Twist Clothing Company navigated both an economic downturn and a global pandemic, rarely puts items on sale, and has successfully stayed in business in Kennewick for 15 years.

The clothing store at 1408 N. Louisiana St., tucked into the corner of a plaza between Costco and The Olive Garden, is a sister store to Walla Walla Clothing Co., located on Walla Walla’s Main Street, which has been open about 30 years.

Women-owned and women-run, the store carries many woman-owned brands as well, with a priority on clothing made in the United States.

“We are all about customer service and helping women style themselves, so they feel relevant in the marketplace,” said Teresa Ellison, owner of Twist. “We cater to all age demographics and specific styles, whether more on the missy side or some that are more contemporary. We carry a lot of classic pieces you can have in your wardrobe for years and years.”

Calling itself a “better goods boutique,” the store prides itself on quality products and customer service, which includes complimentary alterations.

Twist specializes in brands like Eileen Fisher, AG Jeans, Michael Stars, Mother Denim, Vince, Dolce Vita and others.

“Our clientele just keeps coming back to us because we run our business like they’re our friends. They’ll come just to chit chat with us, to hang out and to shop as well,” Ellison said.

Higher-end clothing

While consumers complain about the rising cost of goods, Twist has been selling higher end products since the start, and Ellison said she had no problem weathering the economic downturn in 2008, even as a brand-new store.

“People were struggling financially because of the housing market, but our customer isn’t impacted by those situations. I sold higher ticket items to impact the slower sales to make up for that, and it really benefited my business, like a lot,” Ellison said. “We just went the opposite direction, and it actually increased our sales at a time when people were really struggling or closing.”

Ellison believes it’s also important not to offer discounts regularly or customers will be conditioned to expect them.

“I’m not going to have a sale rack all the time or stuff’s going to be put on sale at some point in time. You can’t ever go backward; you then have to continue to do that forever. I’ve always been old school. We’re going to offer a sale twice a year. We don’t offer a sale rack in season. Even if we’ve had something for three months, we figure out how to move it to another store, trade it out with a vendor or just remerchandise to make it look new. We don’t put it on sale. I refuse to do it,” she said.

A typical Twist customer won’t buy something simply because there’s a discount, she said. “She doesn’t care if something is 25% off. If she likes it, she’s going to buy it. She’s not buying it because it’s 25% off,” Ellison said.

Twist’s apparel is not a “fast fashion” shop, with new items constantly arriving, likely imported and priced to move.

Courtesy Twist Clothing Company

“I think people have to stop complaining about price points for things that are made in America,” Ellison said. She said if people want to support the U.S. economy and those who have to pay rent, put their kids through school and pay fair wages, customers ought to be willing to pay more.

“We all want everything made in America and complain about everything made in China, but you’ve got to support it the best you can,” she said.

That’s why Ellison says if someone is looking for something for $50, “they’re not in the right store,” and that’s not an apology.

“Those are not high-quality. Our items look nice and are going to live in your closet for a long time because I think we do a really good job of carrying trends, but doing really timeless, well-cut pieces that look good on your body. These are going to last. You’re creating style and not just following a trend, and it makes a difference,” she said.

Attracting new customers

Twist does offer sales twice a year, which can draw in new customers.

“Some people love our brands but maybe they can’t afford even the lower price point. If they shop with us on sale, they get a taste of what like good quality is and then they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m going to start saving my money so I can go buy a nice pair of jeans because it actually looks nice and it actually fits.’”

“Jeans are always the gateway drug,” joked Keena Keaton, manager of Twist. “Most of our customers will spend money on jeans because they know what good jeans look like and they know what bad jeans look like; there is a big difference, and you know the difference. Plus, they’re made in the United States of America.”

Having successfully gotten past the nation’s economic troubles when the store opened, Ellison was prepared to pivot in whatever means necessary when the pandemic began 12 years later, and she was “loaded down” with inventory.

Ellison said she was one of the first in line to get Paycheck Protection Program loans (Her LLC, Blue Mtn Clothing, received $160,000, according to a federal public database.), set up an e-commerce site and launched a “style box” program to get pieces into the hands of customers.

She also leaned on vendors to discount items already on hand that were going to be out of season once the store was allowed to reopen. “So, it was just more of creativity, coming up with ways to get rid of the product or at least discount it,” Ellison said.

The pandemic coincided with the closure of some additional stores Ellison had opened, all under the Walla Walla Clothing Company brand, including shops in Boise and Meridian, Idaho. Managers had left and it was too challenging to replace them. A store in Tacoma remained open but has since been moved to Kirkland. It’s the only additional store outside of the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla.

Giving back

As a way of giving back, Twist recently hosted a fashion show at the store on North Louisiana Street to benefit The Support, Advocacy & Resource Center in Richland known as SARC. It’s added to other philanthropic efforts conducted throughout the year.

“We have such an affluent customer base, and if we can use this platform to help our community, our customers are very happy to do that, too,” Keaton said. The fashion show included vendors from other local businesses with models of all generations, hoping people could see themselves in those on stage.

“I think dressing rooms are hard for a lot of women, not only because they're trying to find their own style, but they’re being self-critical of their bodies, and I’m constantly working on that here at Twist,” Keaton said. “I think women need to find some kindness for themselves, and I hope they feel a bit more empowered as they leave, not only because we have beautiful clothes, but because they're finding confidence in themselves.”

Go to: wallawallaclothing.com.