‘Disappointing to see’: Mastermind Toys and Pennington’s the latest big box stores set to close in Medicine Hat

Another retailer is also shutting down its location in the city. Pennington’s will close Jan. 24.

Shawn DeGreeve is a business instructor at Medicine Hat College. DeGreeve believes the shift to more online shopping is a factor.

“Well a lot of it is just basically going online,” DeGreeve told CHAT News.

“What they are able to do is if we can get something the next day we don’t even have to go to the mall and in some cases if you need something specialty you can get it even fast than going to the physical location at time,” DeGreeve said.

The two stores are just the latest to close in Medicine Hat. Also in the south end of the city Mark’s now occupies the former Bed, Bath & Beyond location which had shut down in April.

The loss of some specialty stores is disappointing for some local shoppers.

One local shopper said it is quite disappointing for his family.

“Mastermind is one of the places my son just loves to come to,” he told CHAT News.

“Penningtons is also a big one that my wife uses and yeah it’s kind of disappointing all the places that have been closing down.”

Another local shopper was concerned with stores closing in general, but not as much with these two.

“A lot of the ones sort of retiring is a little disappointing to see, especially when it’s a lot of our local businesses,” he told CHAT News.

“I see a lot of the bigger commercial businesses going out. It’s not that big of a deal for me particularly. I like to support local businesses a lot more.”

A local woman agreed that the shift to online is the cause.

“Well I think online has really done damage to a lot of places,” She said.

DeGreeve says that the retail market continues to change. He adds that now with Alexa and Google Home you can just ask them to order what you need and it can show up fairly quick. It’s just a whole different mindset on how to shop.

“Before it used to be back in the day the corner market and go get your vegetables at the corner store, then they went into the big box stores,” DeGreeve said.

“I think it’s just another transition from going from box stores into branding stores to be online.”

DeGreeve says that influencer marketing on social media has also adjusted how people buy products.

“You go onto TikTok right, there you can buy the product, so you have an influencer offering something in there. You don’t go to the store, you click on it through TikTok.”

While some of the bigger chain stores have closed some smaller locally owned shops have opened in the city providing a place to shop local.

by Jesse Gill

‘Disappointing to see’: Mastermind Toys and Pennington’s the latest big box stores set to close in Medicine Hat

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