Safeway

Hi Unilocal,
There’s already another listing for this Safeway, which the OP neglects to check before creating a «First to Review» ;) Just another unnecessary duplicate.
Thanks again

As much as I have a love hate relationship with the safeway brand due to pricing and being a US company, this location saved my a$$ when I needed some last minute things for a pic nick beach event (Meet-​Up Group). I paid way more than I should’ve but I ended up being the lunch hero. Well organized and busy.

This Safeway is cheaper than other locations, they seem to cater more to the West End residents. Produce is expensive compared to small markets around. They’re pretty good at managing lineups (unlike Davie Independent), and get you through the line fast. The inside is clean, updated, well stocked. The hours are great (open late), and bonus Starbucks (unfortunately lacking charm, slow, and average quality) but it still helps. If I need to do a large grocery shop, I come here because it’s reliable and quick.

There’s an urban myth that Safeway is a really pricey place to shop
Then again, where isn’t expensive in the westend?
It’s really not that bad, you just have to know what/​when to buy
Plus, it’s about the same price. sometimes cheaper. than the Independent
This store has really good deals on men’s razors. sometimes $ 4 dollars cheaper than London Drugs across the road! Plus over the counter medicines are usually a good deal
Florist corner is good for last minute or belated events
Fruit and vegetables are always fresh, and they have a good selection of meat/​seafood that looks safe to consume (unlike other local grocery stores)
It’s just a much better shopping experience than that at Independent or the dreaded No Frills

Pretty standard for a supermarket, not much else to add.
One time, though, I broke a bunch of stuff and one of the staff was awfully kind, and didn’t ask me to pay for anything.

Too pricey for what they offer! Even more $ then specialty shops! Almost 8 bucks for fig bars that even Wholefoods was selling for around 5.

Alright, with the No Frills in this neighbourhood it is surprising this Safeway has any business at all. But they do. Lots of it. Well at least today, the Sunday before Christmas. This location has everything. Deli, sandwiches, Starbucks, seating, self check out. My only complaint would be that not all the forks, spoons for their deli items are not kept in the same place. THEY SHOULD ALL BE IN THE SAME PLACE! And I have also come home with proof of how ridiculous Safeway pricing is… look at the ‘deal‘on this ice cream.
I must admit… i did buy ONE!!!

I’m not a regular shopper at this location but my last experience here ended terribly. My friend Jenn and I stopped in to get some sliced ham after purchasing diapers at the London Drugs across the street. Everything went fine until it came time to pay. When we pushed the stroller through the checkout line an employee stopped us and rudely demanded to search the stroller. He saw the diaper package in the bottom carrier, subtly accused us of shoplifting, and demanded — and I mean demanded — to see our receipt.
After he looked at the receipt and saw we weren’t criminals he walked away scowling. I don’t know if this particular employee is just a grump or if his behaviour is the result of a policy set down from the company or the general manager and I frankly don’t care. The entire situation could definitely been handled a lot better.

This may not be my best review, but I do want to thank this Safeway for its friendliness and cleanliness. Often, I need to stop here to use the washroom whenever I’m leaving Stanley Park. The store is always clean as well as having a clean washroom. Thanks
And as always, Have Fun!
(13÷30)

I usually went here when I was too lazy to cook or go to No Frills.
The place can be a bit expensive, but always had something to eat from the deli.
Yes, the layout is pretty crazy, but whatever.
One of those places to go if you need one or two things not found anywhere else.

This Safeway starts to show its age. It’s fine for quick shopping, but I prefer the one of Robson street. Unfortunately those are the only two Safeways in Downtown. Driving in and out of the garage (free for customers) is not that easy from Davie Street.

Safeway is not my first choice for grocery stores but sometimes it’s just convenience. This one holds a special place in my heart as I lived around the corner for my first 13 years in Vancouver. The staff all new my two little kids and it actually felt like a neighbourhood store.
Now when I go to my dentist on this block I’ll sometimes pop in. There are staff who still remember me and ask how the kids are even though we haven’t lived in the West End for over 6 years!

I had my first West End 10% off Tuesday shopping experience this week, how exciting! As newbies to the West End, we parked the car on the street, only to discover that we had to make two trips to carry our groceries out because you can’t take the shopping cart outside. Did they think we were hobos? Maybe. Did they think we would take off with the cart, never to be seen again? Yes.
I found this Safeway to be a little weird. There were lots of strange isles, and confusion when we were trying to find things. They also seemed to be out of stock on a few normal items that you would think would be stocked in abundance because they are non-​perishable. They did however, have the most amazing PMS isle. Yea, I said it PMS isle. This isle was filled with maxipads and tampons on one side and ice cream on the other. The only thing missing was some machine guns.
The service was standard as was expected, the cashier didn’t speak english too well, and when we were looking for help to carry out our stuff since we accidently parked on the street rather than underground where we could just roll the cart out to the car, we couldn’t find anyone. If it wasn’t for the cheap Tuesdays, I’m not sure I’d be back.

omgosh, that dude is awesome (discussed in other reviews)… dang, I forgot his name. He is like a comic book character! He makes the shopping experience. Asian dude right? — we are talking about the same guy?
Haha.
I have been a scan man in my time and I can tell you it is the most depressing job! How he keeps that level of enthusiasm and excitement is amazing.
5 stars, just for that dude. (is it Richard? Robert? Stewart? I can’t remember).
The prices are ok, but not the best.
Ok buh buy now, eh eh eh eh.

What can I say, Safeway is what it is. And that’s pretty much all I would expect from a huge, chain grocery store.
They stock pretty much all the standards for a typical grocery store but drop the ball with their lack of «specialty» items, especially when it comes to Asian foods. But at the same time, there are more then a few shops only a couple of blocks away where you can pick up those type of things.
The produce isn’t the greatest and can be on the pricey side, usually due to the fact they truck in a lot of off season veggies from places like Mexico. However, once again, that’s easily remedied by walking down the block to one of the corner markets.
Deli wise, you get what you pay for. If you want really great olives, cheeses or meats, head to the Cardero Bottega or Capers. If you’re not willing to spend a little extra then the Safeway deli is okay for your day to day cured ham needs.
My biggest issue with the store has to be the lack-​luster seafood section. For a city that can boast some of the best fresh, local seafood the selection at Safeway is incredibly sparse and well, just plain sad. It’s Spot Prawn season, but not one to be found in their cooler. No live mussels, scallops, or crab and they still carry farmed-​fish that I don’t want anything to do with. Why can I not find a decent fishmonger in the West End?
Cons aside, they’re open early and close late. The store is clean, well stocked, and the staff for the most part is pleasant and actually willing to help you find what you’re looking for. It’s also nice that they are now carrying more organic options including their own Safeway Organics product line.
Alex D. is right about the «one crazy server» that works there. I’m still trying to figure out if he is actually on the «I’ll have what he’s having» uppers or once again he just forgot to take his prescribed medication. The other day when I was in there he didn’t have any customers at his till and he was actually shadow boxing with invisible opponent. That day I decided it was probably best if I just used the do-​it-​yourself check out.

With the limited grocery options in the West End Safeway in general fails to add much to the pot. While they stock a wider range than No Frills they gouge you on the prices ridiculously. Their «Safeway Card» is just another example of how they push up the price, and then offer a discount with a card to make you feel like you are getting a good deal.
On a slightly positive and humorous note there is this one crazy server who is seriously on some «I’ll have what he’s having» uppers. It is like he is racing to beat some unrecorded world record for completing a transaction. Once he even told me to swipe my card and as I drew it from my wallet he declares «haha too slow». Oh no I think I am in the challenge as well now!!!
He also takes great pleasure in reading customers names when they use a card to pay. I laughed once as the customer had a tough to pronounce French name and the cashier started at it for a while before choosing to end with — «good day sir»