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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

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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,

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“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

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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.