Business In The Open: EP 33 - Devin and Chelsea Cudmore, Cudmore Group

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 Consolidated Credit Union Want to support the show? Click follow wherever you are listening and leave us a review! And lastly, head on over to our Instagram so we can connect https://www.instagram.com/business.openpod/