It was announced last month that a Zellers store will open in the Bay's basement later in 2010 which has led to questions about whether the 18,000 square foot grocery store would remain.
I have it on good authority that it will indeed stay and even get a makeover.That's good news for residents as the Bay is just one of just a couple of full range grocery stores, the other being Food Fare, in the downtown.
June 16, 1890, Morning Telegraph
The Bay is Winnipeg's first downtown grocer going back to the days of Upper Fort Garry at Main and Assiniboine. When the HBC left the fort for the more modern confines of their first department store at Main and York, the grocery store was located right on the main floor.
A grocery store has been a feature in the basement of their current department store since it opened in 1926.
The food store has gone by a variety of names over the century. In the beginning, it was just the 'grocery department'. In the late1930s, the company opted for the Eaton-esque 'groceteria'. In the 1960s, it was rechristened the Food Mart, though groceteria was still widely used. By the 1990s, it was the Bay FoodMarket.
A grocery store has been a feature in the basement of their current department store since it opened in 1926.
The food store has gone by a variety of names over the century. In the beginning, it was just the 'grocery department'. In the late1930s, the company opted for the Eaton-esque 'groceteria'. In the 1960s, it was rechristened the Food Mart, though groceteria was still widely used. By the 1990s, it was the Bay FoodMarket.
Both Eaton's and the Bay once had full service meat shops at one time. In the depths of the Bay basement today you can still see the meat hooks in their old service elevator and the conveyor system still runs across the ceiling of the storage area.
In the 1960's, when it was revamped into the Food Mart, the Bay added new services such as a
50 cent delivery service and an 'exit service' where you could leave your groceries at the checkout and an attendant would meet you at the exit of the Bay parkade as you left. The latter seems to have disappeared in the 1970s, though they will still do deliveries on large orders.
In October 1999, Eaton's closed and along with it went its basement groceteria. The Bay responded in 2002 by expanding the FoodMarket by 7,000 square feet, bringing it up to 18,000 square feet. In particular, the produce department, meat department and ready-to-consume foods would benefit from the expansion.
The Bay's food services manager, Ron Bakker, was interviewed in a March 2002 Free Press article about the expansion. He said that the market had been experiencing a steady increase in sales even before Eaton's closed and "they took a dramatic jump after that".
The delivery, meat counter and some of the other features may be gone, but the Bay's grocery department will remain a part of the downtown for the foreseeable future. That and the addition of a Zellers is great news for downtown residents.
Ads from over the years:
In the 1960's, when it was revamped into the Food Mart, the Bay added new services such as a
50 cent delivery service and an 'exit service' where you could leave your groceries at the checkout and an attendant would meet you at the exit of the Bay parkade as you left. The latter seems to have disappeared in the 1970s, though they will still do deliveries on large orders.
In October 1999, Eaton's closed and along with it went its basement groceteria. The Bay responded in 2002 by expanding the FoodMarket by 7,000 square feet, bringing it up to 18,000 square feet. In particular, the produce department, meat department and ready-to-consume foods would benefit from the expansion.
The Bay's food services manager, Ron Bakker, was interviewed in a March 2002 Free Press article about the expansion. He said that the market had been experiencing a steady increase in sales even before Eaton's closed and "they took a dramatic jump after that".
The delivery, meat counter and some of the other features may be gone, but the Bay's grocery department will remain a part of the downtown for the foreseeable future. That and the addition of a Zellers is great news for downtown residents.
Ads from over the years:
September 30, 1907, Winnipeg Free Press
2 comments:
Is the Food Market staying as part of the Bay, or will it be absorbed as part of Zellers?
My understanding was that it would stay a standalone grocery store. They weren't 100% sure of how the cross-product thing would work. Details still being knocked out.
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