The Saint-Tite Western Festival is in full swing and the streets are bustling with festival-goers. Despite the inflationary environment, most retailers are again able to generate a lot of sales.
Thousands of them flood the streets of Saint-Tite for the Western Festival. Clothing, boots and cowboy hats are purchased in abundance during the celebrations. On the other hand, will the wallets of festival goers be affected by inflation this year?
Many say no, even though they plan to spend as much during their stay as in previous years. $50 to $1000 in expenses are planned for a weekend.
Although traffic hasn’t decreased, some retailers are still noticing that customers are reining in their spending a little more.
“Let’s say they pay more attention to their spending, they pay more attention to prices,” noted Alarie, the owner of Chapeaux de Gorewiches in France. She has therefore noticed a slight decline in sales. Even the designer Jean Airoldi recognizes the importance of a festival like that of Saint-Tite in clearing out his stocks. “I feel like there’s a little limit on how much I can spend, although I have a lot of sales on my clothes so it’s not expensive, I think that’s why I attract people like that,” he said.
Other retailers, like the owner of Boulet Boots, see no difference compared to previous years.
“I have the same numbers as last year. That is the same. I don’t see any slowdown so far,” explained Luc Fraser.
Even though the cost of living has increased, Saint-Tite is definitely a world of its own.
Festival goers spend their money without considering their budget and make the most of their stay in the small community.