It's personal, not business - that's the message from the owner of Redbrick Home, a chic downtown New Westminster furniture store that is closing this fall.
Michael Richardson, who has been a champion for the area since he set up shop, says the time has come for him to move on. He cited "personal" reasons for the decision to not renew the lease on his Sixth Street Gastown-style furniture store.
While there has been speculation on the social media site Twitter that Redbrick's closure was likely related to finances, Richardson said that's not the case.
"Everybody wants to look at this as a failure, and it wasn't a failure. We were here three years. We had three good years here, and we would have probably continued on if other things hadn't come up," he said. "I don't look at it as a failure, and I think the community shouldn't look at it as a failure."
Richardson said he started looking for another location for the store but then decided he didn't want to be "tied down" to a lease.
"We started looking for other spaces, but other things came up, and it just wasn't the right time to continue. It wasn't an economic decision," he said. "We just re-evaluated, and some other things have come up, and right now is just not a good time to jump back into another lease, personally."
Richardson acknowledged the challenges of retail, saying some months were great, while others weren't, but he maintained that decision to close wasn't a financial one.
"Everyone wants to jump to the conclusion, 'See, New West can't support anything,' but that's not the case," he said. "It's a personal decision, not an economic or financial decision or a reflection on what I think of New West or where it's going."
Redbrick reflects the area's retro charm with a hearty mix of midcentury modern-inspired pieces. The store carries a variety of housewares, including coffee table books, furniture, lighting, decorative candles and more. Richardson previously owned a 16,000-squarefoot furniture store in Ontario and has also put his design skills to good use by buying and selling real estate. He lives with his partner in a condo at the Quay.
Richardson can't say exactly when the store will close because there is another tenant who wants to lease the space, so depending which way that goes, it could be October or November.
Richardson has been active in the downtown neighbourhood since he set up shop. He is vice-president of New West's Downtown Business Improvement Association but doesn't know if he will be able to stay on with the organization if he isn't operating a business.
"My guess is that probably I'm not going to be allowed to, but I'd still like to be involved in whatever way I can be," he said.
As for his contribution to the neighbourhood's vibe, Richardson said he's not the only small business owner who brought a new energy to the neighbourhood, and, he added, "I'm not going to be the last one either."
