New store in Maple Creek sells large appliances

The Creek Home Store is also a Sears ordering desk

Dominique Liboiron
Twitter: @DomMCNews
Email: dliboiron4@hotmail.com

The Creek Home Store is Maple Creek’s newest business. Owner Miranda Zeeb opened the doors Oct. 11 in advance of Small Business Week, which runs from Oct. 16-22.
Zeeb is in familiar territory. The Creek Home Store is located at 33 Pacific Ave., which is the same place as the Sears outlet she ran for almost five years. The outlet shut down in April after the corporate office thought it best to close due to economic conditions. When asked where she got the courage to open a business in this sluggish economy, Zeeb unflinchingly responded, “I just think it’s needed here in Maple Creek.”
She saw the demand based on the fact that not all residents have trucks to transport large appliances back from Medicine Hat or Swift Current. The owner of Creek Home Store also thinks her business is needed to keep people shopping locally.
As an example, she said if a couple goes to Medicine Hat to buy an appliance they’ll likely purchase groceries and fuel in the city, but by having a place here that sells appliances Maple Creek becomes a destination. This means shoppers from the surrounding farms, ranches and smaller communities spend their money locally rather than in urban centres. It also stands to reason that while they’re in Maple Creek, shoppers will eat in the restaurants, browse other stores and purchase fuel.
A counter-argument to shopping locally is the notion that products and services are cheaper in Medicine Hat. Zeeb said this isn’t necessarily the case. To start, there’s no PST on energy efficient appliances in Saskatchewan, she explained. Furthermore, she questions how much cheaper it would be to shop in Medicine Hat if you consider that many consumers make one trip, at least, to look at an appliance and then make another to pick it up. Zeeb strives to make her prices competitive and she offers delivery for a small fee.
Zeeb is thankful for the assistance she’s received to help her open The Creek Home Store, “The Town has really helped me to open and also the Credit Union. They’ve really been good to me to help me get going.”
Brianne Williams, the loans officer at the bank, created a program for Zeeb’s customers that will see them be approved for financing in 24 hours.
In terms of property tax, Zeeb was granted an incentive through the municipality’s Business Incubation Support Program. Royce Pettyjohn manages community and economic development for the Town and he explained the program is important in order to assist new business development and to encourage growth either from previous residents or new ones.
The Creek Home Store carries Maytag, Whirlpool and Amana appliances such as fridges, washers, dryers, stoves and dishwashers. There are microwaves, too, along with mattresses, pillows and mattress covers.
The mattresses Zeeb stocks are made in Saskatchewan by Restwell, a Regina-based company that is one of the nation’s top four sellers, she explained. Restwell stands behind their merchandise and offers an excellent warranty, Zeeb said. The mattresses are made with Canadian materials.
The Creek Home Store is also a Sears catalogue ordering desk. That means you can order anything from the Sears catalogue and pick it up here, Zeeb explained adding she’d be happy to help you place your orders over the phone. To simplify ordering, Zeeb kept the same phone number as Sears.
Zeeb outlined that her Maytag products are up to 25 per cent off from now until Nov. 2 as part of the Spotless Savings Event. The Creek Home Store will feature a Black Friday sale Nov. 25, but there will be sale pricing to watch for as of Nov. 3. She invites shoppers to attend the grand opening, which will be held throughout the day Nov. 10.
The Creek Home Store’s hours are Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. To get more information about the inventory or to learn about the current sales, please contact Zeeb at 306-662-2601.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get More Maple Creek News →