Safeway celebrates a successful re-launch on Saturday

It may be only a grocery store, but in Prince Rupert on Saturday morning it was an event. With crowds reported lining up as early as five am (no doubt the same people that show up at your garage sale early), the official opening of the renovated Canada Safeway store was the place to be and be seen.

With iPod giveaways, draws and lots of free samples the new look store packed in the crowds all day long. Anyone taking a drive by the parking lot anytime through the morning and into the afternoon and evening, provided notice that Safeway was having a very good business day.

Thursday’s Daily News provided a recap of the renovations and what Rupertites will come to expect from the new look store.

STORE SET TO CELEBRATE SUCCESSFUL RENOVATION
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Page one

After a month and a half of renovations, Safeway is planning a grand opening celebration this weekend that includes the random give-away of 200 iPod shuffles.

The store has been undergoing major renovations since the beginning of November and work is expected to wrap up this week.

“We have both our Terrace and our Prince Rupert stores holding their grand opening on the same day,” said Scott Gibney, Canada Safeway spokesperson.

The Terrace store has also been undergoing renovation.

“It has really been an extensive and expansive re-modelling,” he said.

Both stores have been remodeled to include a Starbucks coffee shop, fresh bakery, full service meat and seafood counter and expanded floral department.

The Starbucks have reportedly been very popular, with Prince Rupert’s far exceeding sales expectations on the first day it opened.

“Starbucks are very popular in our stores. It adds to the quality of the shopping experience.”

There will be a store preview party on Friday from 4 to 8 pm, featuring a taste of Safeway – samples of the different products the store carries and 10 per cent off any purchases over $50.

Then on Saturday, they will open their doors at 7 am and from the early morning until 7 pm, both Saturday and Sunday, everyone who swipes their Safeway club card will be randomly entered for the chance to win and iPod Shuffle. There will also be a number of in-store specials during the grand re-opening.

In order to provide all the new in store services- for example the deli will now have a fresh carving station from 4 to 8 pm each day – Safeway has hired 35 new employees at the Rupert store.

The Prince Rupert renovations are part of the company’s billion-dollar plans to remodel 275 stores across North America under the Lifestyle brand in 2006,

“We are excited to be part of the Prince Rupert community and we are really happy to have this expansion happen,” said Gibney.