Empire Company is continuing its FreshCo Western Canada expansion with plans to open the first two Alberta stores and four new stores in Manitoba in 2021. The new stores include a Chalo! FreshCo in Alberta.
Empire Company announced its plans to expand the FreshCo discount bannner in Western Canada in 2018. To date, 28 FreshCo locations have opened, including 16 stores in B.C. and Manitoba. In addition to the new stores for 2021, Empire is set to open several FreshCo locations in the West this year. Two stores in B.C. will open this June and four stores in Saskatchewan are set to open this summer.
Empire has now confirmed 28 of approximately 65 locations it plans to open in Western Canada. In its fiscal 2018, Empire announced plans to convert approximately 25 per cent of its underperforming Safeway and Sobeys locations to FreshCo over a five-year period.
“Breaking ground in Alberta is a significant milestone in our Western Canadian expansion. We have now opened or planned locations in every province in Western Canada,” says Mike Venton, general manager, Discount. “Our FreshCo expansion into Western Canada is more relevant than ever before, as economic realities continue to shift. We are seeing a strong appetite for discount grocery options as the brand continues to resonate with the Western Canadian shopper.”
