Sobeys news

Sobeys’ Farm Boy banner opened its latest store with the conversion of a former Sobeys Urban Fresh location in downtown Toronto. We showcase some of the key features of this new store. Acquired to spearhead Sobeys’ push in urban locations 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...

In June, Sobeys’ parent company, Empire Company Limited, became co-owner of Scene+, an established loyalty programme in Canada. With a plan to transform it into one of the country’s leading loyalty programmes, the retailer has embarked on national roll-out. We look at how it’s launching the programme in-store in western Canada. National roll-out to be completed by early 2023 Sobeys commence...

We review Sobeys’ first quarter performance and the outlook for the year ahead as it continues to advance its ecommerce, value and loyalty initiatives. Q1 key numbers Total sales increased 4.1% to $7,938m Same-store sales, ex-fuel, increased 0.4% Excluding fuel, gross margin increased 63 basis points Net earnings flat (-$1.0m) Final year of Project Horizon The retailer s...

We look at Sobeys’ fourth quarter performance and consider what’s next for the business as it moves into the final year of Project Horizon, its three-year, growth-focused plan. Q4 and FY key numbers Total sales increased 13.3% to $7,841m, underpinned by the acquisition of Longo’s and an extra trading week (53-week calendar) Q4 same-store sales (ex-fuel) decreased by 2.5%, reflecting e...

Sobeys’ parent company, Empire Company Limited, has become a co-owner of Scene+, with a plan to transform it into one of Canada’s leading loyalty programmes. Boosting membership Empire joins Scotiabank and Cineplex as co-owners of the programme. This enables it to roll it out to its stores, replacing its existing partnership with Air Miles as its core rewards programme. Sobeys plans to star...

Canada’s second largest grocery retailer, Sobeys, has launched a new ‘Value Size’ campaign in-store, which has seen it extend its range of larger pack formats. Dedicated in-aisle feature bays With inflation hitting a 31-year highpoint in Canada last month, retailers are using a range of tactics to respond to the cost of living crisis. At Sobeys, this includes a new ‘Value Size’ initiative w...

Sobeys saw same-store sales fall 1.7% in the third quarter as it faced tough comparables from last year. But it continues to grow its margins and improve profitability. What’s behind this performance? Q3 key numbers Total sales up 5.1% to $7.4 bn, reflecting the acquisition of Longo’s Same-store sales (ex-fuel) down 1.7%, but up 8.3% over a two year period Ecommerce sales up 17% Net...

Sobeys will open the fourth planned Customer Fulfillment Centre (CFC), as part of its strategic partnership with Ocado, in the Greater Vancouver Area. This is expected to become operational in 2025. Reaching 75% of Canadian households This site will be the final one to open in Canada as part of this partnership. Last year, the first CFC launched in Toronto, with the second site expected to ...

Ocado Retail sales were up 4.6% in 2021 (52 weeks to 28 th  November) but the Group made a loss before tax of (£176.9)m. Ocado Retail: capacity increases offset a normalising basket Ocado Retail revenue increased by 4.6% to £2.3bn. An increase in customer numbers (up 22.4% to 832,000) and orders (up 11.9% to 357,000) offset a declining, normalising basket size of (5.8)% to £129. Although or...

In the live broadcast of Ocado Re:Imagined, Ocado unveiled seven new innovations that will underpin its Ocado Smart Platform (OSP). “Game-changing” technology Ocado needs to improve its product to retain and attract new partners. New deals will enable Ocado to increase investment and improve the proposition, creating a virtuous cycle. Since its launch, Ocado has 10 sites live across the glo...