Sandpoint businesses boom

SANDPOINT – Celah Weaver is addicted. She loves clothes and for years has been unable to pass up a bargain. It was her addiction to shopping that quickly resulted in closets and rooms in her home overflowing with clothing, shoes and accessories.

“I get so excited at finding a deal,” the Sandpoint resident said.

Before she knew it, Weaver’s large quilt room at home had become a warehouse for items she bought at discount. And she wanted to turn her love of bargain hunting into a business. She sold items on eBay for a while. Then her husband, Bob, suggested she open a retail store. Weaver jumped at the idea and named her new business Addiction, reflecting a habit she says many women share.

The store – part of a flurry of new business activity in Sandpoint – opened in the Bonner Mall in October. It has had a steady stream of customers eager to shop for designer label clothing at a big discount. Unlike consignment shops where one must wait for their item to sell before receiving payment, Weaver buys her clients’ new or “gently used” clothing for a third of the potential resale price.

One of the biggest additions to Sandpoint’s retail scene will be the Cedar Street Bridge Public Market, to open this spring. The market will be housed in the former Coldwater Creek retail store and include a collection of shops and restaurants.

In addition to new retail stores, a wave of self-employed professionals has hit town, said Judy Baird, the Chamber of Commerce executive director. Consultants, nutritionists and massage therapists relocate after visiting the area, Baird said.

Also, baby boomers who have invested well are leaving high-paying corporate jobs in bigger cities to pursue second careers here, usually in a field they are passionate about, she said.

“They are looking for something to do on a part-time basis that doesn’t require full-time employment and yet allows them the freedom to do what they came here to do,” she said. “And that’s enjoy the lifestyle.”

The area’s growth is a reflection of the population boom over the past decade and a half. The city has a population of more than 8,100, according to census estimates. That’s up from about 5,500 residents in 1990.

Bonner County, including the towns of Priest River, Clark Fork, Hope, Sagle, Ponderay and Kootenai, has grown by 15,000 residents, or 55 percent, since 1990. And from the looks of things, it’s not slowing down. Housing prices have steadily increased over the past several years and the demand remains high. Business owners say retail sales also reflect the growth.

Ray and Cindy Smith decided to buy their store, Athlete’s Choice, in January 2005 after reviewing the books of the previous owner and seeing a steady increase in sales. The downtown sporting goods store, which also carries casual clothing and shoes, seemed like the perfect opportunity for the sports-oriented couple.

Having moved to Sandpoint four years earlier, they banked on their business growing with the population, and they were right.

Ray Smith also attributes rising sales and growth to big businesses like Litehouse, Encoder and Coldwater Creek bringing more employees to town.

“All of those businesses employ at least 100 people,” he said.

Although Sandpoint is offering more retail services, Baird said it lacks many of the chain stores one sees in larger cities. But that is changing, too.

“We did see the addition of Starbucks in Ponderay this past year,” Baird said. “That makes two for our area.”