NORTH BATTLEFORD - It has been announced that the Giant Tiger store in North Battleford is closing.
A statement from Giant Tiger Stores Limited to SASKTODAY.ca has confirmed that the location at 1121 102nd Street, North Battleford will close on July 31.
“The decision to close any of our stores is not taken lightly and is made with careful consideration and thorough analysis. Unfortunately, this location is challenging for our business model,” their statement reads.
This news comes on the heels of reports of other Giant Tiger store closures including in Saskatoon and Swift Current. Other locations will remain open, however, and Giant Tiger is urging their customers to visit those store locations or shop online.
This is not the first time the North Battleford Giant Tiger location has been slated for closure. There was an announcement in March 2020 that the location would close, but that decision was reversed in June of that year when the store was one of two locations purchased by Giant Tiger Stores Limited from parent company The North West Company.
The Giant Tiger store in North Battleford had opened in 2019 and was touted as a key retail anchor in the city’s downtown revitalization efforts, which also included development of a new movie theatre and considerable underground work on 101st Street. In late 2018, the developer of the property had received the downtown tax incentive from the City of North Battleford for the build.
There had been speculation on social media that retail thefts at the downtown location were the reason why Giant Tiger is closing. Giant Tiger states that while retail theft continues to be an industry issue across the country and has impacted their stores, “it was not a deciding factor for the closure.”
“Please know that Giant Tiger continues to work closely with our trusted partners and local law enforcement agencies at all levels on solutions that best meet the needs and safety of our stores and customers. This is part of our commitment to our staff, customers, and the communities we proudly serve.”
The company adds their priority “is ensuring that staff and customers are supported, and we are working directly with impacted employees.”
