COLDBROOK, N.S. — The rumblings about an old building just off Highway 101 that has sat conspicuously empty for the last several months are true – Leon’s is coming back to Coldbrook.
Lewis Leon, a spokesperson for the company, confirmed that the business will reopen this coming Saturday, Sept 21.
“We’ll be open for the general public this Saturday, but we’re having an official grand kickoff at the beginning of October,” Leon said.
There was widespread distress among local customers and employees of the home furniture chain earlier this year when its Coldbrook and Bridgewater franchises abruptly closed in January.
Leon noted that when the Coldbrook and Bridgewater locations closed, “our corporate store in Dartmouth helped to take care of those customers affected.”
Leon said most of the affected customers who sought assistance in Dartmouth were satisfied with how their orders were handled.
HIGH TECH
The reopened Leon’s location in Coldbrook will have upgrades. Leon said the new store will be enhanced with technological flair – a smart-store, to be precise.
The store will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology. This, Leon said, is a first for Atlantic Canada. The only franchise outfitted like this exists in Coquitlam, B.C.
The new and improved Leon’s location will include a wall of 46-inch TVs to help customers visualize the scale of pieces of furniture. Other new features include touch-screen technology, digital price tags and portable tablet-based checkouts.
“We’re modernizing our approach, and the shopping experience, so it’s easier for our customers to explore our physical footprint,” Leon said. “We can show more sofas in our showroom because we have that digital assistance.”
TRIUMPHANT RETURN?
Speculation about Leon’s returning to Kings County began in July when the PeopleWorx Nova Scotia Works Centre sought applicants for local jobs associated with Leon’s on social media, stating the business planned to return to Coldbrook.
Leon said the company is confident it will receive a warm welcome from the community, on account of the strong brand equity it’s built in the Maritimes.
“We’ve been there for a very long time and it was an unfortunate situation that we had to close so abruptly,” Leon said. “We value our Kings County and Coldbrook customers.”
When asked about the cause of the previous closure, Leon demurred, saying he was unable to comment specifically on that matter.
There will be some familiar faces on hand when Leon’s reopens this weekend.
Leon confirmed that of the 15-20 people hired to staff the Coldbrook store, several people – including the previous general manager – will be employed by Leon’s again.
“There is some excitement,” he said. “We can’t wait to get some feedback from the market now that we’re coming back.”
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