Field$ Dollar Depot, formerly Fields, held its grand opening to its new prototype store model on April 30 in Invermere. The ribbon-cutting took place at 10 a.m. outside the store.
The store staff had invited three individuals, Ray Crook, Joy Bond and Gordon Lake, from pioneer families in the Columbia Valley to be on-hand for the cutting.
The renovations began taking place mid-April, wherein the store’s interior was cleared out of old products, shelves and stands. It has since been outfitted with a new store floor plan, new shelves, new freezers and more.
Each product shelf is now “planogrammed” to feature a particular group of products in a specific location inside the store, with easy labels to find the product.
Aisles are also wider now, making navigating with a buggy much easier than before, when the store had narrower aisles.
The changes to the store are a part of the Fields’ chain’s new prototype store designs, and are to help give customers a more pleasant shopping experience, according to store manager Max Ostroff.
“The plans for the prototype renovations were planned before Christmas,” said Ostroff, who has been managing Invermere’s Field$ since March 23 of this year.
According to Ostroff, the Fields’ chain felt that the Invermere store “was doing enough business to warrant the renovation”.
There are 173 Fields stores in Canada. Of these 173, Invermere’s Field$ was part of the first wave of new store prototype renovations, which only involved six stores total.
“We are very happy and lucky to be one of the first,” said Ostroff.
In addition to the new store layout, Field$ has “sharpened” its prices and will continue to be offering good deals on specially-featured products.
Field$ also has new items in stock, such as frozen food, milk, eggs and other dairy products.
Seasonal products, such as beach-going paraphernalia, are a large highlight of the store as well.
“All the comments from customers have been really positive,” said Ostroff.
“People enjoy the wider aisles, cleaner look, and the new signing for shelves.”
Ostroff went on to say that the new layout and renovation has really accomplished what it had set out to do, which was to create a “better shopping experience” above all.