Changes to Winnipeg's Grocery Landscape Part 1

Price Choppers on Stafford Street.



Sobey's.



Urban Fresh store in Edmonton, Alberta.

It sometimes takes a while for things to happen in Winnipeg. Price Choppers could be changing. At present Price Choppers only has one location on Stafford Street but sometime in the new year, the name could change as well as the store format.

There is a conversion taking place at many Price Choppers across Canada to a new store format called FreshCo. It would be a shame if Winnipeg was bypassed during the next year.

FreshCo stores are starting to appear in Ontario. The new stores offer multicultural and ethnic foods.

The present Price Choppers are known for produce. That will not change according to what Sobey's officials are saying. Sobey's is the parent company of Price Choppers and FreshCo.

Customers entering a FreshCo store will first encounter fruit and vegetables in a great hall immediately inside that flows into a deli area, a bakery market, and a local cheese and meat market.

Fingers crossed that the Winnipeg Price Choppers will be converted.

I think more Winnipeg people would be interested if one of Sobey's other store formats came to the city. It is called Urban Fresh. Their format is fresh food and ready-made meals. Some call them mini-Sobey's but for people living downtown, they are a welcome addition.

The grocery war is coming to Winnipeg as Wal-Mart upgrades their stores to sell more grocery items. I expect we'll see even greater changes in store formats in the coming months.



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