Save On Foods

Alas: the high price of success… we started shopping UBC Save On almost as soon as it opened and were blown away by food quality, friendliness of staff, and ease of shopping. We wished them well, and hoped they would be successful, as it was early days and they were clearly concerned about the future.
But apparently their success has exceeded their ability to cope. My last three visits have all suffered the same problems: out of items I buy regularly, horrendous check-​out lines (up to 25 minutes), untrained and confused staff, no one available at deli counter. If it’s this bad now, I can’t imagine what will happen as Wesbrook Village reaches its full anticipated size. I guess I’m already getting ready to revert to Safeway, despite the fact that we have moved to campus since we first started shopping at Wesbrook.

Put a special order on Tuesday and promised that it will arrive on Thursday. Employees were quite helpful, but guess what, they never put the order through! Management: put some money to train your employee how to put special order! And when you screw up, don’t find tons of excuses. Try to solve the problem not give me excuses!

Terrible selection and prices. Produce is never fresh or ripe. Employees are always in the way or trying to get past you and they are impolite. Just another cash cow grazing on starving students out here at ubc, nothing new.

All the self-​checkouts were in Chinese. I may be part Chinese, but I still find that a bit offensive. Way to pander to stereotypes Save on Foods. Not everyone who lives at UBC is Chinese.

They sure snagged a great spot for this major development, almost like a Whistler-​like Village feel, with some retail shops and eateries like Menchies and Chef Hung within walking distance.
Big store, with free parking at the front.
Nice that the washrooms are right beside customer service when you walk in, to your left ;)
I do find the bakery stuff fresh, and do shop for their lemon meringue pie ;)

Freshness is diffently not guaranteed here. Their deli section has 1 — 3 day old food that does not get roated until after the lunch hour rush. Meaning, that there is no hope to get a sandwich or other food made that day. Always day olds at lunch time. I spoke with the manager about the issue, and it was stated that 1 — 3 day old deli items is perfectly acceptable with the Canadian health guidelines. So what, I want a fresh made sandwich, not some day plus old sandwich they are trying to sell for full price. Greedy corporation. Stay away unless you like playing full price for old food.

Save-​On has a great bulk section and lots of local produce which makes me a happy customer. Don’t forget to sign up for their rewards program, it’s free to join.

Meh, it’s a big chain grocery stall. Has most of the essential things but needs more «ethnic» or Asian items considering the neighbourhood its in.
Service is great though, everyone just seems to be nice and helpful all the time.
Prices are high compared to Superstore/​No Frills but not so high as to justify a trek off campus unless you’re buying for the month or something.

Wow, how did an entire new neighbourhood pop up all of a sudden on the south side of campus?! There’s a bike shop, doctor and dentist offices, sushi, BCL, and Save On Foods beyond the roundabout.
The points system has greatly benefited me. Just the other day, I was able to redeem, and therefore went home with a bunch of spring onions free of charge! Spend money, save money, I like that. Save On also has bottle return as I understand, and sells everything from groceries and produce, to beauty products and around-​the-​house essentials.
Downside to this place, is the looooonnnnngggg wait time at peak hours for check out. Definitely don’t shop when you’re hungry, either. You will spend more than you plan for initially, so I’ve learned with making this mistake over and over again. You’ll be all, «I just want to go home and cook the delicious foods!» Maintain your patience, they’re doing their best, no matter how slow that may be.
Even if you leave with armfuls of groceries in (hopefully, your reusable) bags, the stop for eastward buses is conveniently located on 16^th Ave at the roundabout.

*2/​30*
Since the Wesbrook Village is still under construction, there hasn’t been a chance for lots of places to open up… save on is a great one-​stop shop when you’re stuck down there (or anywhere on campus for that matter), especially since the BC liquor was recently relocated right next door. They have a huge selection of ready to eat meal items, including a pay-​by-​weight salad bar and hot buffet. Because of this, most of the clientele appears to be construction workers on their breaks. The store always appears to be full of people in safety vests and hard hats.
Prices are good — especially if you shop sales and use the membership card (free to sign up and you don’t have to hassle with filling in the details when you first get it).
Which leads me to my absolute favourite thing about Save On Foods: BULK BINS! Yes I know, they are quite literally the mortal enemy for those with food allergies, but thankfully I am not one of those unlucky individuals. They have everything — basics like flour, oats, sugar; various types of candies and chocolate; huge variety of dried fruits; powdered soup stocks; muffin, bread, and pancake mixes; and, best of all, spices. They also have a pretty broad range of organic bulk products.
Parking is also complementary for two hours, no tickets or validation. feel free to exploit that while wandering around other shops in the village.

Save On is Save On, for better and for worse. I want this review to focus on a certain perspective — organic and health food. Somehow, not sure how, Save On @ UBC became a really good source for organic food at a reasonable price. I talk mainly about the produce, but also meet, and other random things. Especially at this season, when there are so many great fruits, head to Save On for fantastic, organic, apples, kiwis, bananas, etc, and all at a very reasonable price.

OMG A grocery store on Campus!!! I have waited 7 years for this!
The downer – It’s still expensive. :(What’s more expensive – Save on foods or Safeway? How does it compare in price to the small grocery stores located in the village (i.e. granville island produce)?
Well this Save On is a lot smaller than most, but it does the job and is clean and well organized. I love that their dairy section is behind closed doors (clear glass doors!) so that it saves energy by keeping the cool in.
Well it’s good to have this near by for quick shopping and it’s really convenient if you have a bike or car.