A meeting hosted by town staff drew some 50 small business owners to the RancheHouse Dec. 3.
The intent was to create a business networking opportunity for local merchants, matched by the need to address concerns and promote awareness about the Cochrane Wal-Mart slated to open in the Quarry Site Jan. 24.
The outcome was one of mixed reviews.
“In discussion with other business owners around town for the last several months, Wal-Mart continues to come up in conversation,” said Robert Kalinovich, economic development officer with the town.
“From my point of view, what we came to is that with Wal-Mart coming to this town, there shouldn’t be any major impact to our retailers in Cochrane, as we already have a Wal-Mart 15 minutes away (Royal Oak in N.W. Calgary).”
Kalinovich explained that Wal-Marts opening in small centres tend to impact small businesses only when placed outside of the ‘main core’ of the town. With Wal-Mart being placed in the hub of Cochrane, Kalinovich feels this will draw more people, including Calgary shoppers, to Cochrane.
The draw of a box store will most likely result in more foot traffic, therefore more exposure for boutique shops and direct competitors (Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, No Frills) throughout the town.
Mary Lou Davis, town councilor and owner of Bentleys Books (located in the Safeway shopping mall) was a local businesswoman who attended the event— noting the overall mood to be “subdued”.
For Davis, the problem isn’t so much about Wal-Mart itself. It’s about the impact of other box stores (Sport Chek, Staples and a 37,000 square foot space up for lease) as well as some 30 smaller businesses opening up over the next 2-4 years in the Quarry Site.
Davis said the onus is on the town to address the traffic congestion concerns in Cochrane, to improve the flow of traffic from the downtown core.
She added that she and her neighbour retailers have felt a noticeable drop in business since Sobeys opened — as people are less likely to drive to another shopping complex to visit a boutique shop such as hers, if it’s not next door to their preferred grocery store.
“Can I get the customers to drive out of that parking lot and into this one to buy a five- or ten-dollar book?” said Davis, who added that small business owners don’t have the deep pockets of some of the larger (chain) stores to renovate their businesses or compete with rock-bottom prices.
Fifteen-year Cochrane resident and Cochrane Wal-Mart general manager, Sean Gaudet, said he thought the meeting went very well overall, and he appreciated the opportunity to be a guest speaker and open up to his fellow business owners about what the Cochrane community means to him.
No stranger to the plight of recruiting retail staff, Gaudet has filled 110 of the 175 positions his structure calls for; of the 110, all but two are Cochranites, with some 85 holding full-time positions.
Gaudet said he wants to build relationships of transparency with other Cochrane business owners, adding that he has promised to not cripple other businesses by recruiting their staff and to make competitors aware when their staff applies for positions at Wal-Mart.
“I believe in working together to make the community better,” said Gaudet, adding that Wal-Mart will contribute not only to boosting the local economy, but also to supporting local youth, charities and sporting events.
Gaudet, who has been involved with the opening of more than 10 Wal-Marts in Western Canada, said that the Quarry location would result in a positive trickle effect for other businesses.
He added that he hopes Cochrane will work toward solving the affordable housing crisis in town to provide accommodations for those employed in the growing local retail sector.
The Cochrane Wal-Mart is a supercentre and will include a bakery, pharmacy and a medical clinic.
For direct competitor, Mark Johnston of Mark’s No Frills, it’s about keeping Cochrane business in Cochrane.
“Our pricing strategy is pretty strong, pretty aggressive.
“At the end of the day, the customers are going to win (price-wise)…it’s all about adaptation.”
