It appears that the T&T Supermarket acquisition is partly responsible for the 26% increase in Loblaws profits. What jumped out at me was the quotes attributed to typical Canadian customers: they like the access to non-traditional, unique ingredients that they often characterize as healthy – all available in a single supermarket environment that also carries typical Canadian fare.

We’ve said this before: modern Canadian consumers are better informed and more demanding than ever. Globalization has provided access to, and knowledge of, a greater number of foods and a wider variety of products, resulting in very discerning palates. Canadians are becoming relentless in their pursuit of quality and functionality, while at the same time expecting reasonable prices. Besides Canadians yearning for variety and more “exotic” foods, my own theory is that they want these in an environment that doesn’t seem so “foreign”. T&T looks and feels like a typical Canadian supermarket. The acquisition seems to be a winner for Loblaws.

Photo credit: Roland