According to the Times Colonist,
Thrifty Foods has been bought out by Sobey's. For those who are unfamiliar with Thrifty Foods, they're probably one of the best local grocery chains in Victoria. The thing I most adore from them is the fact that they have sushi chefs on staff who freshly prepare sushi. Fresh sushi is far better than the prepackaged sushi that other grocery stores carry.
From the article:
Alex Campbell, founder of Thrifty Foods, says the $260-million sale of his company to Sobeys was "the right fit."
The sale of Thrifty, Vancouver Island's largest private-sector employer, was announced in Victoria Monday morning.
Campbell, who founded Thrifty in 1977, said his company and Sobeys, Canada's second largest supermarket chain, share common values.
"They are a family company celebrating 100 years in business, and we have similar operating styles," Campbell said in an interview Monday.
He said he expects the transition to new owners to be seamless. Sobey's has said it intends to allow the Thrifty group of 20 stores to operate as a stand-alone subsidiary.
Thrifty, Western Canada's largest independent grocery chain, has 3,700 employees in stores throughout Vancouver Island and on the Lower Mainland.
"We have come to the realization that if we want to continue as the market leader, then we must commit to a new era of growth," Campbell said in a press release about the sale. "I am very pleased to find, in Sobeys a company that is committed to the long-term growth and success of Thrifty Foods."
Nova Scotia-based Sobeys owns or franchises 1,300 stores in all 10 provinces under such names as Sobeys, IGA, Foodland and Price Chopper.
I liked Thrifty's for the focus on quality in their products. They also featured a lot of local produce and products. From what I've heard, being an employee there is pretty good as well because they pay their employees better than minimum wage.
It will be interesting to see if anything changes when Sobeys takes control. I suspect with the backing of Sobeys, Thrifty Foods can grow faster because of extra financial backing.