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Kays Tot and Teen and Little Lamb Closing Their Doors - Timmins

Changing tides have placed two local businesses in a position where they are closing in downtown Timmins. Retail across most of the city has taken a beating in the past year due to layoffs, closures and weather.

Changing tides have placed two local businesses in a position where they are closing in downtown Timmins. 

Retail across most of the city has taken a beating in the past year due to layoffs, closures and weather. Also a change in dynamic to lesser expensive imports, even if the quality is not the same, has smaller businesses wondering where their next dollar is coming from.

Kays Tot and Teen on Pine Street  would have been celebrating 70 years in retail business this coming July. Once a bustling area close to the present health unit, traffic trends and a change in purchasing behavior has left Jaana Brazeau to question the merit in a retail store front. Her plans are to go online.

"We sell a high quality upper end product line. The baby boomers had a different way of looking at products where a TV should last 20 years as well as your fridge and stove. Those days are long gone. Those baby boomers are now the grandparents that aren't the main purchasers." says Brazeau. " We feel that going online will capture a larger market and won't have the overhead the same as a retail front."

Little Lamb on Third Ave is another that is closing their doors. They have felt the same pressures from the " box stores " that has made it difficult to continue.

Both shops are presently offering sales to lessen the inventory. Kays Tot and Teen has their inventory on sale at up to 75% off to lighten the load.

Brazeau felt that the downtown has potential in different areas and feels positive that just because they are closing, it doesn't mean that others won't succeed. When asked what will become of the building, she says that the potential for it is endless, it's building is in great shape. Retail or office space is what she suggested during her busy closeout sale.

In a time where retail space is hard to come by in downtown Timmins, these places won't stay vacant very long.