By HANNAH HOLLIDAY

hannah.holliday@leaderpub.com

DOWAGIAC — In between racks of fall tribal patterns, Lake Life T-shirts and silver jewelry charms stood Cathy Franz, the owner of The Marshall Shoppe in downtown Dowagiac. This week, Franz celebrates her first anniversary as the owner of the store.

The Marshall Shoppe, which is one of Dowagiac’s oldest clothing stores, has not always held the same name. When the store was first opened by Clifford Clapsaddle it was called Millie’s. The store was then sold to Marion Pete Weaver, who changed the name to Wil-Mar Fashion. The Marshall Shop got its current name from Zella Marshall, who bought the store in 1957.

Martha DeShanzo bought the store in 1973. Her daughter, Sue Kalzauskas, started working in the store two years later. Kalzauskas eventually bought The Marshall Shoppe from her mother. A year ago, Kalzauskas sold the store to Franz, who had been a longtime employee of the store, located at 138 S. Front St., Dowagiac.

With a year under her belt, Franz has kept the store relatively the same in terms of carrying merchandise that appeals to a broad range of customers. 

“It’s been a pretty good year,” Franz said. “We still have the same types of fashion and quality.”

The store’s downtown location is convenient for the store’s customer base, Franz said. The store attracts shoppers from Kalamazoo, South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart and St. Joseph. The store also sells some specific Lake-inspired brands for the Chicago resorters, some of whom will visit the Marshall Shoppe year-round, Franz said.

As the owner, Franz has also had the opportunity to meet other merchants in the area and attend events put on by the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce. 

“I think our town is very beautiful,” she said. “[The city] is doing a lot with helping and improving. The merchants downtown and the business owners, there is a lot of really nice people here.”

Franz said she is grateful for her customers and she has continued to work to provide a strong level of customer service.

“You don’t get [good customer service] a lot of places,” Franz said. “A lot of people comment that it’s one of the things people really like that we do.”

Down the road, Franz would like to do a makeover and change some things inside of the store.

“I want to keep carrying the quality merchandise,” she said.

Franz is also interested in broadening the store’s market by carrying a few items that appeal to women in the later 20s, so the store could get a broader customer base.

“We are always looking for new things and new brands,” Franz said. “Trying to stick with the trends. We carry very fashionable clothes.”

Franz thanked her customers for continuing to visit the Marshall Shoppe and the city of Dowagiac.

“I want to thank the customers for continuing to shop here,” Franz said. “They continue making Dowagiac and The Marshall Shoppe a destination to shop at.”