SASKATOON — Despite having a slow week in sales, kids clothing store owner Janel Edwards knows firsthand the struggles parents, especially those with newborn babies and toddlers, as keeping them bundled up with the proper winter gear remains costly. However, she continues to give back to the community and uses her store as a donation depot for people who want to drop off children’s clothing and baby items like diapers.
“This has been our slowest week of pretty much the year. It's almost the end of the year. People's piggy banks, they're pretty empty. So, we are lucky to have loyal customers. Still, it seems like there's never enough,” said Edwards, the Reclaim Sustainable + Maternity Baby Kids Clothing store owner, in a recent interview.
“I have a close-knit community like other small business owners, and we bounce ideas off each other. And it seems like another one closes, sells, or is done every week because their family is stressed; this isn't worth it. Like I said the last time, every little penny counts, especially when you have kiddos. I have twins who are now four [years old]. They were born during the pandemic, and everything has [become] more expensive since then.”
That is why she makes it a point to donate spare clothing to local daycare and childcare centres that ask them if they have extra winter gear like mitts and ski pants for the kids under their care. This is their way of giving back to the community. They also accept donations of diapers, unopened baby formula and baby food, cereals, pads, tampons, adult diapers, nursing pads, postpartum supplies, coupons and vouchers.
“No matter how many pairs of pants you send with your three-year-old, they are going to need new ones by the end of the day. Daycares reach out to us for some kids and ask if we have extra winter clothing for kids who do not have it. Their parents are sending them without winter gear because they don't have the budget for it. And daycares are safe spaces,” said Edwards.
“If you're a childcare provider, you'll ensure kids have boots or mittens. And we've always got extra stuff. So, they'll send us a list of, you know, size six, seven boots, hats and mitts. We'll put it all together, and they can get it because I have two little kids. It breaks my heart that another little kid doesn't have boots or ski pants to go out and enjoy the weather.”
GST holiday break
She said bringing in products for their store had been a challenge. Some parents who are their customers and whom they have talked to have put their groceries and kids' winter clothing on the buy-now, pay-later platform Afterpay to get by. However, she expects sales to pick up after the GST holiday break starts on Sunday, Dec. 14. The program will end on Feb. 15, 2025.
“I had someone put a bottle on Afterpay. That hurts my heart. That's a necessity. Clothes are necessary for your kiddos, and if you struggle to put clothes on your kiddos' backs, other things are falling through the cracks,” said Edwards.
“We’ve been open for over two years and have seen a downward trend. Instead of getting a couple extra sets of clothes for daycare because they have a few extra dollars to spend, people are getting the bare necessities.”
She added that the GST’s two-month suspension means a lot for struggling parents who can now buy extra clothes or backup sneakers for daycare for their kids when they begin to outgrow them, which is why they expect some sales increase in the coming days.
“Ask me again in 15 days,” Edwards said with a laugh. “There could be a pretty immediate impact on prices. We've talked to people who waited for that. [The GST suspension] means that someone can get a car seat the size they need, get winter gear for their kiddos because every kid loses their mitts daily, being able to have the things that you need while being able to have a little bit left over in the piggy bank to do maybe something that you want with your kiddos, which is becoming more and more stressful,” said Edwards.
