You’ll love what they’ve done with the place.
The renovations at Thrifty Foods Colwood are now complete, and store manager Ed Nelms is excited customers can finally enjoy the new and refreshed shopping experience.
“We’re back! We understand there was a lot of disruption, and I appreciate the patience of customers and staff as we pushed to get everything done in a short timeframe. Now we’re back in full force, and ready to serve.”
What can you expect at the newly renovated store?
- Better flow: “We reset every aisle and reorganized departments, so the flow for shopping is far better,” says Nelms. You’ll find coffee, bread, and breakfast spreads in one convenient location, for example, and vitamins, health and beauty have also been tied together. Want grab-and-go items like sushi? They’re now right at the front entrance. “You can pick up a new directory if you need help finding anything, but I’m confident as customers shop, they’ll be pleased with how well the store flows.”
- New products: Fresh herbs and add a pop of flavour to any dish, and Thrifty Foods Colwood has the freshest — they’ve partnered with Infarm to grow herbs and leafy greens right in store! Thrifty Foods has always been committed to supporting local producers, and with an increased demand for healthy choices you’ll notice a great selection of vegan, gluten-free and other healthy products.
- Improved efficiency: The renovations brought in energy-efficient display cases to reduce the store’s energy footprint, and time-efficient self-checkouts to speed up your shop. “We’ve increased space along the front end to minimize congestion, whether you choose self-checkouts or cashiers,” Nelms says.
Supporting the community through challenging times
Nelms has been a store manager with Thrifty Foods for decades, and he says the COVID-19 pandemic has been unlike any other challenge in his career.
“I’m very proud of the robust COVID-19 Safety Plan Thrifty Foods put together, and proud of our teammates for everything they’ve done to keep staff and customers safe,” he says.
Thrifty Foods has strong partnerships with community groups and non-profits, and Nelms says those programs have continued despite the pandemic.
“We’re still out there trying to support as best we can, where we can. We work hand-in-hand with the Goldstream Food Bank, The Mustard Seed and school lunch programs, as well as local sports teams, the Sandy Merriman House and other local charities. When I started at Thrifty Foods, one of the things that attracted me was that they’re very community oriented with an outstanding record of treating staff well.”
Find Thrifty Foods Colwood at 1860 Island Highway, open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.