Retail business slow in downtown

A few business owners downtown report seeing sluggish business in Green River, with one former downtown business owner saying the area is dying.

Melissa Neher, owner of Kids Corner on Flaming Gorge Way, said she has a hard time getting customers through her door, saying parking along the street is very limited and is taken up by customers going to the nearby restaurant.

For Neher, the problem with parking is only intensified due to the city spending money to create a park near the city’s clock tower as opposed using the space as a downtown parking lot.

Neher also questioned the ability for small business owners to promote themselves along Flaming Gorge Way, saying street parking often covers up street-side signs placed by the business owners.

Mike Frink, owner of Sweetwater Trophies agrees that business is sluggish for downtown retailers, but disagrees with Neher’s belief that parking is the problem. Frink, said the larger problem with parking is training people to walk along Flaming Gorge Way as opposed to stopping at a business, then getting back into their vehicle to drive a short distance down the street. Frink, who volunteers for Main Street’s organization committee, said one of Main Street’s earlier presentations overlaid a Walmart parking lot over Green River’s downtown area, showing the parking lot to take up a the entirety of the downtown area. Frink said people are willing to walk from their parking spot the equivalent of a couple of blocks to go to Walmart, but won’t walk down the street to a business.

“People don’t want to park on Railroad Avenue and walk,” he said.

Frink said efforts like Green River Main Street’s Downtown Getaway Giveaway brings focus to the businesses downtown, saying the organization’s increased presence does help bring people to the area. Frink, who recently got re-involve with the organization, said events like the Mayor’s Tree Lighting and Santa’s Arrival help as well.

“I’ve donated thousands to Main Street because I knew it was going to come back to me,” Frink said.

Frink also believes people can’t adopt a big-city mentality and shop online for everything they want, saying the challenge is to get people to buy into shopping from local businesses. More businesses in Green River’s downtown, Frink believes, would cause more people to shop locally, especially if the area has a jewelry store, shoe shop and clothing store.

“We need to fill in all the empty spaces and need the right diversity of businesses,” Frink said.

One former downtown business owner said relocating to a space along Uinta Drive has improved business dramatically.

“Downtown is dying,” Mike Brown, owner of Wyoming Embroidery and Sporting Goods said about the area. For us, business is tremendously better now.”

Mike and his wife Connie both said a big problem comes from people instantly wanting to go to Rock Springs or Utah to shop, believing they can get better deals by shopping else where. One example Connie mentioned involved ammunition, saying they’re capable of getting .22 and .357 ammo while it’s scarce in larger stores.

“They got to give Green River a chance before they give Rock Springs their business,” Mike Brown said.

Speaking specifically about firearms and ammo, Mike said any gun or ammo available to other retailers is available to them. He said they can often order from the same company and offer higher quality of work.

Connie said the money spend locally stays locally, something that can’t be said about people who spend money to drive to Utah to save a few dollars on ammunition or other expenditures.