In a retail shift for residents of Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, Safeway liquor stores in the communities are set to close their doors as new owners prepare to take over.
The existing stores are currently undergoing renovations and will soon reopen as ‘On the Rocks’ liquor stores, which already maintain a strong presence in Fort St. John.
The decision follows a July 30th letter to suppliers where Safeway, under its parent company Empire, announced the sale of all eight of its B.C. liquor stores.
The company cited market conditions, the current licensing regime, and “other factors” as reasons behind the move.
However, Safeway confirmed that there are no plans to consolidate its other locations across Western Canada.
Details on the official reopening date of the newly re-branded stores in the Peace Region remains unclear.