Frequent shoppers at Buy-Low Foods in Uptown will soon have to find a new place to buy groceries.
At 6 p.m. on Aug. 26, Buy-Low Foods at 555 Sixth St. will close its doors for the last time. The chain opened the 25,000-square-foot supermarket just three years ago in January of 2015, hoping to bring some competition to the area. There is currently a Save-On-Foods and Walmart Supercenter nearby on Sixth Avenue.
Michael Deildal said he was disappointed to learn the store would be closing. As someone who lives in the neighbourhood, he regularly walks there to buy groceries. Now, he says, he might start riding his bike, or could end up driving to another store.
“I don’t use a car very often,” he said. “I’ll have to walk elsewhere.”
Deildal says the staff are friendly as well, something else he’ll miss about the store closing.
Debora Payment agrees. She appreciates the customer service at the location.
“It’s a shame because, the employees, you’ve never been in a friendlier store than this one,” she said. “Absolutely friendly people … The personalities are such that they make you feel welcome.”
Payment regularly walks to the store with her husband. They come often to see what is on sale.
“When they have a sale, it’s a humdinger,” she says, laughing.
Jill Weir, another regular customer, was surprised to hear the store would be closing this month. She says she’s not sure where she’s going to shop, as she likes this location because it’s easy for her to walk to.
“It’s part of my exercise routine, and my get-my-groceries routine,” she says. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I’ll have to think very carefully about that. Maybe have one shopping trip a week and use the bus.”?
When the store opened, Buy-Low’s director of retail operations Sam Corea told the Record the shop would be good for the community. He also said he was confident Uptown could sustain several grocery stores, even while Walmart was being built just around the corner.
Flyers posted outside the store’s entrance say the store’s staff and inventory will be transferred to other store locations.
“Between now and August 25th we remain committed to supporting the community of New Westminster,” reads the poster.
The flyer lists the chain’s two nearest locations: 7641 Royal Oak Ave. in Burnaby, and 14865 108th Ave. in Surrey. “We look forward to serving you again.”
Buy-Low Foods did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.
– With files from Mario Bartel
