Quality Foods
Quality Foods is a grocery store chain in British Columbia.
Quality Foods is privately operated by Ken Schley, John Briuolo and Noel Hayward, and later partnering with Bruce Robertson in 1986. Owning 10 upscale Supermarkets located in Vancouver Island B.C., with independent distribution centers in Errington, BC, Quality Foods has won the recognition for being one of Canada’s 50 best managed company program. They have also won the Canada’s supply chain efficiency award. Quality Foods is one of the first grocers in western Canada to offer online grocery shopping in 1997 to meet the needs of their customers, and the first in Canada to introduce a customer reward program and loyalty card. Quality Foods vision to better it community has won them many more awards like the Better Business Bureau Torch Award, and the Business of the Year from the local Chamber of Commerce. The set attitude to improve the lives of their citizen in the community was what allowed many innovations Quality Foods, like their recycling program, to flourish. A lot of the food processing in British Columbia is located in the Vancouver area, a site of tourism in the central island of BC. This might explain one of the reasons why the partners of Quality foods choose Vancouver as a starting point for their growing independent grocery retail company. In 2003 the estimated value of food and beverage production out of Vancouver came up to $6.0 billion. The First Quality Foods, also known as “QF”, took over and remodeled a vacant Super-Value store in downtown Qualicum Beach in 1982. It was in the heart of Parksville, a commercial centre, favoring unique kinds of boutiques and rejecting the usual big franchise operations. With a spectacular food and deli section, and service beyond what was expected, QF won the approval of neighboring townspeople and soon became an established Grocery store. Quality Foods is now one of the largest employers in the Central Island. More than 70% of QF’s 700 staff members and employees have remained with them for over five years.
History
Schley, John Briuolo and Noel Hayward wanted to institute a basic full-service, specialty oriented supermarket. With a small group of people from the Kootenay Region, having grocery backgrounds, the three partners were able to reconstruct a Super-Valu into their own Qualicum Foods grocery store and opened in 1982. They were able to work off a small budget to achieve this accomplishment. Their belief was that “every customer should have the best shopping experience possible”. As the years past, the stores finances became stable. Gaining credentials allowed them to be given the opportunity to partner with Bruce Robertson of Robertson’s Food Master. This was an offer which they quickly accepted.The year 1986 marked the second opening of a Quality Foods store. Warehouse expansions and renovations were underway. Online Grocery shopping from the Quality Foods website began in 1997. It later expanded in 2000. By 2003 the “My Daily Special” was introduced; therefore, customers could get a group of products of their choice within a budget receiving them at a special pricing for that day. The intent to expand outside of the Vancouver area has not been made, but there are high demands encouraging them to do so. With many awards and achievements over 20 years, from a past of obstacles’, the company owners have said that their success was due to its people and customers. Quality Foods still remains an active business today.
Chains
- '''Main Office/
Distribution Centre''' 1581 Alberni Highway Errington, BC
- Nanaimo- Northridge 101-5800 Turner Road
Nanaimo, BC
- Nanoose #1-2443 Collins Crescent
Nanoose Bay, BC
- Nanaimo - Harewood
- 100, 530 - 5th Street
Nanaimo, BC
- Qualicum Foods 705 Memorial Avenue
Qualicum Beach, BC
- Port Alberni 2943-10th Avenue
Port Alberni, BC
- Parksville - Waterside 319 A East Island Highway
Parksville, BC
- Comox Valley 2275 Guthrie Road
Comox, BC
- Nanaimo - Bowen #7-2220 Bowen Road
Nanaimo, BC
Quality Foods Q-Cards
The Q-card idea first surfaced in October 1991. It is a point system that allows customers to earn rewards by using the Q-card each time they shop. Rewards such as; Black & Decker, DVD Movies, Kitchen Gadgets, toys, and many more products. The Q-card also ensures discounts on particular items throughout the store. Applying for a Q-card can be done in the store by filling out a simple application or online. There are also different catalogs on line to view the sales and rewards for the season. Quality Foods was the first store in the central region, and all of Canada to adopt this idea. Other competitors caught on shortly after and the concept became wide spread.
See also
- Food quality