Crampton’s Market to close over rising costs, decreased profits

Crampton’s Market to close over rising costs, decreased profits

The owner of a Headingley, Man., local grocer says he’s shuttering the business later this month, citing inflation, the rising cost of living and other challenges as the nails in the business’s coffin — and that closure will also impact other businesses.

Jarett Davidson said he made the difficult decision to close Crampton’s Market on Roblin Boulevard a few weeks ago, after a lot of mulling.

“We looked at every nook and cranny in our business to see what we could do to improve the business, what we could do differently, what we could do better, how we could connect with more customers,” he said in an interview on CBC Manitoba’s Radio Noon on Wednesday.

“At the end of the day a few weeks ago, I looked at the results of all that investigation and determined that it just wasn’t feasible.”

Davidson said the market’s declining profitability started when it moved from its previous location on Waverley Street near Bishop Grandin Boulevard in 2018 to its current location where the surrounding population is lower.

“When we moved to Headingley, we had some strong loyalty, but in the grocery business, proximity matters,” he said.

“We get a lot of customers who would make a trip maybe once a month, once every two weeks to Headingley to come shop. But that does get tough for people and the reality is, is how far do you want to go to get groceries? “

Things got worse during the pandemic, because the market wasn’t eligible for any COVID-19 wage subsidies, Davidson said.

Now, the rising cost of living and operating a business means people are spending less at Crampton’s, and it’s getting more expensive to operate the business, he said.

Davidson says staff and customers are sad about the closure.

The last few days they’ve seen an increase in business as people try to snap up the discounted merchandise ahead of the closure later this month.

“There were actually a lot of tears, both from customers who have been loyal forever and from staff, because it’s a family business. We hire young kids, we hire people who live in the community,” Davidson said.

Jody Kardash says she was shocked to learn that Crampton’s Market was closing, just over a month after she became a vendor there. (Instagram/GoFundMe)

But vendors are also mourning this loss.

Jody Kardash, the owner of Miss Kleo’s Pet Treats, started selling to Crampton’s just over a month ago and says she was blindsided by the closure.

“My product was doing really well. I even just restocked them last week and got no hint that this was coming at all. A total shock,” he said in an interview on Wednesday.

It hits especially hard since she lost her home, where she conducted her business, as well as her dog in a fire in June.

“Getting into a new store and then losing it right away when you’re rebuilding … it’s a double whammy,” Kardash said.

Davidson says he hopes the local businesses that sell their products to Crampton’s can make do sell to other retailers.

“I don’t believe that we’re the only people that they have the option to sell their produce to, but unfortunately I know we were a part of their planting planning during this time of year, and they did plant certain amounts of fruits and vegetables for us specifically,” he said.

Joyce Livingston, the owner of Manitoba Maid, a preserves business in Starbuck, Man., says the closure will impact her business, but not in a huge way.

“They were a big customer of ours, but we’re very fortunate in that we have 60 stores in Winnipeg and southern Manitoba that carry our product. So we still have several retail partners that we work with,” he said in an interview.

Davidson says he knows it’s tough to support local businesses when the cost of living is so high.

“Supporting local does come at an increased cost and it is going to take some more dedication to support local, and it might mean that consumers have a harder time doing that if their primary driver is the support of their family’s food and clothing,” he said.

Even so, he hopes people will make the effort.

Davidson says he’s not looking forward to March 12, the last day Crampton’s will be open to the public.

“I think seeing [staff] walking out for the very last time would be the most difficult for me.”

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