Sobeys parent company has announced it will close a number of its stores across the country including several in southern Alberta.
Empire Co. acquired Safeway Canada last summer and faces intense price competition from others in the grocery industry, including U.S. retailers Walmart and Target.
President Marc Poulin says the Sobeys closures will "strengthen the quality of our store network and is expected, along with other initiatives, to enhance overall performance and net earnings."
About 60 percent of the affected Sobeys locations are in Western Canada.
Store closures per region:
- Atlantic Canada: six stores
- Quebec: one store
- Ontario: seven stores
- West: 25 stores
The company says it will close four Sobeys stores in Calgary; Fairmount, Deer Point, Douglas Square and London Town.
It will also close the Glenmore Square Safeway store in Ogden.
Shoppers at the Fairmount location were not too happy about the closure.
“I’m not very happy about it,” said Steve Turbach.
“It’s very handy, we just live over in Lake Bonavista , so it’s very close for us,” said Gloria Turbach.
“It’s going to be disappointing but what do you do, right? There’s Safeway and Superstore right there,” said Travis Thibeau.
Stores in some southern Alberta communities will also close including:
- Pincher Creek Sobeys
- Scenic Square Sobeys, Lethbridge
- Park Meadows Mall Safeway, Lethbridge
- Crescent Heights Safeway, Medicine Hat
The Nova Scotia-based company released its quarterly results on Thursday and says the move will shave about $400 million or about 1.9 percent off its future annual sales.
There is no word yet on how many employees will be affected.
(With files from The Canadian Press)
