Every year, Sam Baio looks forward to standing outside his store in a gaudy ski suit to welcome in Boxing Day customers.

The annual Boxing Day sale has always been a big draw at Valhalla Pure Outfitters in downtown Nelson, so much so that Baio wondered if his business wasn鈥檛 violating fire codes by having too many people inside.

鈥淚n the past I wasn鈥檛 sure if the fire department ever shut me down,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 really enjoyed the buzz of that.鈥�

But this year Baio has decided the buzz 鈥� and profit 鈥� isn鈥檛 worth the safety hazard of having a crowd downtown during a pandemic. So on Saturday, for the first time in 25 years, Valhalla Pure will be closed on Boxing Day.

Baio said when he weighed the draw of Boxing Day against the possibility of COVID-19 spreading on Baker Street, the choice was made for him.

鈥淚 have this bit of a moral obligation to think that a decision that I can make actually can change the amount of people downtown.鈥�

Laura Price owns Scout, a women鈥檚 clothing store in Nelson. She鈥檚 also closing her doors for Boxing Day, which she says will be a first in 15 years of owning a retail store.

Price said she considered the decision for two months before telling her staff they would get a break. Inviting in crowds of customers during a pandemic, she said, makes no sense.

鈥淚t just seems bizarre to do this, to do Boxing Day, when it鈥檚 a day when the store is packed,鈥� she said.

The holiday season is typically an important time for the city鈥檚 small businesses ahead of a usual drop in business in January and February, according to Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce executive director Tom Thomson.

But Thomson said this year, when the spring lockdown led to both temporary and permanent closures, has put many businesses in the position of relying on the holidays to help recover from financial losses.

鈥淛ust like in the summertime a lot of the accommodators and [restaurants] need to build up a bit of a war chest to get them through quieter times and the shoulder seasons, I think the smaller businesses need to do the same type of thing,鈥� said Thomson.

鈥漈hey need to have a really great November, December to carry them through the quieter months.鈥�

Baio said his business benefited this year by selling equipment for outdoor recreation, which the province encouraged. His online business boomed, and Black Friday in November also took pressure off his need to make sales on Boxing Day.

That has put Baio in a privileged position to close on Dec. 26, but he鈥檚 also sensitive to the needs of other owners who don鈥檛 have that luxury.

鈥淭his is when you put money in the bank and it carries you through slow times. So I understand that,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I need to do this because I think I鈥檓 making a good point here and we draw so many people to our store on Baker Street.鈥�

Price also had a better year than expected. Her customers spent their money in the province this year, and have already supported her decision to sit out Boxing Day.

鈥淚鈥檓 totally excited to not be open,鈥� she said.

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| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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