Northbridge faces slow economy, Wal-Mart

Published 12:00 am Friday, October 31, 2003

Her photo shop and portrait studio is now closed, cleared out mostly except for some cash registers and other equipment.

&uot;I’d like to be optimistic but when you have to close your store after 15 years it’s hard,&uot; said Robin Olson of her Northbridge Mall business.

From behind the aluminum gate of her nearly empty shop she explained why Robin One didn’t make it.

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She said the slow economy and the Farmland fire have left less disposable income in Albert Lea, and many residents shop outside of Albert Lea. Olson couldn’t afford the rent, she said, and she’ll make more money working from home.

She also said the new Wal-Mart Supercenter opening won’t help Albert Lea business. &uot;It’s cutting the pie too thin.

&uot;I don’t mean to sound pessimistic,&uot; Olson added. &uot;But it’s reality.&uot;

But not everyone has the same outlook. As businesses all over Albert Lea contend with the slow economy and the opening of the Wal-Mart Supercenter, businesses at Northbridge have a variety of thoughts and philosophies on their surivival. Two of their business have closed recently, and rumors of other closings persist.

&uot;I’ve been in the business for 35 years and I’ve seen a lot of businesses come and go.&uot;

said Don Sorensen, owner of Cafe Don’l&uot; in Northbridge Mall. He said he knows some businesses are struggling, something that happens naturally. Even so he said business is the worst he’s seen it in 35 years.

&uot;The economy is a little tough right now. The only thing you can say is that you have to be better and you have to keep going.&uot;

Wal-Mart, he said, will take business away, that’s why it built itself in such an isolated place — to keep people from out of town from going to Albert Lea businesses. &uot;They could have built it across from here. They chose not to.&uot;

He said he’s sure he’ll survive, but said other businesses that aren’t as established will have trouble. He also said smaller businesses with better service and more specialties will survive. He said if he didn’t have faith he wouldn’t have recently signed a five-year lease.

Paula Hertling said she thinks staying positive about the mall will keep people positive about going to the mall. &uot;Being positive is something you have to be as a retailer,&uot; she said.

She said the economy has hurt her business, as it has most businesses. She said she doesn’t see Wal-Mart as a threat, but as something that will bring out-of-town customers to Wal-Mart and keep them here looking for products Wal-Mart doesn’t provide.

&uot;You can’t buy a suit at Wal-Mart,&uot; Hertling said.

She said she thought some of the current draw to Wal-Mart would wane as the novelty wears off.

Pam Folkens, manager of the mall, said Wal-Mart has been in town for more than 16 years, and said it’s a natural progression of business.

She said downtowns were created first, then shopping centers, and so on to big box stores.

She said while downtown business in Albert Lea may have fewer clothing stores, it has survived, as will Northbridge Mall.

In fact, she said she had a stressful last week, with all the inquiries for space in the mall.

Folkens said she expects the spaces to fill up by Christmas.

But Northbridge has also faced rumors about stores closing. So far in the last month, only Robin One has left, and Sam Goody is in the process of closing. Sam Goody was bought out nationally. It’s something Folkens said is common no matter what the period of time. The same she said goes for businesses moving to town.

(Contact Tim Sturrock at tim.sturrock@albertleatribune.com or 379-3438.)