ATHABASCA — Only two months after Field’s department store closed the storefront doors of its long-standing location on 49 Street, a closure which locals, staff, and ownership thought was permanent, the small-town staple is setting up shop again, one street over.
Jason McDougall, owner and CEO of Fields, said he hopes the new location, the former IDA Rx pharmacy on the corner of 50 Street and 50 Ave, will be ready for shoppers before the end of March.
“We needed a different space, and that space wasn’t immediately available in terms of pricing,” said Fields owner and CEO Jason McDougall. “But the landlord was able to work out a deal with us, so that was the best case scenario.”
The mid-December announcement of the store’s closure on social media was met with sadness from many locals, and Athabascan's took advantage of the store closing sales until Field’s last day on Jan. 19.
Shortly after the pending closure of the Athabasca location was announced, Fields also notified locals in Lac La Biche their store would be closing in mid-February. McDougall said while the company remains open to occupying a new location in the Lakeland community, no suitable storefront has been found as of yet.
In January, McDougall cited low foot traffic during and after a 2019 water and sanitary mains replacement project on 49 Street and the changing habits of shoppers in small towns as two factors in the company’s decision to close the Athabasca store.
“I have seen it time and time again where a town loses most of its local flavour due to people choosing to shop at massive, big box stores that contribute little or nothing to the community,” wrote McDougall in a Jan. 10 email.
Related: Fields says goodbye after 12 years serving Athabasca
While a change in location isn’t a solution to more and more locals making shopping trips to bigger centres in search of savings, nor potential construction projects or repair work outside the new doors, McDougall said Field’s staying power will be up to Athabascans.
“We’re hopeful it will be different for sure. That’s definitely not my decision, that’s local folks' decision.”
And the timing of Field’s reopening may have an impact on the new location’s success. In the midst of ever-changing updates on the looming trade and tariff war with the United States, more Canadians are looking to in-country company, brands and products as a signal of national solidarity and a way to lessen the stress on their wallets, and McDougall said Fields fits the bill for conscientious consumers.
“We’re Canadian owned and operated, and Western Canadian owned and operated. There’s not many of us out there anymore.
“Ultimately we’re happy that we’re able to find a space that’s suitable to stay there, because we’ve been there for a long time. We’re hopeful the customers like our new space and come visit us.”
