New stores, renovations, conversions: Loblaw will invest more than $2 billion across the country in 2023, including $247 million in Quebec.
In Canada, the retailer which notably manages Provigo, Maxi and Pharmaprix announced the opening of 38 new stores, and the renovation or conversion of 600 others. According to the company, some 6,000 new jobs will be created.
“Loblaw’s capital investments in 2023 include the construction of new discount-style supermarkets in underserved communities, an increase in the number of pharmacist-run health clinics, hundreds of initiatives to reduce its carbon emissions in all of its operations and the continued establishment of a modern distribution center in the Greater Toronto Area,” reads the statement issued Friday.
In this context, what will be Quebec’s share? “Without being able to reveal all the plans in advance, we are indeed talking about renovations and new constructions, all brands combined [Maxi, Provigo and Pharmaprix]”, confirmed to La Presse Johanne Héroux, senior director of corporate affairs and corporate communications.
“A good proportion of the investments will go to Ontario, but Quebec comes second. »
It was impossible to have more details on the upcoming projects in the Belle Province. The company has already begun converting several Provigo stores to Maxi, a discount store very popular with consumers in these inflationary times.
Currently, the retailer has 130 Maxi, 60 Provigo and 180 Pharmaprix in Quebec. By the end of the year, a total of 30 Provigo will have swapped their sign to sport the yellow and blue colors of Maxi, the company said in February. A few months ago, Loblaw announced that stores in Rivière-du-Loup, Saint-Pascal, Baie-Comeau and Saguenay, in particular, would become Maxis. In some of these cities, the discount brand already has one or even two supermarkets.
“In the last 20 years, it has never happened that we have opened so many stores,” said Patrick Blanchette, vice-president of operations for Maxi, during a telephone interview in December.
Despite everything, Loblaw assures that Provigo will not disappear. As a reminder, three stores will be the subject of multi-million dollar investments and will adopt the brand new concept of Provigo Le Marché – like the grocery stores in Kirkland and L’Île-des-Sœurs. Niche products and a varied ready-to-eat offer characterize these supermarkets.
