Two more No Frills stores opening in Winnipeg

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This article was published 14/11/2015 (3850 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The first two No Frills grocery stores in Winnipeg have done so well, Loblaw Companies is opening two more within the next four weeks.

The two new stores will be at 161 Goulet St. and 6650 Roblin Blvd. Both are company-owned Extra Foods outlets that are being converted to No Frills franchises.

The Goulet Street No Frills is scheduled to open Nov. 27, while the Roblin Boulevard outlet will open Dec. 11.

Manitoba’s first two No Frills franchises opened last spring in the former Extra Foods locations at 600 Notre Dame Ave. and at the corner of Main Street and Luxton Avenue.

No Frills senior vice-president Michael Venton said at the time if the first two did well, the company would look at converting more of its corporate-owned Extra Foods stores into No Frills franchises.

Venton said in an email the company is pleased with the way Winnipeggers have responded to the No Frills format, which strives to offer lower prices by keeping operating costs as low as possible. That means carrying a smaller assortment of products, having customers bag their own groceries, and using “minimal cost” decor — such things as warehouse-style display racks and cardboard cases on the shelves.

“The stores have exceeded our expectations, and customer feedback regarding the stores is very positive,” he said.

“We see great potential for No Frills in Winnipeg and Manitoba,” he said. “This is why we are opening two new locations, Cody’s No Frills on Goulet Street and Ray’s No Frills on Roblin (Boulevard), in the coming weeks. Once we have some time to see how all four stores are performing, we will make decisions regarding additional opportunities for No Frills locations in Winnipeg and Manitoba.”

There are two other Extra Foods stores in Winnipeg — one at 740 St. Anne’s Rd. and the other at 701 Regent Ave. There is also one each in Selkirk, Dauphin, Swan River and The Pas.

Venton didn’t say if all six are likely to be converted to No Frills franchises.

Cody Friesen, who was assistant manager of a Loblaw-owned Real Canadian Superstore outlet in Calgary, is the owner of the new No Frills outlet on Goulet Street.

Friesen, who is from Altona, said the Extra Foods store will close at the end of this week to allow for the two-week conversion to the No Frills format. Most of the store’s approximately 50 unionized employees will be transferring to the new store, he said.

A sign announcing the pending change to a No Frills outlet has been posted outside the Goulet Street store for several weeks. Friesen said the feedback from area residents has been positive.

“The community is super-excited,” he said, adding a lot of the store’s customers said they’ve already shopped at the Hellard’s No Frills on Main Street and liked what they found.

“The No Frills concept is quite a bit different than Extra Foods,” he said. “The pricing is considerably lower on a lot of stuff… and it’s no frills.”

No Frills stores carry a full range of grocery items, including produce, meat, deli, dairy and baked goods. While the assortment of products isn’t as wide as in a conventional supermarket, the stores do carry President’s Choice, No Name and national-brand items.

Franchisees also have the option of adding additional products that cater to the specific needs or tastes of their customers.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca