Princess Auto to unveil vision with new Panet Road flagship

Princess Auto’s newest retail location in Winnipeg — a 105,000-square-foot “community-driven” flagship store — will open its doors June 2.

The 500 Panet Rd. store will include a workshop station where customers can try out tools, a space for people to come in and learn about machinery they may have not typically purchased, and educational opportunities for schools.

It’s a “pretty new retail experience” for the massive Winnipeg-based company, said Kim Leadbeater, Princess Auto’s vice-president of marketing.

“This location is a bit of a pilot for the future of our retail experience, this is more than just a standard shopping opportunity,” she said Wednesday.

The 500 Panet Rd. store replaces the company’s 515 Panet Rd. location, which will be closed June 1. The latter property is still owned by Princess Auto and will be used to host opening day celebrations, but Leadbeater said the company is still deciding what will become of the space.

The address switch leaves Princess Auto with 59 stores across the country (including two in Winnipeg and one in Brandon) and more than 3,500 employees.

Its first location, an auto wrecker, opened in Winnipeg in 1933 on Princess Street. Harvey Tallman purchased the company in the early 1940s and it now serves as a retail business for tradespeople, farmers and other workers.

The new Panet Road location will be the 14th store opened under the family-owned business’s third generation: Matthew Tallman and Marc Tallman.

“This flagship allows us to reimagine what a Princess Auto store can be,” Ken Larson, Princess Auto’s CEO, said in a statement. “What we are building in Winnipeg is rooted in this community, but also part of a broader vision for the company. The learnings and successes from this model will help us bring the best of this experience to other markets across Canada.”

The chairman of city council’s property and development committee called the new store a good sign for Winnipeg.

“It’s an excellent economic driver for the city here. To see that corporate headquarters is committed to investing in Winnipeg is a positive sign for the direction that we’re going here,” said Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood).

“This, really, when it comes to a property and development standpoint, shows that we’re making the changes to be less of a roadblock and more of a welcoming partner for these types of investments.”

The store’s grand opening will feature vendor demos throughout the day, giveaways, and a concert and fireworks in the evening.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca