While people celebrate the holidays in many different ways, sharing gifts with friends and family is a tradition followed by most of us.
Whether you start shopping as soon as the Christmas decor appears, or wait until the last minute, it’s hoped you’ll buy your gifts locally this year.
“The thing is, our smaller locally owned businesses don’t have big corporations behind them,” says Pollyco (Rupert Square) Mall manager Maggie Viviers. “These businesses need your support the most.”
While your limited holiday budget may not mean much to multi-national companies, it does mean a lot to the fantastic small business like you’ll find at your local mall.
According to the BC Buy Local Week website, the average Canadian spends about $1,600 on travel, food, drinks and gifts over the holidays. In addition, $63 of every $100 spent at local shops is recirculated back into the local economy.
Shifting a portion of that money to local establishments helps keep local businesses open and local residents employed.
What kind of possibilities await at Pollyco (Rupert Square) Mall? Grab something tasty from No. 1 Fast Food Centre and Dumela Coffee and Ice Cream Shop while you shop, then pick up something for the more health-conscious on your list from Mr. Natural Vitamins and Food Supplements. Or, for the fashionista there’s Aria Apparels, and for the athlete – check out Drift Sport.
“You can find some really unique stuff for Christmas at our smaller stores,” Viviers says. “For instance, Drift has expanded to three spaces offering three different types of clothing – Sport, Kids and Lifestyle.”
Not only do these local shops, restaurants and services employ locals and pay taxes to keep things running, they also do their part to support others in the Prince Rupert community.
”All the tenants support the All-Native Basketball Tournament, annual BC Dance Competition and the Rotary Auction,” Viviers says. “They also contribute to the Tenants Association, and those funds are used to promote and advertise the mall, as well as sponsor events like our annual Christmas tree decorating contest.
“We also have late-night shopping from Dec. 16 to 23, with the mall open until 8 p.m., plus Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., so you’ll have plenty of time to come out and shop local!”
Find out more about what Pollyco (Rupert Square) Mall has to offer on Facebook, and then head down to 500 2 Ave W to find everything you need for the season.