CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – After 68 years in business, the lights will soon dim for good at Burke Electric in Charlottetown.
Owner/operator Robert Brown has decided to lock the doors on Queen Street for the final time on Friday, Nov. 25.
“I think to grow the business I would have to move it. I always thought it would be a good idea if you could be in a strip mall . . . a destination that people go to where there are two or three (other) shops,’’ Brown said Wednesday.
“But, I think I’d have to move out of the downtown core and I’m just not at the point in my life where I want to take that on.’’
Burke Electric first set up shop in Charlottetown on University Avenue in 1948 before it moved operations to Kent Street and then to its current location at 94 Queen St. in 1970.
“It was started by a guy called Willard Burke and he passed (away) as a young man and his son took it over. Then, my dad and two other guys who worked here bought it off him.’’
Brown has owned the business outright for the past eight years. It has operated during that time as a store that sold lights, primarily.
“We always used to do electrical as well. It’s now half the business (it was). I knew it was going to be a challenge taking the lighting on, just on its own.’’
Brown said it hasn’t been difficult to compete with the big box stores on price. The bigger issue has been accessibility.
“I think parking is an issue. It’s a different philosophy. People will go to big box stores and walk three blocks to get to the lighting section, but it’s hard to get people to walk a few blocks downtown. I think they want to park out front. People need to start seeing downtown Charlottetown as a big outdoor mall instead of individual stores.’’
Long-time customer Ann Robbins, 74, of Mount Stewart is sad to see the store go.
“I bought at least four chandeliers, those big chandeliers, through the years,’’ Robbins said Wednesday, noting that she was in to purchase yet another chandelier, a smaller one, for her mobile home.
“It’s a lovely store; I’m sad to see it go. Too many of these (smaller) stores are closing down. The big box stores are just sucking the good out of the poor people.
“Grocery stores are the same. Nothing is the same anymore. I heard about the closing and said to my husband, Allison, ‘I’m off to town tomorrow’ (Wednesday).’’
Everything in the store has been reduced 50 to 75 per cent.
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – After 68 years in business, the lights will soon dim for good at Burke Electric in Charlottetown.
Owner/operator Robert Brown has decided to lock the doors on Queen Street for the final time on Friday, Nov. 25.
“I think to grow the business I would have to move it. I always thought it would be a good idea if you could be in a strip mall . . . a destination that people go to where there are two or three (other) shops,’’ Brown said Wednesday.
“But, I think I’d have to move out of the downtown core and I’m just not at the point in my life where I want to take that on.’’
Burke Electric first set up shop in Charlottetown on University Avenue in 1948 before it moved operations to Kent Street and then to its current location at 94 Queen St. in 1970.
“It was started by a guy called Willard Burke and he passed (away) as a young man and his son took it over. Then, my dad and two other guys who worked here bought it off him.’’
Brown has owned the business outright for the past eight years. It has operated during that time as a store that sold lights, primarily.
“We always used to do electrical as well. It’s now half the business (it was). I knew it was going to be a challenge taking the lighting on, just on its own.’’
Brown said it hasn’t been difficult to compete with the big box stores on price. The bigger issue has been accessibility.
“I think parking is an issue. It’s a different philosophy. People will go to big box stores and walk three blocks to get to the lighting section, but it’s hard to get people to walk a few blocks downtown. I think they want to park out front. People need to start seeing downtown Charlottetown as a big outdoor mall instead of individual stores.’’
Long-time customer Ann Robbins, 74, of Mount Stewart is sad to see the store go.
“I bought at least four chandeliers, those big chandeliers, through the years,’’ Robbins said Wednesday, noting that she was in to purchase yet another chandelier, a smaller one, for her mobile home.
“It’s a lovely store; I’m sad to see it go. Too many of these (smaller) stores are closing down. The big box stores are just sucking the good out of the poor people.
“Grocery stores are the same. Nothing is the same anymore. I heard about the closing and said to my husband, Allison, ‘I’m off to town tomorrow’ (Wednesday).’’
Everything in the store has been reduced 50 to 75 per cent.
