Safeway Sells Canadian Operations to Sobey's

[Russic]

Originally Posted by DuffMan

You seriously buy that stuff at Safeway? Have you ever heard of Walmart?

Maybe... big blue building, full of hefty people in spandex?

I'm actually a big enough nerd that I've been tracking the cost of those products in both Walmart and Safeway for close to 6 months. The majority of the time Walmart doesn't end up being as cheap as most would think. 10% Tuesday tends to negate the difference, and nearly half the time those products are on sale at the beginning of the month, making them actually cheaper.

I also feel there is a Walmart tax. The parking lot, the people, and the congestion tend to bother me. In the same way some people would rather pay a premium to stay out of superstore, I'd rather stay out of Walmart.

[van fan down by river]

Originally Posted by Minnie

I wish we had Save-On here. I don't think there's any south of Red Deer, though, is there? And Co-op doesn't go much further north of Red Deer, does it? Edmonton doesn't have any.

I wish our Sobey's was still an IGA - in particular, a Freson IGA. Much prefer those, but they're few and far between.

There will likely be a save-on-foods opening in the south in the near future.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by polak

Best meat is at Co-Op and Costco without question. Even people who worked for Loblaw knew that.

Superstore, Safeway and Wal Mart have awful meat.

I think Costco meat gets a free ride on past recommendations.

I will admit, I do not buy much at Costco...buying mainly items in bulk like paper towels, garbage bags, etc. We are now a family of two and bulk for us is just too much. Plus, I live in the Priddis area and the nearest Costco is in Deerfoot Meadows, considerably farther than the other grocery stores I frequent.

However, I started to buy some meat at Costco...thought maybe I had been missing something...and have been HUGELY disappointed. The flank steaks I purchased and prepared using my stand by recipe resulted in meat that was basically shoe leather. Very VERY tough, almost inedible. We had the same experience with their strip loins. Personally, I am a rib-eye person but lots like strip loin, so bought some...hugely disappointed...very tough again.

Their pork chops are too thick and for us, quite tasteless as well.

The pork tenderloins I bought were fine as were the meaty pork ribs, the ones that are two long strips per package. The ribs are what we like the best.

Their boneless and skinless chicken thighs are fine. But you know what? Their chicken is from Lilydale, a brand that Co-op carries, and if I buy it on sale, I can get it cheaper at Co-op than at Costco. The packages of 3 whole fryer chickens from Costco are fine.

In terms of rotisserie chicken, Costco's are excellent as are Co-op's. There is a difference among Co-op stores though.....Oakridge having the best. I don't like the rotisserie chickens as much at either the Glenmore or Shawnessy Safeway or the Shawnessy Co-op. They don't seem to be cooked as long and some of the skin is slimey in texture...hate that. Flavor is fine, skin texture is not.

I have bought one ham from Costco and it was fine.

After my experience with beef at Costco, I shy away from that counter. I have never bought their beef tenderloins...for two reasons. One, I prefer to buy a whole tenderloin and usually the ones at Costco are not trimmed and ready to go. I always buy my beef tenderloin at the Elbow Drive Sunterra. The butchers there do a beautiful job of trimming their meat and I have found the flavor and texture to be excellent.

If I buy a prime rib roast, our favorite for a roast, I buy triple A beef from the beef counters at Safeway or Co-op or go to a butcher shop.

I am not a loyal to any one store person. I am loyal to all stores for certain products only. Yes, it might mean a bit more shopping, it might mean paying a bit more of a premium price, but at least I get products that I am satisfied with.

[Erick Estrada]

Looks like strickly Superstore now which sucks as there is no doubt they are the cheapest and some of the PC items are pretty good but the overall experience shopping there is by far the worst of all supermarkets.

[DuffMan]

Originally Posted by Russic

Maybe... big blue building, full of hefty people in spandex?

I'm actually a big enough nerd that I've been tracking the cost of those products in both Walmart and Safeway for close to 6 months. The majority of the time Walmart doesn't end up being as cheap as most would think. 10% Tuesday tends to negate the difference, and nearly half the time those products are on sale at the beginning of the month, making them actually cheaper.

I also feel there is a Walmart tax. The parking lot, the people, and the congestion tend to bother me. In the same way some people would rather pay a premium to stay out of superstore, I'd rather stay out of Walmart.

Well I would be shocked if diapers and dog food were as cheap at Safeway as Walmart even with 10 % off.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

So as far as the sale is concerned, I am delighted...especially because Sobeys is a Canadian company, and more of my money will stay in Canada.

Or should you be sad, because $5.8 Billion of Canadian money is going to the US right now?

[NBC]

Originally Posted by van fan down by river

There will likely be a save-on-foods opening in the south in the near future.

Don't be too sure of that. Overwaitie, Save-On's parent company, might be in a similar position to Canada Safeway. Sobey's has virtually no retail presence in BC and this would give them an opportunity to break into that market. I could see either Loblaw's or Sobey's offering Jimmy Pattison loads of cash to sell out. This could ring the death knell for many retail food chains.

[tete]

I've pretty much always been a Safeway shopper, save for the four years in Saskatoon when the Safeway closest to me was a hole and I'd shop across the street at Sobeys. Here in Calgary, we live downtown and I have no clue where the closest Sobeys would be - I've only seen them in the deep 'burbs. As long as the current Safeway location on 8th St and 12 Ave SW keeps their self-serve checkouts, I don't really care if it switches to a Sobeys, it'll still be our prime location for grocery shopping.

[Robotic]

Originally Posted by Swarly

here is the last 6 months of ctv shop comparison:

$850.19......$856.90.....$862.28......$781.46
coop..........safeway.....sobeys.......superstore
+68.73.......+75.44.......+80.82.......$0.00

confirms what I've always thought from empirical shopping evidence. Co-op is about the same or cheaper than Safeway plus you get back a few percent at the end of the year, which I find them to be almost identical for quality too.
...

This is a rigged. When the weekly reporting is done for this, Coop knows what day and what items will be on 'random' selection of groceries. So they purposely put the items on sale for that day.

Edit - This is for produce only. I cannot comment on other competitors, but I wouldn't be surprised if they all do it.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by NBC

Don't be too sure of that. Overwaitie, Save-On's parent company, might be in a similar position to Canada Safeway. Sobey's has virtually no retail presence in BC and this would give them an opportunity to break into that market. I could see either Loblaw's or Sobey's offering Jimmy Pattison loads of cash to sell out. This could ring the death knell for many retail food chains.

Not under their own name, but they do own 29 Thrifty Foods locations in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island.

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

Or should you be sad, because $5.8 Billion of Canadian money is going to the US right now?

The market likes it...usually an indication it's a good deal. Sobey's parent, Empire Company Limited up more than 10%.

I just prefer buying Canadian, all things being equal.

[jammies]

I don't think this thread should be allowed to die until every single poster on CP lets us know exactly which grocery store is the one that gets their business. A more fascinating subject I cannot imagine.

And my imagination is actually quite good. Blather on!

[Swarly]

Originally Posted by jammies

I don't think this thread should be allowed to die until every single poster on CP lets us know exactly which grocery store is the one that gets their business. A more fascinating subject I cannot imagine.

And my imagination is actually quite good. Blather on!

fascinating enough for you to post on it?

thanks for stopping in to let us know what you think (or dont) about the topic

[jammies]

You forgot to mention where you shop.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by opendoor

Not under their own name, but they do own 29 Thrifty Foods locations in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island.

From the Islanders I know - they all say that Thrifty's went down the tubes as soon as Sobeys bought it. Quality, pricing - all took a hit.

[jayswin]

I shop for groceries.

[saskflames69]

Do you guys have No Thrills in Calgary? I've never been inside one so I cant really judge but it seems like a crummy place to buy groceries.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by saskflames69

Do you guys have No Thrills in Calgary? I've never been inside one so I cant really judge but it seems like a crummy place to buy groceries.

I think you mean No Frills. I don't think any exist in Calgary, but you can find them near by in Airdrie, Cochrane and Okotoks.

[Minnie]

Originally Posted by Fire

I think you mean No Frills. I don't think any exist in Calgary, but you can find them near by in Airdrie, Cochrane and Okotoks.

Actually, there are 3 in Calgary. One on 17th, one on Temple Drive and one on Elbow Drive (SW).

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Fire

I think you mean No Frills. I don't think any exist in Calgary, but you can find them near by in Airdrie, Cochrane and Okotoks.

They are going to take over the Extra Foods store here in High River.