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Preventative Measures

Save-On-Foods implements new measures to better serve customers, team members during pandemic

Mar 20, 2020 | 10:05 AM

One of Canada’s major grocery chains has announced several new measures to better serve customers, and support team members in response to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Save-On-Foods is temporarily suspending bottle returns and the use of reusable shopping bags in all of its 178 stores across Western Canada and will provide plastic bags to customers free of charge until further notice.

“Both our team members and customers have expressed concern about bottle returns and in using reusable bags at this time and we want to do everything we can to put them at ease,” says Save-On-Foods president Darrell Jones, in a release. “The health and safety of our team members and customers is our number one priority and we’ll continue to do what’s best for them as this unprecedented situation evolves. Until further notice, we will not be accepting bottle returns or reusable bags in our stores and we will not be charging our customers for plastic bags.”

According to company officials, suspending the use of bottle returns and reusable bags is one of many measures the Save-On-Foods has undertaken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as limiting shopping hours from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and dedicating the hour from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. to seniors, people with disabilities, and others at risk to shop.

Save-On-Foods is also urging customers to shop normally and leave their delivery service available for people who can’t get to the store.

Officials say limiting operating hours will give the teams at Save-On-Foods additional time to clean and sanitize, restock the shelves and better serve their customers, and also gives the front-line grocery store workers a much-needed chance to recharge during these unprecedented times.

“It is not business as usual and my amazing team of 21,000 team members has a big job to do as they work around the clock to replenish the items our customers need,” adds Jones. “As always, Save-On-Foods will continue to work hard to safeguard the health of our team members, our customers and our communities. We have never seen times as turbulent and as uncertain as these and we are so proud of the great work our teams are doing.”