Retail giant to open new store at airport

Costco plans to open a new warehouse store at the Edmonton International Airport (EIA) late next year, the retail giant announced Thursday.

Construction has already started on what will be the company’s seventh outlet in the Edmonton area, a 14,000-square-metre facility south of Airport Road on the west side of the Premium Collection outlet mall set to open next spring.

It will include a gas station and liquor store, Costco said in a news release. More than 250 people will be hired to work at the new location.

“The Edmonton metro region was one of the first Canadian markets that welcomed Costco Wholesale, and it continues to be a strong market for us,” said a written statement by Russ Miller, Costco Wholesale’s senior vice-president and general manager for Western Canada.

“This opening at EIA will make Costco Wholesale more accessible for a whole new segment of the Edmonton market.”

The store will be part of EIA’s Aerotropolis, a cluster of shopping, dining, entertainment and hotel operations that also includes the Fairfield Inn by Marriot, Century Mile race track and Red Cup Distillery.

The EIA website has said Costco was “coming soon” as a tenant, but a company spokesman contacted about two weeks ago refused to comment on the plans.