Thin City Skateshop closes, plans to go online
Josh Johnston feels like he has been able to emulate the neighbourhood skateboard shop he enjoyed so much as a young skateboarder.
The entrepreneur, who won a retail makeover through the Downtown Business Improvement Area earlier this year, closed Thin City Skateshop on April 27 and now plans to offer products online in the future.
“It felt like I was running the skate shop I grew up with,” he said Wednesday from his other store Dodrio, located a few doors south of 410 George St. “It makes me feel really appreciative of the support I had in the seven years I ran it.”
The avid skateboarder was talking about how he modelled the store he opened at age 20 after Breez, a store that closed more than a decade ago that wasn’t located far from West 49 Skateboard Park on Bonnaccord Street.
Johnston, 27, made the decision because so many customers are now buying products online – even after first trying them out in his store. He had hoped to keep the store going for the summer, but issues with the store’s lease prompted an earlier move.
The specialty shops was just as much about offering his knowledge as products, but these days, skaters can just as easily learn from other professionals who provide knowledge via Youtube videos in exchange for providing online links to online stores, he explained.
There were few legitimate opportunities to purchase skateboards and related gear online when he first opened Thin City, but that has changed. “Now you have an infinite amount of options, right in your pocket.”
Johnston feels fortunate to have cultivated many relationships over the years – including with those he first sold boards to at age 10 or 11 who are now young adults. It wasn’t easy, either, because of some of the stigmas associated with the hobby.
He hopes to maintain that bond moving forward. “The only thing we did was close our front door, because it’s an outdated model for some retail.”
Johnston didn’t consider merging the two stores over fears it would affect the authenticity of the skate shop. He may eventually designate Dodrio a pickup location, but that’s all. “It would have been too much of a culture shock.”
Dodrio offers Asian drinks such as bubble teas and snacks, hard-to-find anime merchandise such as Pokemon stuffies and a gaming lounge and study space
The hybrid nature of the business he took over in April 2017 puts him in a more sustainable position moving forward, he said.
Dodrio is located at 404 George St. N., just north of Hunter St. W.
NOTE: Josh Johnston encouraged customers to watch social media for news about the online store, including @thincityskateshop on Instagram and @thincitysk8shop on Twitter and ThinCitySkateshop on Facebook.
jason.bain @peterboroughdaily.com