End of an era. Old-school Tri-Cities store could be closing after nearly 70 years
Basin Department Store owner Stuart Logg has been selling shoes to Tri-Cities customers almost as long as he could tie them.
After 60 years of working at his family store at the corner of West 1st Avenue and Auburn Street in downtown Kennewick, he’s looking forward to the next chapter of his life.
Logg, now 66, is still hoping to find a buyer for the store he’s spent most of his life in. If not, this could be the last holiday season for the old store.
In 1947 his uncle, Dick Logg, opened the store in World War II squad tents at Bateman Island.
“There were three Logg boys then. In ‘52 Uncle Dick moved it to this location and dad bought Dick out in ‘54,” Logg said. “I bought dad out, and mom, in ‘93.”
At the time, the shoe department of the building was the old Post Office. They bought that portion of the building in 1966.
He was a preschooler when he started finding ways to help out at the store. Logg recalls how longtime employees — he called them Aunt Marge and Aunt Doris — would give him tasks to do when he was little. He spent a lot of time using a now-antique label machine putting together pairs of socks.
“I’d just pull this thing, it’d spit out a piece of tape, I’d wrap ‘em up and throw them in a basket,” he said. “I’ve been doing that since I was 4 years old, I don’t know what it’d be like to not be here.”
Secret for success
Logg said the store is coming off some of its best years ever, and whoever buys it is in a good position if they’re willing to put in the hard work.
He said the secret to their success has been their relationships with customers built over the years. Many of their customers are tradesman who only shop at Basin for their work clothes.
“Our customers are working class people. We’re working class ourselves,” he said. “And so it’s a real personal thing. That’ll be the biggest hardship. Every rack in here I built with my father, every piece of 1970s paneling and all that.”
He’s also going to miss being there for the loyal customers who have chosen Basin for 40, 50 years or even longer. Not to mention the employees who are practically family.
“They want to come in and talk about old times. Some of these guys I was selling boots to when I was 10 years old. That’s quite a relationship, that’s going to be the hard part,” he said. “Amber Hickman’s been here for 24 years, her mom and dad worked here when I was a little boy. I don’t know if they met here.”
His own son-in-law also works at the store, but taking over the business just wasn’t in the cards for his children. He has two adult daughters, and just welcomed his first grandson this year.
“Ideally I’d like someone to come in and buy the business because this is a good business, it’s a profitable business. We’re kind of going out at the top of our game,” he said. “I plan on being out of here around February, and then I’ll maybe ride my motorcycle around. Who knows.”
Passion projects
Anyone passing by the store has seen the classic Norton 880 in the window.
“I restore old English motorcycles. I put them out here just to make room in my shop, and people buy the doggone things. I didn’t mean to sell them,” Logg said. “(The Norton) is one of 47. That’ll come home with me, but if that’ll make the deal I’ll be happy to include it. I’ve had it 20 years, it’s ready to go on to someone else.”
Logg said he got into that hobby thanks to another longtime Tri-Cities business owner, Jim Matthiesen of J&L Hydraulics. His favorite bike to restore was a 1956 Ariel Four Square, and his daily driver is a ‘68 Triumph 650.
“I was kind of a poor kid and I never could have these Triumphs and Nortons. Old Jim over at J&L Hydraulics, he builds them in the back. He kind of took me under his wing and taught me,” Logg said.
“So now I rebuild them from the ground up,” he said. “That’s what I’m going to do when I leave here, go play with my motorcycles, get greasy. I’m happiest when I smell like gas.”
Going out on top
Logg said a lot has changed over the course of his 60 years with the store, but much has stayed the same.
Hard work, great customer service, loyal customers and employees that feel like family are still the recipe for success. He thinks whoever ends up buying the store will be set up to succeed if they stick with it.
“I don’t have to tell our people what to do, I ask them. I say there’s some things that need doing and they’ll take the ball and run. They’re just good people and they know this store,” he said. “My advice would be, be ready to work. It’ll be very profitable if you’re willing to work.”
The 12,550-square-foot building and business are listed for $1.95 million.
If Logg doesn’t find a buyer for the business, he said he’ll just sell the property at 111 W. 1st Ave. He’s hoping to be ready to step away around the beginning of February and expects to start having sales on remaining merchandise after the holidays.
Logg said they were close to finding a buyer, but the sale fell through. Whether a buyer purchases the business or just the building, he said he’s OK with whatever ends up happening.
They’ve had a good run, and they’re going out on top, but he said that doesn’t mean he won’t miss seeing the loyal customers and staff every day.
“I love coming to work every day. That’s going to be hard,” he said. “I’ve always done what I like to do. I’m lucky.”
This story was originally published November 25, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
