Giant Tiger roars into Charlottetown

Long-awaited store officially opens at University Plaza today

The owner of Charlottetown’s new Giant Tiger said today is a dream come true for him.

Shane Demmings is referring to the opening of the 24,930-square foot store at University Plaza at 8 a.m.

“I started with Giant Tiger 13 years ago in Moncton, and we opened the fourth store in the Maritimes at that time and, within a year or two, I knew Charlottetown, P.E.I., was where I wanted to open a store,’’ Demmings told The Guardian during a tour of the new store on Friday.

“We had so many shoppers coming over from the Island asking, ‘When is this store coming to Charlottetown?’ ’’

So, he got on a training program to get himself into the store management system and was able to open a store in Bridgewater, N.S., and spent seven years in Nova Scotia. He moved up to owner in his third year.

Giant Tiger may be opening today but it’s been trying to squeeze into the Charlottetown market for years, even before it opened a store in Summerside.

“We’ve had quite a few hits and misses trying to get into the Charlottetown market over the years and, finally, we were able to come to an agreement last September to put this store together.’’

Personally, the Moncton, N.B., native said he’s beyond excited to be in Charlottetown.

“Prince Edward Island is a dream for us. My wife and I honeymooned over here 19 years ago, and we absolutely fell in love with the Island. We’ve returned every summer for a couple of weeks and it gets harder and harder to leave.’’

Giant Tiger is 100 per cent Canadian owned and operated and is known for its work in the community with organizations

such as Boys and Girls Clubs and family resource centres. It recently got into promoting women in sports.

While the store doesn’t officially open until today, a few lucky people received invites to shop on Friday.

“My first impression is that it’s bigger than the ones we have in Ontario where we live,’’ said Mike Chandler, who is vacationing in P.E.I. with his family from St. Catherines, Ont.

“I get all my clothes for working in auto manufacturing here. I like that it’s Canadian and the work clothes here provide good value. They do last, and I’m pretty hard on them, too,’’

Wayne Bell of Charlottetown was also impressed.

“I think it’s absolutely wonderful – good deals, nice and clean, very bright and very cheerful,’’ Bell said. “I would definitely come back and shop here.’’

Isabel McLean of Montague said she won’t find it hard to come back.

“It’s the low cost and it’s got everything,’’ McLean said. “And the staff here, they’re so friendly.

DAVE STEWART/THE GUARDIAN Shane Demmings, owner of the Giant Tiger store in Charlottetown, says the store has a full grocery section. The potatoes, onions and carrots are all sourced from McKenna’s.

DAVE STEWART/THE GUARDIAN Isabel McLean of Montague checks out the merchandise at Giant Tiger in Charlottetown. She was one of the few lucky people to get an early invite to shop at the store. It officially opens today.