Sears Canada is opening a refreshed Hometown Store in Courtenay on Nov. 30 as part of its commitment to offering customers better selection, convenience and service.
The store at 700-29th St. is owned and operated by Norm and Dustin Parker. The 16,000-square-foot store has been completely renovated and will house a wide selection of major appliances, mattresses, lawn and garden and electronics including the Sears exclusive brands of Kenmore and Craftsman.
“We are personally committed to accomodating our customers' wants and needs and providing them with an enjoyable and satisfying shopping experience,” says Parker. “Customers will be delighted with the broad range of top-quality products Sears has provided for our refreshed store.”
The Parker family has been involved with Sears since 1967 when Norm was hired as a Sears employee with assignments in various stores including Port Alberni, Powell River, Fort St. John and Courtenay.
Norm was Sears' youngest store manager in Prince Rupert when he was 26. He became district manager with Sears for nine years, and then decided to become a store owner with the new hometown dealer formats in 1993.
Norm, along with his son Dustin, built their current store in 2000.
Over the years the family has been involved in many sports clubs throughout the community. As the family, and the business expanded, both Norm's and Dustin's spouses became important members of the store's operation.
Norm has now stepped away from most of the daily activities, but remains focused on total customer satisfaction. Dustin has taken over the store management overseeing the daily operations as well as the sales floor.
Along with his wife Lisa, they are raising their six-year-old-daughter in the community they both grew up in. Both of them are able to greet many of their customers on a first-name basis.
While the Hometown Store is locally owned and operated, all merchandise sold is supported by Sears satisfaction guarantee, as well as Sears extensive parts and service division, the largest service network in Canada. In addition, the store features Sears and third party credit card acceptance.
Sears has installed systems that enable purchases made through the Hometown Store to be reserved immediately and delivery dates arranged according to each customer's preference.
“We've come up with a winning formula for consumers in Courtenay and the Comox Valley,” continued Parker, “by combining the national resources of Sears with the local service of your neighbour — truly the best of both worlds in terms of customer service.”
The Hometown Store is open Mondays to Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays from 11 to 4.
Sears Canada is a multi-channel retailer with a network that includes 196 corporate stores, 269 Hometown dealer stores, 12 home services showrooms, over 1,500 catalogue and online merchandise pickup locations, 102 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and installation network.
For more, visit www.sears.ca.
– Sears Canada