‘Very emotional’: Nanaimo, B.C. party shop closes doors, citing impact of COVID-19

After more than two decades in the business, one of Vancouver Island’s favourite party supply and costume shops is closing its doors.

Pattie’s Party Palace in Nanaimo, B.C. has been a staple for trick-or-treaters, actors, dancers, cosplayers and anyone who likes to play dress up, said owner Pattie Walker.

“It’s very emotional to tell you the truth,” she said Friday, as the store clears out inventory on its final Halloween. “Our customers have very much become a secondary family for us.

“Children that I’ve been dressing for the last 25 years, I’m now dressing their children for Halloween.”

Walker started the business 23 years ago, tired of shopping all over Nanaimo to find everything she needed for her own parties, she said. Over the years, the customer base grew, and the shop settled into progressively larger retail spaces.

“Unfortunately there’s been no costuming events for almost two years, and a lot of the mass merchandisers — Amazon and that kind of thing have all taken a chunk,” she said.

“Then COVID was the final little push in having to make some hard decisions. As Kenny Rogers says, ‘Know when to fold them.'”

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Bigger chain party stores have moved into Vancouver Island, said Walker — stores that were once her own suppliers. Her small, family-owned business can’t compete, she explained, nor does it receive shipping priority when it’s up against companies like Amazon.

“People just started shopping online … Then trying to get people to stop shopping online is a little more difficult,” she said.

“I tell people all the time, they can’t save us all, and we’re the casualty of this.”

Global News spoke with a handful of Nanaimo residents who knew Pattie’s Party Palace well.

They described the closure as “sad” and “a bummer,” given that it’s been a community staple for so long.

Walker, however, is determined to go out with a bang, and is spending the next two days outfitting as many revellers and trick-or-treaters — young and old — as she can.

The shop will remain open for part of November as she clears out remaining inventory.