The Overwaitea Food Group has announced the purchase of 15 stores in B.C. and Alberta including the Safeway store in Port Alberni.
The deal, announced Feb. 13, l is expected to conclude in either March or April, a news release noted.
The 15 stores will hoist new Save-On-Foods banners and one Cooper's Foods sign.
"We are thrilled to be able to welcome these stores, along with their existing team members and customers to our group," says Darrell Jones, president. “By welcoming more than 1,500 of the best grocers in North America to our team, we are in a great position to continue growing our business in these locations.”
The sales are part of a Canadian Competition Bureau order issued to Sobeys in October to sell 23 Safeway locations. Overwaitea is purchasing 15 store locations in B.C. and Alberta with today's announcement.
Other stores acquired in the deal include four Safeway stores in Victoria; one each in Duncan, Ladysmith, Tsawwassen, New Westminster and Fort McMurray. Also included in the deal are Thrifty Foods stores in Nanaimo, New Westminster and Abbotsford. Sobey stores in Canmore and Cochrane, Alberta are also part of the deal.
The Safeway store in Courtenay will be closing its doors as of May 10 and is not included in the Overwaitea purchase. The 50 full-time and 70 part-time employees were notified of the closure Thursday morning, according to the Comox Valley Record.
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With files from the Victoria News.