Halifax prom dress store raises prices 30% due to low Canadian dollar

Prom season is right around the corner, and that means that for many young women, it’s time to find that perfect dress.

As some eager graduates will soon find out though, prom dress prices are also being affected by the low Canadian dollar.

“Between when we started prom in November, and when the new year came in we’ve put them up about 20-30 per cent,” said  Christa Akerman, co-owner of All Dressed Up formal wear store in Halifax.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Between when we started prom in November, and when the new year came in we've put them up about 20-30 per cent," said  Christa Akerman, co-owner of All Dressed Up formal wear store in Halifax.

Prom dresses can run anywhere from $500 and $1,000, Akerman said.

She added that there are two reasons for the price hikes; first is they have U.S. suppliers who they buy dresses from that are priced in U.S. dollars and have higher duty costs, and second, their Canadian distributors have also given them new price lists.

“I think, in our business, mostly of course the parents are feeling very worried that they’re spending more than they thought they were gonna have to spend,” she said.

She said there was no rush to get dresses in the fall, but now that the dollar has hit such a low, parents are starting to panic a little.

READ MORE: 13 year low: Canada’s dollar falls below 69 cents US

The number of girls who have been coming to buy dresses at the shop hasn’t changed though, something Akerman attributes to the fact that buying from U.S. online stores is also more expensive now that the dollar is worth less.

She says girls should come in to get their dresses soon, to make sure they get the prom dress they want in case prices continue to rise.