Save-On-Foods announces two Western Canada openings

Save-On-Foods has opened a 42,000 square-foot store in North Vancouver’s Lynn Valley neighbourhood that is nearly double the size of a nearby 24,000 square-foot location that had been operating in the area for nearly 20 years.

Save-On-Foods said in an email interview that the previous location had become “undersized” relative to customer demand. The redevelopment of the Lynn Valley Centre gave the company an opportunity to replace the previous store with a new modern location, it said.

“This new store has given us the ability to meet the needs of the community, offering our full assortment with a fresh modern look,” said the company in the email. The new store employs approximately 165 people, features a full grocery and pharmacy, and a refreshed modern look.

It also offers what the company described as “exciting and unique” features including a coffee bar, an olive bar, a wing bar, poké bar and a Mexican taqueria grill, in addition to 225 underground parking stalls and a dedicated elevator.

The new North Vancouver location opened just days after Save-On-Foods opened its 22nd store in the Edmonton region—in the fast-growing Jagare Ridge neighbourhood in the city’s south end. The store also includes a Save-On-Foods coffee bar featuring fresh brewed and specialty coffees, as well as tea, iced beverage and smoothies. There is also a wing bar, sushi bar and fried chicken program.

Save-On-Foods said opening in the Jagare Ridge community was important to its business plans, since that part of the city is growing at a “significant” pace. “We expect the growth in this trade area to continue over the next five to 10 years.”

Save-On-Foods is preparing to open another new store—its last opening of the year—in Calgary’s Trinity Hills development. The company said it planned to continue both adding new stores and remodelling existing locations, while maintaining its previous growth rate of five to seven new stores annually.