Sobeys news

We review Sobeys’ third quarter performance, and the factors underlying its continued strong performance, including its focus on data and analytics and strategic investments into the discount, supermarket and ecommerce channels. Key numbers Q3: Total sales increased by 9.7% to $7.0bn Same-store sales increased 10.7% Ecommerce sales increased 315% Net earnings increased 46.3% to ...

Sobeys delivered a strong second quarter performance, including ecommerce sales growth of 241%. We look at the details behind its results and the plan to accelerate its strategic partnership with Ocado. Second quarter key numbers Total sales increased 8.4% to $7.0bn Same-store sales, ex-fuel, were up 8.7% Food retail net earnings increased 27.3% to $162.8m Ecommerce sales increa...

As part of a broader reinvention of its private label business, Sobeys is transitioning its premium-tier private label range to the new Panache brand. Transitioning from Sensations by Compliments The Panache brand started to appear in-stores last month as part of the retailer’s unique seasonal products range. Source: IGD Research In-store signage highlights the change from the Se...

We look at the’ first quarter performance of Canada's second largest food retailer as its Project Horizon growth plan gets underway. Q1 key numbers Sales up 9.0% to $7.4bn Same-store sales increased 11.0% Sales through its existing ecommerce operations in Quebec and BC increased approximately 370%. During the quarter it launched its Voilà by Sobeys service in the Greater Toronto Ar...

Sobeys is converting a further three existing stores to the Farm Boy format, underlining the strength of this format in high density areas. Doubling the network Sobeys acquired Farm Boy at the end of 2018, in a deal designed to help the retailer drive its penetration in urban locations. At the point of acquisition, Farm Boy operated 26 stores in Ontario, with the company announcing plans to...

Sobeys has launched a new three-year growth strategy, Project Horizon, following the recent completion of its turnaround plan, Project Sunrise. Central to the new strategy is the acceleration of its ecommerce initiatives. Our view: a big bet on ecommerce Much of what has been announced is a continuation of programmes which were underway, including the expansion of Farm Boy and FreshCo, or a...

We look at how retailers are adapting to the easing of lockdown restrictions in Canada, in-store and through their ecommerce platforms. Most provinces are making solid progress through the different phases of their re-start plans. We look at how retailers in BC are adapting, with the province recently moving into phase three of its four-phase re-start plan. Phased re-start plan As one of Ca...

Sobeys has launched its Voilà by Sobeys grocery ecommerce service in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Partnership with Ocado Sobeys has partnered with UK-based Ocado to launch this service. It has built a Customer Fulfilment Centre (CFC) adjacent to its existing automated distribution centre in Vaughan, Ontario, optimising Ocado’s solution. Robots are used to assemble orders, with Voilà asso...

We review Sobeys’ fourth quarter performance and the outlook for its new financial year, including the launch of its new ecommerce service and the shift in sales from supermarkets to discount stores. Key numbers Fourth quarter sales increased by 12.7% to $7.0bn, driven mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic Same-store sales increased 18.0% Adjusted net earnings increased 43.2% to $181.2m ...

Sobeys has extended its partnership with indoor vertical farming company, Infarm, to its Thrifty Foods banner in the Metro Vancouver market. We recently visited one of three stores in the initial roll-out.  Great alignment with Thrifty Foods’ proposition Sobeys launched its partnership with Infarm earlier this year, initially introducing a range of herbs at two Safeway stores in Vancouver. ...