Thrifty Foods (often shortened to Thrifty's) is a chain of
supermarkets located in
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
, Canada.
Background
Thrifty Foods was founded by Alex Campbell and Ernie Skinner in 1977 when the first store was opened in
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
's
Fairfield neighbourhood. , the chain operates 25 stores, with 2 more under construction on
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
and the
Lower Mainland. It is the largest supermarket chain on Vancouver Island. In 2007 it became a division of
Sobeys which operated independently of the larger company initially, before being fully integrated.
Since 2004, it has operated an on-line grocery service on Vancouver Island. The online ordering system extends into the Metro Vancouver area.
The company has an annual scholarship program that gives out $1500 to 20 students that are part of the company's web, either directly or indirectly.
Thrifty Foods is the largest private employer on Vancouver Island. In 1999, Thrifty Foods was voted among the Ten Best Companies to Work For in British Columbia. In 2007, Thrifty Foods was recognized as one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies.
Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies
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On April 14, 2014, Overwaitea Food Group took over three Thrifty Foods locations including Brooks Landing in Nanaimo, Abbotsford, and Sapperton at New Westminster via an acquisition to ensure that Sobeys does not become a monopoly in the region after acquiring Thrifty Foods rival Safeway.
References
Online grocers
Online retailers of Canada
Sobeys
Supermarkets of Canada
Retail companies established in 1977
Food and drink companies based in British Columbia
Saanich Peninsula
1977 establishments in British Columbia
2007 mergers and acquisitions
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