The Pictou Co-op Food Market will cease operating its food store. The decision to end its operation was announced Wednesday evening during a meeting with staff by Jim Fogarty, Retail Services Manager at Co-op Atlantic.
Declining sales and mounting losses over the last five years were the principal reasons behind the food store closure, the company stated in a release. The Co-op Express gas bar and the farm store will continue operating.
The co-operative retail store, which was established in 1969 as the Pictou County Co-operative, became a corporate store owned and operated by Co-op Atlantic in 2000. It currently has a membership of more than 8,000. However, member support of the food store was not strong enough to keep the operation viable. Nearly 2,200 members had not made a single purchase during the last year and only 272 members had purchases exceeding $60 a week.
Fogarty outlined several initiatives designed to increase income for the store that had been taken over the last few years. Among them was the installation of a Deli department; the rental of retail space for a flea market operation, a hair salon, and a pharmacy. Although those operations did bring in new income, they failed to improve financial performance in a significant way.
‘’The prolonged decline in sales made it clear that the trend was not going to change,’’ said Fogarty.
The food store closure will mean the loss of five full time jobs and 16 part time jobs. The company stated that a fair and equitable severance package will be offered each employee, as well as job counseling.
The farm store and the gas bar remain viable business entities and will continue serving their member-owners. A total of 12 jobs in those two outlets will be maintained. Members supporting their gas bar will continue to receive an annual rebate of 3 cents per litre in February, at fiscal year end.
Fogarty thanked the food store employees for their hard work and dedication, and the residents of Pictou County for their many years of support.
A stock liquidation sale will begin on March 15, with all merchandise reduced by 30 per cent. The closing date is tentatively set for April 5. The land and building will be put on the market for redevelopment.
No. How about the county steps up and helps itself. This whole reliance on the government is what is getting the county into problems. How many professional breeders do we have in PC? Creating a cycle of failure. There's a reason why temporary workers are being brought in internationally. Take a drive down Foord St., Sobeys warehouse is looking for workers. There are jobs, but why bother when you can just pump out kids, right?