ESTEVAN — The Estevan Chamber of Commerce has expressed disappointment following the announcement of Peavey Mart's closure, both locally and nationwide. The closure was confirmed on Jan. 27, marking a significant loss for the community and rural regions across the country.
"The chamber is saddened. We're losing a business, which isn't great," said Merissa Scarlett, executive director of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce. "And we're losing a very local business in the sense that Peavey Mart did support local initiatives."
Scarlett attributed the closure to broader economic challenges affecting retailers across Canada, citing inflation, rising costs and supply chain disruptions as significant factors.
"It's been a hard five years for retailers," she said. "Navigating, especially supply chain and just cost increase."
Although Peavey Mart was not a member of the chamber, Scarlett acknowledged its importance to the community.
"Having a business going in our town, especially one that does serve rural communities, a place that was open pretty consistently and definitely had some niche items ... it's hard to see it go," she said.
The announcement comes amid closures and restructuring of other retailers, including Bootlegger, Cleo and Ricki's, among others, highlighting the ongoing pressures on the sector.
"A lot of retailers are feeling the impacts of people shopping online, that is one, but also just ... inflation and rising costs, plus the supply chain disruptions of the last few years," Scarlett explained.
Echoing Peavey Mart's call, she emphasized the importance of supporting local businesses to ensure the economic vitality of the community.
"Supporting local doesn't just mean your small business member ... it also means our big retailers that set up shop in our communities. They employ people here, these people pay taxes, they pay taxes right in our communities," she said.
Looking ahead, Scarlett sees potential opportunities for other businesses to fill the gap left by Peavey Mart's closure, with either other existing businesses picking up the demand or someone new to communities stepping in.
She noted, the Estevan chamber remains committed to advocating for local businesses and encourages residents to shop within the community.
"If you can, make that choice to go to the store and have a good chit-chat with the employees and make your purchase in the community where you live. It really does make a difference," Scarlett said.
The closure of Peavey Mart serves as a reminder of the challenges facing retailers and the importance of supporting local enterprises to sustain community growth, she added.
