DOUGLAS, Ariz. (KGUN) - Son Paises opened its doors in Douglas almost 10 years ago. After a decade in business, it's closing its doors; and like some other local businesses, the journey to stay open isn't easy.
“I would always tell my friends, this is a little gold mine that a lot of people haven't discovered yet,” shared Son Paises Owner Ana Altamirano. “And I wish they would have.”
Altamirano turned a hobby into a business when she opened the boutique. It is located at 555 E. 10th St., just off of G Avenue.
“I had a hobby of selling jewelry from different countries. And I always thought if I ever opened a boutique, I would name it, Son Paises, because that meant different countries,” Altamirano explained.
She expanded from just jewelry to selling women’s clothing, purses and other accessories. While remaining a boutique, she prides herself on still keeping her items affordable.
However, over the years, the boutique has struggled competing against fast fashion brands and people leaving town to shop.
Altamirano said, “It hurts and it hurts our community here because we need the sales.”
This past year was the worst for business, which led to Altamirano having to make a tough decision.
“It is the hardest thing I'm going to do, locking the door for the last time is gonna' break my heart,” Altamirano said.
She says while the city never asked her to open a store, she would have liked to have seen more support.
Altamirano explained, “It would have been nice to have seen even our council members come and say, ‘Is everything okay? What's going on? Anything we can do to help?’”
Douglas Business Network President Ralph Robles shared a similar sentiment.
He said, “Our businesses don't see our community leaders out there. It's kind of disappointing, we hoped they would be out there a little bit more just to say, ‘Hey, I'm spending a dollar here, a dollar there’ you know, that helps.”
While Altamirano will have to close the store in Douglas, she plans to transition to selling completely online through the boutique’s website.
“I will be able to do that at home and not have to pay the expenses of a location,” Altamirano said.
Despite having to close, she looks back proud on what she was able to accomplish.
“This is part of my legacy, I want to always remember these times,” said Altamirano. “I'm very proud that we made it this long. 10 years is a long time in a small city.”
The store will celebrate its 10-year anniversary on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, with plans to close later that month.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July of 2023 as a multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is thrilled to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important issues with Madison by emailing madison.thomas@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
