WINNIPEG

One Winnipeg DavidsTea location to reopen as company closes majority of stores

Charles Lefebvre CTVNewsWinnipeg.ca Supervising News Producer - Digital

Published Friday, July 31, 2020 9:51AM CST

This image from the chain's Twitter account shows a David's Tea shop in Surrey, B.C.

Text:

WINNIPEG -- DavidsTea has revealed the list of 18 locations in Canada that will be reopening, and a Winnipeg location has made the cut.

The company announced Thursday it would be shuttering 166 locations in Canada, amid months of financial trouble and a renewed focus on online shopping.

The company confirmed in an email with CTV News that the DavidsTea located at CF Polo Park will reopen. It will be the only location reopening in Manitoba.

DavidsTea operated locations at St. Vital Centre, Kildonan Place, Grant Park Shopping Centre and Outlet Collection in Winnipeg. It also had a location in Brandon, Man.

The company said in a statement it is sending notices to terminate leases at the remaining stores, which will take effect in the next 30 days.

The company entered restructuring earlier this month and said it would become a primarily online company. The COVID-19 pandemic forced stores across Canada to close, causing them to be unable to pay rent between April, May and June. The company also closed all 42 stores in the United States.

“We believe that a select group of our best-performing stores, complementing our growing online and wholesale business model and supported by an entrepreneurial organization, will enhance DavidsTea’s ability to emerge from the CCAA restructuring process as a more sustainable and resilient organization,” said Herschel Segal, founder, chairman and interim CEO of DavidsTea, in a statement. “Today, our customers and stakeholders have a better picture of what DavidsTea will look like in the near future. Our decision to reopen these select stores is consistent with our objective to create a leaner, more efficient company, positioned for long-term growth.”

DavidsTea was founded in Montreal in 2008.

The full list of locations can be found below.