Mixed reviews of holiday shopping season from Windsor-area small businesses
CBC
Some small boutiques in Windsor-Essex have given the 2024 holiday shopping season mixed reviews, saying that customers seem to be tightening their belts in the face of a rising cost of living.
But a couple of businesses say they benefited from an increased desire to shop local and to shop for experiences rather than products.
"My clients, a lot of them … purchase gift certificates for loved ones for my services because they've done them themselves, and they have seen how much it's been beneficial for them," said Stephanie Santos, the owner of Synergy Wellness in Kingsville, whose services include massage, sound healing and reiki.
"Again, that whole idea of having an experience versus a material item."
Santos's business is up over last year, she said, and her gift certificate sales are part of that overall trend.
The owner of Storytellers Bookstore on Ottawa Street in Windsor said she too is hoping to exceed last year's sales after three slow months in September, October and November.
"December made up for it," Linda Ward said.
"I think it went a lot better because of the postal strike. I think a lot of people decided that they were going to shop local rather than worry about getting stuff in the mail."
Books sold well this year, she said, particularly leather-bound classics. Puzzles were also popular.
"And I did notice that a lot more people are buying books for their kids. So that's a good thing," she said.
But Ward said customers also seem to be hurting financially, and they seem to have put more rigid spending limits in place to help them stay within their budgets.
"It's trying times right now," she said. "So it's hard on everybody."
Ayad Saddy, the co-owner of BB Branded, a lifestyle and sneaker boutique in Devonshire Mall, agreed that people have been tightening their belts now that the stimulus money that governments injected into the economy during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic has dried up.
"It's been a little different from previous years," Saddy said.
For the first time in 19 years, Hanukkah will fall on the same day as Christmas. Beginning at sundown, the eight-day celebration will be celebrated across the region and beyond.
The spirit of the season is strong in Dawson City, Yukon — and Jim Bob Titus's house has a lot to do with that.
Waseem Kazzah never imagined he'd see a day when he could return to his family's home in Damascus and visit the loved ones he was forced to leave behind in Syria more than a decade ago.
Deep in the vaults at The Rooms in St. John's are dozens of artifacts telling the stories of holidays past, from religious traditions and superstitions, to toys and ornaments.
From knitting blankets for the less fortunate to saving someone who fell into a manhole, Nova Scotians showed their kindness this year.
With the rising cost of living, $10 is now considered pocket change to some.
Montreal police say they're investigating a hit-and-run that has left a 33-year-old man in critical condition at the hospital.
Manitoba's premier is open to the legislative chamber hearing a rotation of different prayers reflective of various faith traditions so more people can see themselves and their religious practices represented.
This story was originally published on May 28, 2024.
Federal parole documents shed light on ongoing concerns about the risks posed by a woman charged in the killing of a young Edmonton security guard.
Pam Williams crushes up roasted cocoa beans and explains the multi-step process that will eventually turn them into delicious chocolate.