Yellowknife’s Book Cellar issues Black Friday appeal

Yellowknife’s book store has published a Black Friday appeal for residents to buy locally rather than head to major online retailers.

Black Friday falls on November 25 this year, having originated as the Friday after US Thanksgiving that denotes the start of North America’s Christmas shopping season.

As a result, Canadians are bombarded with offers from online giants like Amazon.

Writing online, Yellowknife Book Cellar owner Jennifer Baerg Steyn told residents that businesses like hers were “trying our best to keep you and your/our communities in mind.”

“I know money is tight for many of us,” she wrote, “but when you support local over Am*zon, you help me pay my staff a starting wage of $21/hr plus store benefits, and an hour of breaks however they want to divide them, as well as additional breaks with no penalty if needed. They have received Covid sick pay and will continue to.

“Is it the best wage in the world? No, and I would pay them much more if I could. Know that I will always have my staff’s back and I appreciate them because we would not be open without them.”

From 2019: Yellowknife’s Book Cellar turns 40

Baerg Steyn said people trying to buy audio books can purchase them from Libro, a service that splits profits with independent book sellers.

@CabinRadio Thanks for the shout out this morning – can I highlight that we are offering double stamps all weekend if you bring in a donation to the @NWTSPCAYK – a can of pet food, a clean used towel, we don’t care, we just want to keep supporting our community.— YK Book Cellar (@ykbookcellar) November 25, 2022

This year’s #ShopYK local shopping campaign in Yellowknife began on November 14 and continues through till December 8, offering the chance to win a shopping spree worth $5,000 in return for supporting the city’s businesses.

A range of holiday markets are also taking place in the weeks ahead.