Open and clothed

Title Nine, a national women’s clothing retailer that celebrates fitness and uses what it calls “real women” as models, has opened its first Spokane store in a former pharmacy in the South Perry shopping district.

Based in Emeryville, Calif., Title Nine didn’t start its location search with malls and shopping centers.

It had a specific area in mind – the South Perry district – because “we never go into malls, and because that neighborhood is up-and-coming,” said Rebecca Kotch, director of the company’s retail stores.

This makes the company’s 19th store. It has two in the Seattle area, but most are in medium-size cities like Boise and, in Colorado, Boulder and Colorado Springs.

“When they told me they wanted a building in the Perry Street district, I found it refreshing,” said Matthew Byrd, a partner in Cornerstore Property Advisors, the Spokane firm that helped find the building at 928 S. Perry St.

Byrd said a Title Nine representative told him they looked first at Browne’s Addition. When they found no available space there, South Perry was the next choice.

The neighborhood and the decision to come to Spokane came out of market research, Kotch said. “We were aware of Spokane. It was on our radar because we saw a lot of sales coming from there for our catalog department.”

“We wanted to ingrain ourselves into the community and be a strong part of it,” she said. “We see our customers as people with active lifestyles, and you find that in the (Perry) area.”

Title Nine’s shop is next to the South Perry Farmers Market and just south of The Shop coffee bar and hangout.

Title Nine has a seven-year lease on the building, owned by Mark Camp and Darby McKee, both of whom live in the Perry neighborhood. It’s been called the old Altamont Pharmacy, for the business that operated there for several decades and closed in 2009.

The owners took out a bank loan to install a new roof and do extensive interior remodeling. The exterior has been freshly painted tan and white, with a period look.

Named for the federal education law that provided equal funding for women’s sports, Title Nine was started in 1989 by Missy Park. Its breakthrough product was a sports bra that the company continues to sell in an updated version. The store also sells yoga clothes, sweaters, jackets, dresses and cold-weather wear.

Summer Hightower, who opened Veda Deluxe a few blocks south on Perry Street, sees the arrival of Title Nine as another reason to celebrate the revival on that part of the South Hill. She opened her classic-vintage clothing and accessories store 13 months ago. Business is growing, and the new store will only help, she said.

“I just hope people start coming down here,” Hightower said.

“Most people gather at that end of the street, up by The Shop. We don’t get as many shoppers here, at least not yet.”