Yellowknife (June 18/03) - It has been a year of changes at Centre Square Mall.

"It really has been phenomenal the number of new stores we have seen come into the mall in the past 12 months," said manager Jennifer Marchant.

"And there are more to come."

Gone in the past year to make way for the newcomers are the Top of the World travel agency, San Francisco, Arctic Spirit, Smart Set, Polar Vision, Cotton Ginny and Wolverine Sports.

Cotton Ginny was a chain bankruptcy and the Rae band moved Wolverine Sports out to the Stanton Mall early this year.

"A lot of the changes have been corporate-driven," said Marchant.

"Nunasi Corporation, for example, have been relocating their businesses to their own centre."

That saw Top of the World, Arctic Spirit, and most recently Polar Vision move on.

None of their old locations stayed empty very long.

"There is a lot of confidence in the retail sector right now and we are certainly seeing it with the number of new businesses."

Consumer confidence is high as well, she said.

"We've been averaging 1,000 people a day through the mall."

Bootlegger, which took over both the Arctic Spirit and Smart Set locations, just completed its first year in the city and hasn't been disappointed with the results, said manager Vanessa Gregg.

"Yellowknife is a different market so we had a few things to learn, but we are pleased with the way it has gone."

Other new stores in the past year are HeadGear, Brudy's Urban Wear, Jay Set, Eye Candy Hair Design, the Bizarre Bazaar and Juice It Up.

The old Cotton Ginny and Polar Vision spots have been leased temporarily, the latter to Crystal Creations for Raven Mad Days.

The mall hopes to have new retailers in both locations by this summer, but Marchant won't say who that might be.

Finding a new tenant for the old Wolverine store has been harder.

"As a street storefront it can take a little more time for the right fit," said Marchant.

"We are talking to a possible tenant now but nothing is set yet."

Grandma Lees owner, Dwight Hickey, continues to expand his mall footprint.

Hickey opened Juice It Up about two months ago and purchased Grower Direct Fresh Cut Flowers last week.

He's already refurbished and reopened for business.

Arctic Wild Harvest is set to open shortly beside the juice bar, and Willow Bay plans to double in size with a move into the old travel agency spot across from the lottery store.

"We'll be in the new store this summer," said Willow Bay's Amber Beauchamp.