Calgary Co-op

This location Is quite new, large, bright, clean, well stocked and the layout is pleasant to shop in. This location seems to be less busy then other nearby grocery stores which I like. Their prices are often higher then their competitors. They carry a few unique specialty products that are not easily found otherwise such as the delicious and expensive Master’s chocolate (Made by the real Bernard Callebaut and not the company that took his name.), specialty organic stuff, gourmet sorbets, etc. A 3 ½ star rating is about right.

Great take out sushi. Prices need to be better on over all groceries. Quality is to me is a bit better then Superstore and Safeway and as good as sobyes, on produce. Good deli and bakery. The butchers have good cuts meat, as well as good customer service. I’m happy to see the improved the store hrs. The Liquor store so close is a nice touch. Now we need a gas station and car wash and we are all set. ;)

I like this location because it is shiny and new. I don’t like this location because generally I find CO-​OP to be limited on selection compared to other grocery stores. I also feel like I’m being judged every time the cashier asks for my CO-​OP number and I say I don’t have one.
My latest visit was during the Quarry Park & Polish. I need to get some cash to make a donation and I needed something to whet my whistle. CO-​OP is the only place I’ve seen Bawls being sold so I picked one up. Despite the nearby crowd the sore wasn’t busy. I was able to walk right up to a self-​checkout and be on my way in a flash.

Another hidden gem in Quarry Park! This location is absolutely fantastic — brand new, modern, tons of selection, clean and well-​organized.
I would occasionally shop at Co-​op on Richmond Road, but avoided it for my big grocery runs as I found it to be run down and dingy, and the produce doesn’t seem to be as good in quality as the QP location. The QP store definitely has a larger selection of fresh produce, deli and meats. I’ve been coming here to buy the majority of my groceries — no hassles with line-​ups, insane parking lots, etc. that most other grocery stores have on the weekends. Absolutely love shopping here!

I am generally not a fan of Co-​Op. I dont know why, but it has never really done it for me. Maybe I was feeling adventurous, or maybe I just hated my local Safeway more than usual the other day so I thought I’d finally try the «new» Co-​Op in Quarry Park.
Here is what I liked:
It still isn’t busy. Just as Carrie P pointed out, people haven’t really moved into Quarry Park enough yet to make this place the madhouse I think Co-​Op is hoping it will become
It still feels new, has a lot of selection including great produce, a take out Chinese area, a salad bar and a aisles and aisle of dry goods.
What was a bit weird to me is the fact that despite having more stuff, it had less of each type of stuff. More example, there were the usual brands of pasta but only once line had lasagna noodles. Their fresh pasta section was far smaller than that of the Safeway down the street. I also found the «logic» of what items were in which aisles a bit confusing. I get every retailer does things a bit differently, but I found how they organized items to be a lot different from Safeway or Superstore, meaning I had to hunt for items or really rely on signage. I am sure I would «learn» their system over time though.
I tried out the self checkouts because it wasn’t busy and I felt like having less human interaction. As soon as the «cash watcher» lady saw me pondering what PLU to use for some buns though, she came over and helped without me having to ask. Then she quietly disappeared.
Will CO-​Op and I be friends? That remains to be seen. For such a nice store, something was «missing». I found the prices to be comparable but not any better. I will try it out a few more times and see how it fits my shopping needs.

I live in Riverbend. What this means, is that I have a number options for grocery shopping. Safeway in Ogden, Sobeys‘in Riverbend, SuperStore and Costo in Heritage Meadows and as of lately… Quarry Park has opened up a Calgary Co-​Op.
So what portion orf my business does Calgary Co-​op get and why?
Well, here is what I like about Calgary Co-​op in this location
1. It is brand-​spanking new. The building is new. The staff are new. It is a pleasant, organized experience. I can go in, find what I’m looking for and get out in record time.
2. Nobody lives in Quarry Park yet, so this location is NOT busy. Again, I can get in and out in record time. There is tonnes of parking and usually not a lot of shoppers. So there is no line up at the checkout. In, shop, and get out.
3. Maybe they have these at all locations, I don’t know. But at the checkout, they have a table full of plastic cups with assorted healthy snacks and bulk candies. This has saved me (almost) every time from grabbing a chocolate bar. I have walked out with a dixie cup full of roasted almonds instead.
So for me, what I love about this location is that it is fairly new, and the residents of Riverbend and DouglasGlen haven’t completed migrated over. Its just as close as any other, but I am not stuck in lineups. I know once the development starts in quarry park, this location will likely be a madhouse, but for now, I enjoy how easy it is to shop there.