Grande Prairie Farmers Market reopens at Evergreen Park

Clayton says, “there is no great time” for a fire, “and an even worse time is right now.”

“In retail, this is the time that you (have) your opportunity to make your most money so that you can actually be profitable for all the other months that you end up not being profitable, and that’s really what Black Friday is, if you think about it in that regard, is typically when retailers get into the black of making money.”

Grande Prairie Jackie Clayton says she is glad to see the Farmers Market find a new home so quickly.

“To see the quick turnaround on that opportunity, assuming that they have some existing inventory at home, and they can salvage some sort of a replacement relatively quickly.”

“I know retailers are nimble and creative r and I have all the faith that they will do everything they can to put together a great place and show our region great opportunities.”

Clayton says she is confident the community and the region will get behind the market.

She does not think that other businesses downtown will be hurt by not having the market close by.

“We’ve seen over the past few years two different retail audiences. Farmers Market business does some time spill over into the downtown retail, but not as often as you would think.”

“People that go to the Farmers Market are looking for specific things. People that visit the downtown core have stores that are quite often destination stores.”

Clayton says the city would not play any role in rebuilding the market location downtown.

by Curtis Galbraith