Sobeys news

Sobeys has launched a number of new programs at Safeway to bring it closer in line with its core Sobeys operation. New programs launched under one team structure Having completed the acquisition of Canada Safeway at the end of 2013, Sobeys has spent the last two years focusing on the back-end technical infrastructure before addressing customer-facing areas. Central to this has been the cre...

With the recent challenges of integrating Safeway impacting Sobeys’ performance, could its Thrifty Foods division in Western Canda provide the model for future growth? Challenges as integration progresses Having completed the acquisition of Canada Safeway at the end of 2013, Sobeys has spent the last two years focusing on the back-end technical infrastructure before addressing customer...

We look at the themes and trends set to shape the Canadian grocery sector over the next 12 months. 1. A challenging economic backdrop driving a flight to discount While the impact of lower oil prices is already being felt in Alberta, with rising unemployment and lower house prices, other provinces may not remain relatively immune to this in 2016. With a lower Canadian dollar, high consum...

Sobeys has launched a new convenience format, Sobeys Express, in Atlantic Canada. Replicating convenience best practices from Western Europe Sobeys Express is the latest new format from the retailer following the launch of its South Asian focused store, Chalo! FreshCo, earlier this year. The Sobeys Express format has been based on the IGA Express format which was launched in Quebec two ye...

Sobeys has opened its first Nutella café at its remodelled Urban Fresh format store in downtown Toronto. All things Nutella Sobeys introduced the Nutella café as part of its aim to create unique and unparalleled experiences for its customers. The fully-branded café offers a range of pastries and artisan breads made with Nutella, along with fresh made-to-order crêpes filled with Nutella. A ...

Loblaw has started to roll-out its click-and-collect operation for grocery ecommerce to stores in Western Canada. Builds on existing operations in Toronto and Edmonton Starting this month, Loblaw will start to offer the service at its larger format Real Canadian Superstores in British Columbia, with stores in the Vancouver area, Kelowna and Red Deer in the first phase of the roll-out. Thi...

As the Overwaitea Food Group expands its grocery ecommerce service to downtown Vancouver, we review how the channel is evolving in Canada. Leading with store pickup and home delivery in Canada The addition of Vancouver to the retailer’s ecommerce initiative is a major milestone for the Overwaitea Food Group, one of the leading operators in Western Canada. In addition to home delivery, the ...

As Sobeys reports its first quarter results we look at some of the issues which impacted its performance. Moved too quickly to change processes following success with systems integration Sobeys’ first quarter sales increased by 0.4% to $6.2bn, with same-store sales (ex-fuel) up 1.2%. Adjusted net earnings fell by 5.7% $121.7m, with the retailer noting the integration of Safeway having a n...

With Canada’s ethnic sector offering significant growth potential, Sobeys launches a new format targeted at South Asian shoppers. Targeting South Asian shoppers The new concept store, ‘Chalo! FreshCo’ builds upon the core FreshCo format which Sobeys launched in 2010. This was part of the retailer’s play into the ethnic sector, where the offer contains a large number of ethnic products. T...

As Walmart becomes the latest retailer to launch a grocery ecommerce operation in Canada, we review the prospects for the channel. Enabling Walmart to build share in food Walmart’s launch of an 11 store test for grocery pick-up in Ottawa builds on its existing ecommerce operation which to date has been focused on non-food. The addition of fresh foods and grocery ranges complements the con...