Shopping local at Shuswap Clothing is reinvestment in community

Shopping local at Shuswap Clothing is reinvestment in community

Published 5:00 am Friday, December 5, 2025

A small business doesn’t reach 104 years without local support – or supporting local.

The Shuswap Clothing and Shoe Company, that celebrated 100 years in 2021, with owner Gerald Forman crediting that longevity in part to shopping local, which in turn supports the community.

“When people shop local, it gives the businesses a chance to employ local people, it gives them a chance to donate back to the community, which happens quite often,” he said.

“When you’re shopping local, you’re helping to keep the community vibrant.

“People are paying taxes here which help go towards your arenas, etc.”

Sports in particular garner a lot of support from Forman, and he alternates helping out with basketball, bowling, hockey and, most recently, lighting for the new synthetic turf field.

“I’m a believer that when we have sports and the kids are out playing sports, then they’re not doing some other things,” he said. “They’re enjoying their time, meeting friends, having good times together.”

The downtown Salmon Arm business has also sponsored the Salmon Arm Silverbacks and the Sicamous Eagles, with the latter coming about due to relationships built through local business. Forman had known Eagles founder, the late Wayne March, through work and, when he came to chat about the new team and sponsorship help, he got it.

In addition to sports, Forman backs a lot of other important organizations, such as the Shuswap Hospital Foundation, Heart and Stroke and Rotary, among others, that he again alternates between.

“It’s hard to do them all at one time, but through the years you try to rotate it around and help everyone,” he said. “There’s never a bad cause, there’s just only so many dollars.”

When it comes to shopping local, Forman practices what he preaches. Going for coffee at Shuswap Pie Company, the server knew his order before he even spoke – medium roast, no cream – a familiarity that comes from being a regular.

The Shuswap Clothing and Shoe Company has perceviered despite impactful industry changes like online shopping and big box stores.

Forman believes the local independents still have an edge. He said they all try to accommodate customers’ needs and order items in to do so, offer personalized service and try to “help everybody as best we can.” At Shuswap Clothing and Shoe, that includes personal fittings.

“You go into big box stores and they just turn around and they hand you an item, or you go help yourself,” Forman said. “We like to help the people; we want to get shoes and fit them on…and the same the with clothing. Guys come in and they’re not sure which colours go together or what styles are in, so we help them out with that.”

The independents also try to work together in providing that customer service. If he doesn’t have something a customer needs, he tries to make note of which store does have it and will send the person over.

“It does the community better to keep people shopping local than going out of town, because once the money leaves town, that’s less money to go back into the community.”

The above story is part of the Observer’s Shop Local Support Local series, exploring how shopping/supporting local can help build a stronger community.