Host Vanessa Smith interviews siblings and co-presidents Devin and Chelsea Cudmore about the Cudmore Group's fourth-generation retail legacy, from a 1914 PEI haberdashery to 17 stores across Canada (18 planned in June) spanning brands including Coastal Culture, Sea House, Cool as a Moose, Big Bear Trading Company, and the upcoming Canoe & Cabin in Montreal. They discuss shifting from department-store retail in 2001 into destination/resort retail, their intentional focus on iconic tourist locations, and how they split responsibilities—Devin in back-office analytics, sourcing and supply chain, Chelsea in culture, merchandising, and in-store standards. The conversation covers western expansion starting with Whistler, managing seasonal staffing and short peak windows, COVID-driven e-commerce and opening Big Bear during the pandemic, relaunching Christopher's Beach Club, optimism for summer 2026 tourism, and the importance of tools like Microsoft Teams and relationship-building.

Connect with the Cudmore Group here:

https://www.instagram.com/peicoastalculture/

https://www.instagram.com/seahouseshops/

https://www.instagram.com/bigbeartradingco/

https://www.instagram.com/coolasamoosecanada/

This episode was audio-produced by Adam Ramsay.

A big thanks to our sponsors for making this episode possible. Learn more about them here:

Fiddling Fisherman Lookout

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