Safeway Sells Canadian Operations to Sobey's

[Igster]

Originally Posted by speedog

Count me as two.

That's two!

[Zarley]

Originally Posted by speedog

Count me as two. The Superstore near us (Calgary's smallest) always has good produce and the statement someone made that Superstore often sources produce from shipments that have been turned down by the other three chains - post up a link to something that substantiates such a ridiculous claim.

Not produce, but I've heard from a family friend in the meat packing industry that Superstore receives the lowest quality meats of all supermarkets in Alberta. Wouldn't be surprised to hear the same is true for produce. The meat hierarchy was described to me as follows:

1. Restaurants / food-service companies
2. Local and specialty butcher shops
3. Costco, Safeway, Co-op
4. Sobeys, IGA, Save-on
5. Superstore

[Igster]

Originally Posted by Zarley

1. Restaurants / food-service companies
2. Local and specialty butcher shops
3. Costco, Safeway, Co-op
4. Sobeys, IGA, Save-on
5. Superstore
6. Walmart

fyp...

[Northendzone]

i don't know aboutt he above, as i sometimes think some of the costco beef is superior to what is availible at the keg or something......

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Zarley

Not produce, but I've heard from a family friend in the meat packing industry that Superstore receives the lowest quality meats of all supermarkets in Alberta. Wouldn't be surprised to hear the same is true for produce. The meat hierarchy was described to me as follows:

1. Restaurants / food-service companies
2. Local and specialty butcher shops
3. Costco, Safeway, Co-op
4. Sobeys, IGA, Save-on
5. Superstore

Not sure about the specific order of grocery stores, but I can confirm that the first 3 are generally correct.

[Jonrox]

The comment about produce at Superstore is completely, 100% NOT true.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Jonrox

The comment about produce at Superstore is completely, 100% NOT true.

It may not be true, but it doesn't change the fact that their produce is generally awful.

[Yamer]

I find that produce at Superstore is actually on par with anything else on the mainstream market at the moment. The one in Red Deer also buys locally, which is a big plus.

I have no problem saying that for the first few years I shopped at Superstore I went elsewhere for the majority of my produce, but lately I am finding their product to be as good or better than anywhere else charging similar or higher prices.

To each their own, but again I have never experienced anything at these stores that would come close to justifying some of the vitriol it has received in this thread.

[Ducay]

Having direct knowledge of the industry, the produce market is done in tiers, with certain buyers having access before others in Calgary.

Fairly similar to the meat heirarchy described above. On a typical morning, buyers are allowed to pick in this order:

1. Restaurants / food-service companies
2. Costco, Co-op, Local small retailers
3. Sobeys (Safeway now, used to be at 2 above), IGA, Save-on
4. Then the remaining food is left un-refrigerated for 3 weeks, allowed to be picked over by fruit flies and other bugs
5. Superstore then purchases

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Having direct knowledge of the industry, the produce market is done in tiers, with certain buyers having access before others in Calgary.

Fairly similar to the meat heirarchy described above. On a typical morning, buyers are allowed to pick in this order:

1. Restaurants / food-service companies
2. Costco, Co-op, Local small retailers
3. Sobeys (Safeway now, used to be at 2 above), IGA, Save-on
4. Then the remaining food is left un-refrigerated for 3 weeks, allowed to be picked over by fruit flies and other bugs
5. Superstore then purchases

Yep and I have heard the stuff that Superstore deem good enough ends up being purchased by Burger King.

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by Zarley

Not produce, but I've heard from a family friend in the meat packing industry that Superstore receives the lowest quality meats of all supermarkets in Alberta. Wouldn't be surprised to hear the same is true for produce. The meat hierarchy was described to me as follows:

1. Restaurants / food-service companies
2. Local and specialty butcher shops
3. Costco, Safeway, Co-op
4. Sobeys, IGA, Save-on
5. Superstore
6. Walmart
7. McDonalds, kfc, taco bell

Fyp

[Diemenz]

Originally Posted by Zarley

Not produce, but I've heard from a family friend in the meat packing industry that Superstore receives the lowest quality meats of all supermarkets in Alberta. Wouldn't be surprised to hear the same is true for produce. The meat hierarchy was described to me as follows:

1. Restaurants / food-service companies
2. Local and specialty butcher shops
3. Costco, Safeway, Co-op
4. Sobeys, IGA, Save-on
5. Superstore

The company I work for is involved with several of these companies and suppliers and I can say this is pretty close to the hierarchy. Certain companies control major meat distributions (Sysco, honeymans, maple leaf etc) and they fulfill their orders for premium cuts and produce to those that have the agreements in place. Walmart has started to move up on that chain but they like Costco still target end cuts. Walmart sells them in multipacks, Costco tenderizes them and sells them like premium cuts. Don't get me wrong, I'm not Saying Costco has bad steak as they have several options some are fantastic, I'm just saying tenderized meat is tenderized for a reason . Local butchers and specialty shops like meridian meats , M&M, and Clancy's normally have everything from grade A (their always on sale steaks) to top Teir options and actually have like Zarley stated above top picks of cuts as their contracts are smaller and easier to fulfill.

Oh yeah, I bloody hate Superstore....I think their produce is terrible.

[Jonrox]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Having direct knowledge of the industry, the produce market is done in tiers, with certain buyers having access before others in Calgary.

Fairly similar to the meat heirarchy described above. On a typical morning, buyers are allowed to pick in this order:

1. Restaurants / food-service companies
2. Costco, Co-op, Local small retailers
3. Sobeys (Safeway now, used to be at 2 above), IGA, Save-on
4. Then the remaining food is left un-refrigerated for 3 weeks, allowed to be picked over by fruit flies and other bugs
5. Superstore then purchases

I hope this is sarcastic and you missed using green font, because this couldn't be further from the truth. There isn't a market where the buyers from the retail chains all go to buy their produce for the day.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Yamer

I find that produce at Superstore is actually on par with anything else on the mainstream market at the moment. The one in Red Deer also buys locally, which is a big plus.

.

I work a couple of blocks from that store.

How do you know they purchase local?

[StrykerSteve]

Superstore is good. We shop Sobeys in okotoks though.

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I work a couple of blocks from that store.

How do you know they purchase local?

Anything with the Pik n' Pack label is grown locally in Lacombe.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Anything with the Pik n' Pack label is grown locally in Lacombe.

You may have just changed some of my shopping habits.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Having direct knowledge of the industry, the produce market is done in tiers, with certain buyers having access before others in Calgary.

Fairly similar to the meat heirarchy described above. On a typical morning, buyers are allowed to pick in this order:

1. Restaurants / food-service companies
2. Costco, Co-op, Local small retailers
3. Sobeys (Safeway now, used to be at 2 above), IGA, Save-on
4. Then the remaining food is left un-refrigerated for 3 weeks, allowed to be picked over by fruit flies and other bugs
5. Superstore then purchases

Originally Posted by Jonrox

I hope this is sarcastic and you missed using green font, because this couldn't be further from the truth. There isn't a market where the buyers from the retail chains all go to buy their produce for the day.

Nope, because I didn't use green text, it is clearly being serious. You've never been to the giant produce market? It happens daily and all the big stores are there. Its off Apple Ave in the produce district.

[Jonrox]

I haven't been to the one on Apple Ave, but I have been to the one on The Queensway in Toronto and the one in downtown LA. These are not farmers markets. They are wholesale markets that retailers and foodservice companies buy hundreds of truckloads of produce from on a daily basis. They can also be found in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, etc...

There are people in this thread that don't know how the produce industry operates, so would think your post was mostly truthful (aside from the fruitfly comment) - and although you thought you were joking, these markets do actually exist and retailers in those areas send buyers to them on a daily basis.

Calgary isn't big enough to support one, so the retailers and foodservice companies in western Canada buy directly from growers, shippers, wholesalers, and brokers from around the world.

[Finger Cookin]

Club Sobeys is ending as of Sep 11, 2014. You can start using Air Miles at Sobeys effective Sep 12, 2014. If you link you Club Sobeys card to your Air Miles card before Sep 12, you will get 1 Air Mile for every 14 Club Sobeys points in your account as of Sep 12.

This info was given to me this morning with my groceries.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and when you link cards before Sep 12 you're entered to win 5,000 Air Miles.