Sobeys news

In late 2019, Longo’s, a leading Canadian grocery retailer, opened a flagship store in Toronto which broke new ground in hospitality and foodservice. We look at how the retailer has adapted its model in a post-pandemic environment by introducing a delivery kitchen model. A legacy of innovation Longo's has built a reputation for pioneering innovative store formats, and its Toronto flagship s...

We recently visited Toronto to see how the city showcases global leadership with prepared foods and food-to-go within grocery stores. We highlight the key learnings as retailers have made a strategic choice to invest in this area and redefine excellence. Global leadership Here’s our pick of the stores and banners to visit in the city, highlighting some of the strengths of their foodservice ...

We review Sobeys’ third quarter performance, including the impact of a cybersecurity event on its financial and operational performance. Q3 key numbers Total sales increased 1.5% to $7,377.3m Same-store sales, ex-fuel, increased 0.1% Grocery ecommerce sales fell by 14.7% year-on-year, but increased 9.4% versus Q2 Net earnings fell by 37.9% to $125.7m Cybersecurity event imp...

We review Sobeys’ second quarter performance and its priorities for the second half of the year. Q2 key numbers Total sales increased 4.4% to $7,643m Same-store sales, ex-fuel, increased 3.1% Excluding fuel, gross margin increased 58 basis points, driven mainly by Project Horizon initiatives Net earnings increased 8.3% to $190m Strength in discount and conventional supermar...

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...