Sobeys news

We review Sobeys’ first quarter performance as it lapped the surge in demand from last year, and the outlook for the coming months as it pushes ahead with its growth programme, Project Horizon. First quarter key numbers Total sales up 3.7% to $7.6bn, supported by the acquisition of Longo’s Same-store sales (ex-fuel) decreased by 2.2%; on a two-year stacked basis, same-store sales were up...

Sobeys’ Quebec-based IGA business has invested a majority stake in Ricardo Media to accelerate the brand’s development. Building on existing partnership Founded in 2002, Ricardo Media is a food media company, operating a leading magazine with one million readers, a daily television programme and an online presence that generates 5.4m visits per month. In 2011, the company launched a range o...

As Sobeys lapped last year’s strong fourth quarter performance, sales and profitability declined. However, it delivered a strong two-year stacked performance and remains on-track with its growth initiatives, including the acceleration of its ecommerce business. Q4 and FY key numbers Q4 sales declined 1.3% to $6.9bn, with same-store sales down 6.1% Q4 two-year stacked same store-sales ...

As its role as the first-ever official grocer of Team Canada, Sobeys’ parent company, Empire, has launched the “Feed the Dream” movement to support and celebrate the nation’s athletes on the road to the Tokyo Olympic Games. We look at how this is being executed in-store. Potential to celebrate two Olympic events Empire formed a partnership with the Canadian Olympic Committee, enabling its f...

Sobeys has launched a new look and feel for its core Sobeys supermarket format in the Legacy neighbourhood, located in south-east Calgary. We look inside this new store. Cleaner look, sharper lines This new store is the first from Sobeys to feature this updated look and feel. While several elements are retained from the original Sobeys concept, new signposting has been introduced for fresh ...

As Sobeys’ parent organisation, the Empire Company Limited, signs an agreement to purchase 51% of Longo’s, a leading food retailer in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), we look at what this means for the wider business. Potential to acquire the entire business With 36 locations in the GTA and Southwestern Ontario, along with a long-standing online business, Grocery Gateway, Longo’s has long be...

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...