FreshCo opens its first Vancouver discount grocery store at Broadway and Alder on Nov. 12

The first FreshCo in Vancouver opens to the public Thursday, Nov. 12, at 8 a.m. at 1154-1174 W. Broadway, at Alder Street. Shoppers get two hours of free rooftop parking with a purchase.

The store takes over the former Toys "R" Us site, which closed in June 2025. The 29,000-square-foot space keeps the historic Bowmac sign, which now has FreshCo lettering over it.

FreshCo is a discount banner, and according to owner Krystal MacDonald, its focus is value and affordability. Fresh produce, a meat department, dry goods and freezers fill the floor. There is no bakery, but baked items are sold. International offerings run across the snack, frozen and dry goods sections, with products from South Asia, the Caribbean and Europe.

MacDonald, the company's only female store owner, said customers stop her on the street. "[People are] very excited. They stop me on the street every single time I go out there," she told reporters. "I get a 15-minute conversation about their life and how happy they are that we're here."

A FreshCo spokesperson said the company listens to customers about what they want on the shelves. "We pride ourselves on offering a wide assortment, but we're always looking for ways to evolve and better serve our community," the spokesperson said.

FreshCo has several other locations across the Lower Mainland. Its parent company is Sobeys. The banner moved into Western Canada in 2019.