Dressew Supply to close after 61 years and sell Vancouver buildings

Original pandemic-time mural painted on the March 2020-installed boarding on the storefront of Dressew Supply at 337 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Dressew Supply)

Dressew Supply, the iconic Vancouver fabric and sewing store, is set to close after 61 years of business.

Known for its extensive selection of textiles and sewing supplies and unparalleled expertise, the family-owned independent business has been a trusted source and staple for generations of crafters, quilters, and designers — for both hobbyists and professionals alike.

On Saturday evening, the business took to its social media to announce its decision to close the shop at 337 West Hastings Street — located near the northeast corner of the intersection of Homer Street and West Hastings Street, just west of Victory Square, in downtown Vancouver.

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It should be emphasized that Dressew Supply has yet to close; no closing date has been announced at this time, and there is still the possibility that the business may still be around “for years to come.” But they have noted that the 2024 Halloween season will be their last for seasonal costumes and accessories.

“We still have lots of product in our warehouses to sell,” stated Dressew Supply in a post on Saturday evening.

Furthermore, the business will be disposing of its real estate by selling the shop’s two-storey building on West Hastings Street and the two warehouse buildings in Vancouver’s Strathcona area.

For the time being, they are still receiving shipments of new fabric and notions.

“There’s no easy way to say it, so I’ll just say it. Due to a variety of circumstances beyond our control, we are no longer able to operate Dressew as in the past. We will be selling our building on West Hastings St as well as our warehouses and Dressew will eventually be closing,” continues the post on Saturday evening.

“These past few years have been a struggle for every small business and we are no exception. We are heartbroken, angry, and just numb that it has come to this.”

The business adds that they hope to “reopen in the future, in a different form and space.”

Daily Hive Urbanized reached out to Dressew Supply for additional commentary, but the business responded on Saturday evening that at this time, they are not providing any further information publicly beyond what has already been shared on social media.

However, on Sunday afternoon, in reaction to an overnight outpouring of messages from longtime and loyal shoppers, Dressew Supply issued a second social media post, stating that their business “in its current form is lost.”

“Many of you have called for the City of Vancouver to help, or blamed them in part. They cannot help us. The vandalism, graffiti, crime and our neighbourhood falling apart around us are a reason we won’t relocate in downtown Vancouver, but not the reason we are closing,” stated Sunday’s post.

“These issues are not limited to our neighbourhood or city. I promise to share the entire story when I can. Many have asked when we will be closing — we won’t know until the building is sold. We will definitely keep you up to date on that.”

dressew supply 337 West Hastings Street vancouver

Pre-pandemic condition of the storefront of Dressew Supply at 337 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

Original pandemic-time mural painted on the March 2020-installed boarding on the storefront of Dressew Supply at 337 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

2023 new mural painted on the March 2020-installed boarding on the storefront of Dressew Supply at 337 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Google Maps)

2023 new mural painted on the March 2020-installed boarding on the storefront of Dressew Supply at 337 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Dressew Supply)

In recent years, the business publicly highlighted the issue of a significant increase in vandalism and other property crimes affecting its building and operations, as well as impacting nearby businesses.

Even now, well over four years after the abrupt March 2020 pandemic lockdown, the shop’s West Hastings Street frontage remains completely boarded up to avoid expensive repairs to broken glass windows.

“For us to remove the boards, at the very least, we would need to see our neighbourhood go one week without a shop window smashed. That hasn’t happened in the two and a half years our boards have been up,” Dressew Supply president David McKie told Daily Hive Urbanized in September 2022.

At the time, McKie urged those running for municipal office should “help small businesses in the city, [as] we should not be punished for being victims of crime. Work with us, not against us, and use some common sense.”

Furthermore, he continued, “Lawlessness, homelessness, mental illness and income inequality are severely impacting Vancouver, and current solutions are visibly failing. A tiny amount of prolific offenders are causing countless damage at the expense of everyone else. Crime needs to be illegal, but we must help people first and foremost. Just being ‘tough on crime’ will only make things worse.”

The original pandemic-era mural on the shop’s West Hastings Street boarding was replaced with a new mural in 2023.

Wondering why our storefront is still boarded up after 2-1/2 years? pic.twitter.com/CxGaIyN5sw

— Dressew Supply (@dressew) September 10, 2022

Here’s why. Pics taken Sept 10/22, all within one block of Dressew. pic.twitter.com/hQvZprG11M

— Dressew Supply (@dressew) September 10, 2022

7 small businesses vandalized, most not for the first time either. pic.twitter.com/NUITMbe264

— Dressew Supply (@dressew) September 10, 2022

Throughout Dressew Supply’s more than six decades of operation, the business hopped between several locations, all within a one city block radius of the existing location.

Dressew Supply was originally established in 1961 under the name “Dressmakers’ and Milliners’ Supply House” and was first located at 320 West Cordova Street, just north of its current location and behind the laneway.

A decade later, in 1971, they moved to 311 West Pender Street, which is just south of the existing location. At this juncture, they expanded from their original primary focus of selling supplies for hats and hatmaking, with some home sewing supplies, to a focus on fabric and sewing.

In need of more space, they relocated in 1981 for the second time to their current location at 337 West Hastings Street, where they have two floors, plus an underground level, totalling 27,000 sq ft. This enabled Dressew Supply to grow and expand their selection of products significantly.

Dressew Supply at 337 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Dressew Supply)

The two-storey building at 337 West Hastings Street was built in 1905 and previously occupied by a Fields store and Kresge’s before that. According to BC Assessment, as of the latest roll in July 2023, the building has an assessed value of $10.6 million, with $10.575 million coming from the land and $30,000 for the structure.

When Dressew Supply first opened at its current West Hastings Street location, only the main floor was accessible to the public, with the lower floor and basement designated for storage. By the mid-1980s, the lower floor was opened to customers, though the basement continues to be used for storage to this day.

Their now-popular Halloween season offerings began as a small section in the 1980s, when customers were shopping for dance schools and theatrical productions.

Dressew Supply at 337 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Dressew Supply)

In 2001, the current West Hastings Street building lacked the storage space the business needed, so they acquired a warehouse in Strathcona. This also enabled the creation of a large clearance fabric section on the lower floor.

Then in 2012, a second warehouse was added immediately adjacent to the 2001-opened warehouse. Both warehouses have a combined total building floor area of over 30,000 sq ft of storage space.

However, the storied business’s fortunes took a sharp turn with the onset of the pandemic. In October 2019, shortly before the pandemic, the McKie family had painted a rosy picture of a thriving business to the CBC.

Businesses in and around downtown Vancouver, particularly those in or near the Downtown Eastside, are grappling with a range of mounting expenses. These include rising property taxes, increasing rents for those who do not own their spaces, and inflating costs for materials, equipment, and transportation. Additionally, they face escalating labour costs and an uncertain economic climate, all while dealing with the significant financial impact of theft, vandalism, and other property crimes.

dressew supply 337 west hastings street vancouver f2

Pre-pandemic condition of the storefront of Dressew Supply at 337 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. (Dressew Supply)

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