Local businesses offer mixed reports on holiday sales

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This article was published 27/12/2024 (265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This year’s holiday season brought glad tidings in the form of record-breaking sales for some local retailers, while certain independent business owners in Brandon saw sales marred by continuing inflationary pressures and the extended postal strike.

Trinity Meat and Food Place co-owner Ajibola Olaosebikan described this year’s Christmas sales as significantly higher, when compared with 2023.

“Our sales increased by about 80 per cent,” he told the Sun on Thursday. “Some of our products were finished because the number of people that came to our store on Christmas Eve was very high.”

Olaosebikan attributed the surge to a growth in the newcomer population in Brandon, adding that his store’s diverse inventory also played a crucial role.

“What they were asking for, we had,” he explained. “Products like goat meat and chicken were especially popular, catering to the tastes of Brandon’s immigrant communities (who come) from countries, such as India, Nigeria and Ukraine.”

Trinity Meat and Food Place, he added, also introduced new items tailored to their customer’s preferences, further driving up sales.

“We also saw many Ukrainians buying their traditional products. These newcomers contributed greatly to our sales this year,” Olaosebikan reiterated.

Abramson Taxi co-owner Bankole Abejide said his business did very well, especially on Christmas Eve.

“We see that the space is better,” Abejide said. “Maybe because of the increase in population, there’s more demand for our services in Brandon. Compared to last year, I would say there’s been a five to 10 per cent increase. It’s not that much, but it’s noticeable.”

Abejide also noted that his business growth was particularly evident in immigrant communities, including those from India and Nigeria contributing to a higher demand for the company’s services.

For Amber Hagans — owner of the Brandon Toymasters store — sales during Christmas 2024 boomed.

“This year was one of our busiest Christmas seasons on record,” Hagans said in an interview with the Sun on Thursday. “We witnessed a significant increase of about 30 to 35 per cent in sales compared to last year, with December still shaping up to be a strong shopping month.”

Government policies, such as the GST holiday, had little impact on sales, Hagans observed.

“Many customers didn’t feel it offered enough savings to make a noticeable difference,” she said. “Instead, the Canada Post strike played a more significant role in boosting sales. People couldn’t shop online, which likely brought more customers into the store.”

However, while the 32-day-long postal strike was a blessing in disguise for business owners, such as Hagans, it created noticeable holes in the pockets of other business owners.

Local businesses are dependent on timely deliveries of their goods or promotional materials, which faced considerable delays that disrupted operations and strained existing customer relationships.

One of them, Morgan James, owner of Leatherwood Custom Workwear, told the Sun his business experienced a downturn in sales.

“Our sales were 25 per cent lower than anticipated,” he noted. “The decline could be attributed to tighter budgets among customers and disruptions caused by the postal strike.”

James explained that despite increasing the marketing spend and related efforts, his business did not see the corresponding response such efforts typically generate, suggesting that broader economic pressures are continuing to impact consumer spending.

Christine Steele, owner of Blush Silks — which sells luxury silk pillowcases and accessories — told the Sun her business also witnessed a decline in online sales during Christmas.

“My online sales were down by about 30 per cent,” she revealed. “I had to shift to doing a lot more local advertising. Before now, I focused on online advertising and mailing products, but this time, I turned to radio advertising, which cost about $1,000 and participated in giveaways (and) it helped increase local purchases.”

She explained that abandoned cart rates for her business were particularly high as well due to the additional shipping costs.

“It’s hard to track everyone who left without buying, but the abandoned cart rate I could see was rather high,” she said. “You spend so much time preparing for Christmas, stocking up, and then find yourself with more inventory than usual afterward. And some orders didn’t even make it to customers before Christmas due to shipping backlogs.”

Commenting on some of the trends affecting businesses in the Wheat City, Hagans observed a growing pattern in family-oriented purchases, particularly board games and puzzles, which have gained popularity over the past few years, especially during the pandemic.

“Parents seem more focused on creating memorable family experiences. We’ve seen a big surge in board game and puzzle sales as people spend more time together,” she added.

The store also experienced an unexpected rush on Christmas Eve. “It’s usually a quieter day, but this year we doubled our usual Christmas Eve sales,” Hagans said.

Olaosebikan emphasized that the influx of newcomers was a key driver of growth, not only for businesses, but also the city.

“It’s exciting to see old faces returning to our store and more new faces coming from different parts of the world, as we cater to their needs,” he said, highlighting the importance of adapting his business to Brandon’s evolving demographic landscape.

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

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