Loblaw is testing smaller-format discount stores across the country.
Melanie Singh, president of Loblaw’s hard discount division, says the company had a handful of those stores already but plans to — quote — “lean in” to the strategy as a way of reaching more customers.
The first store in this year’s rollout has now opened in downtown Toronto, taking over the space of a former City Market.
The move comes as shoppers have been increasingly gravitating toward discount stores and private-label brands to try and mitigate the effects of food inflation.