Top 12 Grocery Stores to See in Toronto
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Top 12 grocery stores to see in Toronto City Guide April 17 © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research Introduction This insight report was prepared by: Stewart Samuel Based in North America, Stewart Program Director, IGD Canada heads up all of IGD's research and coverage on the region. He regularly [email protected] travels across the US and Canada, @Stewart_IGD visiting stores, and meeting with senior retail and supplier teams. Welcome to Toronto for SIAL 2017! Drawing on our city knowledge, we have pulled together an outstanding list of grocery-focused stores to visit in Toronto, including national and local operators. The selection includes a number of stores which have recently opened, bringing a new dimension to the city’s grocery sector. The city offers the opportunity to see a broad range of store formats including: • Hypermarkets • Food halls • Supermarkets • Discount stores • Health and wellness specialists • Ethnic focused stores • Food-to-go focused outlets © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research Page 2 Where to find the stores 7 The majority of the stores are located in 6 5 and around the downtown area. One of the key trends we are seeing in the market is the push towards urban store formats. This is being driven by the significant increase in residential and 3 4 commercial development. In addition to the stores we have identified in this guide, others to see in the downtown area include: 2 • Drugstores 1 • Shoppers Drug Mart • Rexall • Variety discount stores • Dollarama • Liquor stores • LCBO • The Beer Store © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research , Map data © 2017 Google Page 3 Where to find 9 the stores 10 8 A number of the stores are located in nearby cities, including a range of specialist stores and new concepts: • Whole Foods Market • Nature’s Emporium • Chalo! FreshCo 1-7 • Walmart Supercenter • Marché Adonis 11 12 © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research , Map data © 2017 Google Page 4 What to look for $ INSPIRATION FOOD-TO-GO FRESH FOODS PRICE FOCUS Pusateri’s The Market by Longo’s Whole Foods Market Walmart Supercentre Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens McEwan Foods Metro No Frills Metro Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens Loblaws Maple Leaf Gardens Chalo! FreshCo Marché Adonis Sobeys Urban Fresh Sobeys Urban Fresh Metro Nature’s Emporium © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research Page 5 Metro 100 Lynn Williams St, Toronto, ON M6K 3N6 Supermarket Visit for: inspiration, fresh food merchandising, bakery excellence, prepared foods and new natural pharmacy partnership Metro is Canada’s third largest grocery retailer, operating stores in Quebec and Ontario. This store forms part of its ‘WOW’ innovation format program. This initiative has been developed to create real points of difference between Metro and its competitors. Metro’s key strengths are brought to life at this 5,000 SQ M store including fresh produce, prepared foods, bakery and pharmacy. Food-to-go is an area of strength for Metro which it has been able to showcase in this urban focused store. The hot food offer includes a range of artisanal pizzas, hot entrees, baked potatoes and rotisserie chicken. In addition to a traditional pharmacy, this store also features a natural dispensary operated by ‘Nature’s Signature’. © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research Page 6 Sobeys Urban 22 Fort York Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3Z2, Fresh Supermarket Visit for: inspiration, fresh food merchandising, food-to-go, Nutella Cafe Sobeys is Canada’s second largest grocery retailer. It has developed a multi- format strategy, with Urban Fresh its format for downtown, city locations. This 2,000 SQ M store re-opened in 2015 following a major remodel which was aligned to the retailer’s ‘Better Food For All’ strategy. Urban Fresh stores are intended to serve as one-stop grocery destinations for the urban shopper. One of the major features of this store is its prepared foods and food-to-go offer. This includes an extensive range of prepared meals, pizzas sandwiches and hot and cold food bars. Shoppers can also opt for sushi, udon, ramen and rice bowls prepared fresh on-site. This store also saw the opening of the first Nutella Café in the city. © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research Page 7 79 The PATH - Toronto-Dominion Bank Tower, Toronto, ON McEwan M5K 1A1 Food-to-go Visit for: food-to-go, premium retailing, concept design McEwan at TD Centre is owned and operated by Mark McEwan, one of Canada’s leading chefs, and a regular TV personality. This is his second retail venture, although he operates a number of restaurants in Toronto. This 600 SQ M store is located with the PATH system in Toronto, a network of underground commuter tunnels, and is a great example of the blurring of retail and foodservice. The store offers a rotating menu of products depending on the time of day. In the morning, shoppers can find waffles, fresh orange juice and gourmet sandwiches. At lunchtime and in the evening a hot table features over 20 dishes, including a full curry bar, with many recipes coming directly from Mark McEwan’s restaurants. © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research Page 8 The Market by 181 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5J 2T3, Longo’s Food-to-go Visit for: food-to-go, fresh foods Longo’s is a regionally operated chain with 30 stores in the Greater Toronto area. The retailer has a strong reputation for fresh and prepared foods. While the majority of its stores are supermarkets, it has also developed ‘The Market by Longo’s’. This is a smaller format store concept for urban locations, including transit stations. The proposition is focused on meeting shoppers’ immediate food needs. This includes a range of food-to-go options, including a prepared foods hot bar, salad bar, pizza, panini, hot soup bar and custom-made gourmet sandwiches. The store also features a great design, with the extensive use of wood creating a natural backdrop. The retailer also places an emphasis on delivering a fast checkout experience in this high traffic location. © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research Page 9 No Frills 200 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5A 4T9 Discount Visit for: price and value communication, private brands, operating efficiencies No Frills is Loblaw’s primary discount format. Stores are around 3,000 SQ M and offer up to 20,000 products. They do not operate with any service counters and aim to be the low price leader in the local markets within which they operate. Fresh produce is a primary traffic driver for No Frills. It also helps to set shopper expectations around freshness and value. As a discount format, communicating its low price and value credentials is critical. It does this in a number of ways including its “won’t be beat” price matching policy, and a range of its own promotions. In contrast to its competitors, No Frills runs a lower number of weekly promotions. This enables it to get cut-through for the items which it is promoting while also helping to drive in-store efficiencies. © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research Page 10 Saks Food Hall 176 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5C 2L7 by Pusateri’s Food hall Visit for: inspiration, innovative food offers, service counters, food-to-go This is one of the most recent additions to the city’s grocery offer, and one of the most unique. As part of its entry into the Canadian retail sector, US-based department store chain, Saks Fifth Avenue, has partnered with Toronto’s leading premium food retailer, Pusateri’s to create a food offer within its stores. The aim has been to create a contemporary food hall which offers a distinctive and elevated food experience, built around a range of dine-in options, unique products and service counters and stations. Apart from the outstanding in-store environment, the store boasts several innovative features such as vegetable butcher, date bar, yoghurt bar and a gluten-free, soy-free, vegan bakery. © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research Page 11 Loblaws 60 Carlton St, Toronto, ON M5B 1J2 Maple Leaf Food hall Gardens Visit for: inspiration, fresh foods, service counters, food-to-go This is Loblaw’s flagship store, and the basis for its ‘Inspire’ format program. This is a highly innovative and creative store which seeks to demonstrate the retailer’s fresh food credentials. The food hall offers an array of food options which have been created by a team of chefs with global food experience. Options are available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and all times in between, which can either be consumed within the store or taken away. Key features in this area include an 6M wall of cheese, a patisserie, tea emporium, chocolate which can be chiselled by the chunk, an artisan bakery and a sushi counter which leverages the retailer’s T&T brand (Asian specialist). The retailer’s Joe Fresh range of apparel can be found on the second floor. © IGD 2017 Source: IGD Research Page 12 Whole Foods 4771 Yonge St, North York, ON M2N 5M5 Market Supermarket Visit for: inspiration, food-to-go, prepared foods, fresh foods, natural and organics Whole Foods Market continues to deliver some of the most innovative store concepts in North America. The retailer uses its deep understanding of the category and local markets to deliver a highly relevant offer in each store. It can successfully adapt a concept from one store to another through menu and branding changes, while maintaining relatively similar operating processes. At this store, a full service diner is a first for its Toronto locations. It offers store made burgers, smoked-meat sandwiches and a breakfast poutine. At the Yonge & Sheppard Kitchen, it offers a variety of quick and fresh on the go meals for lunch and dinner.