Two local Ten Thousand Villages stores have been earmarked for closure as part of the Mennonite Central Committee’s decision to close nine of the stores across Canada.
MCC says it has started the process to close the Ten Thousand Villages stores in Stratford and St. Jacobs.
It says the decision, which also impacts stores from Montreal to Calgary is due to the ongoing decline of Canada’s retail sector, and is focused on stores which have not been profitable.
“The retail industry in Canada continues to experience turmoil as consumer habits and patterns shift, resulting in financial pressures and closures,” Ten Thousand Villages CEO Holly deGraff said in a press release.
“Unfortunately, Ten Thousand Villages … has not been immune to these challenges.”
In addition to closing nine stores, Ten Thousand Villages says it plans to focus more on wholesale and online shopping.
Ten Thousand Villages stores offer fair trade goods produced in the developing world. Once the closures are complete, there will be 25 Ten Thousand Villages stores across Canada.
