Introduction

For 95 years, the Overwaitea Food Group (OFG) has been building its business one delighted customer at a time. With a focus on people and a passion for finding new ways to give every customer more for their money, OFG is a market leader in Western Canada, serving one in four families in British Columbia and Alberta.

The first OFG store opened in 1915 on Columbia Street in New Westminster, BC and quickly became famous for adding value by giving customers 18 ounces of the finest tea for the price of 16. This prompted customers to call it “the over-weight-tea store,” and kindled a time-honoured reputation for delivering what customers want most: the right combination of personalized service and local value.

Nearly a century after the first “Over-weight-tea store” began its tradition of offering exceptional value to customers, the Overwaitea Food Group continues to be focused on delivering world-class products, services and in-store experience – all designed with one thing in mind: the customer.

This year, as OFG celebrates nearly a century of successful retailing in the west, more than 15,000 team members carry on this innovative spirit, working together to provide western Canadian families with exceptional value and a shopping experience that’s welcoming to all.

A focus on service and people lives on today in each of the Overwaitea Food Group’s 124 stores. OFG proudly keeps business close to home – this past year celebrating a return to its roots with the opening of the New Westminster Save-On-Foods store only a short distance from where the original store stood nearly a century ago.

Since its beginning, OFG has established itself as one of the leading food retailers in Western Canada. This notion was re-affirmed this past year with an unprecedented period of growth and development for the company with the completion of 12 new store construction projects in markets across British Columbia and Alberta.

The organization’s continued growth is driven by its long-standing commitment to its five core values – Service, People, Innovation, Fun and Integrity and a highly successful competitive multi-banner approach. OFG serves 80 communities across British Columbia and Alberta with six distinct store formats: Save-On-Foods, Overwaitea Foods, PriceSmart Foods, Cooper’s Foods, Urban Fare and Bulkley Valley Wholesale. Each banner is designed to provide local value in a way that matches the needs of the community it serves. Overwaitea Foods, BC’s very own food people, delivers the best service in town to communities such as Grand Forks (top left).

In addition to providing all the products and services that customers want, OFG's long-term success is rooted in its focus on people. With one of the longest-serving team member bases in the industry, this past year, OFG team members receiving service awards celebrated 20,000 years of service. OFG's leaders ensure that every member of the OFG team enjoys a positive and supportive work environment that’s rewarding and fun. Seeking on­going feedback in areas such as job satis­faction, recognition and communication enables OFG leaders to develop the right tools, training and support to promote growth and development.

With a focus on delivering what customers are looking for in unique and innovative ways, OFG offers customers more for their money through the company’s proprietary brands.