There are some specific vegetables that my partner loves that most grocery stores just don’t have.
So we have to go hunting for them and usually the first place to stop is at the fruit and veggie market at Crystal Mall.
It was during a recent visit there last weekend that I chatted with some of the vendors about the COVID-19 pandemic. While restaurants and other businesses have paid a heavy price due to restrictions, other grocery stores have seen hefty profits, such as those owned by Loblaw and Sobeys.
“For us, it’s still a struggle,” said one vendor. Business is good because people still need to eat, but he still felt that consumer confidence is not back where it should be and the numbers are not back to pre-pandemic levels.
In Burnaby, the battle amongst local Asian grocery stores has always been pretty fierce. Today, it’s even more so as more competition is added.
The newest kid on the block was Sungiven, which opened its first Burnaby location on Hastings at Gilmore in the Heights neighbourhood in early 2020. It announced itself by donating $35,000 from the first day of sales to Burnaby Hospital.
Sungiven gave notice that it was taking on the T&T store at Metropolis at Metrotown, as well as Hannam on North Road in an area dominated by Korean businesses. Then there are also a wide array of small Asian markets spread all around the city. All of these stores have been doing special giveaways lately, including handing out fresh-cut flowers to customers. It's a nice touch.
T&T always seems busy, but it definitely never seems as busy as it did pre-pandemic. There have been some weekdays that were pretty quiet when I visited compared to before COVID-19 arrived.
And yet all of these stores are taking incredible precautions to keep both staff and customers safe.
It just takes time to regain the confidence of customers still skittish about going out. The recent third wave definitely didn’t help.
But vaccinations are accelerating every day.
One thing that will greatly help grocery stores in dealing with the pandemic is that Fraser Health is now calling on all grocery store workers 18 and up to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The health authority, the largest in the province, said all adult grocery store staff are now eligible to receive either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, according to a press release.
Information on how to register for an appointment will be provided through employers or union representatives.
Staff are required to provide identification and proof of employment, such as a pay stub or work ID, when they arrive to get a shot.
The more workers who get vaccinated, the fewer COVID-19 cases will impact stores, which means more consumer confidence.
- With additional reporting by Stefan Labbé
