Lowe’s to close Northgate Mall store

Lowe’s Canada announced it will be closing 34 of its stores across Canada, including its location in Regina’s Northgate Mall.

In a release issued Wednesday, the company said the stores set to close are “underperforming” and the announcement comes after “a detailed strategic review of its operations.”

The Northgate Mall Lowe’s will close on Feb. 19, 2020, and is the only Saskatchewan store closing in the move.

The Lowe’s store in Harbour Landing will remain open, and according to the release, eligible employees will have the opportunity to transfer to a nearby store “given the (chain’s) existing need for personnel” nationwide.

“While making decisions that impact our associates and their families is never easy, closing underperforming stores is a necessary step in our plan to ensure the long-term stability and growth of our Canadian business,” Tony Cioffi,

Interim President of Lowe’s Canada, said in the release.

“We are taking decisive action to build a healthy business which will provide us with the flexibility to reinvest in our future growth.”

Lowe’s opened its Northgate Mall store in 2016. It was the first Lowe’s store in Canada adapted to fit within a mall setting.

The company spent $25 million, including real estate transaction costs, development and construction, to convert the former Target department store into the 102,000-square-foot Lowe’s store.

When it first opened, store manager Paolo Gallo said about 140 employees worked at the new store, including full-time, parttime and seasonal employees. A special-needs employee, Owen Lima, also found a job there, along with his service dog Blue.

Aside from its namesake stores, Lowe’s Canada also owns RONA and Reno-depot, and a number of these stores are included in the 34 locations closing across the country.