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July 5, 2007

Five downtown shops closing this year

Brian Messenger

By the end of July, five downtown businesses will have closed in the last six months.

After 25 years of doing business at its 44 Main St. location, the owners of Regina Gifts will close up shop in Andover at the end of the month.

"We should be closing the store probably around the 25th of July," said Anne Kleuber, co-owner of Regina Gifts. "The customers in Andover have been good to Regina and we've been good to them."

Neighboring women's clothing shop Bagette, at 46 Main St., will also shutter its doors this summer.

According to Andover Business Center Association President Betsy Powers, three other nearby stores have closed since February | Suna at Home, formerly in Olde Andover Village on Main Street; and Sparkle and Jeans Addiction, both formerly of Chestnut Street.

"It's disappointing and it's disheartening because the more variety we have downtown, the more of a draw it is to bring shoppers downtown," said Powers, who owns Culinary Concepts on Park Street. "When you start to lose stores it is disappointing."

With more development in neighboring communities serving as competition, Powers believes the role of Andover's downtown businesses must evolve with the changing circumstances.

"We have to be a destination for something specific," said Powers. "Now we really have to be specialized.

"Business is tough downtown," she said. "I think it's been getting tougher."

Andover Business Center Association has been organizing special events, such as last month's Andover Days, to bring people downtown and highlight what various stores offer.

Kleuber said the issues affecting businesses are not unique to downtown Andover.

"Business in Massachusetts in general is really a problem," said Kleuber. "I think Massachusetts is in a downward swing for some reason."

Kleuber, who owns Regina Gifts with her husband Henry, also operates stores in Norwood, Arlington and Melrose.

"It was just time for us to condense," said Kleuber. "It's time for us to shrink back to three stores."

Although both Regina Gifts and Bagette are on Main Street, Powers said she could imagine the difficulty the owners of Suna at Home, Sparkle and Jeans Addiction experienced, even just being a short walk from downtown's main drag.

While Suna at Home was located down a flight of stairs at Olde Andover Village, both Sparkle and Jeans Addiction had second-floor stores on Chestnut Street.

"We can't rely on someone else's shop bringing business to our shop," said Powers. "Sometimes it's just being that far off the beaten path that can make a difference."

Kleuber said she has heard from numerous customers in Andover since Regina Gifts announced its plans to close the store.

"They are so sad that we're leaving," she said. "That's a great testimony when someone says that."

But, as Powers pointed out, with each closed store front comes a new opportunity for different entrepreneurs to come to downtown Andover.

"I guess what we can hope for as merchants is that something new and exciting will come in to draw people downtown," said Powers.



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