Centennial Video owner Francine Girouard says she's grateful no one was working at the store overnight when the glass door was smashed and 10- and 14-karat gold rings were stolen.

'It could have been a lot worse,' she said in an interview this morning from the store. 'They knew exactly what they were coming in for.'

Girouard knows just how much worse it could be. Several years ago, she was robbed at knifepoint shortly after she had purchased the store.

'We can deal with this stuff,' she said of last night's break-in.

Whitehorse RCMP were called to Centennial Video at 6:43 a.m. when someone travelling in to work noticed the smashed door, said Sgt. Ross Milward.

Girouard arrived after she was called about the break-in.

'There's glass everywhere,' said Girouard. 'It looks like an in-and-out.'

She suspects the thieves may have staked out the store before the break-in.

Had it just been a group of people out for a 'joy ride', the damage to the store could have been a lot worse with more items stolen, she said.

The rings are not normally a sales item at the video store. Girouard had put them out for sale after a woman had contacted her when she was looking for a place to sell them.

This morning, Girouard couldn't remember exactly how many rings were in the case.

Someone might get some really cheap jewelry on the street today, she commented.

She was still waiting for All-West Glass to arrive at the store this morning and was unsure of the damage estimate.