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September 9, 2004
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September 9, 2004 |
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Emporium makes room for tenant
When Basho Apparel, the local clothing retailer, relocated last week into a space at the back of The Emporium, a food, beer and wine store, it was not Yellow Springs’s version of a merger and acquisition. The owners of both businesses needed a more efficient use of retail space and decided sharing space could save both businesses money. The Emporium has felt the strain of increased local competition and a struggling national economy in the last year or two, business owner Wanita Murphy said. Ten years ago Murphy nearly doubled the size of The Emporium to accommodate more food sales and to meet the demands of her customers, who are mostly from the village. The rent doubled but the income did not, she said. And even over time, she said, she wasn’t making enough money to justify the cost it took to run the business in its larger space. “It’s been the last two years, but the last year in particular was when it really hit home and I thought, OK, something needs to be done,” she said. “All of us are struggling like crazy in Yellow Springs, and this is my way of combating what was going on.” Basho opened a year ago in the Oten Gallery, but it has received very little foot traffic compared to businesses located in the heart of downtown, the store’s owner, Paul Baker, said. Baker still intends to sell clothes made by socially and environmentally responsible companies, mostly American Apparel, featuring his own designs. “Business was difficult, so I started purchasing more and advertising more, but it still wasn’t enough to want to stay [at the Oten Gallery],” he said. Baker said his merchandise fills the space at The Emporium better than it did at the Oten Gallery, where Basho occupied more than 600 square feet of space. Basho has 486 square feet in The Emporium, plus two prominent storefront windows to use. The two businesses are only sharing space and are keeping their merchandise and registers separate. Murphy also has for rent the 846-square-foot business space at the rear of The Emporium building, where the Organic Grocery was located before it closed at the end of August. She said that she has had inquiries from two interested renters, neither of whom is local. One has asked about the possibility of opening a cafe, and the other is looking at the space for other purposes. Though she has not yet selected a new renter, Murphy said she has concerns about the ability of a retailer to survive in a space that “has not been developed to its fullest potential.” She thought of developing a food business back there herself, but hesitated because of the difficulty the O.G. had, she said. “The O.G. was good for people’s health, but I would not encourage another O.G. to go in,” she said. “It’s not the right space for that or the right time in the village.” As a successful business owner with over 20 years of experience, Murphy has good ideas about how to look for strong, sustainable business for her space. She said that she hasn’t committed to either of the two prospective businesses and is open to the public’s suggestions about the former O.G. space and her own operation. But she wants to bring in a business that has staying power. “I have to think it’s a really viable business. I want someone who can come in there and make a commitment to the space,” she said. “I don’t want a fly-by-night organization. I want to know it’s going to be there a few years down the road.” |
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