(press release)
Princess Auto will open its 45th Canadian location in Kanata North on September 19.
“It’s a no-brainer to open a store in Kanata, really” comments Ken Larson, Princess Auto’s Senior Vice President of Customer Experiences. “Our Ottawa location is already super busy serving the area, which includes our Quebec customers across the river. But people living further southwest of Ottawa had to make one heck of a road trip to access our products – the next closest store is in Kingston – so it made sense to set up a Kanata location.”
Princess Auto supplies the home mechanic, tradesperson, handyman, hobbyist and inventor with all the tools and equipment needed. Whether they’re restoring a hot rod, drywalling a room, building a go-kart, doing custom metalwork, or installing a garden fountain, Princess Auto can help them “Make It Work”.
The new Kanata store will be staffed with 28 full-time and 18-25 part-time team members, all trained to help you find the right tool for anything from changing your oil, to building a shed, to welding a go-kart together. “Our customers in the area have their own shops, they’re in the trades, they’re farmers, they work outdoors, and they like to tinker in their spare time. We want to be their go-to store when they need that hard-to-find tool for whatever they’re working on. And also a place to just hang around and browse the time away.”
Princess Auto’s grand openings are famous for its devoted fans, willing to stand in line overnight for the official 7 a.m. chain cutting ceremony. “You don’t see other Canadian retailers with die-hard fans like ours,” says Larson. “When our doors open on Tuesday, September 19, it’s going to be huge. People have been waiting for this, and they’re going to be excited. Think Homer Simpson in a donut shop excited. It’s going to be an awesome day with giveaways, contests, and deals out the wazoo. People love us, and we’re going to deliver!”
Longtime fans have enjoyed the unique assortment of tools and equipment in the company’s Workshop, All Seasons, Trailer, Driveline, and Surplus categories. Kanata’s 25,000 sq. ft. store is located at Kanata West Centre (3055 Palladium Drive, just north of the Palladium Auto Park and across from Tanger Outlets). It’s one of two new locations opening in Ontario, with a Peterborough, ON location being planned for 2018-19.