As a native winnipegger, i’ve always been proud of my city’s spirit, philanthropy, volunteerism and unwavering belief that the NHL Jets will eventually return. But there’s one thing I’ve never understood — why do we go so completely crazy for new stores?

The euphoria with which we greet the new players on the city’s retail scene is how normal cities treat rock stars, movie stars and Wayne Gretzky. When Old Navy and Best Buy arrived here a year or so ago, people lined up the way they would have in the 1980s for tickets to a Bruce Springsteen or Culture Club concert. All that was missing were the groupies, roadies, mullets and cosmetic surgery.

This obsession has led many people to question whether Winnipeggers need to get a collective hobby. Besides shopping, that is.

I guess I can partly understand the excitement when an altogether new retailer finally sets up shop here. We all have friends and relatives in cities such as Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, the first Canadian stops for popular U.S. retailers.
So we’ve heard how great these stores are for months or even years before they finally arrive in Winnipeg.

But what’s scary — or sad, or maybe both — is it doesn’t even have to be a new store to set off a frenzy any more. More than 400 people lined up to be among the first to see the latest concept from Safeway last month in Osborne Village, just a stone’s throw from downtown. Maybe you’ve heard of Safeway?
Sells groceries, same kind as sold at Sobeys, which had lineups 15 carts deep when it opened its first Winnipeg store this past year. The Bay’s new store in the retail hotbed of Polo Park Shopping Centre was just as popular when it took over the anchor spot that used to belong to Eaton’s.

It’s one thing for a consumer to be giddy with the anticipation of being the first one through the door, but what was Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz doing cutting the ribbon at the Safeway store? It’s not even an election year.

It makes me wonder how many heads are going to pop off if IKEA ever decides to come here? Winnipeg already is its biggest mail-order market in Canada.

John Graham, Safeway’s public affairs manager, attributes the mob scene to the fact that it took six years for the Calgary-based grocer to come up with a pedestrian-friendly development plan that met the approval of local residents, most of whom are students and seniors. “Our opening day saw record numbers of people lining up before the doors opened,” he says.
“We even had 100 people in line before the store opened on the second day. Perhaps, unlike a suburban store, there’s a greater sense of ownership of this location. It’s like seeing a new baby.”

But it’s not as if Safeway was giving away an SUV or had the Cowboy Junkies playing a few tunes — as The Bay did last year. No, the giveaways were gift cards, air miles and other prizes. Could it have been the more than 20 food items being sampled?

John Winter, a retail analyst in Toronto, says part of the appeal of grand openings is the preponderance of door-crasher specials.
“It’s a double whammy,” he says. “It’s something new, plus they have deals.
There’s a little bit of excitement to see [the new retailer’s] prices and how they compare. Every new opening is exciting.
We’re all interested in the new and cutting edge. Winnipeggers are no different than anybody else.”

John Williams, a senior retail industry consultant at J.C. Williams Group, also of Toronto, says he isn’t surprised to hear about the crowds. “To be [at the grand openings] is a big deal,” he says. “Winnipeg has a reputation for being a value-conscious market.”

Maybe so. I’m just hoping we’ve got a little bit of enthusiasm left to worship some real stars when the Junos come to town this month. IE