Save-On-Foods has announced it will open stores in Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton and Moose Jaw next year.

The first of the four stores is expected to open in south Regina next spring. In all, the Western Canada-based grocery retailer plans to open 40 stores in Saskatchewan and Manitoba over the next three to five years.

Some of the stores will be located in existing buildings, while others will be newly constructed. They will range in size from 40,000 to 60,000 square feet, depending on the market, the company said.

The store openings are expected to create more than 4,000 jobs in the two provinces.

The western Canadian chain of supermarkets is a subsidiary of the Overwaitea Food Group, which is owned by the Jim Pattison Group.