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Winnipeg shoppers weren’t too happy to hear that another Giant Tiger store is closing, saying it will be one less option to buy affordable groceries.
The Canadian-owned discount store on Pembina Highway, which is expected to shut down in February according to a sign on the front door, is one of at least three stores in the province to be closing its doors, alongside others in downtown Winnipeg and in The Pas.
Two years ago, Winnipeg locations on McPhillips and Main Street also shut down.
The store on Pembina Highway is the location closest to Rob Reimer’s home, and he says the closure is “just another cheap option down the drain.”
Reimer, who spoke to CBC News in the store’s parking lot on Sunday, says he doesn’t understand the move.
“Things are getting more expensive everywhere, for everything, and then they want to take away cheaper options?” Reimer said. “It’s just less food in the fridge, I guess.”
He suspects he’d pay 20 to 30 per cent more for the same items at nearby stores, but says he’ll likely drive further to access remaining Giant Tiger stores in the city.
Jamol Wilson worries other grocery stores will raise their prices as another Giant Tiger location closes. (Prabjhot Lotey/CBC)
“Anytime they close something like this, it hurts,” he said.
“It changes my budget for the month for sure.”
CBC’s News has reached out to Giant Tiger for comment on the latest closure but did not hear back prior to publication.
Jamol Wilson says the store has been his go-to since he moved from Toronto to Winnipeg about a month ago.
“Whether you make $100,000 … or $20,000 dollars a year, we gotta stretch every dollar these days,” he said.
“All the other competition, they can jack prices up and there’s nothing we can do about it at the end of the day, so it’s all kind of boohoo.”
Anna Kolodka says she was shocked by the news. She has good memories of the store and it’s where her children got their first jobs.
“I think it’s going to really affect the community. I do see it busy, the parking lot is usually full, so I know a lot of people shop here,” she said.
While Kolodka doesn’t visit the store often, she says it has come in handy when she’s needed smaller items.
“These guys are pretty decent when it comes to prices, so I don’t know what it means for many of the people who can’t afford the higher prices.”