Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › Rant: What happened to Capers?
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February 24, 2009 at 10:26 pm #589900
TracyMemberThis used to be my favorite store in WS. I could always count on it when I needed interesting gifts. Now, it’s full of… furniture? What gives? It’s terrible now. You could say, it jumped the shark.
February 24, 2009 at 10:49 pm #658942
flowerpetalMemberI couldn’t say that Tracy cuz I don’t know what “jumped the shark” means. But I do know that Capers has steered away from being the fun place to go to for small house gifts. I never go in there anymore. It used to always be a stopping point for my Christmas shopping.
February 24, 2009 at 11:36 pm #658943
beachdrivegirlParticipanti ran into this problem too. I used to love getting small gift items now i go there and i feel like i am in a local crate & barrel. i defin. wish they would go back to what they began as.
February 24, 2009 at 11:44 pm #658944
RainyDay1235MemberI agree…and the kids section is much smaller too. First Murphy’s (now gone), now them….
I will say though they had the most amazing artist for art walk – best of the whole night. A local WS guy who makes chandeliers out of found objects…gorgeous.
Website: http://www.justarumor.com/
February 24, 2009 at 11:48 pm #658945
carrieannMemberI was just going to make the comment about the kid’s section, too. I remember making that a regular stop on my walks with my daughter (when she was still of the age/size that I could wear her or push in the stroller) and how many wonderful things we could find. It’s always been on the pricier side, but there were some really great things that made it worth it. I got her first Christmas stocking there, a number of stuffed animals, some pieces of jewelry, small housewares, etc. I stopped in about a year ago to look for something, but didn’t stay long and haven’t been back since. It’s just lost a lot of its luster for me, sadly.
February 24, 2009 at 11:52 pm #658946
PeachesParticipantOk, I’ll bite (no pun intended!). I believe the phrase “jumped the shark” originated from the totally off-course direction that the sitcom “Happy Days” took when the Cunningham family and Fonzie went on vacation and Fonzie had to water-ski jump over a shark for some reason that now escapes me. Apparently, “jumped the shark” has become a descriptor for an enterprise that unsuccesfully strays too far from its original course/intent. Tracy, am I close?
February 25, 2009 at 12:25 am #658947
WSBKeymasterHave you expressed your concern to Capers management? We ask that people take their concerns about local businesses or organizations to the business themselves before venting about them here. Also, for perspective’s sake – they had a Fremont store and closed it some months back (I believe last year, we reported it here), consolidating everything into the West Seattle store. Perhaps that’s where the focus shifted, but they are great people in our experience and I’m sure would be happy to hear about customer concerns.
February 25, 2009 at 12:58 am #658948
TracyMemberI’ve asked them casually about the change of direction in the past and didn’t get a clear answer. It just saddens memore than anything. It’s mostly over-priced furniture now.
Peaches – yes, basically “jumped the shark” is generally used for TV shows… but denotes something that is typically deemed to have passed it’s peak. :-)
Hopefully they will get back to their roots someday soon!
February 25, 2009 at 1:05 am #658949
ElleMemberCapers was my favorite ‘go to’ spot for years. They always had hard to resist items with great style at a variety of price points. I bought gifts there almost exclusively.
I miss their little cafe too, everyone I know in West Seattle would stop in for a yummy treat or lunch and ended up browsing/buying in the store before or after their visit to the cafe. It was such a unique business model, and now they are just another furniture store.
If I’m in the market for a big piece of furniture I might think of them, but I sure don’t go there regularly like I used to.
February 25, 2009 at 1:40 am #658950
CaitParticipantJumping the Shark does originate from Happy Days for those curious. It’s synonymous with things that are, like you said Tracy – past their prime OR something done as a last ditch for ratings. (The episode was a two parter leaving off in the middle of the jump to try to get more viewers for the next week.)
I was really sad when they took out all the yummy food :( They do have some beautiful furniture though.
February 25, 2009 at 3:10 am #658951
HunterGParticipantBiting my tongue about the chandeliers, but have got to hand it to him for a interesting idea!!
February 25, 2009 at 3:45 am #658952
DuckitudeMemberHi All and lowmanbeach: Looks like Tracy at least “casually” inquired. I am not sure what lowmanbeach might want before someone posts a “rant” here, but, a formal inquiry would be a journalist’s job, I would think.
I know I have been back to Capers three times since it went the way of “a puzzlement.” Each time I spoke with the buyer and, I am informed, the local manager, if not the actual owner. Each time, I was greeted with opposite of duckitude… which would be “attitude.” Obviously, the former customers (and I was a big time former customer), not only have no influence on the management or buying and selling practices of Capers, but can expect to be treated with a certain “disdain” for mentioning anything about what they might miss.
Not sure why they want to treat the loyal base they had with such disdain, but, they appear to be doing just that. I think that is why you are seeing this rant in the first place. They don’t seem to care about customer feedback, so it gets taken to the next step, the neighborhood turns on them, so to speak…
On the chandelier exhibit… Awesome! Really cool! Wish I would have walked across the street instead of babysitting my duckies and such at Windemere the whole evening. Hmmm… got to get out more…
February 25, 2009 at 3:51 am #658953
AnonymousInactiveHunterG, take it back :) Those chandeliers are the coolest. Thanx for the link Rainy.
February 25, 2009 at 4:28 am #658954
PDieterParticipantI can’t imagine their business model has anything to do with making money…it must be something else, like a disdain for retail customers. yea that must be it
[/sarcasm]
February 25, 2009 at 4:51 am #658955
DuckitudeMemberPDieter: So, are you saying you know what their business model is? Hmmm… many “business” people make decisions based on just about everything but a “money-making” business model.
You can’t assume that “business people” make “business” decisions based on sound thinking. Unless you are a mind reader… hmmm…
Disdain doesn’t work any better here than it does in retail, no matter what your business model is.
February 25, 2009 at 5:16 am #658956
HunterGParticipantSorry JT, to each their own…I do respect the artist’s ingenuity and creativeness – but they are just not my style.
February 25, 2009 at 9:11 pm #658957
IrukandjiParticipantCapers lost my business some time back due to very weird customer service issue.
I tried to make sense of it with the owner in-store and was essentially flipped the bird, as though my desire to come back when they had their computer issues solved rather than wait with a frustrated toddler for a $17 purchase was a HUGE inconvenience to THEM.
February 25, 2009 at 10:47 pm #658958
WSHSparentMemberI loved Capers when they first started out…a long, narrow shop filled with interesting items…you could buy a cookie from the case and sit down in the back at a small table…lots of affordable stuff. When they moved into their present location they added more expensive items, but there were still plenty of modestly-priced cool things, a sale corner, and of course, tasty sandwiches, etc. I rarely breeze through anymore…sadly, they’ve lost their appeal for me.
February 25, 2009 at 11:47 pm #658959
goodgracesParticipantYeah, Capers is not what it used to be. Sad — I spent a few hundred dollars there every year on little things and now have no interest at all in walking in there.
I too think some of the folks there also have bad energy when it comes to interacting with customers.
February 26, 2009 at 11:07 am #658960
JeannieParticipantAgree with Duckitude. “Business model” is sometimes an empty biz-speak term. If a store doesn’t provide pleasant and welcoming customer service, it doesn’t matter what its “business model” is. Sadly, a once-wonderful business like Capers may not survive these tough times. We former customers miss the friendly welcome, the delightful cafe, the kids’ section, and the elegant yet affordable gift items. Are many people buying expensive furniture these days???
February 26, 2009 at 5:34 pm #658961
flowerpetalMemberSix of twenty posts here use some form of the word “sad.” I did not but could have because I miss the old Capers. When I brought this up to store employees the response was something about “progress and growth.”
What I am not sad about is any loss of business Capers has brought upon itself. Some neighborhood businesses will survive because of the customer service they brought to the community.
February 26, 2009 at 6:20 pm #658962
anonymeParticipantRave: I love Capers, then and now. Their furniture is lovely; they carry Lee, a customizable green line, and Cisco, which is uber green as well as fashionable. The customer service is excellent. I’m remodeling and when I finish I plan to refurnish LOCALLY at Capers, not a big box store. My budget is very limited, but they often have great sale prices. I do agree that their accessory selection has suffered, but they had to consolidate a bit when their other store closed.
February 26, 2009 at 10:10 pm #658963
DuckitudeMemberHi All, Again: I dropped by Capers to view the chandeliers by Russ Morgan referred to above in the post by RainyDay. Wow!! Way more beautiful in person than on the website.
Even if you don’t necessarily want to be in Capers anymore, you gotta stop by and view the chandeliers! I think all proceeds go to the artist since it is part of Art Walk.
February 27, 2009 at 6:58 pm #658964
CJSMemberCapers Tapers
How sad was I to see this place
Let merchandise replace the space
Where we once had the chance to sit
And while we ate, just chat a bit
And after we had chewed the fat
I’d roam around the store so that
My husband dear could then engage
The issues on the sporting page
And as I strolled from floor to floor
I hardly then returned before
Some kind of treasure, I indeed
Had bought regardless of my need
So now that we cannot sit down
I guess we’ll have to look around
For someplace else where we can go
Goodbye little treasures, you’ll miss me so
February 28, 2009 at 4:08 am #658965
JLMemberWell done CJS! Ditto. When Capers closed the cafe and started to fill the place with expensive furniture I ventured elsewhere. Rave to NW Art and Frame. They have wonderful gift items and the customer service has always been great….I wish they had a cafe. Good thing a bakery is next door.
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