World Cup delivers uneven fortunes for Vancouver's small businesses

VANCOUVER, June 19 : As World Cup fever grips Vancouver, the tournament is proving a tale of two cities for local businesses - with some riding a wave of international customers while others find themselves locked out of the action.

Near BC Place stadium, Coast Crafts is experiencing what owner Kingsley Bailey calls "pandemonium" as football fans from around the globe snap up souvenirs.

"Absolutely amazing. I couldn't think of it being any worse than what it is now. It's craziness," Bailey, originally from Wolverhampton in Britain, told Reuters.

"The customers are from everywhere. They're from around the world.

"I don't think the Canadians really knew how big soccer was until they saw Australia v Turkey, with no skin in the game, not from this country, how crazy they went. The fans, it was just pandemonium."

The souvenir shop has become a magnet for visitors eager for affordable World Cup memorabilia, with Bailey's homemade "Vancouver BC 2026" fridge magnets proving an unexpected hit.

"My son said, Dad, that's a loser. You're not going to make any money on this," Bailey added.

"And then when he realised what the prices of licensed merchandise were, he came around really quickly because the value was definitely there. Unbelievable. I can't keep enough of them."

But FIFA's strict licensing rules have created headaches for some other entrepreneurs.

Dawn Moulton, who runs Cascadia Natural Pet Supply on Main Street, said she was asked by a distributor to remove references to FIFA from football-themed bears she had advertised online.

"About a year ago, there were many suppliers that contacted the store about FIFA-related materials. There were balls, bears, stuffies, and I chose one (bears) of them, with the wording saying 'get them in