorite part of her job is the design of products. At this time of year, the toughest part of the business is keeping up with demand. "We restock every week," she said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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