Traditional store Dressew in Vancouver closes: “We are heartbroken and angry”

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A long-established Vancouver company on the edge of the Downtown Eastside will be leaving its location and moving to better climes.

On Saturday, a mass email was sent to “Dear Friends of Dressew” saying the fabric and Halloween supplies company would be closing its West Hastings Street store and plans to close two warehouses.

Dressew is a family-owned business founded in 1962 by Roger McKie and has been in its 300 block of West Hastings Street location since 1983. It is a shop of choice for serious sewists and dressmakers, offering a wide selection of Halloween clothing and masks each season.

“I am writing to you this evening with sad news,” the note reads. “Due to a number of circumstances beyond our control, we are no longer able to operate Dressew as before.”

“We will be selling our West Hastings Street building and our warehouses and Dressew will eventually close.

“The last few years have been a struggle for any small business, and we are no exception. We are heartbroken, angry and simply speechless that it has come to this.”

The statement added that while the future is uncertain, owners will continue to receive deliveries of new fabrics and supplies until further notice.

“We still have plenty of products in our warehouses to sell. Unfortunately, this will be our last year for Halloween costumes and accessories,” the statement said.

“We hope to be able to reopen in a different form and in different premises in the future. Thank you for your support since 1961 and we ask for your understanding of our situation and kindness towards our staff.”

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In 2022, co-owner David McKie told The Vancouver Sun that his company would not remove the boarding that was put in place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent windows from breaking.

McKie said broken windows were a rare occurrence before the pandemic, but added that he was wary of a “right-wing, tough-on-crime solution” because “that will only make things worse.”

“It’s a very, very small number of people who are causing immeasurable harm to businesses, to the public and to vulnerable people as well,” McKie said. “They are being targeted by these notorious predators and they need help.”

READ MORE: Downtown decline: Is Vancouver about to become a dead zone for retail?

Dressew’s Facebook post sparked a fierce response from customers and other small businesses, all of whom expressed their sadness at the loss of the store.

According to government records, the two-story Dressew building, built in 1904, is valued at $10.5 million.

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