CARNDUFF, Sask. – Time was, in small-town Saskatchewan, that most stores were closed on Monday.
In some towns closure was legislated. If it wasn’t Monday, it was Wednesday afternoon.
In the past decade though, most stores stayed open six days a week.
But now store owners in southeastern Saskatchewan have found that Mondays are again the slowest day. It isn’t financially feasible to remain open.
“It is just very, very quiet. Until the farmers start getting money, nobody’s going to have any business,” said Jeannette Zelionka, owner of E and J Furniture Ltd. of Redvers, Sask.
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“It is very slow. Even December was slow for us compared to other years. I don’t know what is going to happen to this province.
“Small businesses like ours just can’t compete against the big businesses any more.”
Redvers merchants are examples of what many small businesses across the Prairies have discovered since bylaws that forced Monday closures were taken off the books.
Brenda Spencer of Selections on Broadway, a variety and clothing store in Carnduff, Sask., has also opted to close on Mondays.
“It is really very quiet. So, we thought instead of having to pay the extra staff, we might as well just close on Mondays,” Spencer said.
Carnduff Meats is also closed on Mondays.
“It is just not busy enough. When you look at your bottom line and there is a minus there, it just wasn’t busy enough to warrant being open,” said Penny Carnduff of Carnduff Meats.
