Light, bright and wide.
These three words are what manager Glenn Breugom and owner David Cross kept first and foremost when designing the new Canadian Tire store at the Mall at Piccadilly.
The store is bright and well-lit, with wide aisles and spacious displays.
At 55,000 square feet and more than twice the size of the old store, the new location will open its doors Thursday, April 11, with a grand opening set for May 2. The old store closed last night, April 2, so the public will be without a Salmon Arm Canadian Tire for a little over a week.
Central to Breugom’s planning process when he began managing the old store in October were the comments shoppers had submitted. Recurring themes were how dark and crowded the old store was, along with how its prices were higher than those at the Canadian Tire in Vernon and Kamloops.
All prices at the new store will be the same as in Vernon and in every other store in the Interior, he says.
“We’ll be priced right, with a bigger selection and the third largest store in the Interior,” he said, noting that Prince George has the largest while Kelowna’s is second. Salmon Arm’s will be just 3,000 sq.ft. smaller than Kelowna’s and 15,000 sq.ft. larger than Vernon’s. The new store features environmentally friendly features such as energy-efficient LED lighting throughout.
A total of 90 to 100 people will staff the store; about 60 from the old location with about 30 more who have already been hired.
“It’s an amazing crew. The job fair hired everyone local. This is my sixth project and this is probably the best crew I’ve had,” Breugom says.
In contrast to the old store where there was no room to display merchandise, this store has lots to look at. There are creative touches such as the hunting blind perched in an actual tree in the hunting and fishing department, the giant SilverBacks mask at the entrance to the hockey equipment, and the mini soccer field on the floor of the soccer equipment aisle.
Instead of just one scanner for customers to check prices, the new store will feature five. A full line of recreational vehicle and pool and marine supplies will be in stock.
“I think if you give people a reason to shop local, they’ll shop local,” Breugom says.
The new store will be open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays and holidays.