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County of Grande Prairie

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Retail Gap Overview
Grande Prairie Trade Area: Northwest Alberta and Northeast British Columbia

Total spending categories for total trade area:

  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Auto/RV/Motorsports
  3. Restaurants (Full & Quick-service)
  4. Fashion & Accessories
  5. Auto Fuel

Total trade area profile

Total trade area population
295,000

Average household income
>$143,000

Total trade area spending
$5.1 billion

Current retail floorspace
3.98 million square feet

2023 Retail Gap Snapshot

Retail inventory summary by sector

North

1.5 million sq.ft. total
Top categories:
  1. Auto/Rv/Motorsports
  2. Grocery & Convenience
  3. Fashion & Footwear

South

>331,000 sq.ft. total
Top categories:
  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Future Development
  3. Restaurants (Full & Quick)

Central

>388,000 sq.ft. total
Top categories:
  1. Restaurants (Full & Quick)
  2. Grocery & Convenience
  3. Personal Services

East

>109,000 sq.ft. total
Top categories:
  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Quick-Service Restaurants
  3. Pharmacy

West

1.65 million sq.ft. total
Top categories:
  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Home Improvement
  3. Fashion & Footwear
Top categories exclude vacant retail space.
 

Top opportunities: New demand for retail floorspace by 2034

~286,133 square feet

of new retail space could be supported by 2034.

Top retail prospects

  • Food & Beverage
  • Conveniences
  • Services & Wellness
  • Fashion
  • Sporting Goods
  • House & Home
 

*Figures are based on 2024 year-end data. See more details, see the Retail Market & Gap Analysis for the County of Grande Prairie 2025 full report by FBM.

Retail Gap Investment Opportunities
County of Grande Prairie

Top spending categories in all 4 trade areas:

  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Auto/RV/Motosports
  3. Home Improvement & Gardening
  4. Restaurants ( Full & Quick-service )

Trade area profiles

Total trade area population

Average household income

Total trade area spending

Current retail floorspace

 

Screenshot 2025-01-29 at 3.06.59 pm

 

Hythe

2,898

$105,546

$57.4 million

33,983 sq.ft.

Beaverlodge

7,487

$117,155

$194.5 million

153,000 sq.ft.

Sexsmith

6,101

$138,886

$215.5 million

32,600 sq.ft. 

Clairmont

14,108

$144,470

$433.7 million

171,400 sq.ft.

Wembley

3,009

$140,443

$111.4 million

58,401 sq.ft.

Top opportunities: New demand for retail floorspace by 2034

Hythe

2034 Demand: ~ 21,000 sq. ft.

Top demand categories:

  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Home improvement
  3. Restaurants (Full & Quick)

Beaverlodge

2034 Demand: ~ 79,000 sq. ft.

Top demand categories:

  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Home improvement
  3. Restaurants (Full & Quick)

Sexsmith

2034 Demand: ~ 35,000 sq. ft.

Top demand categories:

  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Restaurants (Full & Quick)
  3. Home improvement

Clairmont

2034 Demand: ~ 114,000 sq. ft.

Top demand categories:

  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Restaurants (Full & Quick)
  3. Personal Services

Wembley

2034 Demand: ~ 23,000 sq. ft.

Top demand categories:

  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Personal Services
  3. Home Improvement & Gardening

*Figures are based on 2024 year-end data. For more details, see the Retail Gap Analysis for the County of Grande Prairie 2025 full report by FBM below.

Urban Fringe: Clairmont

Still in the County, the Hamlet of Clairmont benefits from being the northern gateway to the City of Grande Prairie’s vast retail offering and employment centres, now offering diverse commercial opportunities of its own (see Clairmont Commercial Opportunities).

Retail market highlights from the 2025 gap analysis in Clairmont are as follows:

Fact - The Clairmont population grew 16.5% between 2016 and 2021, much faster than the Province (4.8%), County (5.6%), and City (1.5%).

Fact - Clairmont’s trade area population is forecast to grow at approximately 1.2% per annum in the next five years and 1.1% from 2029 to 2034 which is like growth projected for the Province and the City.

Fact - Clairmont's total Trade Area Retail Spending is estimated at $433.7 million (2024 estimate), though the hamlet has only a 9% estimated market share (significant outflow and therefore opportunity for greater market capture).

Fact - Clairmont’s top three retail spending categories are Grocery & Convenience; Auto/ RV/Motorsport; and Home Improvement & Gardening.

Fact - Clairmont shows potential to see increased demand for retail floor space by 2032 in Grocery & Convenience; Full-and Quick-Service Restaurants; Personal Services; Pharmacy; Alcohol & Tobacco; Specialty Retail; and Home Improvement & Gardening.

Fact - Clairmont has the opportunity to capture a much higher market share of its growing residential base by providing more daily-needs focused shops and services, especially small to medium size grocers.

County of Grande Prairie Retail Gap Analysis

Executive Summary Report 2025

Completed By

fbm

Fowler bauld mitchell (“FBM”) conducted a retail gap analysis for the County of Grande Prairie in Alberta. The results provide a solid foundation to determine the depth of retail opportunity in the county. 

The study inventoried each community’s current retail supply, documenting the size, retail category, and sales productivity of each business. Determining a realistic retail trade area for each community is an essential step to assessing each retail market, as the trade area population is more relevant to the business community than a simple city or community population. Using demographic data for each trade area, the study revealed

gaps and surpluses in the current provision of shops and services and also projected future retail demand.

This document provides an executive summary of the study, presenting first the key takeaways for the rural County communities of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, Hythe, Wembley, and the urban fringe hamlet of Clairmont. 

County Colour
For the full 2025 Retail Gap Analysis for the County of Grande Prairie and/or Region, please fill out our form below:
Middle of Everywhere

County of Grande Prairie

10001 – 84 Avenue
Clairmont, AB
T8X 5B2

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Fax: 780-539-9880
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