Choices Markets grows organically

Choices Markets is adding another store to its roster for the first time in five years.

The natural supermarket announced last week it is acquiring Drive Organics on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive from owners UNFI Canada Inc.

The purchase brings Choices Market’s store count to eight—seven in the Lower Mainland and one in Kelowna. The chain also owns a gluten-free bakery.

“ is a thriving neighbourhood entrenched in organics and we feel that Choices is a good fit,” Richard Lockhart, executive vice-president of Choices Markets, told Canadian Grocer. This will be the first acquisition for the Vancouver-based organics chain since it opened its Kelowna store five years ago.

“We are entrepreneurs, we are a family business and we work on very organically,” says Lockhart. “When an opportunity comes we look at it and if it’s a good fit we may go for it.”

Lockhart says there was a period from 1998 onwards where Choices opened a store almost every two years.

“It’s just the way the market goes,” explains Lockhart. “I know we’ve been looking for quite a while and this is what has come available.”

Lockhart says Choices is looking for more opportunities to expand in the Lower Mainland.

Choices stores range in size between 6,000 and 20,000 square feet. Drive Organics is around 10,000 square feet, says Lockhart.

Drive Organics will stay open and gradually evolve into the same look and feel as other Choices stores over the next few months, says Lockhart.