If you have driven past Central at Garden City Plaza lately, you know that massive second-floor unit has been quiet for a long time.
After a 1.5-year wait, the former Bed Bath & Beyond space finally has a new tenant.
Smart N Save has recently soft-opened its doors, and this isn’t just a simple relocation.
For locals, this brand has been a household name since it debuted at Lansdowne Centre in 2004.
However, this new opening signals the beginning of a new era.
With Lansdowne Centre slated for massive redevelopment, the original location will eventually be shutting down.
That makes this massive new Garden City outpost the brand’s future main hub for Richmond.
They are clearly betting big on this location, leaning hard into the Hong Kong theme.
Inside, you will find a massive wall designed to look like a Hong Kong MTR station (labeled “Smart N Save Station”), complete with black and white photos of HK street scenes.
Walking in, you are greeted by high ceilings and their signature bright yellow branding.
Even during the soft opening, the aisles are quite packed with imports.
We spotted endless rows of instant noodles, canned & bottled drinks, and massive freezers stocked with items like Kimbap.
There is also a significant section for savoury snacks like salted egg fish skins and dried spicy mackerel.
Beyond the snacks, there is an entire aisle dedicated to everyday essentials, stocking everything from Japanese home cleaning supplies to popular Asian beauty masks.
However, the most unique part of this store isn’t the food.
At the entrance, there is a dedicated pop-up model shop featuring a large-scale Gundam statue.
This section sells blind boxes, Gundam kits, and tiny die-cast models of Hong Kong buses and taxis.
Since they are still in “soft opening” mode, keep your expectations in check.
Parts of the shelves are still empty, and the back section is currently blocked off.
Just from its appearance, we’re guessing this will be the dine in area as they’ll likely also offer their Hong Kong style snacks like their Burnaby outpost.
For now, the hours are limited from 12 PM to 6 PM while they ramp up operations.
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Address: #2220-4751 McClelland Road, Richmond BC