UNITY — The announcement of the pending closure of all Peavey Mart locations came as a shock for those who shop there regularly, including those who travel from smaller rural communities.
SaskToday.ca reached out to the residents in the Unity, Macklin, and Cut Knife areas, asking them for their thoughts on the Canadian company closure. Many who commented were sad to hear of the news, saying it will now be harder to find durable clothing and footwear suitable for an agriculture-based lifestyle.
“I was in Lloydminster, Alta. today and probably shopped for my last time, [there were] lots of farmers in there picking up their most used items if they [Peavey Mart] had them left,” said Sheann Brosinsky, co-owner of L&S Livestock and 4-H parent.
“A lot of farmers and ranchers shop at the North Battleford store for everything from tools to animal feed. We’ll have to drive to Saskatoon or Lloydminster for the same thing as there isn’t much left in the Battlefords,” said one man from the Cut Knife area.
One woman who shopped for goat and chicken feed from the Canadian retailer, said she started shopping more locally once 4KS Feed & Supply opened in Unity.
“We always like going to Peavey Mart, but it has gone downhill in the last six months. I used to buy all my livestock feed from them until they no longer carried it. Since the day 4KS opened, I have been getting all my stuff there now.”
4KS owners, Jody and Michelle Kowerchuk and Stephanie Lanegraff said they have been growing their inventory since opening.
“We already stock products Peavey Mart would carry, including Hi-Pro feed to Nu-Way cat and dog food due to community request. With our current supply chain, we can meet specific requests quickly and are in the process of making arrangements with new distributors,” they added.
Although they know they could never replace a Canadian retail icon such as Peavey Mart, the Unity business owners are continuously finding ways to bridge the gap for their ag customers. 4KS now carries various brands of feed and minerals for horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs.
The announcement of the closure was made on the company’s social media platforms Jan. 28, stating:
“To Our Valued Customers, and Communities.
Yesterday, our company announced that it had sought and obtained an Initial Order for creditor protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) from the Court of King’s Bench Alberta.
Following the recently announced closures of 22 stores in Ontario and Nova Scotia, the Company will now begin store closing sales at all remaining locations across Canada. This includes 90 Peavey Mart stores and six MainStreet Hardware locations. The closures and liquidation efforts will commence immediately.”
The retail chain first started in 1967 as National Farmway, with its first location opening in Dawson Creek, B.C. In 1975, the chain became a subsidiary of Peavey Company of Minneapolis and changed its name to Peavey Mart. Less than 10 years later, the company returned to Canadian ownership and will close as a 100 per cent Canadian-owned and operated retailer.
Dates for the official last days of the Lloydminster and North Battleford locations have not been announced.
