After 20 years, South Hill gift boutique Petite Provence closing
Petite Provence, a gift boutique on Spokane’s South Hill, is closing after 20 years in business.
“People have just changed their shopping habits,” said Shirley Evenoff, who owns the business with her daughter, Jenny Schuetzle. The mother and daughter also own the 14th & Grand Salon located in the same building as the gift shop at 1337 S. Grand.
The boutique first was inside the hair salon and sold mostly jewelry, Evenoff said. But “we kept adding more” inventory, including antiques, collectibles and home furnishings, and eventually they moved the shop to the upper floor of their building, she said.
Petite Provence likely will close by the end of the month, she said. The salon’s offices will occupy part of the space being vacated and the rest will be offered for lease.
“We have had wonderful customers,” Evenoff said, “but Internet shopping has really cut into boutiques. People can get a lot of what we have on the Internet. So I’m going to learn to do the Internet.”
Prafke wins NAWBO honor
Julie Prafke, president and founder of Humanix Corp., was named Woman Business Owner of the Year last weekend by the National Association of Women Business Owners, or NAWBO. The organization held its national conference in Florida.
Prafke started her Spokane-based staffing company in 1986 and since then has found temporary or permanent jobs for about 70,000 people, a Humanix spokeswoman said. It has offices in north Spokane and Coeur d’Alene and employs about 30.
Humanix started a professional recruiting division, called Promanix, in 2000.
Spokane Powersports changes hands
Scott and Carrie Buck have bought Spokane Powersports from the company’s longtime owners, Steve and Caroline Schmidt.
The Spokane company has been in business for 30 years and is located at 6521 N. Division.
Spokane Powersports is a dealer for Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Arctic Cat. Terms of the transaction weren’t disclosed. The sale was handled by listing broker Cunningham Group Inc.