The Ladner Safeway store will become a FreshCo.

Sobeys Inc. today announced the locations of its first 10 FreshCo locations in B.C. which includes the conversion of the Ladner location at the Trenant Park mall.

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The Ladner Safeway is to close temporarily on July 13 this year for renovations, reopening in four-to-five months under the new brand.

“FreshCo will bring the best discount grocery experience to shoppers in B.C. Our FreshCo stores reflect our customers’ growing demand for fresh, quality food at discount prices. FreshCo stores will feature a bold brand and clear tagline: ‘Lowering food prices’,” the company stated in a news release.

Safeway stores to be temporarily closed this May and converted include the locations in Aldergrove, downtown Chilliwack and Maple Ridge, while one in Abbotsford will close for conversion in September.

“We’re committed to ensuring these conversions do not impact our pharmacy customers. We will continue to operate temporary pharmacy locations while renovations and construction are underway,” the company notes.

The Ladner Safeway does not have a pharmacy department, so no temporary pharmacy will be added.

Meanwhile, several Safeway stores that had been closed down by Sobeys are to reopen this spring as FreshCo including the locations at Strawberry Hill and Newton Town Centre in Surrey, Blundell and Broadmoor in Richmond, as well as the store in Mission. The pharmacy departments at those locations remained open and will continue under the new store brand.

“We are working with employees and unions to ensure the terms of their collective agreements are met as we work through this transition. As always, we will expend every effort to place employees in other stores within our store network in B.C.,” Sobeys adds.

Sobeys, which is owned by Empire Company Ltd., owns, or franchises several grocery chains, including Thrifty Foods, IGA, Price Chopper, FreshCo and Foodland.

Five years ago, Sobeys sold the Tsawwassen Safeway to the Overwaitea Food Group. The Safeway at 64th Avenue at Scott Road in North Delta remains.