Parents in retail sector relieved teachers dispute is over
Posted September 17, 2014 7:41 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Backpacks, sneakers and school supplies!
Parents, did you get that back to school shopping done?
With the strike set to end, BC’s retail sector is not expecting a last minute scramble this weekend.
The Retail Council of Canada says BC businesses did not see any real drop in sales during the typical back to school season in August — shoppers seemed to expect the strike would end — but that’s not to say businesses weren’t hit hard in another way.
“Retailers, like all large employers, faced issues with parents making alternative arrangements for childcare,” says Greg Wilson, the council’s Director of Government Relations. “Retail is the largest employment sector in British Columbia, three-hundred thousand people work in retail, so that was the biggest impact. This will be a relief to large employers.”
While final back-to-school sales numbers haven’t been released, Wilson expects they will be strong.
“It’s been a great retail economy. Members tells us that August sales were good,” he tells News1130. “I think those who were negatively impacted were those affected by the lack of purchases by school boards and schools. They’ll likely see a little improvement.”
