This Grand Falls-Windsor man is taking on the Riff's department store challenge this summer

Riff's department stores are part of the fabric ofmany rural communities across Newfoundland and Labrador.

If you've lived in theprovince for a whileyou've likely shopped at, or at least driven by, a Riff's store.

The chain was started in the 1930s by James Riff, who worked as a traveling salesman in the Grand Fallsarea.

By 1947, he'd opened his first dry goods shop in the town of Windsor.

Today, Riff's is still going strong, with 20 locations all over the province. With that, localsaffectionately take part in the "Riff's challenge" that is, to see how many Riff's locations one can hit in the run of a summer.

Kaywood Elliott, who is from Grand Falls-Windsor himself, is taking part in thatquest this year.

"It's a fun challenge for summer tourism in Newfoundland," Elliott told CBC News.

"I don't really know why it ended up being Riff's. I think was something that just came up spur of the moment. Somebody had the idea and Riff's popped to mind. That would be my best guess."

Elliott said he was inspired to take the challenge after seeing it in a Facebook group about staycations in Newfoundland and Labrador.

His party rentals company takes him across the province for most of the summer, making it the perfect vessel for the challenge.

"For me it was a no-brainer. I'm everywhere, from one side of her to the other and back again," Elliott said.

"This challenge is tailor made for me so, yeah, challenge accepted. I'll give it a go."

Elliott started the challenge last week. So far he's visited four Riff's locations: Springdale, Deer Lake, Grand Falls-Windsor and Glovertown.

Soon he's heading for the Avalon Peninsula, which will bring him to Riff's stores in Clarenvilleand Lewisporte. The week after, he'll be in Stephenville, also home to a Riff's location.

"You get bragging rights. There's no contest per se, it's just a fun challenge, and ultimately you get to say, 'I've been to this many locations,' and you can tell your friends," Elliott said.

"If it catches on, maybe Riff's will step up to the plate and put a little incentive into the challenge."

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