When Justin Ferster announced he was closing the doors on one of Squamish's first dollar stores, he didn't expect such an outpouring of support to stay open.
There has been a lot of support from the community, the owner of the Only Deals Dollar Store said.
Last month, Ferster and his partner Naomi were preparing to shutter the shop in the Chieftain Mall one last time. The store, just off Pemberton Avenue, has served Squamish residents for 15 years. The Fersters have owned the franchise for six.
But with the addition of two new mega-chain dollar stores in town Dollar Tree Canada and Dollarama the couple questioned the business's feasibility. Sales were down, Ferster said at the time.
After a story in The Chief regarding the Fersters' predicament, they received a lot of community support, enough to change their minds.
We're staying open, Ferster said.
Rent in Squamish is still expensive, Ferster said. To counter the bills, he plans to change up some of the products in his store and remodel the shop. Ferster will continue to work in construction, a job that helps support the shop. Only Deals Dollar Store employs three staff.
