Since the Golden Sobey’s changed its name to IGA this past fall, there have been a few small changes – new branding, Air Miles, some new products. But perhaps the biggest change of all was not so visible.
Cam Dawes, who was manager of the grocery store prior, was given the opportunity to purchase the store with his wife Erin.
“Sobey’s is franchising all the stores right now, whether they’re IGA or Sobey’s. We thought it was a great opportunity,” said Cam.
Cam’s father John owned the store from 1993 to 2007, before Cam took over as the manager five years ago.
“It’s a great town, and Golden feels like home for us. This was a great opportunity to stay here,” he said.
Not too much has changed since the transition says Erin, who is spending much more time in the store now. But the small-town feel of the IGA over the Sobey’s has been better suited to Golden.
“Sobey’s liked to have all of their stores look the same, no matter which store you went into. But our stuff was never big enough for that, so we couldn’t carry things that our community wanted us to carry. And now we have that ability,” said Erin.
“This has given us the chance to bring in different things, and better serve the community and the needs of the community,” added Cam. “We’re looking forward to serving the needs of the community for years to come.”
It has always been a family business for the Dawes, and who knows, maybe you’ll see the next generation working in the store in the future.
