Ten Thousand Villages is headed downtown.
The non-profit fair trade retailer has arranged to lease the heritage Bawtinheimer Building at 4925 48th St. It will close the door to its existing premises at Southpointe Common on Feb. 24 and reopen at its new location on March 3, said manager Leslie Jodoin.
“We’re quite excited about the move and hopefully it will be a good one for us.”
Red Deer’s Ten Thousand Villages store, which opened in October 2007, is one of nearly 50 operating across Canada.
“We’ve presently got products from about 35 underdeveloped countries,” said Jodoin, describing how Ten Thousand Villages pay the makers of its products a fair price up front. “It’s all about the artists, and giving them a life of dignity.”
The stores minimize their overhead by relying on volunteer staff, she added.
The downtown location will boost the Red Deer’s store’s space to about 1,750 square feet from its current 1,150.
“We’re going to be able to carry a lot more products from other countries,” said Jodoin.
She also thinks the older building is better suited for the Ten Thousand Villages’ concept.
“We’re going to have painted brick walls and there’s an engine hoist on the ceiling still. It’s going to have a really neat look to it.”
Jodoin believes the store is a nice fit for the downtown and the people who shop there.
There’s a lot of work to do, she noted, including painting, moving a wall and installing a glass store front. Additional stock and fixtures must also be obtained.