Mainly Manitoba shutting down Dec. 31

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/12/2023 (711 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mainly Manitoba, a gift store at Shoppers Mall in Brandon that sells many Manitoba-made products, has announced it will close on Dec. 31.

Owner Amy Dalman said after the store’s initial success during the 2019 Christmas season, it was hit hard by disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure announcement, she said, was triggered by a sharp decline in foot traffic since August, signalling an unsustainable future for the store.

Dalman lamented the challenges faced by consumers, strained by high interest rates and the increasing cost of living, leading to diminished spending capacities.

“Despite our store significantly contributing to revenue generation, the aftermath leaves little for our sustainability,” she said. “Upon settling payments to consignors, suppliers, covering expenses such as rent, wages, bank fees, interest, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and income tax, we find ourselves with no surplus.”

She underscored the predicament faced by small businesses competing against large foreign-owned enterprises with lower-priced goods, often sourced from overseas with ambiguous labour practices.

“I generated $180,000 between 2019 and now in retail sales tax for the Manitoba government, by selling, by operating my business,” she said. “That money could be put back into these small businesses in support, so that they can keep going because if I close, they’re not getting that revenue anyway.”

Dalman said operating costs in Manitoba are a major deterrent to business viability.

The store’s impending closure has prompted Dalman to engage with provincial government representatives on potential solutions. She points to the need for incentives or rent subsidies to support local businesses in high-traffic areas like the mall.

“We’re meeting with representatives from the provincial government on Monday, just to talk about our situation,” she said. “We have some ideas on how we may be able to offset some of the costs of doing business in Manitoba.”

The meeting, she said, will aim to shed light on the plight of small businesses, seeking support and proposing measures such as PST exemptions for local products and subsidies to alleviate the burden of high operational costs. She expressed hope for governmental support to level the playing field, advocating for measures that would incentivize local consumer spending and alleviate the financial burden on small businesses.

After Mainly Manitoba’s closure announcement, a wave of social media comments emerged, with some Brandon residents sharing their discontent over the rental situation at Shoppers Mall. Allegations surfaced on platforms like Facebook, suggesting the rents charged to stores in the mall were too high and contributed to the closures of several establishments.

Dalman, however, described the social media comments as mere speculations. Addressing misconceptions surrounding the closure, Dalman said she has had an amicable relationship with Shoppers Mall and underscored the necessity for both the mall and local businesses to thrive symbiotically.

As Mainly Manitoba prepares to bid farewell, Dalman said she will assess the financial landscape post-Christmas.

“Our system is broken, and I am hoping that we may be able to initiate some changes in our province,” she said. “It may be too late for our business, but there are so many others out there like us. Hopefully our government can see the value in supporting local and will consider making some changes.”

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

» X: @AbiolaOdutola