NORTH BATTLEFORD - Now that Giant Tiger in North Battleford has closed, a gap has been left for families looking for places to shop and buy groceries downtown.
The store that opened at 1121-102 St. in May of 2019, was previously expected to close its doors in 2020, but stayed open. However, the discount store ended up closing on Aug. 1.
The North Battleford store's owner-operator Adam Dube says the store closure was a corporate decision.
"We're just not getting the customers we're hoping for," he said.
The store employed eight staff as it was winding down operations, but had about 13 staff before that.
Dube said some staff managed to find other work, but others are still looking for jobs now that the store is closed.
He noted the staff will be sad to see the store go.
"We love the town and the community," Dube said.
He noted without Giant Tiger, there won't be much left for downtown business.
Giant Tiger head office said in an email to Â鶹´«Ã½AV that as part of its regular course of business at its fiscal year-end, Giant Tiger closed a very small number of stores in select locations that "cannot meet our franchise business model, that included the North Battleford store."
"The impacted stores are spread across various provinces. I want to reaffirm that this type of analysis is an ordinary course of business. We will continue to meet the needs of customers and communities in over 260 stores across Canada and online at gianttiger.com."
City of North Battleford City Manager Randy Patrick said it's unfortunate to see Giant Tiger close in North Battleford.
“The City was advised by Giant Tiger earlier this year that the local store closure was a corporate decision, and it included the closure of a number of Saskatchewan Giant Tiger stores," he said in a statement to Â鶹´«Ã½AV. "The City has not been provided with the specific reason for the store closure in North Battleford. This business provided a great shopping option for community members in our downtown area and the closure is unfortunate, as is any business closure in our city.”
Patrick added the city is still endeavouring to bring more business to the community.
“The City is working on a number of economic development initiatives to benefit the entire community, as a whole," he said. "The economic development manager is setting up a public consultation session in late August to gather feedback from the business community. We will be asking them to share their perspectives about the current business climate in the city to help the City determine its next steps for business development and recruitment. With respect to downtown North Battleford, the City has invested a significant amount of resources in the past five to six years to improve streets, sidewalks, and overall beautification in the downtown core to enhance its overall look, making it a more welcoming and attractive part of the community.”
