BELLEVUE, Wash., (Feb. 11, 2015) – Whole Foods Market today announced plans for continued expansion in western Canada with new locations in Greater Victoria, British Columbia, and Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta.
The company currently has four stores in British Columbia, with locations in development in North Burnaby (expected to open in August 2015) and North Vancouver (expected to open in summer 2017). The store serving Greater Victoria will be the sixth store in British Columbia. The stores serving Edmonton and Calgary are Whole Foods Market’s first locations in Alberta.
“Whole Foods Market has been in Canada for more than 10 years, and our success has been built, first and foremost, by our team members,” said Joe Rogoff, president of Whole Foods Market’s Pacific Northwest Region. “Their ability to create a unique store experience that meets the very specific needs of the communities they serve has made a fundamental difference. This individualized store experience has created strong relationships between the brand and our customers and has enabled us to grow to 10 stores in B.C. and Ontario. We’re grateful for the welcome we have received, and today’s news is confirmation of our commitment to continued growth. We’re thrilled to become part of these new communities.”
The 40,000-square-foot store in Greater Victoria will be located at 3587 Blanshard Street in Saanich, part of the new Uptown mixed-use urban neighbourhood. Whole Foods Market signed a lease for the location with Morguard Investments Limited. The expected opening date is in fall 2016.
Whole Foods Market plans to open its first Alberta store in fall 2016. Edmonton’s 42,000-square-foot store will be located in the South Park Centre (3803 Calgary Trail S NW). The lease for this location is with First Capital Realty.
The natural and organic grocer anticipates that details for the specific site in Calgary will be available in June 2015, with an expected opening date in Calgary in the summer of 2017.
In addition to hundreds of construction jobs created while each project is completed, each store will create an estimated 150 jobs in its respective community.
“We will be working with growers, suppliers, ranchers and manufacturers in Alberta and on Vancouver Island to source as many local products and services as we can find,” Rogoff said. “We’ll be connecting with community groups, other businesses, nonprofits and local community leaders to help us design our store and services, and to create dynamic partnerships.”
Once complete, each Whole Foods Market store will provide local shoppers with a wide selection of natural, organic and local products. Shoppers can find a community butcher, fishmonger, baker and a team of chefs creating prepared take-out meals, all under one roof.
Shoppers also can look forward to fresh, organic fruits and vegetables, specialty items, high-quality meats and poultry, everyday pantry staples and sustainable seafood. The stores’ scratch bakeries will provide a variety of breads and pastries made fresh daily, and their prepared foods departments will offer options for lunch, as well as quick meals for dinner.
Whole Foods Market has been ranked on FORTUNE magazine’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America since the list began in 1998. The company’s quality standards are outlined at www.wholefoodsmarket.com.
