Calgary Co-op Celebrates 65th Anniversary With New Store
As one of North America’s largest cooperatives, Calgary Co-operative Association Ltd. (Calgary Co-op) is celebrating its 65th anniversary with the grand opening of its 24th food store, in Sage Hill, located in northwest Calgary, Alberta.
Since its inception, the Canadian co-op has been known for supporting local purveyors and helping to positively shape the local community. Its first location was established by Calgary and area farmers and ranchers who wanted to serve Calgarians with fresh local food. Today, Calgary Co-op serves more than 440,000 members across its service area in Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, High River, Okotoks and Strathmore, and employs more than 3,850 team members.
Calgary Co-op continues to be community-minded: In 2020 alone, the Calgary Co-op Foundation contributed more than CAN $2.2 million to help address food insecurity, food banks and charities in the community.
According to Ken Keelor, CEO of Calgary Co-op, “Celebrating the opening of a new food center with our team is the perfect way to celebrate 65 years of business. Calgary Co-op has seen many changes over the decades, but our values and community-minded approach remain the same. I would like to acknowledge and congratulate the dedication of our employees and members who continuously show commitment and loyalty to our brand.”
The new Sage Hill food store is located in a new shopping center called Sage Hill Quarter, which features a mix of retail stores and condominiums. Located at 455 Sage Valley Drive NW in Calgary, the state-of-the-art grocery store features self-checkout, a streamlined bakery department, sushi services and a robust natural product selection. The Sage Hill location is Calgary Co-op's first new store in five years, as reported by Progressive Grocer sister publication Canadian Grocer.
In September, Calgary Co-op launched a creative advertising campaign aimed at bringing fun to everyday moments. The campaign playfully designates Calgary Co-op as the "Unofficial Sponsor" of everyday at-home food and beverage moments, from sports parodies, to the household crockpot countdown, to dinner with the in-laws, to the ongoing struggle to uncork a bottle of wine. The campaign runs across TV, radio and digital platforms, and is complemented by in-store and flier promotions.
Owned by its members, Calgary Co-op offers products and services through its food centers, gas stations, pharmacies, car washes, commercial cardlocks, home health care centers, cannabis dispensaries, and wine, spirits and beer stores, as well as the Community Natural Foods retail banner. The retailer also has three private brands: Cal & Gary’s, Founders & Farmers, and Only Alberta Meat. Calgary Co-op has assets of CAN $627 million and annual sales of CAN $1.2 billion.
