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Small business struggles to find affordable location Danielle Sachs Northern News Services Published Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Croizier has been looking for a permanent home for his gaming store and can't find anything affordable in Yellowknife. He says his inability to find a good location doesn't make any sense when you walk through places like Centre Square Mall and see empty storefronts everywhere you turn. It was less than a year ago that Croizier moved from his previous location in the CasCom building to a temporary location in the Roman Empire Building. Croizier received notifications to vacate the premise because the partners who own the building are restructuring. Currently stocked with around $200,000 worth of merchandise, including Dungeons and Dragons books and gaming accessories for World of Warcraft, and Settlers of Catan, the small retail store faces 51 Avenue and serves as a hangout for kids, teenagers and anyone interested in stopping by and playing a game or two. From the window, you can see the Raven's Pub and the two adjoining businesses that are long gone. "There's a full restaurant setup and a storefront with pre-installed counters, but it sits there empty," said Croizier. He said it's the same all over town. He made some calls to places down south to get an idea of what rent businesses are being charged by landlords. At the end of June, Croizier was on the phone with management at West Edmonton Mall to get an example of what they charge for retail spaces. "Their starting rate is $50 a square foot," he said, which, though higher than in Yellowknife, he said is reasonable considering the high volume of traffic going through the mall. "You compare that to Centre Square Mall and all the retail spaces around here where it starts at $34 a square foot and it just doesn't make sense. "At least the West Edmonton Mall can guarantee 30 million people walking through each year. You just can't justify the same rates in Yellowknife." Chuck Corothers, vice-president of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce and owner of Home Building Center and Home Hardware, says he understands the hardships of running a small business and counts himself lucky that he's part of a national chain. "It's just going to get more expensive," said Corothers. "With electricity rates going up, even if it's included in the rent, the business owner will still have to pay it." Croizier has made a lot of sacrifices to keep the business running. He doesn't have Internet at home and only keeps one telephone line - his cellphone that he uses for both business and home use. Right now he's living day to day, with his last two lease termination notices displayed prominently at the front cash register. Croizier was to vacate the premises July 1 and anticipated having to move his products into storage. "The sad thing is I can pack everything really quickly," Croizier said. "I've had a lot of practice."
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