How are Squamish businesses doing this holiday season?

Local businesses are seeing a variety of outcomes this holiday season. 

At least one business reported some frustration with domestic pricing at Canada Post, whereas others have been affected by the wintry weather that has been jostling much of the Sea to Sky Corridor and Lower Mainland. Adding in rising costs for essentials such as groceries and gas, navigating these challenges has sometimes proven difficult.

“There’s definitely been less spending, which I think is related to basically people having less spending power right now due to the inflation in the economy,” said Kerry Neil, the executive director of Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association.

Neil explained that businesses are taking a hit because supply-chain costs have gone up, which results in a smaller profit margin for some. This then trickles down to consumers as businesses have to raise their prices to make ends meet.

She added that consumers and businesses alike face higher interest rates and rental prices for housing and storefronts.

Fortunately, some businesses have reported business being relatively OK.

Tyler DeVouge, the hotel manager at Howe Sound Inn & Brewing, said the hotel is fielding reservations despite some of the winter weather challenges.

“It’s been very busy. On the hotel side, we’re completely booked pretty much. The last couple of days, we did have a couple of cancellations just due to weather,” he acknowledged earlier this week.

But other than those cancellations, he said he expects to have visitors throughout the Christmas weekend.

Hitesh Gotecha and Tracy Walker, the manager and assistant manager of Hotel Squamish, both said there hadn’t been as many visitors as expected, which they also attributed to the weather.

“It’s been quiet,” Walker said.

“We are a small hotel,” said Gotecha. “As soon as I see the weather forecast, I was expecting that.”

Gotecha said the hotel was busier throughout the year, however.

“From March to October, I was fully sold out,” he said but added that it started to slow in November and December.

Looking ahead to January, Gotecha said if the snow is good in Whistler, then he’ll probably have more bookings as his prices are lower than what people can find in Whistler.

“I’m right now waiting for the perfect snow,” he said.

In a separate sector, Nadine Manson, owner and designer at BeWildHer, experienced a bizarre issue at Canada Post. This year, some rates are higher to ship domestically than internationally.

“​​How do you explain it being $9 to ship to the east coast U.S. when it’s $12 to go from Squamish to North Van?” she asked. “It starts to make you question, ‘OK, what’s going on with these rates?’”

Manson also recalled being at the Bespoke Market earlier this year, where BeWildHer and a few other vendors felt they didn’t sell as much merchandise as they hoped. Manson attributed some of that to rising costs in B.C.

“Because of gas and grocery inflation, people’s budgets for shopping, local, small business at slightly higher price tags are just used up,” she said.

Despite some of these hindrances, Manson said that the business was stable this holiday season, just not quite as flush as in previous years. She said that her stability was partly due to committed and helpful customers.

“Before, we used to really have to defend ourselves and our price points and what we’re about,” she explained, “and now our customers who understand us and our product and our values are showing up to do that for us.”

Regarding restaurants, Neil said she heard that it’s slowed down compared to last year.

“Our restaurant sector, it has not been as busy either,” she said. “People have pulled back.”

Neil recalled how this time last year was busy in restaurants because people likely had been saving some money when COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were in place. 

Pat Allan, the restaurant director and a sommelier at The Salted Vine, said that was exactly his experience thus far.

“It’s down from last year but up from the six years previous to that,” he said, adding that the ability to seat more customers together last year with pandemic restrictions removed was partly responsible for last year’s holiday boom.  

Yet, Neil said staffing issues remain in some parts of the service industry.

“We still have a labour force issue in Squamish. There are still staffing issues in many of the restaurants and service industry, which means you can only serve so many customers,” she said.

Allan said that he’d been fortunate to retain staff and fill vacancies so far, but still, the rising costs across the province had certainly played a part in dampening business this holiday season.

“It’s the rising cost of everything, not just food,” he said. “There’s just less disposable income for everything, for that matter, so I think people are having to watch their budgets.”

Despite this, Allan remained hopeful, looking ahead to 2023.

“[Customers are] going to choose and pick where they’re going to spend their money, and we’re going to have to give them a reason to come and visit us, as opposed to spending it somewhere else,” he said.

Neil also remained hopeful.

“I’m ever the optimist, to be honest,” she said. “I think we just need to be optimistic and support local, shop local as much as you can.”

And although Manson is preparing BeWildHer to tackle high costs in 2023 by streamlining her operation, she was still grateful for customer support throughout the year.

“A big thank you to everyone who continues to show up and support small business,” she said. “Truly appreciated; it really helps the local economy.”

The Squamish Chief reached out to the Squamish Chamber of Commerce, but no one was available to comment before the press deadline.