Bumwrap celebrates milestone anniversary

The Bumwrap has been an icon in Penticton, and the Okanagan for a long long time, especially when it comes to retail brick and mortar stores. What has the secret to its success and longevity been?

We sat down with the current owners for the past 10 years, Donny and Rebecca, both born and raised in the South Okanagan, and asked them a few questions about the history of The Bumwrap, the struggles and successes, and what the future for the business. Here’s what they had to say.

Q: How long has The Bumwrap been around?

A: The Bumwrap was established in 1979, and still resides in the same location to this day. At one time, it was the only retail store of its kind, with a massive wall to wall selection of swimwear and denim.

Q: If those walls could speak, what would they say?

A: We still have original airbrushed art in our storage room from back in the 80s and 90s. We kept it for the nostalgic and retro surf vibe that is part of our heritage, which we love so much. The Bumwrap has also seen its fair share of brands coming and going over the years. One of the most globally known, has been Billabong. The Bumwrap was the first retail store in Canada to carry the brand. The historic significance of this is huge. Billabong went on from a little-known Australian company, to become one of the biggest global brands in Surf and Swim culture, to this day. Much has changed as brands, fashion trends, and retail landscape goes over the decades, but to our customers, new and old, some things haven’t changed. We absolutely love it when, and it happens often, for example; a customer from Calgary or Vancouver visits and tells us how their parents would always make a stop in The Bumwrap on their Okanagan vacation, and now they do the same with their children. Even though so much has changed over the years, they still get the same excited feeling when they come in. Our fun, outgoing vibe, enthusiastic staff and great selection, make The Bumwrap what it is. It’s such a compliment to our business, and team.

Q: What brands do you carry now, and what is the next Billabong in your opinion?

A: We carry such a wide range of 60-plus brands, including big surf and swim brands such as Billabong, Seafolly, Body Glove, RVCA, Roxy, LSpace, Vans, Reef... the list goes on and on. These are great recognizable brand names, with quality and experience in producing great products. However, our true passion is for the smaller, lesser known brands in all departments, especially Canadian owned. We love to support local as much as we can, and I think that speaks to our customers as well. When we sell a locally owned and/or made product, that is improving their environmental responsibility, and giving back to help improve our planet, and the people and animals on it, we get all warm and fuzzy about. More and more of the products we carry belong to organizations with commitments to environmental protection, that use eco-conscious materials and production methods, fair trade and animal conservation.

Q: What have The Bumwrap’s biggest

struggles been over the 44 years in business?

A: Prior to our purchase in 2013, The Bumwrap has faced several significant hurdles. A name use lawsuit by a big denim company in the 90s which saw them try to have the word “Bum” removed from the name. The original owner fought the case hard, and ended up winning, a modersn David-and-Goliath story. Other historic challenges that have been recalled would be facing big corporate giants opening in town such as Walmart, Winners, and the endless revolving door of failed retail stores in the mall that flood the market with cheap, fast fashion.

For us, in our 10 years of owning we would have to agree that the biggest challenge we have ever faced would be the COVID-19 lockdown. When many businesses were forced to close, and people were no longer shopping as so many jobs and the future uncertain, we had to close our doors. For two months, instead of giving up, we pivoted to a stronger online presence, built a better webstore, and focussed more time and energy on looking back at our successes and opportunities to be better at what we do. In the end, the twomonth closure ended up being a blessing in disguise for our business, not to mention some much needed time off with family.

Q: On the flip side of that, what would you say the key to the success of your business has been?

A: There is no secret one thing that makes us who we are. It’s such a diverse combination of efforts, many years of experience, product selection, and so much more. When all combined, it has worked very well, most of the time. Ha ha! Starting with a dedicated team that loves what they do. Our team is like a family, and we treat each other as such. We are all expected to contribute hard work, meet challenges, grow and evolve, and put the same care and attention into The Bumwrap, as our team can expect from us.

Product selection has been another big star along the road to our success. We carry such a diverse array from the traditional swimwear for all ages and sizes, to Maui Jim sunglasses, selection of the best sandals and footwear, skin care, home decor, jewelry, hot sauces, and so many great gift ideas. Another huge factor is experience in the industry. My (Donny’s) 25 years of retail experience, and 15 years plus in management. From snowboard shops in Whistler, retail sales on Robson Street in Vancouver, and many other management and customer service experiences over the years. Combine that with Rebecca’s 17 years in customer service including the past several years in management, and as head buyer, social media manager, and much more. We wear many hats and share a lot of the responsibilities that come with running our business, which also helps us to understand each other better at work. We have learned from our failures, grown our business, and continue to try new things and shift as the industry and trends change so often.

Q: Anything else we should know about The Bumwrap on this anniversary?

A: To celebrate his anniversary, The Bumwrap is having a sale from Saturday March 25th until Friday, March 31st to thank our dedicated customers for our past 10 years in business, and 44 years overall. We love our small city, and its great shopping, services and restaurants on and around the heart of Penticton’s Main Street.

If you haven’t visited the area lately, there are so many new amazing small businesses to check out, especially now as the weather warms. Supporting local contributes to the success of all of our Penticton. #Lifesbetterinpenticton

You can visit The Bumwrap seven days a week at 285 Main Street in Penticton and online at thebumwrap.comand the handle @thebumwrap