Peace Arch Duty Free may be forced to close as sales continue to drop: owner

It was supposed to be a long weekend boost, but Easter only brought more bad news for the Peace Arch Duty Free in Surrey.

Owner Peter Raju says the weekend was “terrible,” with sales down more than 60 per cent compared to the same time last year.

“With the Vaisakhi Parade, we thought a lot of people would come to the business, but nothing happened,” he told 1130 NewsRadio.

Raju’s shop has been struggling since tensions with the United States ramped up, and fewer travellers started heading south due to the continued threats of annexation and an ongoing trade war.

“It’s getting worse. I mean, the first month, we were down 80 per cent. We picked up a little bit in March, and then, we didn’t do anything during the Spring Break. So, we thought there may be some business during the Easter break, and it’s just getting worse,” he continued.

“Unless our provincial governments go back and recommend to Canadians or British Columbians to start going back to the U.S., like the Americans are asking us to come back and welcoming us, we need to do something. It’s not only me. I talk to people in Whistler, the hotels, and the businesses. There’s no forward booking,” he explained.

Raju has been calling on the provincial and federal governments for help, requesting emergency relief for businesses, similar to what they were offered during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he says he’s heard nothing.

“For the staff, they’re finding it difficult. We are down to three or four employees. We’re working only one shift,” he said. “This weekend, we had four or five, and we’ll go back down to three starting tomorrow, and we can’t continue like this.

“It’s really frustrating. It’s very difficult even for the staff to meet their rents. You know, there are a lot of students working, and they have to pay rent plus their education. So, it’s very difficult.”

He says that unless things change, the store may not survive another six months.

In a statement to 1130 NewsRadio, B.C.’s Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation acknowledged the ongoing difficulties faced by businesses, citing the “challenges of the pandemic, supply chain issues, inflation and high interest rates, and the unprecedented threat of unjustified U.S. tariffs.”

The ministry added, “We are working to fill in any gaps to make sure that British Columbians are protected.”

“We will continue to work with small businesses to strengthen BC’s economy and protect businesses, families, and jobs.”