Janis and Stephen Dean are closing The Popinjay, the gift and candy shop at 414 Capitol Way S. that has anchored a stretch of downtown Olympia for 36 years.

The Deans confirmed their retirement on Wednesday, Aug. 12, citing health concerns, The Olympian reported. A 50-percent-off sale is underway, though the couple said the store won't shut its doors overnight because of the volume of merchandise still on shelves.

The business could also find new life. Stephen Dean said a buyer could take over, ideally before the holiday rush.

"Nothing concrete yet, but I would think if they were interested, they should try and do it before Christmas to get the benefit of Christmas," he told The Olympian. "Especially with our candy sales, candy is good all the time. But at Christmastime, we go through tons and tons of it."

The Popinjay opened in 1977 as Bart's Corner Store on Yelm Highway at Boulevard Road. It later moved to South Sound Center in Lacey and Capital Mall before settling at its current Capitol Way address in 1990. Both Deans are originally from Scotland, Janis from Glasgow and Stephen from Perth. They met in Canada and came to the Pacific Northwest when Stephen worked for a mobile home manufacturer.

Janis Dean ran the day-to-day operation for most of those decades. She told The Olympian she hears from saddened customers about 10 times a day, adding, "I'm going to miss the people, too, because I have very nice customers."

The store sells gifts, women's apparel, artisanal jewelry, greeting cards, décor and fine chocolates from a candy counter near the front entrance. The Olympia Downtown Alliance's December 2025 holiday shopping guide described it as "a whimsical mix of imaginative gifts, accessories, and a vintage candy counter."

Karen Gray, an Olympia resident who was walking into the store on Aug. 12, said she has shopped there for years, buying lotions, furniture, gift cards and baby clothes. "I think it's really sad because I see that downtown right now is on the edge of being really quite productive with all the new residents who are living downtown, so I hope somebody will move into this spot," she told The Olympian.

The Popinjay's closing adds to a stretch of retail turnover on Capitol Way. The state recently listed two commercial buildings one block from the Capitol Campus for $2.7 million combined, while Treeline restaurant is preparing to open in the former Big 5 Sporting Goods space at 422 Legion Way SE.

No final closing date has been announced. The store is at 414 Capitol Way S. and can be reached at (360) 352-9841.