Port of Kingston expands retail offerings
Published 1:49 pm Tuesday, April 29, 2008
To entice seafarers with the creative and aromatic products of Kingston, the Port of Kingston is setting up shop in its own office. The port will begin selling shirts, hats and mugs with its newly designed logo, and bring in a smattering of art from the Kingston Art Gallery and other locally produced goods, such as Majestic Mountain Coffee.
“We’re not looking to make money,” said port manager Mike Bookey. “This will serve as advertising for the community. We want to bring in as much as we can to this little corner of the office and feature stuff in Kingston.”
Thousands of boaters, including yacht clubs, come ashore at the Kingston marina and register at the office. Bookey hopes offering Kingston-branded goods will entice them to stay a little longer in town and walk up the streets to shop at local businesses.
“Kingston as a whole may benefit from this,” he said.
The port will also sell ice cream confections and postcards. Eventually, beer from Kingston’s Hood Canal Brewery and local wines may be offered, but since that entails getting a special license, it may not happen for another year, Bookey noted.
Marilyn Liden Bode, an artist member of the Kingston Art Gallery cooperative, said the group is looking forward to having the additional exposure to visitors.
“We’re very excited about it. We hope it will encourage them to come up the hill,” Bode said. The art gallery is located at Cleo’s Landing next to the Kingston Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center at the corner of Highway 104 and West Kingston Road.
Artists will sell pieces not available at the gallery, including wall art and smaller objects. They’ll be installing some shelving and display cases in the port office. Flyers and signs will direct boaters to the gallery and other shops in downtown Kingston.
She emphasized the retail space at the port is not a tourist souvenir shop, rather a place to highlight the fine art and products created here. In return for the space in office, the gallery will pay a percentage of its sales to the port.
The retail shop will be open the same hours as the port office: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
