Local businesses seeing mixed Boxing Week sales results

Boxing Week is upon us, and while some local businesses say they’re seeing a jump in sales compared to last year, others are not feeling so fortunate.

Local stores tell 1130 NewsRadio that the GST holiday, Canada Post strike, and high cost of living appear to be affecting people’s spending and shopping choices.

Ben Frith, a manager at Neptoon Records in Mount Pleasant, says this has been one of their busiest years on record.

“I think this year with the postal strike, a lot of people started looking a lot more local for their shopping,” Frith said.

“I think Boxing Day was no exception to that.”

Jane McFadden, executive director of the Kitsilano 4th Avenue Business Association, says many businesses in the association saw significant increases in online sales.

“Who wants to leave their house on Boxing Day if you can sit in your comfy Christmas clothes and order from your couch?” she said.

McFadden says she has noticed people are downsizing the number of gifts they usually buy in favour of one big-ticket item.

Jeff Martin, the owner of a downtown streetwear and sneaker store called Dipt Kicks, says this has been a slower year for his store.

This is partly due to the ‘sale culture’ of big box stores, he says. Dipt has seen an overall decline in sales, he says, even among tourists who are usually fairly reliable in their spending habits.

“There’s not the sense of urgency I believe that there used to be to get there on Boxing Day for the crazy deals, just one day only,” he said.

One thing all of the owners emphasized is the importance of shopping local, which they say has a direct impact on the local community.