Representatives
of Hart Stores Inc. were in
Valley East
on Thursday to go over plans for the
opening of their 2nd
Ontario
store at the end of March in the Hanmer
Valley Shopping Centre. Bobby Alfano, in charge of site construction, and
Michel Lussier, Director of Store Operations for the 66 store chain, were
very pleased with the progress and are putting the final touches in place
for the Grand Opening on March 30, 2005.
Hart
Department Stores will open three new locations in a matter of a few days
at the end of March. Besides opening in
Valley East
, they will also be welcomed in
Whitby
and another community in
Quebec
, bringing the total number of stores in
the chain to 69. Plans are also under way to open in at least two or three
more sites in
Ontario
in 2005, including Espanola.
The
30,000 square foot department store is expected to change the way people
shop in
Valley East
and Capreol from the moment it opens its
doors. With a tremendous selection of both soft and hard goods, at prices
that are guaranteed to be as low as or less than their competition,
residents will discover that the convenience of local shopping need not
mean higher prices.
The
investment of over $1M to expand the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre to
accommodate the store is proof positive that landlord, Val Mazzuca is
confident that the communities of Valley East and Capreol are going to
continue to be one of the fastest growing areas in this part of the
province.
“The
people here deserve to have a store like Hart to shop in,” explained
Mazzuca. “Michael Hart (President and CEO) is very particular about
where he puts up a store. He only selects communities where he knows there
is a need and where he knows he will be supported. The fact that he was
willing to set up here says something about the community.”
Robert
Kirwan, Marketing Manager of the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre is working
directly with Michael Hart and Michel Lussier to make sure that the people
of the Sudbury area are kept up to date with the status of the store as
the opening draws close. Whenever a Hart Department Store opens, it is a
major event in the community. Michel Lussier has indicated that this grand
opening will make a lot of people stand up and take notice as they realize
why Hart Department Stores are gaining so rapidly in popularity.
With the Price,
Quality and Selection of a big box store, Hart Stores have become the
preferred department store for residents who discover that they can
"have it all" without having to deal with the lack of parking
and traffic congestion found at the larger, more central shopping sites.
