After two years of planning, Tepperman's has welcomed its first customers into its new store in Sarnia's London Rd. Shopping Centre.
Members of the family-owned retailer were joined by local dignitaries for a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday morning.
"We've been part of the community here for 25-years, and we've operated in the ups and downs of this market," President Andrew Tepperman told those in attendance. "There's so much positive news going on right now, in all aspects of the community. We didn't build this knowing that news was out there, but it sure is nice that the future of Sarnia is positive."
He said the new 40,000 sq ft store is modern and sustainable, just how they envisioned it would be.
"With e-commerce today, with competition, it was really important for us to create a unique, special experience that was different than consumers have seen before," said Tepperman. "We put a lot of features in that we believe will resonate with consumers."
The store has a big warehouse with a drive-through customer pickup area, café and kids area, and Tepperman says construction went off without a hitch.
"Shockingly there was not a single hiccup," said Tepperman. "It's probably the first time in my 21-years that we've ever done a project this smoothly."
The store is part of Lucror Investments, five-year plan to redevelop the former Zellers plaza at an estimated cost of between $12-million to $15-million.
