Giant Tiger's North Battleford location is set to close in the near future. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Josh Ryan

Store Closing

North Battleford Giant Tiger set to close

Mar 18, 2020 | 2:01 PM

The retail landscape will undergo a significant change in Saskatchewan, as the North West Company (NWC) is selling 34 of its 46 Giant Tiger locations in Western Canada.

Its North Battleford store, which opened less than a year ago, will be closing its doors along with another location in Weyburn.

North Battleford Mayor Ryan Bater was disappointed to hear the news last week. He said feedback he had received from the public after the Giant Tiger location opened was positive.

“This was an enterprise that was serving the city well, especially serving the core of the city well. We know that it was well utilized by people living downtown,” he said.

The North Battleford store is slated to close Nov. 1.

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Speaking to battlefordsNOW outside of the local Giant Tiger store, shopper Georgina Nicotine said many have come to rely on the retailer for both its location and prices.

“Lot of the people that live by the library and all that, they’re all on welfare, they’re on assistance,” she said.

Another concern is seniors and people with disabilities who live in close vicinity to Giant Tiger. Nicotine believes there are many who will struggle once they no longer have the option to grab groceries from walking distance.

“This helps them out lots, so they don’t have to ride the bus, because some of them don’t feel up to riding that bus to the malls,” she said.

In an interview with reporter Martin Cash of the Winnipeg Free Press, Edward Kennedy, NWC’s chief executive officer said the company would retain six Giant Tiger locations. Kennedy referred to the following as the ‘northern gateway’ locations: La Ronge and Meadow Lake Sask., The Pas and Thompson, Man., and Sioux Lookout, Ont.

The Prince Albert store will be converted to a Valu-Lots clearance centre.

In addition to switching the focus to its northern outlets, some of its stores consistently under-performed. NWC will close six stores in Red Deer, Fort Saskatchewan and Wetaskiwin, Alta., and a location in Winnipeg along with the North Battleford and Weyburn stores.

Bater said he hasn’t heard what will happen with the property moving forward, but the city will do its best to help accommodate requests for assistance.

“Their plans are their own and if they wish to include us we’d be happy to help, but at this point we don’t have a lot of details about their future plans,” he said.

NWC will eliminate almost 25 per cent of the 540 jobs at its head office. They layoffs will take place over the next several months.

“We are sorry about the personal impact this decision has on our people,” Kennedy said.

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(With files from Martin Cash, Winnipeg Free Press)

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Josh.Ryan@jpbg.ca