CHECKING IT OUT! • February 2012 • VOLUME 23 • NUMBER 1

Celebrating Our People wow of the year

At OFG, we value world class service that consistently meets and exceeds our customers’ expectations. Once a year, an OFG team member receives our President’s Award for providing positively outstanding Customer First service. In addition, an OFG team award is presented to a team of people who’ve worked together to deliver a WOW service experience. Congratulations to our 2011 honourees. Congratulations to this year’s recipient of the WOW of the Year Award Wes Nishi from Save-On-Foods Strathcona. Everyday, Wes goes above and beyond to wow his customers and make them feel valued and special. Wes continually receives praise and recognition from customers and team members alike for his personalized and friendly approach in understanding their needs... and for always greeting them with a smile on his face! Congratulations, Wes.

Congratulations to our 2011 WOW of the Year Team Award recipients, Larry Jang, Manju Nagra and Katrina Clausen from the Pharmacy at Save-On-Foods in Magrath, .

Whether they’re educating and empowering customers on health and wellness, taking a proactive approach to helping people manage their medications or going out of their way to ensure they’re delivering service when it matters most, this hard working trio is making a difference in the lives of their customers and community. Congratulations, team. Group Personal Achievers

Each year, The Personal Achiever Award is presented to OFG team members who stand out as shining examples of excellence in their commitment to service, innovation, leadership, helpfulness, and teamwork. Congratulations to our 2011 winners for achieving this honour.

Juli-Ann Dzuba Terry Seekins Lise Schmidt Dawn Lawlor

Juli-Ann Dzuba from With 35 years of dedicated From Save-On-Foods In a fast-paced environment, , Yaletown service to his store and Cambie, Cashier Executive Administrator is known for her many community, Terry Seekins, Lise Schmidt has Dawn Lawlor never positive contributions to Assistant Produce achieved exceptional misses a beat. For the the success of the store. Supervisor at PriceSmart results in transforming past 18 years, Dawn’s high Widely respected for Foods Chilliwack, is known the scheduling approach standards, keen attention consistently exemplifying for his loyalty, commitment for a wide cross-section to detail and commitment Urban Fare’s commitment to excellence and passion of departments and team to excellence have been to service and quality, for delivering exceptional members. Dependable, complemented by her Juli-Ann genuinely cares customer service. A veteran enthusiastic and full of personable approach about making new team leader with a giving heart who energy, Lise is a key and eagerness to go the members feel like part of is open and approachable, member of the store’s extra mile. Dawn eagerly the family. She brings a Terry has helped guide tackles every challenging lot of fun to the team and his team through many team who also champions new assignment, and volunteers to support many challenges in a tough the store’s successful spearheads many worthwhile causes, including competitive environment, health and safety and continuous improvement Children’s Hospital. with great results. fundraising initiatives. efforts, all with a smile.

great job!!

Page 2 scholarship award winners

Clarence Heppell OFG Team Member Scholarship Scholarship The Clarence Heppell Scholarship, The OFG Team Member Scholarship named in honour of one of our recognizes recipients’ contributions to former presidents, is awarded to a their school, store and community and team member or dependent of a is open to team members in all stages team member who is graduating of their careers and education. from high school and proceeding congratulations to... into a full time degree or diploma program at an accredited college or university. The successful recipient of this scholarship demonstrates outstanding academic achievement and community support.

Congratulations to Jordan Pryce, the 2011 recipient of the Clarence Heppell Scholarship. Jordan is part of the bakery team at SOF Penticton and a recent grade 12 graduate from Princess Margaret Secondary School. Jordan has maintained an outstanding academic record while becoming a role model Alex Speckman, Cooper’s Foods Dewdney and leader in his school and community. This fall, Jordan began studies in Environmental Science at UBC. Jordan is passionate about our environment and is committed to making his community a great place to be. Congratulations, Jordan. Russ Haddad Scholarship In recognition of Russ Haddad’s contributions to OFG, a scholarship in his name has Bethan Mansell, Save-On-Foods Westbank been created for the benefit of OFG team members.

Recipient, Martin Bohdal, is a recent grade 12 graduate of King George Secondary in . As a member of the team at Coal Harbour Urban Fare since the store opened in 2007, Martin works in the grocery department and helps out with receiving. Martin most enjoys working with his fellow team members and Drew Elder, Save-On-Foods LETHBRIDGE customers. We wish Martin all the best as he attends UBC to study Science this Fall. Congratulations, Martin.

Congratulations to all of our recipients. For more info on OFG scholarships visit www.myofgteamsite.com

Page 3 supporting our communities

When it comes to supporting our communities all throughout the year, OFG teams put the fun in fundraising. Here’s a look at some of the events we were part of in 2011...

raising the roof at SOF Magrath The team at SOF Magrath proved that anything is possible… if you can handle rain, wind and Mother Nature’s wrath! This past Spring, Store Manager, Tony Klyne braved the elements and camped out on the roof of the store for a week to help raise money for the Edmonton Food Bank. Tony and his team raised an incredible $60,000! Congratulations.

With the support of the team and a desire to fill the emptying shelves of the local food bank, Store Manager, Tony Klyne lived on the roof of SOF Magrath for an entire week.

K’s for kids SOF Stadium This past summer, teams from Kamloops stores celebrate struts their stuff OFG stores across BC and Alberta, Christmas in July including PSF Cameron, SOF Prince September 13, 2011 was a George, SOF Quesnel, SOF Spruceland, Once again, during their “Christmas in July” proud day for the ladies at SOF Mayfield and SOF Lynn Valley, fundraiser, Kamloops Cooper’s Foods stores SOF Stadium when some of the competed against one another in the K’s came together to support the local food bank. boys “squeezed” into stilettos For Kids fundraiser in support of Children’s The stores collected donations and filled as many and “walked a mile” in high heels Hospitals. Altogether, the stores biked an food bags as possible while enjoying a day full of for the local YWCA’s Violence amazing 1658 kilometres, burned a lot of bouncy castles, face painting, great food and family Against Women Fundraiser. calories, raised nearly $4000 for the kids fun. The day was a big success and a lot of fun The team raised $2200 for the and of course... had a lot of fun. for the community. cause. Congratulations.

Page 4 supporting our communities

Grey Cup makes a stop at Urban Fare November 15 was an exciting day at Urban Fare Shangri-La as customers and team members had the chance to get up close and personal with the Grey Cup, as well as Grey Cup Champion, OFG president Steve van der Leest presents Tommy Europe. BC Children’s Hospital President & CEO, Tommy was on hand to sign autographs, pose for pictures and Teri Nicholas with a cheque for $875,767. even convince some unsuspecting customers to participate in an impromptu workout. Lots of fun! OFG’s Annual Classic Fore Kids Golf Tournament Stuff-A-Bus does it again More than 300 OFG suppliers and team It’s been another successful members came out to support the 16th year for Edmonton’s Stuff-A-Bus Annual Classics Fore Kids Golf Tournament campaign. on September 15. This year, the sold out event raised more than $875,000 for Since its inception, the fundraiser BC Children’s Hospital. has helped over 5,000 Alberta families in need, with over 317,188kgs Fun was in full swing with this year’s of food and $325,000 in cash “Celebrities at Golf” theme which had teams donations collected at dressing as their favourite celebrity personalities. Save-On-Foods locations. Thanks to fundraising efforts supported by Congratulations and great job to team members and the commitment of our everyone involved. supplier partners, like Coca-Cola, Maple Leaf and Global Television, OFG has contributed more than $14 million to support Children’s For the 16th year in a row, a team of dedicated volunteers headed out Hospitals in BC and Alberta. to Edmonton Save-On-Foods locations including, Mayfield, Magrath, Oxford and Londonderry to collect non-perishable food items in support of the local food bank.

Page 5 team member offers earn * 1000 R EWA RDS points every time you spend $50* or more until March 3, 2012 team members only – bonus points card exclusive OFG team member offers REWARDS earn 1000 points Throughout the year on every time you spend $50* or more until March 3, 2012 myofgteamsite.com, you’ll Limit one bonus points card per customer per transaction. Present this coupon with your More find a variety of special offers Rewards card to the cashier at time of purchase. Coupon cannot be combined with any other More and discounts that are available Rewards points coupon offer. Coupon valid at: exclusively to OFG team members. Everything from smart deals on home insurance to discounted * Excluding: Lotto, tobacco, gift cards, prescriptions, clinics, diabetes care, restaurant, tickets, charities, insurance, bus passes, postage stamps, deposit & recycle fees, cell phone plans are available, rewards and taxes, Limit one spend/receive offer per single grocery purchase. To the cashier: Scan coupon at end of order. Return coupon to customer. so be sure to check in and see what’s new. Visit myofgteamsite and click on team member offers.

Puerto Vallarta, here we come!

Visit morerewards.ca/contest by February 25 for your chance to win a 7 night vacation in sunny Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Page 6 FEBRUA team member wellness heart healthR Ymonth IS

team member wellness website

Now, team members can enjoy health and wellness contests, services and info with our team member wellness website.

February is Heart Health Month, log on to myofgteamsite.com and click on team member wellness for great tips on how to keep your heart healthy.

what’s a superfood anyway?

Most superfoods are a good pick when it comes to heart healthy foods — especially olive oil, chia, beans and lentils, berries, spinach and seeds.

Visit www.saveonfoods.com/superfoods to learn more.

OFG pharmacy heart health clinics

All throughout the month of February OFG pharmacies will be offering heart health clinics. Book an appointment with your pharmacist and you’ll receive:

• A blood test of your cholesterol

• Lifestyle tips, including diet and nutrition

• A complete review of your medicines

book your appointment today

Page 7 industry update Loblaw continues rollout In 2011, there were plenty of changes to the way we do business. Not just for us, but also for our competitors. of No Frills With an increased emphasis on value, customers are In Western Canada, Loblaw is continuing shopping differently and expecting more. For many, the with the rollout of their No Frills stores focus is shifting to discount retailers, and here’s a bit of insight into their activity in Western Canada. — converting to the discount banner.

According to estimates by retail analyst No Frills Perry Caicco at CIBC World Markets, In 2011, Loblaw opened launching a No Frills is less than half 7 stores with their deep discount format, No Frills, and the cost of rolling out a traditional grocery there are currently 32 of these store. Lower expenses allow discounters to stores in BC and AB. In 2012, 3 new No Frills stores will open offer prices that are roughly 25-per-cent lower in our markets. Loblaw is also than those at conventional supermarkets, continuing to remodel its Real Canadian Superstores (RCSS). the research found. So far, 37% RCSS stores have been completed, adding many While most No Frills stores are unionized, new benefits and services. the ones that are being converted to In Abbotsford, BC, Loblaw has also converted their Extra Foods store to its format with a new lower cost collective agreement. No Frills in Western Canada are mainly non-union. Loblaw’s approach to unionized Extra Foods employees in British Columbia may serve as a model for how it intends to convert stores to No Frills — and Wal-Mart lower labour costs. And, where Loblaw Supercentre has achieved an agreement, they have Wal-Mart has put up dramatically lowered collective agreement 29 new Supercentres in our markets— with more rates of pay and benefits. than 300,000 square feet added last year. In Maple Ridge, BC, Extra Foods In total, 51 Wal-Mart employees are in the 4th year of a strike Supercentres are to stop what they say are Loblaw’s now impacting sales in 44 OFG stores. proposals to slash wages by almost half in some cases.

Page 8 In 2011, we had some big wins when we opened new stores on the grow and made improvements to others.

East Meets West at PriceSmart Foods #2274 Richmond, a one-of-a-kind store that features a full offering of international and western products. Congratulations to Gord Gauthier and his management team for a fun and festive grand opening. PriceSmart Foods Richmond Save-On-Foods Whatcom On November 19, residents of Richmond toured their On October 5, we celebrated the grand opening of new PriceSmart Foods. This store is the first of its kind in Save-On-Foods #981 Whatcom. This new location in Canada with two complete grocery stores under one roof East Abbotsford offers a great selection of local products and offers a full complement of western products, plus a and innovative meal ideas. complete Asian and international selection.

Save-On-Foods Baseline On November 16, crowds gathered at our newest Sherwood Park location to celebrate the grand opening of Save-On-Foods #6678 Baseline. This 42,000 sq. ft. store replaces the original Sherwood Park store, which has been serving the community for nearly two decades.

During the grand opening festivities at Save-On-Foods #6678 Baseline, the team presented the final installment of their $250,000 pledge to Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Save-On-Foods West Lethbridge OPENING SOON On December 7, the doors to Lethbridge’s newest Save- On-Foods location officially opened to a crowd of excited Save-On-Foods #6608 customers. This much anticipated store is receiving rave Spruce Grove reviews from customers in the area who are thrilled about Urban Fare #7623 the fresh, new offering and wide selection of local products. Village at False Creek Urban Fare #7638 Congratulations to the team at Save-On-Foods #6650 West Mission Park Lethbridge on a fantastic grand opening celebration.

Page 9 sign up today... To receive exclusive offers on nutrition, lifestyle and wellness topics that interest you, including: • gluten-free meal planning • peanut-free products • new moms & moms-to-be • diets & weight-management • vegetarian tips & recipes • pharmacy services • kid-friendly lunches • women’s health • pet health & nutrition • product recalls Receive 1000 More Rewards points when you sign up by April 30. For more information, visit your banner website.

Emerging Leaders Program and the winners are...

The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is designed specifically for Our Green Team has partnered new managers and supervisors to help them develop important with BC Hydro to encourage us all skills as they take on new leadership duties and responsibilities. to get involved in conserving energy within our stores. The program is a combination of online, self-study courses and classroom workshops, covering topics like coaching, conflict Congratulations to Glenna Dorrington resolution, teamwork and delegation, as well as operational topics from Save-On-Foods Sahali and such as KPIs and stocktaking. Ian Kato from the Langley Office People Department — they’re the To date, over 100 emerging leaders have completed the program. lucky winners of our online Here’s what they’re saying about ELP: environmental survey. “I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and working with people from all Watch for more contests coming soon... over the company that are dealing with the same challenges I am.” “I can see the potential opportunities before me, and I am excited to get started.” “…hands-on learning in a stress free environment was great.”

To learn more about leadership opportunities, talk to your manager.

Page 10 leadership excellence

Each year at the OFG Leaders in Action conference, we celebrate Leadership Excellence by recognizing team members whose performance is the “best of the best” among our OFG leadership team. These are leaders who exhibit outstanding performance in the categories of Special Achievement, Leadership Excellence and Leader 2011 Business Leader of the Year, John Paisley (left) is pictured here with Steve of the Year. This year, van der Leest and 2011 Store Leader of the Year, Brad Hickey (right). the winners are…

Brad Hickey, John Paisley, Store Manager Director, Bakery, of Fort St. John Deli & Urban Fare, PriceSmart Foods, was honoured with the is OFG’s Store Leader of Business Leader of the the Year. With an award Year Award. With a vision that exemplifies OFG’s innovative winning, customer focused spirit, John’s creativity and and community minded passion is driving key growth approach, Brad’s vision opportunities throughout the and leadership inspires his business. His passion extends team to achieve impressive to a unique leadership style that results year after year and has earned him the respect and continually raise the bar on appreciation of colleagues and service excellence. team members alike.

Congratulations to all

Page 11 leadership excellence cont’d

Left to right: Gayle Corah, Ian Ricketts, John Paisley, Carl Ryan, Steve van der Leest, Scott Karran, Brad Hickey, Paul Cope, George Wickham and Ryan Dennis.

In addition to our Store Leader and Business Leader of the Year Awards (featured on page 11), Leadership Excellence Awards were presented to individuals for displaying outstanding leadership qualities and achieving distinguished results in their areas. Winners in this category were:

• Gayle Corah, General Manager, Information Technology • Scott Karran, Store Manager, Save-On-Foods Grande Prairie • ian Ricketts, General Manager, Bulkley Valley Wholesale • Paul Cope, Store Manager, PriceSmart Foods Richmond • Carl Ryan, Store Manager, Save-On-Foods Summerside • ryan Dennis, Store Manager, Save-On-Foods UBC

A Special Achievement Award was presented to George Wickham from Save-On-Foods Trail for his commitment to community partnerships and support.

CHECKING IT OUT! • FEBRUARY 2012 • VOLUME 23 • NUMBER 1

This newsletter has been produced for team members. If you have information that you’d like to submit, please email us at: [email protected]

Visit myofgteamsite.com to find new information and offers exclusively for OFG team members.