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Groceries are returning to Okanagan Falls this spring -- for real

The closure of the Okanagan Falls IGA in the summer of 2019 not only robbed the region of its only true grocery store, it accelerated a downward spiral in the community's core that had been years in the making and unfortunately continues today.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who> The infamous ex-IGA

But as PentictonNow reported in our October 2020 five-part series, there are signs of life in OK Falls. And now, it looks like one of those signs is becoming a reality.

And it's a biggie.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who> Dahlia and Derek Millington

By May of this year, in the face of previous false alarms and justifiably mounting skepticism that such a thing will ever actually happen, downtown OK Falls should once again have a grocery store.

Granted, it'll be a block off the main drag and thusly won't make it look any prettier to passing motorists. And it also won't be your typical store.

But it's nevertheless a heck of a step in the right direction for a town that's chasing elusive incorporation as its saving grace.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

Last July, Dahlia and Derek Millington, a couple from Edmonton, Alberta, took a long, searching drive through the Okanagan valley. They'd long wanted to move here, and now they were deciding on the best spot.

When they hit Okanagan Falls, they knew they'd found their new home.

The Millingtons soon dropped by Tickleberry's ice cream shop, as most everyone does, and asked what type of business the community most needed. When they heard "grocery store," the couple, each with experience in the grocery industry, got to work.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

They zipped back to Edmonton to pack their belongings and chat with friends who run a chain of specialty grocery stores called the Italian Centre Shop.

By mid-October, they'd moved permanently to OK Falls and were attempting to work a deal for the old IGA building, a huge space that in hindsight may have been a bit too huge. And certainly much too pricey.

"We did a lot of work and the lease agents had been quite positive," said Dahlia Millington as she chatted with us earlier this week. "But the lease negotiations fell through. The terms that were presented to us at the beginning of January were very heavily weighted to the landlord."

But the Millingtons persevered -- elsewhere.

<who>Photo Credit: Little Falls Foods</who>

"We wondered what we were going to do," said Dahlia. "We have a drive to feed the people. A sense of mission.

"So if the essence of the business is to get the food to people, well, right now there's a change in the grocery industry. So we went back to something we originally thought about."

That concept, it turns out, is a grocery warehouse with delivery -- a model that would require far less physical space and overhead costs.

The Millingtons scouted around some more and finally landed at 5129 10th Ave, just a block south of KJ Coffee Shop. It was quirky and it definitely had a few years under its belt, and it sported the remnants of the post office it once housed.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

But the size (1,000 square feet versus 10,000 in the old IGA), and the cost were quite acceptable.

They spent the next month drawing up renovation and logistical plans, and on Monday of this week, a couple of days after they bought a Dodge Sprinter delivery van and a bunch of equipment, Dahlia and Derek signed the five-year lease and took possession of the keys.

"We're full force ahead," said Dahlia.

It'll be called "Little Falls Foods," a nod to the English translation of the original Indigenous name for the waterfall that separates Skaha Lake from Okanagan River.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

"We ran a naming contest," said Derek, "and were amazed at the response. Two people suggested that name, and we loved it."

At Little Falls Foods, customers will primarily order from the business website or via telephone, and take delivery of their order within 24 hours and often same-day.

Though the model will likely have its detractors, Dahlia Millington claims the advantages are numerous.

"There's been so many innovations," she said, "in e-commerce, in the shopping model and the shipping model, in warehousing and logistics, that there's even less reason these days for every single customer to spend their time driving to the store, walking through the aisles, picking their own products, standing in the lineup and loading their car and driving home."

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

Remote warehouse shopping, she maintains, reduces fuel consumption and impulse buying. And, once customers get the hang of their slick new website, they can set up time-saving stuff like one-button reordering.

For those who prefer steering clear of the Internet, there'll be hard copy catalogues and telephone ordering.

Delivery within a seven-kilometer radius will be free of charge. That area includes Kaleden and Heritage Hills. Deliveries to more far-flung locales like Oliver and Penticton will occur once a week, and there'll be a discount for customer pickups.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

And that leaves the big question: What can you buy at Little Falls Foods?

According to the owners, everything from soup to toilet paper. That's a list that includes stuff like dairy, bread, juices, eggs, cheese (including a wide variety of specialty cheeses), frozen pizza and French Fries, pop, spices, cereals, rice, noodles, and much, much more.

The shop will prioritize fresh veggies and fruit and "healthier inventory" such as natural foods, organic foods, and international foods. According to Derek, they'll source some of their stock from Vancouver-based Bosa Foods, a noted purveyor of Italian cuisine.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

What they can’t fit inside the footprint of the building will be stored in specially designed containers. And that includes nontraditional grocery store items like hardware goods.

"We're bringing in a 40-foot-long container," said Derek, "which will be set up with a FOODSAFE interior. Eighteen feet of it will be freezer, 22 feet will be fridge. Right beside that will be another 20-foot container, strictly for hardware materials like plumbing supplies, irrigation supplies, and fasteners like nails, screws, glue and tape."

Additionally, there will be welcome breaks from the warehouse formula. For example, there'll be a small publicly-accessible area just inside the front entrance for peeps who want to drop by and grab just a few things. And there'll be benches out front where folks can chow down on Little Falls Foods' homemade soups and sandwiches.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

But if you love your steaks or your bacon burgers, you'll have to look elsewhere. The Millingtons won't stock or sell meat, of any description.

"We aren’t going to carry meat," said Dahlia. "Partially because it would need a separate fridge/freezer and because there are different rules for delivery."

We asked the Millingtons how they believe they'll succeed when IGA could not.

"We don’t have the buying power of the big chains," said Dahlia. "So realistically we won't be the cheapest in the entire region. But we won’t be the most expensive either. And that’s partly because we don’t have a big overhead.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

"We don't have a big space, we don't have display refrigeration that just blows cold air into the building and wastes energy. We will have staff, but not as many (they figure they'll employ four to five) and the coolers will be more efficient. It's all about lower overhead costs."

And the building itself, added Derek, at just one-tenth the floor space of the IGA and located off the main strip, is that much more affordable.

Indeed, the Millingtons say consumers can expect lower overall prices than were offered by the IGA.

"From what we understand," explained Dahlia, "it was run toward the end of its tenure from corporate headquarters. And they priced accordingly to tourists.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

"We'll do our absolute best to keep prices low."

We also asked about minimum dollar value per delivery and maximum number of weekly orders per customer. They didn't quite have an answer yet on the former, but tentatively felt they'd be fine with up to three separate weekly orders per local customer.

There's plenty of stuff to do before Little Falls Foods opens in May. The floors badly need re-covering, the walls badly need repainting, the sink facilities badly need renewing, and the electric badly needs upgrading to 200 amps. Containers need to be brought in and placed, and shelving needs to be installed just about everywhere.

Depending on progress on all of the above, and the permits that go along with some of it, the grand opening will occur somewhere between May 1st and May 15th. The projected hours of operation will be 9 am to 5:30 pm, seven days a week, though they may be tweaked going forward.

<who>Photo Credit: NowMedia</who>

For more information, hit up the Little Falls Foods website.



Send your comments, news tips, typos, letter to the editor, photos and videos to [email protected].



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