One downtown Victoria business is struggling to stay open after delays in construction and sidewalk closures have slowed the influx of customers to a mere trickle.
West Coast Refill is located on Store Street in a location that was once promising, with construction on new apartments set to end right before the store’s opening.
Store owner Leanne Allen was expecting the shop to be teeming with new tenants seeking cleaning supplies and home essentials, but that expectation fell short when there were construction delays on the apartments, in addition to new work being done on the street itself.
That street work lasted for eight weeks, through the holidays, practically eliminating shoppers who could drop in for gifts, Allen said.
Still, into the first few months of this year, construction work on the apartment building shut down the sidewalk in front of the store.
“Today, the sidewalk is open, which is great, but whenever they’re doing certain types of work on the building, the sidewalk is shut down, so a big, orange, reflective ‘sidewalk closed’ sign is put up,” Allen said. “Often there is a person who directs people at the crosswalk there and tells people they’re not allowed to walk up this way.”
Those who specifically say they are going to West Coast Refill are allowed to use the sidewalk, but the path being closed significantly impacts drop in visitors.
“It is very difficult to run a very small store space when people can’t find you,” Allen said. “We’re not a big location, so we’re very hidden behind the construction and we rely on that walk-by traffic. Without the sidewalks being steadily open, it really impacts us.”
Allen spoke with both the construction workers and the city to try and make the situation more manageable. This resulted in the safety worker who is able to guide customers into her store and a sign that reads “businesses open during construction.”
Still, these improvements have had little impact on the number of people coming into the store, Allen said. With fewer customers, she is often put in the position of paying rent over restocking supplies.
“We keep thinking, ‘Oh when the weather improves or when the construction is over … but at this point, the construction might not be over until this fall,” she said.
To counter the lack of in-person customers, Allen said the store still has delivery options they lean on, but is worried her time downtown might be coming to a close.
“I have been covering the bulk of the rent out of my own pocket, which is just not ideal,” she said. “The store needs to be able to pay for itself and it hasn’t been.”
After posting about her situation on Facebook, Allen said she has had an outpouring of support from community members. Still, she worries about the future of her shop and urges people to shop locally.
The loss of West Coast Refill would have a far-reaching community impact, as Allen said she sources locally and focuses on supporting businesses that have roots in British Columbia.
“I know that I’m not the only small business struggling right now, but when you purchase from me, I am purchasing from other local businesses so it is kind of a domino effect,” she said. “By supporting a retailer that focuses on locally-made products, you’re supporting those businesses as well.”
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