Rising costs force St. John's retailers to make adjustments for holiday shopping season - Action News
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Rising costs force St. John's retailers to make adjustments for holiday shopping season

Some business owners say they have seen fewer customers this November and believe it might be due to the rising cost of living in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Shop owner Anna Murphy says she's not selling silk scarves this Christmas due to increased shipping costs

A woman wearing a black shirt sits at a desk in front of a yellow wall.
Anna Murphy is the owner of the boutique Yellow Rose, located on the second floor of the Posie Row gift shop on Duckworth Street in downtown St. Johns. (Jessica Singer/CBC)

With December just around the corner, small business owner and artist Anna Murphy has prepared forearly Christmas shoppers by displaying holiday-themed T-shirts and goodies at her store, Yellow Rose.

Murphy's bright yellow boutique is located on the second floor of the Posie Row gift shop on Duckworth Street in downtown St. John's, where she sells a variety of hand-dyed shirts and curated accessories. She hasowned the business since 2015but this is her first Christmas operating from Posie Row, a popular holiday shopping spot in the city.

While Murphy says her store is located at a sought-after destination for those in the festive spirit, she says it does seem like customers have started their shopping a bit behind their usual schedule.

"It has definitely been a late start this yearbut it seems that this past weekend really has kind of launched it now," said Murphy. "It also seems this year that maybe people are spending less and buying smaller items than typically."

A display of Christmas products beside a Christmas tree covered in ornaments.
Posie Row's owner, Jane Manuel, says she's trying to keep products affordable despite rising costs. (Jessica Singer/CBC)

Murphy says people may be spending less because of the rising cost of living, and that those who may be struggling financially are going to be more careful about what they spend their money on this holiday season.

As a business owner, Murphy says the high cost of products isn't lost on her.

Most of her products are handmade, so she says she's fortunate that she hasn't had to drastically change the prices of her products sofar. But because of increased shipping costs, she's had to let go of one of her main Christmas products silk scarves.

"There are some products I used to sell that I have not brought in this Christmas," said Murphy. "Silk in particular, I used to hand-dye silk scarvesand the cost to get them here has risen a lot. So I decided not to bring those in this year."

Although the early bird holiday customers have been a bit slower at getting shopping off their to-do list, Murphy says foot traffic at Yellow Rose has been good so far, with hundreds of customers coming into the Posie Row building every weekend.

A variety of Christmas-themed pillows sit on a wooden display shelf.
Costs have gone up in almost every aspect of the business, says Manuel, from shipping and import duties to the cost of the products themselves. (Jessica Singer/CBC)

Posie Row owner Jane Manuelsays the Christmas season is off to a good start. Manuel says the store has seen lots of familiar faces, along with somenew ones, and that there's been a great response to the shop's holiday-themed products.

But she says foot traffic has been down slightly compared with other yearsand she has noticed the effects of inflation. Costs have gone up in almost every aspect of the business, saidManuel, from shipping and import duties to the cost of the products themselves.

"Everything is costing more and I've been trying to keep prices the same where possible and some have just had to increase. There's no way around it." said Manuel.

"But I'm still trying to do that in as minimal a way as possible. We have such a wide range of people who visit us. I love the idea that anybody can come through the door and find something that they can afford and that they like. So that's something we really hold tight to."

A man wearing a black sweater and jeans stands beside a display of Christmas souvenirs.
Pat Harris, the owner of the Tickle Trunk, says the price of products has increased slightly, but the main hindrance to Christmas sales is the weather. (Jessica Singer/CBC)

The Tickle Trunk is another popular gift and souvenir shop on Duckworth Street. OwnerPat Harrissays November holiday shopping has been fairly busy so farand he expects the foot traffic to increase as Christmas approaches.

Harris says the price of the Tickle Trunk's products have gone up slightlybut that the main hindrance to Christmas sales is the weather, as people have to walk around outside if they want to shop on Duckworth.

"It's an old St. John's tradition to go downtown shopping," said Harris. "Some people still like to go to Avalon Mall because they go in and they're indoors that whole time. Here, you have to kind of go in, you go out, come back in, go out."

The Tickle Trunk is full of different Christmas ornaments, mummer memorabilia, candles and candy.

Despite rising costs and wet weather, Harris saidthe most important thing for business is to keep all of the Trunk's products sourcedfromNewfoundland and Labrador.

"Our philosophy is to support as much local [business]as possible," he said.

Read morefrom CBC Newfoundland and Labrador