‘People don’t want to come downtown to shop’
Rocker Chic Boutique owner is pulling up stakes on York Street and looking for new location in city, describes downtown Fredericton as “ghost town” for new retailers
A store owner is pulling up stakes in downtown Fredericton after two years, saying the area isn’t conducive to traditional retail business, but the city says it’s working to make downtown more appealing to all.
Michele Gallant opened Rocker Chic Boutique during the pandemic a couple of years ago at the bottom of York Street.
When her lease was up for renewal recently, she said, she didn’t want to commit to another two years downtown.
“I need to take it to a different location,” Gallant told the Fredericton Independent. I know that my location restricted a lot of my sales … I had a lot of complaints from customers.”
There were other factors leading to slow sales, she said, not the least of which is the state of the economy and inflation. But there were issues that were specific to the location, she said.
Parking downtown was a persistent problem, Gallant said, as was snow removal.
Customers told her that in the winter, when they could find a parking spot along York Street, snowbanks were so substantial along the sidewalks that people couldn’t open their passenger-side doors wide enough to get out of the vehicles.
“People don’t want to come downtown to shop,” Gallant said, noting in hindsight, she wishes she’d done research on the location before committing to it originally.
Fredericton city Coun. Jason LeJeune said it’s always concerning when business owners face obstacles.
Parking and snow removal are issues that have been raised before, he said, but the city has worked to address them and improve those services.
“Snow removal is always a challenge in the downtown,” the councillor said, adding he feels it’s improved over the years as has parking.
Fredericton Chamber of Commerce CEO Krista Ross said complaints about parking downtown have been around a long time.
“I know there seems to be a lingering perception about parking downtown, but Downtown Fredericton’s website lists about 2,000 parking spaces in the downtown area, spread out pretty well throughout the downtown area, including 500 spaces of street parking,” she said.
“It’s hard to imagine having to walk more than a block or two to get to one’s destination.”
Fredericton is a viable marketplace for a business such as hers, Gallant said, noting her issue isn’t with the city in general but the downtown core.
She acknowledged there are several downtown retailers that appear to be doing well, but they’re distinguishable by the fact that they’re well established.
“They’ve been in business for years,” Gallant said, noting they’ve had time to develop a loyal customer base. It’s tougher for new retailers given how the city has evolved and attitudes toward the downtown core have changed.
Other options in capital
“Having any small business decide to depart from the downtown area is disappointing, but, for a variety of reasons, not every business considers themselves to be a fit for a downtown location,” said Krista Ross, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce.
There are other options in the capital, she added.
“Quite honestly, we have a great uptown and excellent northside business districts, along with other developing areas as well that may be a match for this business as they contemplate their next location,” Ross said.
That’s exactly what Gallant is considering.
For now, she said, Rocker Chic Boutique is focusing on online sales, but she plans to set up a new brick-and-mortar location elsewhere in the city.
The business sector on the north side has grown more robust, drawing more people, Gallant said, and she’s also considering uptown as a possibility.
‘City is doubling, tripling down on the downtown’
LeJeune, who owned and operated the Isaac’s Way restaurant for about 20 years downtown before selling it, said the city is working to bolster the vibrancy of the downtown area.
New initiatives and infrastructure have been undertaken to enhance the appeal of the area, he said.
He pointed to the Garrison Night Market and Recap Night Market at the Tannery as ways in which more people are drawn downtown.
Furthermore, a major facelift to Officers Square, a new courthouse and the new performing arts centre are all elements that will add to the appeal of downtown Fredericton, the councillor said, though major construction efforts such as those also come with disruptions. But he sees that as short-term pain for long-term gain.
“The city is doubling, tripling down on the downtown,” LeJeune said.
Developers are also bringing more people downtown by constructing new apartment and condo complexes, he said.
“There’s been just a mass-building of multi-unit residential buildings,” the councillor said.
Ross said one challenge for downtown businesses is the shrinking of a customer base due to the pandemic.
“One thing we would like to see is a more robust return to work – particularly for office workers downtown,” she said.
“There still seems to be many fewer workers downtown, which of course has an impact on the businesses there.”
Another problem, Gallant said, is the retail culture downtown. Aside from bars and restaurants, businesses generally seem to close at 5 p.m..
“It turns into a ghost town,” she said, at least for retail.
LeJeune agreed the self-imposed limits on hours of operation in the retail sector downtown appear to restrict opportunities.
One store, especially a newer one, deciding to expand hours isn’t likely going to change the perception that the downtown is closed for business at the end of the typical working day, he said.
That’s why collaboration and communication among those businesses could be the key, the councillor said.
“I think it takes a critical mass,” LeJeune said.
It could be argued that remaining open later would be a costly investment of resources when there aren’t any customers, he said, but one can’t expect customers to come if they think the stores are all closed after 5 or 6 p.m.
If the shops team up and market themselves as a group as a shopping destination later in the day, LeJeune said, that could lead to a slow but steady shift in customers’ habits.
Gallant said it took her months to make the decision to leave downtown, but the closure of the shop’s location doesn’t mean the business is closing.
“The business isn’t dead,” she said. “I want people to know we’re not gone.”
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
I see there was no direct mention of the homeless problem downtown. I refuse to shop downtown because of constant harassment by some very aggressive homeless panhandlers.
In fact I am terrified for my safety and we'll being.
And don't tell me the problem doesn't exist and gaslight us by City Council, F'ton DD, Chamber of Commerce by publicly claiming something is being done and the problem is not that bad.
Not to minimize the situation, but everything is relative.
I have previously lived in Edmonton and Calgary, and I have visited most every other major city in Canada. Aggressive and/or violent panhandlers are a _much_ greater issue elsewhere; by comparison, I have never had a negative encounter here in Fredericton. I do maintain an awareness of my surroundings, and I occasionally have to cross the street or vary my route to avoid a potential confrontation.
More on topic, I rarely shop Downtown simply because there are few stores there that sell what I want to purchase. I would _never_ be a customer of Rocker Chic Boutique, regardless of where it is located.