2019 Annual Report
2019 Annual Report Report to Shareholders Fellow Shareholders, George Weston had a successful year in 2019, executing against its plan, delivering operational stability, and supporting each of its businesses in making steady progress against their strategic frameworks. Having completed ou rst full year of direct ownership in Choice Properties, we marked an important milestone in our transformation toward a more balanced portfolio with three strategic, complementary businesses in Retail, Real Estate and Consumer Goods. In Retail, Loblaw remains the market leader and is well-positioned to thrive amidst an evolving retail landscape. With more than 2,400 stores, and an offering of over 10,000 private label products including the top two consumer brands in the country, Loblaw is uniquely placed to serve its customers through the nation’s largest bricks and mortar store network and Canada’s most convenient online grocery service, PC Express. Additionally, a relentless focus on process and efficiencies has allowed Loblaw to continue to invest in its growth initiatives in E-Commerce, Healthcare, and Payments & Rewards, all while delivering earnings growth and generating more than $1.2 billion in free cash flow(1). In Real Estate, Choice Properties has refined its strategy following the successful merger with CREIT in 2018, and today represents Canada’s preeminent diversified REIT with 726 properties totaling 65.8 million square feet of retail, industrial, office, and residential assets, concentrated in Canada’s largest markets. With best in class occupancy rates of 97.7%, steady rent escalations and staggered lease maturities, Choice Properties benefits from a solid balance sheet that was further strengthened during 2019 following a $395 million equity issuance and $426 million of asset sales.
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