A discount grocery chain founded by a St. Albert family will soon set up shop in its hometown.
H&W Produce, a discount grocery store specializing in fresh fruits and vegetables, announced Jan. 28 it plans to open a new store in St. Albert in late 2025 or early 2026.
Owner David Harrison said his uncle, Bedford Williams, opened the first H&W outlet in 1999 with help from his parents Richard and Gwen Harrison. (“H&W” stands for “Harrison and Williams.) They now have seven locations in Edmonton, Calgary, and Sherwood Park.
Harrison said he grew up in St. Albert with his parents, who have lived there since the early 1980s. (He now lives in Sturgeon County.)
“We’re as local as it gets.”
Flagship store
Harrison said his parents have long wanted to open an H&W branch in St. Albert but could never find a good spot for it. The family nailed down an ideal location in central St. Albert in early January and are set to finalize the lease on it this week.
“It has a huge parking lot,” he said of the location, and is at most 10 minutes away from anywhere in St. Albert.
Harrison said this new 10,000 square-foot outlet will employ about 25 St. Albert-area residents and feature low-priced, high-quality produce sourced (where possible) from local producers.
“We want to turn this one into our flagship shop,” he said, so expect the décor to be extra fancy.
Harrison said H&W operates on a high-volume, low-margins model where they buy large amounts of food and sell it for very low prices. Their secret weapon is Williams, whose expertise and connections in the wholesale food business let the store get great deals.
“Ninety-five per cent of our business is fresh produce,” Harrison said, much of which comes from Edmonton or Alberta-area farmers; the other five per cent is dairy and baked goods.
H&W supports Edmonton charities such as the Edmonton Food Bank and donates about 40,000 pounds of produce to families in need at Christmas, Harrison said. The company is now searching for St. Albert-specific groups to support.
Harrison said he and his family are excited and proud to finally open a location in St. Albert, and hopes to have the shop open by December 2025.
City of St. Albert investment attraction manager Patricia Nicol said St. Albert residents have a growing appetite for local grocery outlets, and thinks the new store will boost the regional economy and give city residents more options for grocery shopping.
“Everyone’s under tight pennies and a tight economy, and H&W specifically will offer more affordable produce for our local residents.”
Information on H&W Produce can be found at handwproduce.com.
