It’s a drama that’s playing out all over the city. Big chain stores are driving out small mom-and-pop operations.
One business owner in Pointe-Saint-Charles is speaking out about the issue. Samina Sabooha has run the Dollar Plus on Centre Street for 20 years, ever since she came from Pakistan as a refugee. She says she had been doing well up until a few months ago when a Dollarama opened up a few doors down.
“Before, I paid my rent, I paid my food, I didn’t ask for any help,” she told Global News. “Now, I cannot pay my rent, I cannot pay my food. I’m in very bad condition.”
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She says people are walking up Centre Street with Dollarama bags almost constantly. The two stores have a lot of items in common, but far more people go into Dollarama.
“He killed my business,” Sabooha said.
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She showed Global News a printout from her cash register that showed she had made just over $13 in sales on Thursday. With a daughter at home, she says she can’t keep going on like this.
“I have to close my business. I cannot survive,” she said.
A spokesperson for the South West borough told Global News they are sensitive to the issue, but can’t exactly decide which type of business is allowed to open. The local merchants’ association agrees.
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“We can’t refuse tenancy on a street that already has a low occupation rate from a commercial standpoint,” said Paul Goodship, who runs the Pointe-Saint-Charles Merchants’ Association and a pet supply store down the street.
“She paved the road for Dollarama and proved there was enough demand there,” Goodship said. He believes to survive, she needs to evolve.
“If she were to properly communicate that what differentiates her from the Dollarama is that people are supporting her, and she, in turn, is supporting her community, people then vote with their dollars,” he told Global News.
Sabooha says she can’t afford to change or to move the store. She says after she closes up shop, she will be forced to go on welfare.
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