Up and down on Market Street

If you drive along Market Street, you’ll hit dozens of for sale signs, for lease signs or even closing signs. Many are from the automotive industry.

But there are some businesses that recently sprung up or that are just trying to hold on.

Charlie Lewis owns East Coast Outlet along Market Street. Last month, he decided to reopen his trailer-auto service business after closing down back in 2007. “Everything became very expensive. So it meant you had to have a lot to get in business and maintain business,” Lewis said.

Lewis owns the building and property, so when his tenant went out of business, he went back in.

Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Chair Vinton Fountain said what’s happening along Market Street is simple consumers are spending less.

Patsy McDonald who manages Atlantic Spas and Billiards agrees. “It is very slow. A lot of businesses are going out but they are businesses that were struggling initially to begin with before the economy really went sour and they could not just keep their head above water.”

So why would anyone dive in now?

On Monday, Unfinished Furniture of Wilmington opened for business with optimistic owner, Rod Glockner at the reigns. “I believe we are getting very close to the bottom. If you want to get in it, you have to get in it at the right time and it’s that right time. I think the economy is going to go on the upswing and we want to be ready.”

Like Glockner, Charlie Lewis said the only way his business and others will stay alive is by catering to the community they serve and offering low prices.