Proctor boutique that’s been a staple for 25 years in Tacoma closing, with big sales
After 25 years in the heart of Tacoma’s Proctor district, women’s boutique store Envy will be closing at the end of March, its owner said this week.
Upon a visit Tuesday racks of floral shirts and sweaters filled the room, as did dozens of patterned pants and skirts stickered with orange sale tags. Displays of beaded necklaces, earrings, rings and colorful jewelry stood by the register as a small brown dog mulled around, begging for treats.
Shannon Thompson operated a bohemian-style boutique in Montana before operating a similar shop in Gig Harbor for more than a decade and eventually moving to Tacoma’s North End at 3813 N. 26th St. Thompson said everything in the store is between 20%-50% off, and there is a deal where if you buy one item, you get the next one half off. Starting March 16 everything in the store will be half off, she said Tuesday.
A new men’s and women’s clothing store will open in the space in late spring or early summer, said Ginny McClure, who is getting the keys in April. McClure said the new shop will focus on sustainable fashion, craftsmanship and stocking small independent brands.
Thompson said she, and her 3-year-old shop dog Rusty, will miss Proctor. Over the decades she’s built relationships with regulars and seen them and their children grow up. While shopping for wares, Thompson said she’s kept an eye out for clothing she knows her regulars would like and would call them when it was on the racks.
After having a scare with breast cancer last year, Thompson said, “it just kind of made me re-evaluate everything.”
This year Thompson plans to enjoy “semi-retirement” and move to Texas, where she might sell clothes out of a decked-out truck at flea markets.
Thompson said she got into selling clothes “a long time ago,” operating out of a one-room space next to a flower shop in Montana. When the flower shop closed, Thompson said, she had the opportunity to take over the whole space for $250/month in rent, but ended up renting half the space for $125/month because she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to afford it. Three years later, Thompson said, her little store grossed over $100,000.
“I was so worried, I [didn’t] know if I could pay that rent. It’s so funny. Oh, it’s just crazy,’” she said. “I look back and go, ‘How is that possible?’”
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
