Spokane-based Etailz Inc., the e-commerce company that formerly operated under the name Green Cupboards Inc., says it will open a retail store this fall in the South Perry Business District to carry a mix of products available on the websites it operates.
Etailz plans to name the shop Wollnick's General Store, operating it as a division of the company, says Josh Neblett, Etailz CEO.
The company sells about 100,000 home and eco-friendly products through e-commerce, Neblett says. He says the company decided to open a physical store as a way to offer Spokane residents some of the merchandise it sells from among three websites, including greencupboards.com.
"For the product mix, it's going to be a lot like a general store with items for babies and kids, toys and games, health and beauty, home and outdoor," Neblett says. "We work with about 1,600 suppliers, mainly in U.S., that we have access to through e-commerce."
He says the store will open next month in a 1,500-square-foot portion of a building being constructed at the northeast corner of Perry Street and 11th Avenue.
Spokane-based Baker Construction & Development Inc. is just wrapping up the project, and Perry Street Brewing Co. will lease the other two-thirds of the 4,600-square foot structure.
Etailz plans to hire three to five employees to work in the store, Neblett says.
He adds, "We're excited to be in the Perry district because it's an up-and-coming neighborhood."
Etailz's headquarters are located in a 4,500-square-foot space in the McKinstry Innovation Center, at 850 E. Spokane Falls Blvd., where it employs 70 people, Neblett says.
In addition to greencupboards.com, the company's websites include ecomom.com, which sells eco-friendly, nutritional, and safety-geared products for families; and everycasa.com, offering home and outdoor merchandise.
Bill Kinzel, chief financial officer at Etailz, says the company remains focused primarily on e-commerce, but that opening the store here enables the company to expand its business portfolio.
Neblett adds that the company doesn't have immediate plans to open additional brick-and-mortar stores.
"Depending on the success of this and learning from it over the next year, it's very possible we might expand, but it's not in the cards today," he says.
Neblett says designers at Etailz are designing the store's layout and look. The designers also helped develop the Wollnick's General Store name, which is a nod to one of the company's co-founders, Sarah Wollnick. However, she didn't hear about the idea until later in the process, Neblett says.