Peavey Mart sees its new flagship store in Red Deer as more than a company milestone and regional shopping draw.
At 40,000 square feet, the store officially opened on Friday and is the largest purpose-built outlet in Peavey Mart’s stable of about 90 stores from B.C. to Ontario.
But the importance of the store at 2810 50th Ave. is measured by more than square footage and depth of inventory, says Peavey Industries LP president and CEO Doug Anderson.
The investment is a high-profile vote of confidence in the community and region as they bounce back from a downturn that lingered for longer than usual exacerbated by the pandemic.
“This is where we’re from. This is our hometown,” said Anderson, shortly after snipping a length of barbed wire to open the new store.
“We’re really excited to be able to continue to invest back into this community. And I do think that it shows a sense of pride in the place where we live and work and play.
“For us, it’s an opportunity to showcase everything that we’re all about in a way that we always dreamed that we could.”
Anderson is optimistic about what the future holds.
“Central Alberta is resilient. It hasn’t been an easy number of years for Central Alberta, but there is a tremendous amount of resilience and grit that comes from Central Alberta.
“It’s got its own unique flavour and its own unique DNA. Honestly, the community support has been fantastic since the day we opened the doors about a month ago.”
For Peavey Mart, the new store will serve as a retail laboratory of sorts.
“As a retailer, we’re always looking to innovate, we’re always looking to change, to bring in new products, test new products, test new ideas,” he said.
That is not just about seeing how new product lines go over with buyers. It might mean trying out new ways to set up stores or introduce new staff programs.
“The store allows us to use it as a test bed for all of these initiatives we’re doing,” he said. “It helps us make decisions going forward, particularly with anything new and experimental.
“It’s close to home, our corporate offices and our distribution centre, and I think, most importantly, it’s in this community that’s so dear to us.”
The retail business is never short of challenges and ongoing supply chain issues are now among them.
“You just kind of put your head down and work you’re way through it. Of course, we’ve been impacted by supply chain challenges and inflation and all of that.
“It’s a challenge and it’s going to continue to be that way for the foreseeable future. It’s eased a little bit. Our overall in-stock has improved last year as an example.
“But it’s still really challenging, especially when you’re dealing in an international marketplace.”
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