Yellowknife (Nov 24/04) - Yellowknife stores are reporting mixed retail sales over the last year.

Barry Neary with For Men Only says the sales in men's clothing have been down 10 per cent since the closure of Yellowknife's Con and Giant Mine.

Ashley Walker, the manager for Chic Chik, checks out a new coat the store has on sale. Overall sales throughout the year are up at Chic Chik. - Stephan Burnett/NNSL photo

However, Teresa Campbell, store operator at Mark's Work Wearhouse, and Ashley Walker, the manager of Chic Chik, say their sales are up over last year.

"We have increased our stock and there's more of a variety," Campbell explained.

The stores are now looking towards the Christmas season to boost or add to their retail sales, but some say it's slow in coming.

At Just For Men, the Christmas shopping season has just clicked in.

"I think there seems to be less people shopping around the downtown area," said Neary.

Merchants from Frame Lake have been saying it's been slow as well, says Neary.

"I think we had a lot of construction workers pass through last year and that (construction) has slowed as well," he said.

"We hear people saying they're waiting until they go down south. It's that little karma bit: what goes around comes around, and if the revenue is gone there will be less services available in town," said Neary.

Campbell agreed with Neary on the late start to the Christmas shopping season.

The Christmas shopping season usually begins in mid-November, she said.

However, over at Chic Chik, Walker said the Christmas shopping season is already underway.

"We've had people come in for the last month looking for Christmas items," Walker says.

When asked why her business seems to be encountering different results than Just For Men, Walker said "we get a lot of parents in with their teens who are trying things on and seeing what they like."