[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Changing City

I think they're part way through that conversion of 'underperforming' Safeways to FreshCo - 14 so far in BC, I think. Across the country that brand is growing through conversion, and by building a few new stores; in some Provinces they're also switching stores from Sobey's to FreshCo. We know there have been several new Safeway stores here, a few since the Empire takeover, and they all replace a previous Safeway store. It doesn't look like they're retiring the brand for now. I don't know if a landlord can object if an owner wants to switch brands. These days property owners might be happy to have anyone sign a new lease!

Unless I'm missing something (and Sobey's website is too), the only Sobey's branded store so far in BC is in Invermere. As well as Safeway, FreshCo and Chalo/FreshCo, they also have Thrifty Foods stores in the Lower Mainland, so they have quite a bit of coverage across a variety of brands - although fewer than Jimmy Pattison's retail empire.

I wondered if the REIT status of those properties maybe had some obligations on the branding of a reopened supermarket. But Crombie was spun out from Empire as well so that probably is a moot point.