While local businesses struggled to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic, some owners say they’re bouncing back, especially during the holiday shopping season.

Greg Tonn, owner of Into the Music, says his store benefited from support-local movements that started in 2020.

“Some businesses post-COVID have rebounded very well,” Tonn says over the music playing in the Exchange District record store.

“We would be among those and part of the reason for that is ... there’s this macro trend in the world where more people are coming back to vinyl and more specifically young people.”

Business is up significantly compared to last year, although prices at Into the Music and many other stores are increasing because of inflation, he adds.

This year, he saw many customers coming in looking for Christmas gifts and says the season went better than expected.

“The demand ... for vinyl hasn’t subsided,” Tonn says.

“Our community are collectors,” he says. “They still value the artifact, the thing, as opposed to a digital file. My collection up on the wall has more personal meaning than a file on a computer or on your phone.”

Toad Hall Toys owner Kari England also says it was a busy year for Christmas shopping in the toy store, despite wider concerns of lower toy sales across Canada with the downsizing of some larger toy stores.

Mastermind Toys is closing 18 locations throughout the country, including the one on Regent Avenue in Winnipeg, after filing for bankruptcy late last year.

England says bigger toy-store chains have a harder time adapting to local markets, calling it a “them problem.”

“We have heard from people that they’re just not so enamored with big-box (stores) or have been disappointed by online purchases in the past,” England says.

Instances of poor delivery, porch pirates and orders that are cancelled at the last minute often cause frustration and influence customers to shop in store again, she says.

Aimee Peake, owner of Bison Books, says it’s been tough regaining business since the pandemic, but she is grateful for the customers.

She says the bookstore, which is located on Graham Avenue near the University of Winnipeg, has seen an increase in book sales from a wide range of genres and prices.

“We have a pretty good visibility for profs and students, and so I think our shop is a bit of an anomaly,” Peake says.

“If you have a tried and true clientele like we do ... even with things being a bit rough in the downtown area, we’re quite established with the kinds of people who are looking for what we have.”

She says customers shop for more personal gifts for friends and family during the holiday season.

“Some people are looking for something really collectible and special that’s going to be a memory kind of item. Other people are just looking for a novel their friend is going to love."

Published in Volume 78, Number 13 of The Uniter (January 10, 2024)