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Spareparts in Bower Place closing, not accepting gift cards

Spareparts in Red Deer is one of 13 stores across Canada closing January 1
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Wendy Cortes and Axsivier Lawrence take a look at sunglasses at Spareparts Friday afternoon in Bower Place. The sunglasses and accessories store in Red Deer will close Jan. 1. (Photo by Sean McIntosh/Advocate staff)

Spareparts in Bower Place will close in the new year and gift cards are not being accepted.

The Saskatoon-based sunglasses and accessory store has been in Red Deer for about a year-and-a-half. Earlier this week, the company went bankrupt and announced Red Deer, and 12 other locations across Canada, will close.

“We had no idea. They didn’t tell us anything. We got an email from our vice-president at 11 in the morning (last Tuesday) saying Spareparts is no longer owned,” said Rebecca Bouw, manager of the Red Deer store.

Spareparts filed for creditor protection in October to restructure the business, but it instead went into receivership.

KPGM, a Canadian audit, tax and advisory service, will be responsible for the company’s assets and rights moving forward.

Spareparts stores will not be accepting gift cards – this is due to a new policy set by KPGM.

“We’ve had a lot of customers upset with that,” Bouw said. “We’ve just gave them the information to contact the KPMG rep we deal with, and they phone him. I do feel bad we can’t really do anything here.”

Those who paid for a gift card with a credit card can dispute the purchase to get their money back, said Bouw.

At the start of the week, everything at the store became 50 per cent off to sell all inventory before the store closes Jan. 1.

“It was a zoo in here Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It was crazy busy and now we don’t have too much left,” she said.

Bouw said she was shocked to hear the news, considering the company has been around for 22 years.

“I love Spareparts and the products they carry, so it is sad to see it go,” said Bouw. “A lot of us didn’t expect it, and we’re a tight-knit family. I’ve phoned other managers, and we were all like, ‘What do we do?’ ”

Bouw has been approached for new job opportunities since the store announced it will close. But she does feel for her staff at the store.

“I hired a girl on Monday last week, and the next day they did this to us. I feel so bad for my staff because it was so unexpected,” she said.



sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com

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Spareparts in Bower Place will be closing Jan. 1. Everything in the store is 50 per cent off until then. (Photo by Sean McIntosh/Advocate staff)


Sean McIntosh

About the Author: Sean McIntosh

Sean joined the Red Deer Advocate team in the summer of 2017. Originally from Ontario, he worked in a small town of 2,000 in Saskatchewan for seven months before coming to Central Alberta.
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