April 16, 2008
Loblaw's Tests S-Less Stores
Have you asked yourself recently "Hey, what happened to the "s" in my local Loblaw's sign?" If so, you probably live in Toronto or Collingwood and are curiously attentive to detail.
The missing "s" comes as Loblaw Corporation, parent company of Loblaw's grocery chain, tries out a rebrand at three of their stores. Two of the locations are in Toronto, one on Burnamthorpe, and the other at Yonge Street and Yonge Boulevard (between Lawrence and York Mills), with the third store in Collingwood. The most immediately apparent difference is that the name has changed from the possessive "Loblaw's" to the more corporate "Loblaw," and now sports the addendum "Great Food."
However, it's not just about nomenclature. According to Elizabeth Margles, VP Communications at Loblaw, the pilot stores are intended to "test new initiatives, such as sourcing pastries from local bakeries, improving the fresh flower offerings, increasing the scope of produce, and improving the ethnic representation in both produce and products."
Torontoist checked out the store at Yonge and Yonge and it was...nice. There are new food stations, most of them decked out with massive, slightly intimidating photos of the relevant comestibles. There are also more specialty, Pusateri's-type items, which likely won't work everywhere but might attract some attention in the tonier parts of town.
Loblaw has been suffering lately, what with profits down and investors racing for the exits like a shoplifter with a T-bone down his pants, and even ads featuring Galen Weston's billionaire puppy dog charms have thus far proven unable to resuscitate the floundering supermarket giant. Will Great Food be the ticket to raise Loblaw back to grocery greatness? Keep your eye on the "s."
Thanks to reader Denise Psaila for the tip. Photo by Patrick Metzger from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.
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Just a little off topic:
The sign that Loblaw had on Maple Leaf Gardens has been taken down. Are they no longer going
to take MLG into a Real Canadian Superstore?
Or are they waiting till their fortunes turn to the better--if ever given the current situation.
BOB LOBLAW
Loblaw seems kind of awkward now. The word just ends abruptly.
Where can I procure one of these orphan esses?
I work next to the Burmanthorpe one and noticed the lack of S right away... however, the new style of store is VERY nice, with a salad bar stand (washed/cut veggies to make your own..) and Joe Fresh and nicer deli, meat, and produce displays.
As for getting the old S, mark0, I have an orphaned P from an old PharmaPlus sigh--best to just stand under the cranes on sign-change day and ask the workers for it!
AR: It's like saying Future Bakery... it sounds so much better as Future(')s!
The store at Yonge and Yonge? :)
Yonge Street and Yonge Boulevard, if you can believe it.
The nexus of the universe, as I call it.
I don't understand or care about the change.
Any idea which are the most popular supermarkets in Toronto now?
If there's anything Toronto needs, it's more upscale supermarkets.
Regular-scale? Get back in the unemployment line, Jack.
Pffft.
You want upscale supermarkets?
I got your upscale supermarkets right here:
http://www.lagrandeepicerie.fr/index_en.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galeries_Lafayette
Seriously, one visit, you'll weep for the inadequacy of "upscale" North American supermarkets. These places make Pusateri's look like a garage sale.
TEAM LONGO'S!
I'd take an upscale Loblaws (I mean Loblaw) over their "frugal" version, Valu-Mart, any day. Valu-Mart is the closest grocery store to my home and it is irritating. Same prices as Loblaws, just much less selection. How does that provide Valu?
As for the name change, I'm with matty... Bob Loblaw is the first association.
Hello, new here.
My sig other is a LoblawS employee... the "word on the street (...floor?)" is that the LoblawS union is costing the parent company too much money. They are re-branding the company to keep the Loblaw name while ousting certain $25/hr dog-fuckers.
Other alternates include "the Real CDN superstore" and "The Real CDN foodstore". These all have greatly reduced benefits for members of their respective unions.
Each of these store brands has their very own union.
This is all 2nd hand info, and I offer it as such to give you guys some insight.
I'm not trying to condemn or boost either side with this. Just the way it is...or so I'm told.