To: DeeDee
I haven't taken a trip to the Whistler Olympic Store since the 9th of February, right before the beginning of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. It was quiet that day as I meandered the store, looking at the items but hesitating somewhat at the marked-up prices of some of the merchandising. I hadn't made a decision on anything though, and because of that, it prompted me to wait.
Today, on the second of two consecutive days off, I finally decided to swing down to the store at around 4 PM and purchase a few gifts for some good friends and my boyfriend there.
I couldn't believe how busy it was.
I had known they had set up a gate and locked down all other entrances in order to control the crowds that wished to enter the store, but it was still small pickings to what goes on in downtown Vancouver's Olympic Superstore. Nonetheless, walking in, I realized that maybe I made a bit of a mistake in putting off the purchasing to when I did.
The racks of red mittens that were once ready for the cold hands of spectators were stripped bare by the souvenir-hungry foreigners that bought into the hype that made the mittens the icon of the Games. From what I understood, it would all but stay cleaned of any mittens until the end of the Games itself. The pins on the wall, once so numerous in styles and types, had lost its diversity as they too were consumed by the spirit of the Games. Even the hats and scarves that graced the pillars around the room lost its variability.
I spent nearly one and a half hours in that store, fighting past a large family from China and then a group of people with the Russian team based in Whistler, trying to find gifts. I was quick to settle on the gift for the boyfriend, Marty, but ended up hemming and hawing over the item that would go to my friends, Jess and Michael.
The first issue was the manufacturer. My friend Jess had be very vocal about her disapproval over the outsourcing of most of the apparel of the Olympic clothing line to China, though it was that that made the items affordable in the first place. But at the same time, I understand her criticisms as well. So I made a concerted effort to find an item that was made in Canada that would be appropriate to gift to them.
It was a lot harder than I expected it to be.
Though I would find plenty of good gift ideas for them, the "made in China" manufacturer's tag frequently left a sigh on my lips as I placed the item back on the shelf. For awhile, the only item that I saw that actually said made in Canada on it was a pair of salad forks.
I had expected better of the Olympics to perhaps use these Olympics to manufacture some manufacturing jobs in Canada for this, not China. But then, no one would be able to reasonably afford it. At least, you'd be hard pressed to find someone willing to spend 72 dollars on a t-shirt of all things. Just ask the Russian, who are selling their team polos for 129 dollars.
Which brought me to my second issue, which was price, and that tied into what I ended up finding for them that is made in Canada. But it came at a bit of a price. There was a similar, albeit lower quality, item being sold at the store in Whistler, but made in China. However, it was also three times cheaper than the version I purchased. Incredible.
The final issue was my fear of the lack of variability in the store and that was just down to my own stupidity. I had pushed my visit back that day to avoid a line-up. But while I did avoid it, I did not avoid the fact that the people before me practically cleaned out whatever new and interesting item that was restocked that day that might have been there before I arrived.
Therefore, I didn't even manage to finish my shopping trip today.
I'm reassessing my options right now. And hope I can get my shopping done before I leave Whistler on the 27th of February.
Cheers!
Grace
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