With the 10th anniversary of 麻豆传媒映画hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics upon us, we are looking back at some of the stories that were making the news in the Courier during those 17 days in February.
This story was originally published Feb. 24, 2010
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For small businesses in Vancouver, the Games have not produced gold for all.
Cara Birkeland, who runs Birkeland Bros. Wool shop on Main Street at East 19th Avenue, has not seen the in铿倁x of foreign customers she expected.
鈥淭wo days before the Olympics started I had some IOC [International Organizing Committee] members in, which was great. And since then, business has been down about 50 per cent,鈥� she said.
Birkeland blames parking restrictions on neighbouring side streets throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games for the lack of customers. She says Main Street is a shopping destination for many drivers.
鈥淭he city鈥檚 done a really good job in terrifying people about getting around town,鈥� Birkeland said.
Regular customers and participants in her classes and knitting groups have called to check if Birkeland鈥檚 is open.
鈥淚鈥檓 not knocking the Olympics because I think it鈥檚 done a lot of good for the city,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut for these two weeks, for small businesses, it鈥檚 tough, it鈥檚 really, really tough.鈥�
But at least one self-storage location has bene铿乼ed from the Games. Todd Boutilier of Storage on Terminal and Yaletown Mini Storage, said business spiked in January at the Terminal site.
鈥淲e are renting right now to businesses who are here from California and TV companies that have TV cameras ready to go here in our storage, so the Olympics de铿乶itely helped us, for sure,鈥� Boutilier said.
A growing online 麻豆传媒映画business has also pro铿乼ed from the Games. Elastic Path, a company that sells e-commerce software and services, won VANOC鈥檚 contract to run the online store for Olympic merchandise so customers don鈥檛 have to stand in line for two hours to get their Quatchi 铿亁.
Matt Dion, vice president of marketing for the company, said Elastic Path initially turned down the opportunity to bid on the contract because the company sells its software and services to clients who run their own e-commerce operations. But after a second nudge Elastic Path submitted the winning bid. Elastic Path earns a portion of every sale. In the three to four months leading up to the Games, sales were 鈥減robably double鈥� the company鈥檚 initial forecasts, Dion said. 鈥淭he red mittens, who could have predicted that?鈥� he added. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 like the Cabbage Patch [doll] phenomenon.鈥�
The contract has not only meant a boost in revenue, but Elastic Path has also bene铿乼ed by putting its own software to use. Three Elastic Path employees participated in the torch relay, boosting the company鈥檚 Olympic spirit and morale.
Maintaining the Olympic spirit while facing a poor return at the till is important, said Sharman King, an owner of Book Warehouse. Business at the book chain鈥檚 six 麻豆传媒映画and one North Shore location has slowed.
Regular customers鈥� eyes are glued to the Games and tourists aren鈥檛 big book buyers, King said.
鈥淲e knew from Salt Lake City that it was not great for retail business. If you鈥檙e selling beer, it鈥檚 probably very, very good.鈥� King said retailers won鈥檛 regain those two weeks of lost sales, but he suggested business owners put their worries aside and enjoy the once in a lifetime experience of the Games. 鈥淭hose of us who are not positively affected right now just have to suck it up and enjoy the future that we hope it will bring.鈥�
