October's most-read stories
Loblaw lays off 500 office workers in cost cutting efforts
Canada's largest grocer laid off 500 workers from offices across the country. In a memo to employees, president Sarah Davis said the the company remained committed to reducing costs and running efficiently and would invest in omni-channel, financial services and "other growing areas." Read the full story here.
Sobeys launches Easy Meals
Sobeys' line of ready-to-cook and ready-to-heat products consists of 35 SKUs made with ingredients and flavour profiles that reflect regional tastes. The Easy Meals items range from $6 to $10 in price, with ready-to-cook products on the cheaper end of the scale. Read the full story here.
Giant Tiger gives the public a glimpse of its new distribution centre
Giant Tiger held tours of its 600,000-sq.-ft. facility, which is located in the Township of Edwardsburgh Cardinal in Eastern Ontario. The distribution centre will phase in operations starting in January, with plans to be fully operational by next summer. Read the full story here.
Real Canadian Superstore gets fresh in new ad campaign
The Loblaw-owned discount banner launched a mass advertising campaign in Western Canada in support of its fresh produce and low prices. Industry experts weighed in on the effort and explained why it's important for Real Canadian Superstore to stand out in a competitive crowd. Read the full story here.
Mintel reveals food/drink trends for 2018
Market research firm Mintel identified five key areas that will shape the way consumers shop over the next year. Read the full article here.
Seafood City makes its Canadian debut
A year after announcing it would set up shop in the Canadian market, Seafood City Supermarket opened the doors to a 50,000-sq.-ft., newly-built supermarket in Mississauga, Ont. Here shoppers can find conventional groceries along with Filipino specialties. Read the full story here.
Metro acquires Jean Coutu pharmacies for $4.5 billion
Grocery store chain Metro formalized its takeover of Quebec’s second-largest pharmacy network, Jean Coutu, which will run as a separate division of the company. Read the full article here.
Metro to cut 280 jobs as part of modernization plan
Metro announced plans to overhaul and automate its distribution centres, which it said would eliminate about 280 jobs starting in 2021. Read the full article here.
Survey says: Canadians prefer shopping in store to ordering online
A survey from BMO compares consumer preference for in-store shopping versus online. Read the full article here.
The top 10 most innovative products at GIC 2017
From quiche patties to cold brew coffee, 10 products from this year's Grocery Innovations Canada conference and trade show were selected as the most innovative. Read the full article here.