Balancing act
Big box stores offer choices for consumers
THE TOWN OF OKOTOKS is the largest commercial base between
Lethbridge and Calgary.
In fact, in 2008, the town had over 1,200 business licenses — double
the number in 1999 — many of them of the big box store variety.
“A lot of people are already going to the big box stores in
Calgary,” says Shane Olson, Economic Development Team leader
for the Town of Okotoks. “This keeps them here, creates jobs for
Okotokians and people from the Foothills. They actually have
people commuting here to work.”
About 80 per cent of the population of Okotoks shops at the
big box stores in town, he says. “We know that 50 per cent of the
customers at the Wal-Mart Supercentre are from Calgary.”
Five years ago, when the big box stores really started coming
to town, folks weren’t quite so sure how welcome they would be.
Indeed, some of the smaller downtown businesses felt threatened.
“There was a threat, they didn’t know how it was going to turn
out,” says Bev Geier, spokesperson for Olde Towne Okotoks. “Some
felt it was a bad thing.”
Some businesses say Wal-Mart’s arrival
impacted them, says Olson. “They couldn’t
compete on breadth and depth and price
of product.” Instead, he says, “they’re
competing on customer service, something
Olde Towne Okotoks is known for. It came
to a point where they were selling more
than just a product, they were selling an
experience.”
These days, Olde Towne Okotoks includes
32 merchants from Elma Street to McRae,
and it’s that ‘experience factor’ that still
helps them compete.
Meanwhile, on the other end of town, the
big box stores continue to flourish.
One of the much-talked-about, and
highly anticipated, new developments is
that of the new Costco. »
