While some Kamloops retailers struggle over Christmas, others thrive

KAMLOOPS — Jardines Domaine didn’t know what to expect during Christmas shopping season, but the clothing company in downtown Kamloops was the busiest its been in nearly two decades. Most of its business was online.

“We had a busy, busy season both in-store and on our website,” said owner of Jardines Domaine Anthony Salituro. “Luckily, we’ve had a website for 2.5 years, and so we really were lucky in that aspect that we’ve gained an online presence across Canada. We were shipping Christmas presents as far as Nova Scotia, so it was amazing.”

Jardines was crazy busy, all the while keeping the store quiet.

“We didn’t create crowds. A lot of people from Kamloops were shopping on our website and choosing curbside pick-up or in-store pick-up, so they weren’t actually physically here in the store. We never felt that there was that mad rush,” noted Salituro.

There was uncertainty among business owners that people would flock online for Christmas gifts and leave them with a lump of coal.

While that was true for some, Jardines Domaine and Red Wing Shoes on Victoria Street had joyous seasons on the business front. Red Wing, which specializes in work boots, saw all in-store visits increase with safety protocols in place.

Red Wing Shoes on Victoria Street understands it was fortunate to be busy over Christmas amid the pandemic (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

“We saw a healthy growth, not only in the number of pairs but also the dollars spent,” said Gentile, who owns and operates the store. “We actually struggled to find accessories, right down to the countdown for Christmas. Socks and some of the accessories that we normally have a lot of for Christmas time — stocking stuffers — we actually struggled at the end, which is a nice problem to have.”

However, both businesses acknowledge they were fortunate. The Kamloops Chamber of Commerce heard stories of struggling businesses over the holidays.

“Those retailers expressed it was certainly quieter, predictably,” said President of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Tyson Andrykew. “Many people choosing to limit how many buildings they go to, how many different shops they go into, probably trying to be a little bit more strategic.”

For the business who experienced a downturn over the holidays, the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association (KCBIA) is encouraging residents to prop the business up, so they can keep their head above water.

“It’s a really tough time right now, and of course January is a quiet month for shopping, understandably,” noted executive director of KCIA Carl DeSantis. “But that combined with our pandemic situation, and so much uncertainty that way, it’s going to be a really tough time. I think as a community, we need to do what we can to continue to support businesses.”