Yellowknife (May 04/05) - The kids weren't the only ones having fun at Super Soccer this weekend. City businesses were laughing all the way to the bank as hordes of visiting players and fans lined up to purchase their wares.

An estimated 1,000 visitors from NWT and Nunavut communities stayed in hotels, ate out, took in a movie and stocked up on new threads and electronics.

"I wouldn't say our business doubled, but it was close," said Nico Todd Cullen, an employee with CD-Plus in Centre Square Mall.

Friday and Saturday she said traffic through the store was close to what they see during Raven Mad Days or Christmas.

"Lots of video games were sold, and CDs and DVDs," she said.

The most popular title was the new 50 Cent CD, which Nico Todd said flew off the shelves.

At the Centre Square Mall Radio Shack, discman and the batteries to power them were big sellers.

Employee J. D. Campbell said they also sold a few remote control cars.

Jay Pickering, manager of the Capitol Theatre, said business went up by about 10 per cent for him.

But, he added, he's had busier years and he was expecting more.

With more teams in town this year and tighter scheduling, he thinks many players didn't find time to see a movie.

Busy eatery

Subway is probably the hot spot for Super Soccer Weekend.

In the past, the store has won national awards for sales volume based on this event.

This year, with the new location at Stanton Plaza, manager Phuo Ng said they were busier than ever.

She estimates more than 1,000 people came through both locations over the weekend.

And of course, when teams travel they need a place to say.

Hotels like Fraser Tower Suites had no vacancies due to the 39 rooms they rented to out-of-town teams.

However, unlike Pickering who said this was the best year he has seen for behaviour of the kids, Fraser Towers had a different point of view.

Catherine Travis, rooms division manager, said the chaperons need to take better control of the players they supervise.

She wouldn't elaborate, but said the problems weren't associated with damage or noise.