Give back to brick-and-mortar businesses: Surrey Board of Trade CEO

Brick-and-mortar businesses rely on the holiday season to get by, and they need your love this year, says Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman.

It’s been a tough slog lately for smaller companies trying to get through the pandemic, extreme weather, and supply shortages in B.C. The holidays usually offer some reprieve for businesses that struggle to make their bottom line, with an influx of holiday shoppers ready to spend their hard-earned bucks.

A good meeting today with the Supply Chain Recovery Working Group for BC. We will continue to work together to recover from the floods and build back even better. @Rob_Fleming pic.twitter.com/z8oinTwftC

— Omar Alghabra (@OmarAlghabra) December 10, 2021

But this year, many people are expected to do their shopping online. Huberman discourages them from taking that route, reminding them of how crucial their dollars can be to establishments that rely on Christmas spending.

“Around 53 per cent of all holiday shopping is expected to be done digitally this year, and that continues to grow. We’ve seen that grow during the pandemic,” she said.

“But certainly, we are seeing significant pressures to business as it relates to supply chain challenges and inflationary pressures and consumers having to spend more in terms of trying to get the goods they need, the presents they need for this holiday season.”

Small and medium-sized businesses have an overhead of up to $500 million, but some of those are still struggling to grow.

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She hopes residents will go out of their way to visit the stores in their community in person, saying they have “unique products and services that can really go a long way in terms of building a positive relationship” between supplier and consumer.

Not only does this provide a way for people to connect with one another face-to-face, but also, it helps build community and strength within local economies.

“I know there is a benefit to finding good deals online whether it’s big retailers or not, wherever they may be in the world, but we need to be able to support our local retailers because they give back to our economies. They give back to our local communities, and there’s a reinvestment there to grow our cities in our different communities within British Columbia,” said Huberman.

As an organization focused on trade, the Surrey board hopes people keep their shopping in the neighbourhood when they go to buy presents.

Yesterday, we had the honour of hosting the @bankofcanada‘s Progress Report on the Economy. Watch the recording below!
https://t.co/yweucLFM3u

— SurreyBoardofTrade (@SBofT) December 10, 2021

And after such a difficult year, they feel local business owners deserve the support.

“If we do not have our local businesses, then we don’t have thriving and sustainable economies,” said Huberman. “We need to say thank you to our Surrey businesses, for example, and we need to support them in every way possible.”

Check out shop local campaigns in your area to learn more about the stores surrounding you. The Surrey Board of Trade has one available on their website.