BRAMPTON, ONTARIO
Loblaw is developing a new “hard discount” chain that caters to value-conscious customers called the BOX™.
According to a press release, the BOX™ has been designed to offer customers a convenient shopping experience with low prices on fresh food, dairy, bakery, grocery and general merchandise items.
Global News reports that this new model is based on selling a limited number of household essentials, and primarily store brand goods to help keep costs as low as possible.
On Wednesday, Galen Weston, Executive Chairman and President of Loblaw Cos. Ltd., spoke about the new store concept in a conference call. When asked if this type of business model could work in Canada, Weston said that the BOX™ “really is designed to answer that question. Is there [an opportunity] in that area that the customer will respond positively to in Canada. We think so, but we’re not sure.”
To test the effectiveness of the BOX™, Loblaw has opened three trial locations, two in the Ontario cities of Hamilton and Windsor and a third in Calgary, according to Global News. The stores heavily features Loblaw’s No Name and President’s Choice store brand products.
For now, the retailer has not announced when or if the company might expand this new concept.
