As someone who loves to cook coupled with the cost of living in Vancouver, it’s an ongoing struggle to balance healthy meals with budget considerations. In our 12 months living in Downtown Vancouver, we have done our grocery shopping in different stores and have established a routine that works for us. Below are our thoughts on some of the Grocery Stores in Vancouver and some handy tips.
Don’t forget to bring along some reusable bags when you head out to the store. Stores do provide paper bags at a cost!
Safeway
Safeway has been a fantastic option for us with two stores located down in the West End. Safeway provides a great selection as a general supermarket with fresh produce, organic produce, a deli and cheese selection, ready made meals and a meats and seafood selection.
Since they have a meat and seafood section, you can purchase by the pound if you prefer that over prepackaged meats. Knowing this, we have found that their packaged meats are decent quality (just keep an eye on the best before date and have a look at the products). Our regular picks from Safeway are the eggs, chicken, beef and occasionally fish deals.
Be careful of anything marketed as a sale or discount though – you will notice that some items may be marked as buy 2 for $10 but you may be able to purchase 1 for $5 anyway. As a regular, we have also joined Scene+ membership for additional deals.
No Frills
If the big brands are of no concern to you, No Frills offers a selection of recognizable brands but also ‘No Name’ and ‘President Choice’. Conveniently located in the West End on Denman St, No Frills as the name describes, is nothing fancy but provides some of your essentials at a very budget friendly price.
Our regular shop from here can include some of their fresh fruits, pasta, sauces, soaps and toothpaste, bin liners and instant noodles. All priced extremely reasonably for products you can find elsewhere.
No Frills utilizes PC Optimum as their loyalty program, with lots of potential points to earn through checking their app and what goes on sale and just shopping in store. We have occasionally received $10 off our total purchase.
T&T Supermarket
T&T Supermarket with their iconic green is very recognizable and a staple as an Asian supermarket chain. The stores with their ample space offers a large selection of primarily Asian products, snacks, skin care, cutlery and appliances, fresh seafood, meats, fresh fruit and vegetable and a great bakery and hot bar. Prices are quite reasonable too.
We love perusing each aisle for new Asian products to try and seeing what may be on offer over in the hot bar and bakery as new products can come out seasonally. If you happen to pass by at 12pm, their Papa Fried Chicken is an absolute steal at $12.
Of course if you are going to be a regular here, don’t forget to become a member and earn points through the T&T Supermarket app.
Korean Marts – Hannam & H-Mart
The Korean Supermarkets located in Downtown Vancouver are also great grocery options, offering many Korean products from your standard kimchi to your favourite Korean skin care. Most notable is Hannam and H-Mart , both are exceptional options offering ready made side dishes, meals, pork belly, marinated meats, bulgogi ready for your next Korean bbq at home.
The meats are priced very competitively and are of great quality, we love their Korean short ribs great for soup, and frozen rib eye rolls which are great for hotpot. If you want to bag a deal, the best time to visit Hannam is on the Sunday as they restock produce.
Other Grocery Stores
The Real Canadian Superstore and Walmart are other great grocery store options providing a bigger variety at a more cost effective price. Unfortunately these stores are not as centrally located in downtown Vancouver. If you do have a car, these and Costco are great options. When we lived in Metrotown, we found these to be fantastic options.
You’ll also notice Nesters, Urban Fare and IGA are an easily accessible option for groceries within the heart of Downtown Vancouver and in the Financial Districts. They provide high quality options along with a hot bar food selection, however, given the location and produce options, be prepared to pay more of a premium here.
For organic, raw food, sustainable options and a hot bar selection, Whole Foods is a great option.
Support Small Businesses
Finally, we do highly suggest supporting the small businesses where possible. A very special shout out to Tangos Meats located to Denman St who provide a great selection of meat options and have very welcoming and knowledgeable staff members – if you come by at the right time, they may have some crispy bacon to offer you to taste. Another place near and dear to us is Aria Market, located on Bidwell St, Aria provides fresh and seasonal produce at a great price which makes healthy eating more attainable. Aria is also a popular option amongst the Persian and general west end community, also offering flat bread, meats and Persian produce.
All in all, there are some great options for grocery stores in Downtown Vancouver to suit all different lifestyles. I hope our list provides a great starting point for you as you explore and establish your routine in Vancouver. Share with us any other handy tips.