Empire Stops Voila Grocery Delivery in Alberta
Sobeys parent company Empire Co. Ltd. shuttered its Voila grocery delivery customer fulfillment centers in Alberta and putting the online service's Vancouver-area expansion on hold. It's instead growing its third-party delivery options through a partnership with DoorDash.
The company's Alberta e-commerce performance has not met the grocer's financial expectations, according to a news release from Empire. Meanwhile, it's entered into a partnership with DoorDash, with delivery rolling out in the coming months.
The company — whose banners include Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and Lawtons Drugs — is closing a customer fulfillment center in the Calgary area and a smaller support facility in Edmonton. Empire previously said it was pausing the development of a CFC in the Vancouver area, which it says will remain in effect.
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Voila service, which Empire introduced in 2020, will continue in Ontario and Quebec. Empire cited improving e-commerce penetration and high-growth potential paired with its partnership with tech-provider Ocado as drivers for increased customer engagement and improved productivity and profitability in the provinces.
In 2024, Empire cut its exclusive ties to UK-based Ocado. Some months later it partnered with Instacart and Uber Eats to give its customer base additional delivery options.
