People of the Hazelton’s can breath a little easier this week after The Bargain Shop announced it recently acquired ten retail locations from the Hudson’s Bay Company and one of them is the New Hazelton store.
Hazelton residents have voiced their concern these past two months that the Fields store in New Hazelton had recently been slated for closure, along with all 166 other Fields locations across Canada. Store employees had announced they expected the store to close sometime this summer or by August at the latest.
The Bargain! Shop confirmed this, stating that effective August 1, they would be closing the Field’s banner.
“As part of our plan to further grow our organization, this is a great opportunity for us to expand our footprint across Canada,” President of The Bargain Shop, Lloyd Davis, said. “The Bargain! Shop is committed to offering the Canadian consumer in small markets, a convenient option that provides great value and strong customer service. We are excited to further grow The Bargain Shop brand, and continue to serve and invest in smaller communities across Canada.”
The Bargain Shop originated as a Canadian arm of the Woolworth’s discount store chain before becoming independent in 1999. It then started to make’s it’s place as a value and convenience store manly in rural and smaller communities. Currently they operate 227 stores from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland with their Canadian owned and operated headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario.
One of the big concerns with the closure of Fields was the current shortage of jobs in the area, and while current employees at the New Hazelton location are not sure about their future with the Bargain Shop, at least jobs will remain in the Hazelton’s.
The other concern and disappointment for residents was that the Field’s store in the Hazelton’s was the only location to buy baby clothes, linen’s and bedding, toys, undergarments, seasonal products and hundreds of other items.
However, with the new announcement many residents can now breathe a little easier as they will still have the ability to shop locally. The new store is not slated to open until early Fall which will mean that there will be up to two months between the doors closing and re-opening.