B.C.’s grocery landscape sees more mergers, acquisitions

B.C.’s retail landscape is changing again, with fewer companies chasing your grocery dollars.

Safeway is gone, bought out last year by Sobey’s, which is now selling 15 stores to Overwaitea and Save on Foods.

The fifteen Safeway and Thrifty’s stores are mostly located on Vancouver Island, with some in the Lower Mainland (New Westminster and Tsawwassen), and Alberta.

The sale was ordered by the federal competition bureau after Sobey’s purchased Safeway Canada.

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Save on Foods was always viewed as a takeover target, but instead its getting bigger with this latest acquisition.

Thrifty’s is owned by Sobey’s; and Shopper’s Drug Mart was purchased by Loblaws — the owners of Real Canadian Superstore — last year and is increasingly selling groceries.

Walmart now sells groceries at 282 of its stores and is building 35 more stores this year.

Costco plans to build 25 more warehouse stores in Canada and U.S. retail giant Target opened their first Canadian stores last year, with large grocery departments.

With the additional floor space added with the acquisition of former Safeway locations, some speculate that Save on Foods might be one of the first stores to sell liquor in B.C.

The company says they have not spoken with the government on the issue, but would be open to selling craft beer and wine within their grocery stores should the province allow.

— with files from Jas Johal