Cash registers at many retail outlets across our region this Christmas aren’t ringing up as many sales as they do traditionally.
Frank Louvelle is president of the Cochrane Board of Trade, which is part of the Northern Corridor group of Chambers of Commerce. He’s a bit surprised at the situation, considering the mail strike that curtailed online sales.
He attributes the drop in foot traffic in stores, including his own drug store, at least partly to the political upheaval on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, making shoppers leery of spending too much.
“Things are also getting more expensive,” he notes, “so I think people are just buying what they need and not splurging as much as in some other years.”
Of course, final figures will be available after the holidays. Louvelle hopes the economy turns around in 2025.
