A boutique-style thrift shop in Spryfield, N.S., is shutting down its storefront after one of the owners was attacked by a man with a wrench last month.

Kye Dorey, owner-operator of Trove Boutique on Herring Cove Road, said he was in the store by himself on Feb. 23 when a man entered and struck up polite conversation.

'You don't really think that something quite so violent and out of nowhere will happen.' - Emily Mosher, Trove Boutique

Dorey said he stepped out to salt the steps, but when he returned he had a strange feeling about the man, who was now standing in a different part of the store. He said he instinctively moved closer to the store's cash box, then the man started hitting him with the wrench.

"As I turned around he full swung, never said nothing, no gimme your money, none of it," Dorey said. "Just a full-on attack."

Baby could have been there

Dorey managed to escape the store with only a few stitches on his head, and a 36-year-old Halifax man was arrested a few hours later, charged with robbery and assault with a weapon causing bodily harm.

Dorey said he thinks about how much worse the attack could have been.

"It was supposed to be my girlfriend and my baby here, who's here 90 per cent of the time, so just by fluke of chance it was me," he said. "And who knows what this guy would have done, right? That's the big part of this, is why we have to close down."

The boutique had been in business for over two years, but had only been in that location for a little over a month.

'I was devastated'

Dorey's girlfriend, Emily Mosher, said the online store will sell the same vintage and antique merchandise, except for clothing.

She said keeping the storefront open is not worth the safety risk.

"We were prepared to hand over whatever money, anything they wanted, but you don't really think that something quite so violent and out of nowhere will happen," said Mosher, who arrived at the store to find Dorey covered in blood from head to toe.

Emily Mosher says in retrospect the store should have been locked and had video surveillance. (CBC)

"When I heard it was a wrench, I was devastated," she said. "I have a good friend who's not with us any longer by very similar circumstances, and things could have gone a lot worse. And I was just so sad for him. I just couldn't stop saying I'm sorry."

She said in retrospect the store should have had its door locked and only let in people after they'd removed their hat, sunglasses and gloves.

"It might seem a lot to ask of your customers, but your safety is the most important thing," she said.