Vernon Safeway changing to FreshCo

Sobeys confirmed Vernon’s downtown Safeway is one of six current Safeways in B.C. that will be converted into FreshCo stores.

Beginning this fall, the stores will close for a four to five-month period for renovations and construction, then reopen as FreshCo locations in the spring of 2020.

The other sites are in 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Sahali in Kamloops, Dilworth Centre in Kelowna and Powell River.

“Safeway 100 Mile House is scheduled to close for renovation on October 5, 2019. All other locations (Safeway Williams Lake, Safeway Sahali [Kamloops], Safeway Dilworth Centre [Kelowna], Safeway downtown Vernon and Safeway Powell River) are planned to close for renovation on November 23, 2019,” Jacquelin Weatherbee, Sobeys’ director for external communications said in a media release.

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Temporary pharmacy locations will be set up while renovations are underway, and Sobeys is working with its employees and unions to ensure terms of their collective agreements are met.

“As always, we will expend every effort to place employees in other stores within our store network in B.C.,” Weatherbee said in an email to Vernon Matters.

The FreshCo mandate is to provide customers with the freshest foods at lower prices.

“Our customers have access to fresh food items and produce, while also offering a variety of multicultural foods. FreshCo’s low prices and diverse product offering will help customers in our communities make every dollar count,” Weatherbee said.

Five FreshCo locations have opened already, in Mission, B.C.; Jefferson and Kildonan, Winnipeg; and two locations in Richmond, B.C.