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County of Grande Prairie

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2024 Retail Gap Snapshot
Grande Prairie Trade Area

(The Grande Prairie Trade Area Includes 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 city 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 & Convienence
  2. Future Development
  3. Restaurants (Full & Quick)

Central

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

East

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

West

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

Top opportunities: New demand for retail floorspace by 2023

~500,000 square feet

of new retail space in the City could be supported by 2032.

Top retail prospects

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

*Figures are based on 2022 year-end data. See more details, see the Retail Market & Gap Analysis for the City of Grande Prairie 2023 full report by FBM.

2023 Retail Gap Snapshot
County of Grande Prairie

Top spending categories in all 4 trade areas:

  1. Grocery & Convenience
  2. Auto/RV/Motosports
  3. Home Improvement & Gardening

Trade area profiles

Total trade area population

Average household income

Total trade area spending

Current retail floorspace

2023 Retail Gap Snapshot County of Grande Prairie

Hythe

3,852

$135,054

$47.5 million

33,983 sq.ft.

Beaverlodge

7,946

$131,254

$160.7 million

153,000 sq.ft.

Sexsmith

6,617

$182,568

$179.8 million

32,600 sq.ft.

Clairmont

14,403

$190,102

$365.7 million

171,400 sq.ft.

Top opportunities: New demand for retail floorspace by 2023

Hythe

2023 Demand: ~ 13,000 sq.ft.

Top demand categories:

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

Beaverlodge

2023 Demand: ~ 80,000 sq.ft.

Top demand categories:

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

Sexsmith

2023 Demand: ~ 35,000 sq.ft.

Top demand categories:

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

Clairmont

2023 Demand: ~ 13,000 sq.ft.

Top demand categories:

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

*Figures are based on 2022 year-end data. For more details, see the Retail Gap Analysis for the County of Grande Prairie 2023 full report by FBM.

Rural: Beaverlodge, Sexsmith & Hythe

The 2023 county retail gap analysis looked at three rural communities, Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, and Hythe, along with the larger urban-fringe community of Clairmont. The map included here shows a trade area for each. Summary findings for each rural community are as follows, with those for Clairmont on the next page.

Town of Beaverlodge

Fact - Beaverlodge’s Trade Area population is 7,946 people as of year end 2022, with an average household income of $131,254.

Fact - Beaverlodge’s total trade area retail spending is estimated at $160.7 million, in which Beaverlodge has a 19% share (a large share naturally going to the nearby City).

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

Fact - Beaverlodge shows potential to see increased demand for retail floor space by 2032 in Grocery & Convenience; Home Improvement & Garden; Auto Parts, Service & Accessories; and Quick Service Restaurants.

Fact - Beaverlodge could capitalize on the 6,000-7,000 average annual daily trips of highway travellers, especially as a pit-stop between the City and Dawson Creek, BC.

Town of Sexsmith

Fact - Sexsmith’s Trade Area population is 6,617 people as of year end 2022, with an average household income of $182,568.

Fact - Sexsmith has a higher average household income than the Province and City, with lower cost of living, suggesting high retail spending potential.

Fact - Sexsmith’s total trade area spending is estimated at $179.8 million, though the Town has only an estimated 3% market share.

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

Fact - Sexsmith shows potential to see increased demand for retail floor space by 2032 in Grocery & Convenience; Quick Service Restaurants; and Home Improvement & Gardening.

Hamlet of Hythe

Fact - Hythe’s trade area population is 3,852 people as of year end 2022, with an average household income of $135,054.

Fact - Hythe’s total trade area spending is estimated at $47.5 million, in which Hythe has a 15% overall market share.

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

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 2023 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 total trade area population is estimated to be 14,403 people as of 2022 year end, with an average household income of $190,102 (comparatively very high).

Fact - Clairmont’s total trade area retail spending is estimated at $365.7 million, 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.

Urban: City of Grande Prairie

FBM validated the City of Grande Prairie’s retail trade area based on its role as one of the only urban centres in north-west Alberta, divided into a Primary Trade Area (PTA) along with West, North, and East Secondary Trade Areas (STA). A special component of the City analysis was a Consumer Intercept Survey, most recently conducted in 2019.

The retail gap analysis found the following salient results for the City:

Fact - City of Grande Prairie serves a Total Trade Area of over 295,000 residents.

Fact - City of Grande Prairie’s Trade Area extends into Northeastern British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.

Fact - City of Grande Prairie’s Primary Trade Area contains just under 177,000 residents.

Urban: City of Grande Prairie

City of Grande Prairie Primary and Secondary Trade Areas (Source: Map created by FBM on Google Earth basemap)

The City has numerous retail development opportunities ranging from large format Power Centres; to a well-managed, strong-performing, and recently renovated Regional Enclosed Mall (Prairie Mall); to new Community Shopping Centres and Neighbourhood Centres; and a recently revitalized and reinvigorated downtown, with local shops and services.

There are a number of retail opportunities available throughout the City in many high-profile nodes and properties. There is a range of spaces from smaller CRU (< 10,000 sq.ft.) to junior box (10,000 sq.ft. to 30,000 sq.ft.) and larger anchor spaces (30,000 sq.ft.).

City of Grande Prairie Notable Commercial Opportunities

City of Grande Prairie Notable Commercial Opportunities
View/Download PDF

  1. Trader Ridge
    11,045 sq.ft. available (9 units)
    17,931 sq.ft. of future CRU Retail

  2. Prairie Ridge
    105,648 sq.ft. available (incl 94,000 sq.ft. former Sears)

  3. Prairie Mall
    18,033 sq.ft. available (13 units)

  4. Melcor Crossing
    32,972 sq.ft. available (incl 23,566 sq.ft. junior box)

  5. Westgate Power Centre
    12,000 sq.ft. (former Nevada Bob’s)

  6. Westgate & Monaco Square
    39,708 sq.ft. available (incl 17,000 sq.ft. former Bed, Bath & Beyond and 9,400 Pier One Imports)

  7. Grande Prairie Power Centre
    9,753 sq.ft. available

  8. Southview
    42,040 sq.ft. available (incl 35,700 sq.ft. former Freson’s)

  9. Forum Properties
    (Resources Road) 99,920 sq.ft. future (incl 35,000 sq.ft. & 17,500 sq.ft. junior boxes)

  10. Grande Banks
    (Deeproot Commercial) 10,000 sq.ft. CRU under construction

Grande Prairie Retail Gap Analysis

Executive Summary Report 2023

Completed By

fbm

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

Both studies 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 both studies, presenting first the key takeaways for the rural county communities of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, and Hythe; then the urban fringe hamlet of Clairmont; and finally the urban city of Grande Prairie. 

For full details, see the two complete reports: retail gap analysis for the county of Grande Prairie (2023) (includes the rural communities and Clairmont) and the retail market & gap analysis for the city of Grande Prairie (2023).

City
County Colour
For the full retail gap analysis for the County of Grande Prairie and/or Region please fill out our form below:
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County of Grande Prairie

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Clairmont, AB
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