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Lettenga overcomes stress of taking business to new location |
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Wednesday, 03 September 2008 |
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Page 1 of 2 By Buck Traxler, I-O Editor
 MOTHER AND DAUGHTER – Store owner Kim Lettenga and her daughter Zoë stand by a new display case of party items she has on hand at the relocation of her store from 4th Ave. to Main St. I-O Photo by Buck Traxler
First a national franchise operation, the Dollar Tree, very similar to her operation, opened in Great Falls. Then it didn’t help that oil prices began to skyrocket. Because so many of her $1 pieces of merchandise have a petroleum base, her wholesale costs went along for the ride.
All of a sudden a single mom with two kids was in a position where “We couldn’t compete with the other people who were carrying the same items,” said Lettenga.
Admittedly she felt the stress of the situation taking a grip on her. She began checking around with others as what to do, which is a common strategy, but still made her feel stuck. When stress begins to set in, there is usually a deep desire for someone else to take over control and responsibility.
While struggling with the thought of restructuring or closing the doors to her business, “I literally woke up at 3 a.m. one morning and thought, ‘downtown,’ “ she said.
The move, if made, meant downsizing her store and at the same time restructuring her inventory.
She says, “It was a little scary making the move to a vacant flower shop on Main St. At first I thought, ‘uh-oh, it’s too small.”
However, her son, Zack, told her, “Mom you can do it, picture it, we’ll make it work.” With the help of her co-workers, Chandra Christians and June Sasek and her children, the old Dollar Store moved from 4th Ave. to Main St in May.
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