Third of Vancouver small business' inventory stolen in parkade break-in

Third of small business owner's inventory stolen in parkade break-in

Elaine Li/Submitted

A Vancouver small business owner says one-third of her inventory was stolen from her car in a parkade break-in on New Year’s Eve.

Elaine Li is a model, influencer, and owner of Livelite Athletica — an activewear brand she designs herself. Li had packed a suitcase full of pieces for an upcoming trade show and someone smashed her back window and stole it out of her parkade.

Some of Elaine Lie’s pieces from her Livelite activewear brand. (Submitted)

“I wanted to warn other people to never leave anything important to them in their cars here,” Li said. “I don’t want this ever to happen to anyone else.”

Her car was in her building’s secure parkade on Alberni Street. She even backed into her spot so it would be more difficult for thieves to look inside. But on January 1, she came downstairs to find the suitcase gone — along with a massage table she’d gotten for Christmas.

“I was pretty much devastated. I fell to my knees just crying,” she said.

Li and her boyfriend took photos and videos, contacted police, and asked the concierge if they could access security footage. They’re still waiting to see the security camera feed.

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Daily Hive reached out to the Vancouver Police Department to see if it’s been able to make any progress but has not yet heard back. On its website, the VPD says car break-ins continue to be a common crime in Vancouver and advise residents not to leave anything in their parked cars.

Elaine Li/Submitted

The retail value of the pieces in Li’s suitcase was about $5,700, and that amounted to about one-third of her inventory — a huge setback for the business she’s been running for about a year.

She’s reached out to ICBC and her tenant insurance provider — but said neither would bite on covering the contents of her car.

“I’m from a small town in Alberta and this stuff never happened. So I didn’t think anything of leaving it there for the night,” she said. “I just feel violated.”

But she said the theft isn’t going to stop her. She’s working on new designs this year and hopes her business continues to grow despite the theft — and that no one else has to go through something similar.