A couple in Merritt who won the lottery say being upsold at a corner store last week changed their lives.

George Munro and Rowena Inyallie purchased a Lotto Max ticket on Friday at the Courtesy Corner Store on Aberdeen Road, which turned into $25.9 million dollars.

Rowena says they were buying juice and chocolate and they only bought a lottery ticket when asked by the cashier at the till.

“Best six dollars we’ve ever spent,” she says. “I think we’re still walking on clouds. It changed our lives hugely.”

George described scanning the winning ticket on Saturday.

“I scanned it, the numbers went by, I said ‘holy cow I think I won $25,000 bucks,'” he said at the BCLC Headquarters in Kamloops before a crowd, which drew a rousing laugh. “I was happy with that.”

The couple has bought a new truck and a sports car and plans to talk to a financial advisor before going any further.

They say they have two adult-aged children; “they were pumped,” George said, which drew another spirit laugh from the crowd. They also have two grandchildren and say they look forward to sharing some of their winnings with those family members.