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PAGE 22

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Fresh and wholes

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PRODUCE City is a delight of color as the mountainous displays of fresh fruit
show. Above left, fresh produce is tended to, while cashier Peggy Hui, above, helps
customers and head clerk Bennie Quan (bottom feft) displays bananas and metons,

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NEWS photos Torry Peters

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PAGE 25

City,

open Sunday

are sul buying,

jlems and its

items,
The North

duce. Tom is

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City of color
and freshness

Since the arrival of wide-
shopping
across the North Shore and
throughout the
Maintand, the
Lansdale scene has become
just a litte quieter but the
customers, says Pat Tom,

Lower
upper

“The food stores (which
are now open Sunday} are
tuking away a few of our
customers,’* says Tom.

Produce City is retaliating
with special pricing on same
continued
blend of domestic and exotic
produce and other grocery

Vancouver
store is one of eight scattered
across the Lower Mainland,
all owned by Pacific Pro-
assistant

a

Page 19 -

UNTIL RECENTLY, Sunday shopping in North
Vancouver City was al! but limited to a one-block
stretch of Lonsdale Avenue, with London Drugs
on one side of the street and a strip of small,
specialty food stores lining the other.

In the centre of it all —
and one of the biggest at-
tractions to the crowds that
thronged the area on any
given Sunday — is Produce

general manager for the
small chain of specialty
stores,

The key to the success of
the chain here and in other
locations, he says, is the
willingness to open at times
that are convenient for cus-
tomers and in the blend of
products available.

“chain
depends

on

local
producers’’

Through B.C.’s growing
seasons, the chain depends
on local producers for pro-
ducts that are among. the
finest in the world. During

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winters, Produce City draws
on suppliers in California,
Florida and Mexico, work-
ing to ensure that the pro-
duce is as fresh as is possi-
ble.

As well as the staples of
the produce market, the
chain also draws on Hawaii,
Taiwan and some areas of
Mainiand China for exotic
products that are winning
more and more acceptance
from customers willing tc
give new products -- and
new tastes — a try.

That mixture of products
and the attraction of Sunday
opening, have made the sae-
cess of the store possible.
Business continues to be
heavy at the North Van-
couver store, which employs
a staff of 17. despite the
availability of competitive
products at the large yrocery
chain stores on Sundays.

“Sundays,’’ says Tom,
“used to be our busiest
day.”*

It isn’t any more, he says,
because of the opening of
the chains on Sundays, but
business is just fine, he says.

The customers, who keep
coming, would agree.