Canada news

We review Costco’s April performance as social-distancing measures impacted traffic and sales. Net sales fall 1.8% Costco’s net sales in April fell 1.8% to $11.4bn, while comparable stores sales fell 0.5%, excluding the impact of fuel and foreign currency movements. Comp sales were flat in the US, down 5.0% in Canada and up 2.0% in other international markets. The performance was impacted b...

Loblaw has launched a new range of meal kits under the PC Chef brand, including a dedicated delivery service. $5 delivery fee The new range is currently available for next-day home delivery in the Greater Toronto Area. Customers can choose from a range of eight kits which serve two people, ranging from $17.00 to $19.50. Each kit consists of pre-portioned ingredients and a recipe card. The r...

We review Loblaw’s Q1 performance as it adjusts to the new trading conditions and assess its long-term strategies against the key emerging trends. 1. Sales gain of over $750m due to the pandemic Loblaw’s first quarter retail revenue increased by 10.8% to $11.6bn, with the retailer estimating that excluding the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, revenue would have increased 3.5%....

Following plans announced earlier this month to accelerate the launch of its Voilà service in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Sobeys has started to test orders at its new Customer Fulfillment Centre (CFC). Partnership with Ocado Sobeys has partnered with UK-based Ocado to build the CFC adjacent to its existing automated distribution centre in Vaughan, Ontario, optimising Ocado’s robotic-dri...

We look at how three different food businesses have developed new income streams in response to the coronavirus(COVID-19) pandemic. The wholesaler: Sysco Sysco, one of the leading wholesale suppliers to foodservice operators and restaurants in Canada, has launched a new direct-to-consumer business, [email protected] Customers using the service can order bulk groceries for home delivery or pick-up...

We review Metro Inc.’s second quarter performance, including the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on its results. Sales up $125m due to pandemic Metro’s sales increased by 7.8% to $4.0bn in Q2, with the last two weeks of the quarter impacted by the pandemic. Same-store food sales were up 9.7%, while pharmacy same-store sales increased 7.9%. Adjusted net earnings were up 17.9% t...

Couche-Tard has withdrawn its bid for Caltex, an Australian-based convenience and fuel business, citing the uncertainty in the global outlook due to the coronavirus pandemic. Caltex acquisition Couche-Tard made an initial bid for Caltex last November as part of its focus on developing its Asia-Pacific presence. In mid-February, it made a revised bid for the company and although a competing ...

We detail the latest initiatives from Canada’s leading food retailers in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. Loblaw Food stores : it has reduced store hours and limited the number of customers in its busiest stores. The retailer is also moving some service departments, such as seafood, to offer pre-packed products only. It has also stated that it will not change its actions or prices to ...

Loblaw is providing non-subscribers with temporary access to its exclusive online food content platform, PC Insiders Project. Subscription-based service Loblaw has temporarily unlocked the exclusive content site that it has developed for members of its PC Insiders initiative, a subscription-based service. Launched nationally in 2018, this provides members with access to a range of perks, in...

In response to the high demand for its existing online grocery services in Quebec and British Columbia, Sobeys is accelerating the planned launch of its Voilà service in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Initial testing planned for end of April The Voilà by Sobeys service is being developed in partnership with UK-based Ocado and will be the retailer’s first ecommerce business in the Ontario m...