The countdown to Christmas has begun and rural stores are bracing for the shopping rush.
“It’s been fairly slow, a lot of looking, not buying,” said Shirley Lapensee, owner of Buds N’ Blooms Flowers and Gifts in Falher, Alta.
“Usually I would say it picks up about Dec. 10.”
Falher is near the larger community of Grande Prairie, so Lapensee has to work hard to keep customers at home.
But she had a good Christmas in 1999, when she first took over the store, and expects it to double this year because she grew up in the town and is drawing many familiar faces into the shop.
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Vicki Flanagan, of Kelli Dee Floral in Maple Creek, Sask., is hoping for the best.
Flanagan is owner of the fresh flower shop that has been open for more than 20 years.
Although Mother’s Day is the busiest time for her 20-year-old fresh flower shop, Flanagan hopes the “wow” customer service she provides will keep people from driving across the border to nearby Medicine Hat, Alta., during Christmas.
Lucille Pott, owner of Lucille’s Pott-Pourri in Carberry, Man., between Brandon and Winnipeg, summed up the goal of store owners everywhere in the Christmas season:
“We just try to be nice, even when we don’t want to be,” she laughed.
As for customers, here are some shopping tips from Jenny Hillard, vice-president of the Consumer Association of Canada.
- Keep the receipts.
- Check return policies before buying an item.
- If using debit machines, watch to see if your card is double swiped and make a note of it in case you are charged twice on your statements.
- When shopping on the internet, make sure to have all the information you would have if shopping in person, including where you’re purchasing from, what currency you’re dealing in, shipping costs and the website’s return policy.
Visa and Mastercard are relatively safe when used on-line because companies have safety measures to protect themselves and the consumer, said Hillard.
“The biggest concern with the internet is with your own personal privacy. A lot of information is being accumulated on you and it’s a question with how happy you are with that.”
If you can’t shop from the comfort of your home computer and are out battling the mall crowds, Hillard said learning the return policy of the store is her best advice.
“Return policies are store-specific, so it’s up to you to find out what it is, but make sure you check the return policy because, especially at Christmas, you never know what you’re going to need to bring back.”
She said rural customers shopping in the city have to make sure they will have time to get back into the city after Christmas to return an item.
Buyer beware is still the motto for all consumers to remember.
