Inuvik (May 10/04) - Competition with online shopping and southern stores keeps Inuvik retailers on their toes.

Many offer a broad range of products to keep northern shoppers happy.

Eddie Lavoie, owner/manager of the True Value hardware store, says diversity and choice are necessary strategies.

"It's all about survival," Lavoie says.

Moe Grant, owner of Moe's Stationery agrees.

"One selection complements the other," she says of her combination gift/stationery shop.

"Customers like the convenience."

Grant opened her shop in 1979, and says there are distinctive Northern shopping trends.

"Down south you could have many shops selling similar items. Here, you are limited to where you shop," she said.

While one-stop shopping appears to be a trend in the North, it is often bred from necessity, however.

"People don't buy hardware every day, so we try to maintain a balance with items such as food basics," Lavoie says.

"Some like the diversity. Others wish it was more specialized. It's always a balancing act to respond to people's needs and wants," Lavoie says.

He's been in business for 15 years and says he usually has a good sense of what products people want to see on his store shelves, but other factors do come in to play.

In a booming economy, quality and selection become a priority, while a downturn means consumers are seeking more value for the dollar, he said.

The seasons also affect what one will see in many Northern stores.

"Gardening supplies and fresh produce are influenced by the seasons. We have to consider the ability to get the goods here and to do so at a reasonable cost," he said.