Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Oct 27/99) - For Rankin Inlet entrepreneur Jim Ramsay, the notions of selection, service and a personal touch for shoppers has led to the launching of a brand new business venture for the hamlet.

This past Saturday, the Tittaq One Stop Furniture Shop held its grand opening.

Ramsay says the 3,000 square foot shop is the first of its kind in Nunavut at this scale and optimism is running high concerning its success.

"You know, I've been talking about this venture around town for more than a year now, but it was really just the past two months the shop became a go and we worked to get it ready in time."

The shop features a wide range of home furnishings, including audio, video, appliances, bedroom suites, lighting fixtures, and dining and living room suites and accessories.

Ramsay says he recognized a growing need for these products in Rankin and the need for shoppers to have a wider range of options to choose from.

"We're offering consumers the opportunity to see different products and have different styling options, rather than always ordering from a catalogue and waiting four to eight weeks to get your stuff.

"As well, with catalogue shopping, what you see is what you get and we offer shoppers the ability to choose the patterns and colour schemes which best suite their decor and styling tastes."

Ramsay says he's looking forward to the new shop being successful and possibly creating more job opportunities in Rankin.

He has an arrangement set up with an alliance warehouse in Winnipeg, which is the biggest independent furniture dealer in Central Canada.

"The variety of options as far as styles, swatches, finishes, fabrics ... is a big selling point for us.

"We have very competitive pricing and a lineup of 10,000 items available to us through our suppliers.

"Turn-around time is another important point with us. We're probably looking at two to three weeks, where the Canadian turn-around average is in the neighbourhood of three to six weeks."

Ramsay says he's anxious to see what the public's response to his new venture will be, but the bottom line is still, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"I'm really confident we're going to attract our share of the market here.

"For example, we've got lamps ranging from $25 to $250. We can offer something to fit just about any budget.

"It's a bold new direction for us, but I feel we can meet any home, school or office furniture needs."