Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Dec 19/05) - If Jordin Tootoo sportswear was on your holiday wish list this year you'd better hope Santa's elves have brushed up on their tailoring skills.

Back in the summer, Nunasi Corporation closed its retail outlet Arctic Spirits and discontinued production and distribution of its major clothing lines Tuk U and Team Tootoo sportswear.

Fred Hunt, president and CEO of Nunasi, said the company had little choice in the matter.

"It wasn't selling. Nobody was buying it," said Hunt. "When it was online, we got one order and that was a relative of Jordin."

Hunt said the only time the product made any tangible sales was July 2004 when Tootoo was in Yellowknife for the midnight Sun Golf Classic.

Nunasi, which is a major promoter of Tootoo, had a public release of the new Team Tootoo line at the Arctic Spirit outlet in the city at the same time.

Hunt was at a loss to say why the line did not move off the shelves.

"Whether it wasn't the product people wanted... even people from Rankin weren't buying it."

With the popularity of Tootoo across the North and nationwide at the start of his NHL career, Nunasi believed the Team Tootoo line would be a hot seller.

He said he was shocked when the inventory just sat in the warehouse