Another locally-owned business in uptown Waterloo is closing its doors due to declining sales.

However, it’s warmer temperatures, in particular, lack of snow, that owners are blaming for the decline of shoppers.

In the last three years O.W. Sports has lost close to 30 per cent in sales revenue.

“If you go back a couple of decades, winter would start in October and end almost in May and now we’re lucky to get two months of snow coming down. So we’re going from six months down to two and obviously if it’s that short, you don’t need as much gear and you don’t think about it as much,” said Colin Deyarmond, who owns the store with his brother Kris.

“It doesn’t matter how much advertising you do or what promotions you do, if the weather’s not there, the people aren’t looking for the products,” said Kris. “If you don’t have to shovel the snow, if you don’t see it on your front lawn, it doesn’t feel like winter.”

A family-run business, the store has been operating for 48 years. In its early days it acted as an army surplus store and provided products for camping and the outdoors. Over the years it evolved into a winter-focused business.

“It seems warmer temperatures just makes it tough to sell winter product,” added Kris.

The brothers took over the business from their father about 20 years ago and say that leaving it behind hasn’t sunk in yet.

“It’s time. It feels right to move on,” Kris said.



With reporting from CTV Kitchener's Tyler Calver