Savon’s Closes Door On Long History Long-Time Spokane Retailer Plans To Shut Down

A family-owned clothing store with a 66-year history in Spokane is calling it quits.

Savon’s, located at University City Shopping Center in the Spokane Valley, is liquidating its merchandise and plans to close Dec. 29.

Clint Rogel, who took over Savon’s in 1969 from his father, Max Rogel, said it’s getting harder for independent clothing stores to compete with department stores.

“I have to have a special selection of lines people can’t find in department stores,” said Rogel, 51. “Otherwise, I’m not a specialty store.”

When Savon’s closes its doors, it’ll take a piece of Spokane history with it.

Max Rogel started Savon’s as a specialty women’s shoe store in downtown Spokane in 1930. The name, fashioned during the depression, resulted from a sign maker’s mistake.

“It was supposed to be Save-On Shoes,” Clint Rogel said. “It was the Depression.” When the sign maker ran the two words together, Max Rogel couldn’t afford a new sign, so the name stuck.

“I’ve had people come in and ask for Mr. Savon,” Rogel said, laughing.

Savon’s eventually expanded from a shoe store to include women’s clothing. In 1955, Savon’s became one of the first stores at the new NorthTown shopping center. Savon’s NorthTown Mall store closed in 1993.

In 1957, a fire destroyed Savon’s downtown store, which had expanded from 900 square feet to almost 6,000 in 17 years. Clint Rogel took over in 1969, and opened the U-City store in 1980. “It just took off,” he said. “It was a really great store.”

Rogel said U-City’s recent struggles to retain tenants have contributed only slightly to his decision to close. His only regret is leaving behind the regular customers who come to Savon’s as much to socialize as shop.

“We’re the only ones left doing this in this town,” Rogel said. “My customers are coming in now going, ‘How can you do this to us?”’

Savon’s originally catered to middle-income working women, but evolved into a store for older women, Rogel said. Though he’s tried to attract a wider range of customers, he said, the store’s image is hard to shake.

“I can advertise until I’m blue in the face, but Savon’s has an image,” Rogel said.

, DataTimes