The Emerson Port of Entry is slated to begin a two phase three year improvement to the roadways starting this year and running through to 2020. Three additional lanes will be built. Coinciding with that construction, the 20,000 square foot Emerson Duty Free will be demolished and replaced with a new building of the same size.
Around 40% of the customers are truckers who are forbidden to bring alcohol across. The new store will take into consideration this dynamic. There will also be a new focus on online sales.
Billions of product pass through the port and commercial and leisure drivers pass through Emerson 24 hours a day. The Emerson Duty Free is seeking to capture more of those passersby and shop in-store and online.
A few decades back, Emerson Duty Free placed scores of billboards for the shop along Highway 75. Stan Kubicek from CKND was the spokesman and his face was on their ads all over.
Back in the very early 1980s both Pembina and Emerson border crossings were one floor sleepy looking brick buildings. First Pembina and then Emerson stations were built up to the configurations they are now.
Since then a few upgrades every few years have happened. The last on the Canadian side in 1999.
This has been a editorial by John Dobbin.
To read more from John, visit his blog Observations, Reservations, Conversations
