Westdale’s Extra Foods store shuts down

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This article was published 18/08/2015 (3892 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s the end of an era for Extra Foods since the grocery store shut the doors at its Westdale location on the weekend.

On Sat., Aug. 15, the Charleswood mainstay was expected to close up shop at 6650 Roblin Blvd. Renovations will soon be underway to reopen the location as a No Frills store. Both ExtraFoods and No Frills fall under the Loblaw umbrella.

Store manager Lauralee Coffyn bid farewell to customers through a sign posted at the front entrance, which read “Unfortunately we are closing our doors Aug. 15. We are going to be reopening hopefully in Dec. 2015 or Jan. 2016 as a No Frills. I wish to personally thank you for your support over the last 20 years.”

Customers flocked from near and far to take advantage of deep discounts, resulting in near-empty shelves by Friday afternoon. Those who spent $100 in the store received a 50 per cent discount at the till.

With a grocery cart stacked high with diapers for her new baby granddaughter, Pam Hayward drove to Charleswood from St. Norbert for the sale. However, she wasn’t entirely pleased with what she found at the grocery store.

“For the people that live in this area, nobody’s sad it’s closing. They found it to be one of the most expensive stores they shopped in,” she said.

Her mother, Irene Heggie, offered an alternative perspective.

“I’ve always liked this store. I like the people that work here. They’ve always been very nice to me if I need anything,” said Heggie, a Charleswood resident.
“To me, this was a good store and I was quite surprised to hear it was closing.”
Kevin Groh, vice-president of corporate affairs and communication for Loblaw Companies Ltd., explained the shift from Extra Foods to No Frills.

“We continually review our network of stores and look for ways to improve our product assortment and services to ensure we are meeting customer needs,” he said via email.

“As part of this regular assessment, it was determined that customers in the area would benefit from an improved price value proposition.”

To accomplish this goal, they opted to close ExtraFoods and reopen as No Frills.

“The conversion of the store to No Frills was made possible through a mutually agreed-upon labour agreement with UFCW Local 832,” Groh said.

“Employees currently working at the Extra Foods store have been provided with additional information, support and the opportunity to transfer locations.”

According to the Loblaws website, three Extra Foods locations remain in Winnipeg at 161 Goulet St., 701 Regent Ave. and 740 St. Anne’s Rd.

At No Frills, customers will still be able to find President’s Choice and No Name brands as well as national brands, plus a selection of produce, meat, dairy and baked goods.

There are currently two other No Frills stores in Winnipeg, at 600 Notre Dame Ave. and 1445 Main St.