Save-On-Foods opens in Langford, B.C.

While Save-On-Foods has been looking east the last couple of years, it hasn’t forgotten about its home province either.

The B.C.-based, Overwaitea-owned Save-On-Foods just opened its newest store in Langford, B.C.

The store is in what was previously a 36,000-sq.-ft. Home Outfitters at Gateway Station in the west end of Greater Victoria, which already has five Save-On-Foods locations.

Save-On-Foods had an ambitious expansion plan to grow its store count of 150 by opening 40 new stores in Saskatchewan and Manitoba in the next three to five years.

The new Langford store includes a full-service pharmacy; fresh sushi, salads and sandwichs made daily in store; hot meals; an extensive organic offering; and ocean-friendly seafood.

READ: Save-On offers $25 rebate, denies involvement in bread price-fixing

When Overwaitea first announced its plan to move into the Home Outfitters location in 2016, Victoria’s newspaper the Times Colonist suggested it might be moving into an already crowded grocery market, including a Costco right next door. But Save-On-Foods president Darrell Jones said he wasn’t worried.

“Costco is very good at what it does and it actually brings people to a community or an area,” he told the newspaper at the time. “If you’re very good at the things Costco isn’t as good at, you can do well competing in markets against them.”

The new Langford store opened was to host a “grand opening” on Saturday with face painting, food sampling and free pecan pies to the first 500 customers.