There are tears, praise and plenty of hugs in recent days as the SuperValu store in Greystone Village on Burnwood Drive near the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course finally closed its doors forever after 10 years in the area.
But those vibes have been replaced with frustration as people with mobility issues wonder how they will get their groceries as they wait for the store to be replaced with another – hopefully later this year.
“The staff here were so wonderful,” said Tina K., who was doing her final grocery shop at the SuperValu store. “They always helped you if you couldn’t find something and always had a cheery attitude. They made it a real pleasure.”
Tina uses a walker and no longer drives. Even taking the bus is a difficult chore due to having to climb a couple of steps onto the bus, plus the walk from the bus stop to the nearest grocery store.
“It’s a longer distance for me to go and I’m going to struggle with it,” Tina said. “The SuperValu was just so much more convenient. I’m stocking up right now as I figure out how I will get my groceries. Hopefully the new store opens as soon as possible.”
The store will be replaced by a new store, Sungiven Foods, but the company says it won’t be opening until at least the fall because the space needs extensive renovations.
The area surrounding Greystone Village has a large seniors population.
“I’ve been reading about the grocery delivery options but I’m concerned about the extra cost,” said another senior who was doing her final grocery shop. “I don’t have any money to spare each month and with grocery costs going up so much that has really eaten into my budget.”
SuperValu has operated in the Greystone space for 10 years before its lease wasn’t renewed.
“I would like to let you know that we will expand our business in Burnaby again by taking the site at Greystone Village,” said Sungiven senior vice-president, Terence Fong. “We will start our work after (SuperValu) closes and hopefully we will serve this community in the coming fall.”
The renovations will be needed to give it that distinctive Sungiven look and have plenty of space for all of the hot items the company sells to customers.
Sungiven recently opened its second location in South Burnaby, in the Big Bend area at 5771 Marine Way.
The new South Burnaby location will be even bigger than the 6,300 square feet of space it occupies at Hastings and Gilmore in Burnaby. Sungiven has also based its headquarters in Burnaby and operates two stores in Vancouver.
Sungiven recently expanded into North Vancouver and has plans for a south Surrey location.
