After a social media frenzy, Peavey Mart has released an official statement in response to the rumours that all locations will close nationwide.
In the statement, Peavey Mart confirmed the rumours to be true, saying after the announcement that 22 stores in Ontario and Nova Scotia, the company will now begin the process of closing all remaining locations across Canada. This includes 90 Peavey Mart stores and six MainStreet Hardware Locations. Officials say the closures and liquidation efforts will begin immediately.
According to Peavey Mart, the decision to close all stores was made after evaluating all available options; however, “unprecedented” challenges like low consumer confidence, inflation, and rising costs have created significant obstacles for businesses like Peavey Mart.
“As a proudly Canadian retailer with nearly 60 years of history, predominantly serving rural communities, we have faced the extreme pressures affecting Canadians across the country,” Peavey Mart said in a statement.
In Grande Prairie, all sales at the local location are final, and residents have already begun taking advantage of store-closing sales across Alberta.
One shopper- Neil Thiessen says he is sorry to see the retail giant go under, saying he and his wife have shopped at the Grande Prairie location “for years.”
“We come here quite a bit but, you really can’t shop here too much, the prices are too high,” he laughs. “It’s a unique store, it’s a farm store actually, Peavey Mart’s always been a good store, we’ve shopped here for years.”
Peavey Mart’s official statement acknowledges the stress coming from staff, shoppers, and management alike during the closure saying the “unwavering support” from the community has been the backbone of the company’s history.