Kelowna retail businesses see strong holiday traffic, anticipate slower January

Steady season for businesses

The holiday season in Kelowna proved to be a strong one for local retailers, with many reporting an uptick in foot traffic and sales that exceeded expectations.

From small boutiques to big-name retailers, shops across the city saw a noticeable increase in holiday shoppers.

Business owners on Bernard Avenue highlighted steady foot traffic throughout the season.

"Compared to the rest of the year, it was a really great season," said Maiya Meekiy, manager at Funktional, located at 447 Bernard Avenue.

"Lots of locals and regulars came out," Meekiy added.

Cao Boutique, located at 540 Bernard Avenue, has been open for a little over five months. Despite being fairly new on the block, business has also been strong.

"We just opened up, we are still learning and figuring things out, so we'll see how it goes, but so far it's good," said part-owner Andjela Milojevic.

Andre's Audiotronics owner Andre Blanleil says business has been busier than last year.

"We actually had a really strong December... November and December were uniquely different, but still strong. Black Friday has definitely become the dominant sales period for sure."

"I think we were up four percent for those two months. I'm happy with that," Blanleil said.

Business owners are anticipating a slowdown in the coming months. Retailers across the city generally see a dip in sales after the holiday rush, and January and February are typically the slowest months of the year.

"January is always a slow month. Everyone is always getting back into the swing of things, but it's a great opportunity for us to do some updates to the store so that's what we will be doing," Meekiy said.