NoFrills officially opened this morning at 8 a.m. Shown from left cutting the ribbon are Zoe Bourdon from head office, bookkeeper Hanni Fridrich, owner Kevin Meyer, and Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes. Photos by Lyonel Doherty
It’s nice to see some familiar faces in Oliver’s newest grocery store.
So said Mayor Ron Hovanes at the grand opening of NoFrills in Oliver Place Mall this morning.
The mayor and several other dignitaries were on hand for the official ribbon cutting just before the doors opened at 8 a.m.
“I’m very biased . . . Oliver is an easy place to call home,” he said after being introduced by store owner Kevin Meyer.
Hovanes thanked NoFrills management for investing in the Oliver community, and like the company’s “won’t be beat” price promise, he guaranteed that the company will be successful here.
The mayor also noted it was nice to see familiar faces, such as Norm Houle, who managed the former SuperValu site in the mall. It was like he never left.
Meyer told the Chronicle that competition in Oliver is healthy and “good for the market.”
He said NoFrills is a vehicle that will drive the competitive spirit in the community with low prices.
Meyer said while other stores have a butcher or baker on site, NoFrills does not; it gets its meat from a central facility, which enables the store to keep its prices low.
“We will have a fabulous impact on the community . . . I love the grocery world,” he said.
Prior to the ribbon cutting, NoFrills donated $500 to the Oliver Food Bank and $500 to the local Boys and Girls Club.
Gallagher Lake resident Heather Leslie was the first in line to get in the store.
“It was amazing . . . I was really, really awed,” she said, after spending $150.
“The things that I buy, I no longer need to go to Penticton every week.”
Leslie said she was very happy with the prices, noting that products like milk and butter are cheaper than what you see in other stores.
Leslie was thrilled when she found fresh mint for sale, something she hasn’t been able to find elsewhere. She was also delighted to find noodle soup in a package for 25 cents each.
“I had no trouble finding things,” she pointed out.
Shoppers line up outside the store.
NoFrills owner Kevin Meyer and bookkeeper Hanni Fridrich donate $500 to the local Boys and Girls Club, represented by Laurene Sloboda (middle) and Lyndsey Todoruk.
Kevin Meyer and Hanni Fridrich (left) from NoFrills donate $500 to the Oliver Food Bank, represented by Jolanda Balog and Jim Ouellette.
