||| FROM DOUG & MICHELL “MITCH” MARSHALL |||
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The Office Cupboard was always more than a place to buy your office, school, and art supplies, or to get your print work done. It also has been a meeting spot, a pause in the day, a place where stories are shared as often
as smiles. From the first morning we unlocked the door eighteen and a half years ago, we hoped to offer something needed to this community that we all love.
Times have changed. With a few clicks, the world now arrives at our doorsteps, faster — and sometimes perhaps cheaper — than a small island business can offer. While online shopping has brought convenience, it has also made it harder for shops like ours to keep the doors open.
During the past few years, our annual sales (on an inflation adjusted basis) have been less than half what they had been a dozen years earlier. That worked for us, but it would not work for most owners.
The reality is that The Office Cupboard had become less and less important to Orcas and no longer was sustainable. We could not find someone to take it over, so our only choice was to wind down the business.
As Doug and I step into our next chapter, we hope you all will look for ways to support this island’s remaining local businesses before they may have to follow suit. Use them or lose them.
We look back with gratitude for all of you who regularly supported us over the years, as well as for those who accidentally wandered in, and for every tourist who carried away a piece of this island when they left. Thank you for choosing LOCAL when you could, for believing in small businesses and for making our journey meaningful beyond measure.
Though our doors are closing on January 27th , we hope the spirit of The Office Cupboard will continue to bring positive memories for each of you.
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Thank you to you both for ALL you have given our community! Enjoy your next adventure.
Many, many thanks to the Marshalls for all their years of Office Cupboard copying, technical assistance, art supplies, etc.! What will Eastsound do without you???
A poignant observation about local brick-and-mortar businesses–especially in a small, seasonal island community! But you have both made the Cupboard so much more than an essential local shop. On-line business can never provide the personal, community value that you have given us. Value? Priceless! Thanks and Best Wishes!
Thank you so much, Michell and Doug, for stewarding The Office Cupboard all these years! I will miss stopping by the shop, chatting with you, making copies or picking up some items. Missing you already! But looking forward to staying in touch.
We’ve been lucky to have Michell and Doug keep the Office Cupboard running for all these years. Thank you for your kind and professional service. I will miss you and the store.
You have been so important to our community and I will miss your excellent service and community presence.
May your Next Chapter be richly rewarding.
Always a favorite spot to stop in and visit with you two!!
You have done so much to enhance many of the businesses on the island–you are always there to help solve problems and help with printing and creative needs.
I am really gonna miss The Office Cupboard.
Thank you so much for all your help over the years. See you around the neighborhood!
Doug, Michelle, The Office Cupboard will be missed. You two saved my rear on several occasions. And I will miss dog loves too! Big ginormous hugs!!
Well and gracefully said, Michell, Doug, and all commenters. You will be so missed in so many ways. Thank you for all that you gave to this community in so many ways – professional, creative, and personal. For some of us, your welcoming place was a home away from home; a place to pet and love on your amazing and beloved dogs through the years, a place to have real conversations or spread out on your lovely work tables, which carry so much history! (If those tables could talk!)
You were so much more than just a much needed brick-and-mortar store. You were, and are, some of our best Community Angels. Thank you from my heart. for staying so long. Thanks to Doug for all the beautiful graphics design you did for us all – for free when you could have made top dollar for your work. Thanks for putting up with all kinds of craziness, including mine sometimes. Thank you for your patience, professionalism, kindness, integrity, and grace. Much love and best wishes to you both. I hope we will stay in touch.
Times a changing… I will be very personal here… You two gave my business life!
When we first opened Random Howse, it was your infectious smile and laugh that made every poster POP!!
I honestly can’t remember how many minutes, hours Doug hovered over his computer creating our posters.
I know we had over 600 events, all displaying Doug and Michell’s loving festive touch..
Many Latin Nights Dances!!
Not to mention all the Dinner menus and Specials. Thai night was a very huge hit with creative menus as well as Posters.
Not no mention the success of Women In The Woods first sit down production. Sold Out!! Twice!!!
Then Donna’s Film Festival featuring Dancing and partying.
All on Office Cupboards platform of getting the word out.
It seemed I lived there part time just printing and gathering. Very fond memories of neighbors helping neighbors!
Thank you two for your generosity and hart!
You have payed it forward, now enjoy what’s next.
Thank you for the Office Cupboard. And Woman in the Woods productions. And The Summer Was Over. You have been an inspiration.