Overview
Total Sales
30.5 billion Canadian dollars in fiscal 2023 (ending May 6, 2023)
Total Stores
1,982 supermarkets, convenience and liquor stores in 10 Canadian provinces under 21 banners (as of May 6, 2023)
Key Facts
- Scene+ loyalty program has approximately 14 million members
- Sobeys and Sobeys-owned Safeway represent the second largest supermarket footprint in Canada
- The retailer operates in more than 900 communities in Canada
- In addition to corporate and franchised stores, Sobeys provides national wholesale distribution to more than 5,000 convenience stores and small grocers nationwide
- Sobeys Wholesale also runs six Cash & Carry outlets throughout Canada
- In the last three years Sobeys has opened, relocated or acquired 103 stores, and expanded and rebannered or redeveloped 54 locations
Key Executives
Empire Co. and Sobeys Inc.
- President and Chief Executive Officer: Michael Medline
- Chief Technology and Analytics Officer: Julia Knox
- EVP and Chief Financial Officer: Matt Reindel
- EVP and Chief Development Officer: Michael Vels
- Chief Marketing Officer: Sandra Sanderson
Empire
- Chief Operating Officer: Pierre St-Laurent
- EVP, Chief Development Officer and General Counsel: Doug Nathanson
Sobeys Inc.
- EVP, Related Businesses: Vivek Sood (retiring in fiscal 2024)
- SVP, E-Commerce: Mohit Grover
- SVP, Merchandising and Sourcing, Non-Fresh: Liam Sobey
- SVP, Discount: Sarah Joyce
- SVP, Execution Strategy: Mike Venton
- SVP, Operations, Quebec: Genevieve Dugre
- SVP, Finance, Reporting and Treasury: Heidi Jamieson-Mills
Longo’s
- President: Deborah Craven
- CEO and Executive Chairman of the Board: Anthony Longo
- COO: Mike Longo
Farm Boy
- Operating Chairman: Jean-Louis Bellemare
- President and General Manager: Shawn Linton
Financials
- 2023 Empire Company Ltd. Annual Report
- 2023 Empire Company Ltd. Annual Information Form
- 2022 Empire Company Ltd. Annual Report
- 2022 Empire Company Ltd. Annual Information Form
- 2021 Empire Company Ltd. Annual Report
- 2021 Empire Company Ltd. Annual Information Form
- 2020 Empire Company Ltd. Annual Report
- 2020 Empire Company Ltd. Annual Information Form
Other Resources
Market Position and Strategy Overview
Market Position and Strategy Overview
Sobeys is a wholly owned subsidiary of Empire Co., headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Sobeys is the food retailing arm of Empire and operates under 21 banners. Empire develops and oversees commercial and residential properties throughout Canada.
![sobeys front](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-08/sobeysfront.png)
The retail business began in 1907 when John William (J.W.) Sobey opened a meat delivery service in Stellarton. In 1924, his son Frank H. Sobey convinced him to offer seasonal produce and a full line of groceries. By 1939, they had six stores in the area; eight years later the first modern Sobeys supermarket opened in Atlantic Canada. In the 1980s, they expanded into Ontario. By the late 1990s, they tripled in size and became a national company through the acquisition of the Oshawa Group, a Toronto-based supplier to Canada’s IGA stores.
The company has steadily grown since then. Key moments include:
- 2007: Acquires Thrifty Foods, a 20-store independent chain based in British Columbia, for 261.8 million Canadian dollars.
- 2010: Launches FreshCo discount grocery stores.
- 2013: Buys Safeway Canada for C$5.8 billion, giving it control of 213 full-service stores in Western Canada. The acquisition includes nearly 200 in-store pharmacies as well as liquor stores, fuel stations and distribution centers. Some Safeways convert to FreshCo formats.
- 2015: Debuts Chalo! FreshCo markets, catering to South Asian customers.
- 2018: Forms agreement with Ocado Group to bring its online grocery ordering, automated fulfillment and home delivery to Canada.
- 2018: Purchases Ontario-based Farm Boy grocery store chain for C$800 million.
- 2021: Acquires majority stake (51%) of fellow Canadian grocer Longo’s and its e-commerce arm, Grocery Gateway, for C$357 million. Sobeys also continues expanding its FreshCo banner — primarily through converting select Sobeys and Safeway markets — in Western Canada.
In addition to expanding its footprint, Sobeys has stated its plans to grow its market share through investing in stores, improving productivity, scaling grocery e-commerce and growing its private-label portfolio. It’s also been revamping its rewards program. (See Loyalty Programs.) In response to inflation, Sobeys has been touting ts private labels and "Budget Pleasers" in emails, circulars and in-store signage, highlighting weekly specials, buy more-save more options, sales and special offers.
As of the fiscal year ended May 6, 2023, Sobeys operated 1,982 stores in 10 Canadian provinces, under 21 grocery store banners — 12 full-service supermarkets and nine discount, drug, convenience and liquor store formats.
It is the second-largest supermarket chain in Canada — after Loblaws. (For 2022, Statista reported that Loblaws had 46.3 billion U.S. dollars in retail sales, where Sobeys took in U.S. $29.5 billion over the same period.)
U.K.-based online grocer Ocado also has been working with Empire to build automated warehouses across Canada. In 2020, Sobeys unveiled the Voila app (see E-Commerce), steadily expanding the online grocery delivery service since its launch.
Store Formats/Growth
Store Formats/Growth
Sobeys has 12 grocery store banners under its “full, fresh and community service stores” category and nine banners under the “discount, drug, convenience and liquor stores” division. As of May 6, 2023, the retailer operates 1,982 stores across all 10 provinces under 21 banners, in addition to a 22nd wholesale banner.
The grocery store formats are categorized as:
- Full: Includes Sobeys, IGA Extra, and Safeway. Boast specialty departments that include store bakeries, florists, prepared foods, fresh produce, meat and seafood, pharmacies, coffee kiosks and fuel centers.
- Fresh: Includes IGA, Sobeys/Urban Fresh, and IGA Express. Tend to be in urban and suburban areas, with more customized options, and geared toward shoppers who are on the go.
- Community: Includes Thrifty Foods, Foodland, Marche Bonichoix, and Les Marches Tradition. Designed to meet the needs of shoppers in more rural and remote areas.
The discount, drug, convenience and liquor store formats include:
- Discount: FreshCo and Chalo! FreshCo promises fresh, affordable foods while Chalo! focuses on more South Asian products.
- Convenience: Needs. Convenience stores in Atlantic Canada that stay open late or 24 hours.
- Other: Lawtons Drugs, Rachelle Bery, Fast Fuel, Sobeys Liquor, Safeway Wine & Spirits. Includes drugstore, health food, convenience, fuel and liquor, and wholesale suppliers (Cash & Carry and Sobeys Wholesale).
Each banner’s website lets visitors search by location and departments and services, including features like extended hours, beer and wine, pharmacies, deli, bakery and fuel. Flyers can be browsed online as well.
All banners emphasize their brands (see Private Labels) as well as regional, Canadian and sustainable brands. Kim Phat and Chalo! FreshCo also cater more to Asian and South Asian consumers.
Sobeys
The retailer operates 240 stores under this banner in nine provinces. (Quebec has no Sobeys stores.) Eighty are in Ontario, followed by 52 in Alberta and 43 in Nova Scotia.
Sobeys bills itself as a modern supermarket with full-service meat and seafood departments, in-store bakery, produce, prepared foods and floral departments. Many have pharmacies. Some have beer sales or adjoining liquor stores or gas stations on site. Sobeys also has an Urban Fresh option geared toward customers in densely populated areas who seek fresh food and meals on the go. Some Sobeys stores are open 24 hours.
Companywide, Sobeys (Empire) has been steadily expanding, but store counts for Sobeys have decreased. In 2020 there were 254 Sobeys, in 2021 there were 245, and in 2022 there were 240 stores. (That number remained the same for fiscal 2023.) A large driver behind that is that some Sobeys stores are being shuttered and converted to other banners, particularly Farm Boy and FreshCo.
Safeway
There are 138 Safeway stores in five provinces (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia), with the majority in Alberta and British Columbia.
The store count has dipped in recent years as well, from 139 in 2022, 151 in 2021 and 158 in 2020 as Sobeys converts some Safeway stores to the FreshCo banner, particularly in Western Canada.
Safeways are full-service stores with specialty sections including pharmacy, bakery, deli, meat and floral departments. Not every store has the same services or departments, but the Safeway website lets consumers filter their searches to search for options like bulk food sections, cheese ambassadors, Chinese food bars, chocolaterie, coffee roasters, cut produce, entertainment platters, fuel, floral delivery, carving stations and pizza ovens, lobster tanks, propane, ready-to-eat options, Tim Hortons or Starbucks kiosks, sushi counters and others.
IGA Extra and IGA
Sobeys operates three types of IGA stores. IGA Extra and IGA are full supermarkets, while a third IGA, IGA Express, is smaller (hence the Express). IGA and IGA Extra have a full range of grocery products, pharmacies, special departments (which may include bakery, sushi and ready-to-eat options).
- IGA has 192 stores in seven provinces (New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia), and 155 are in Quebec.
- IGA Extra has 138 stores in two provinces (New Brunswick and Quebec). These are full-service grocery stores primarily in the Quebec market. They are the largest of the IGAs, with more specialty departments and sometimes the store-within-a-store Rachelle-Bery boutiques, which offer wellness products like vitamins and supplements.
Farm Boy
Sobeys operates 47 Farm Boy stores in Ontario, as of the end of fiscal 2023, up from 26 when Sobeys acquired the chain in 2018. In fiscal 2024, Sobeys plans to open two more stores.
Store sizes average from 12,000 to 38,000 square feet, with smaller format stores in more densely populated areas.
Stores feature fresh produce, artisan cheese, fresh dairy, baked goods, butcher-grade meats, and sustainable seafood. Many Farm Boy kitchens prep and stock salad bars, make sushi, stir-fry and other ready-to-eat options.
The banner has its own private label. Several hundred SKUs are sold in-store and include bakery, prepared foods, frozen, dairy, cheese, seafood, meats, deli and household items.
Sobeys from the beginning has said it intends to let Farm Boy operate as an independent business, and it has been converting some Sobeys and Urban Fresh locations to Farm Boy stores.
Longo’s
There are 37 Longo’s stores in Ontario, with more on the way. Sobeys acquired a majority stake (51%) of the fellow Canadian grocer in 2021, for $357 million Canadian. (See Market Position & Overview.) Despite the majority share, Longo’s operates as a stand-alone business.
Longo’s is a family-built network of specialty grocery stores located primarily in the greater Toronto area. Stores have their Longo’s private-label products (see Private Labels) as well as fresh produce, fresh meat and seafood, deli stations, frozen foods, health and beauty, alcohol, household, pet, baby, flowers, and more. Several have catering or takeout options like stone oven pizza, burgers, sushi, and more.
Kim Phat
There are three Kim Phat stores in Quebec. The banner is essentially an Asian market with many authentic groceries, like in-season produce, fresh seafood and pantry items as well as its eponymous private label. Other options include prepared Chinese barbecue and Asian health and beauty products.
Pete’s Frootique & Fine Foods
There are two Pete’s stores in Nova Scotia. It sells ready-made foods like sandwiches, salads, smoothies and desserts — with space inside to have a bite; produce, pantry items, fresh meats and seafood; flowers; international groceries (focusing on Great Britain); local and regional products; and gift baskets.
Thrifty Foods
There are 26 Thrifty Foods stores in British Columbia. Sobeys acquired the independent chain in 2007. At the time there were 20 stores. In 2020 and 2021 there were 27 stores.
In addition to grocery and household items, many of the markets have freshly prepared cakes, dry-aged beef, party platters, sushi, ice cream, pizza and sandwich options. Many also have pharmacies, health and vitamin aisles, and floral departments.
The first store, which began as an 1,800-square-foot neighborhood market, has expanded to 20,000 square feet. The second location, in downtown Halifax, is 26,000 square feet.
Foodland
There are 215 stores in five provinces (Newfoundland-Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario). That’s down one from 2022. These are standard grocery stores with special departments like floral, bakery, deli and ready-to-eat options.
Bonichoix
There are 50 stores in Quebec in fiscal 2023, down from 57 in 2022 and 63 for the previous year. Their focus is on being a neighborhood grocery store, offering a full range of products, including produce, deli, meats, cheeses, bakery, beer and household items.
Les Marches Tradition
There are 78 stores in Quebec (as of fiscal 2023), one more than in 2022. Les Marches Tradition supermarkets are stocked with groceries and have services that may include fish and seafood departments, prepared foods, cut fruits and vegetables, organic products, pastry shops, in-house bakery, microbrewery beer, wine and lottery.
Discount/Drug/Convenience/Liquor
FreshCo/Chalo! FreshCo
There are 142 FreshCo and Chalo! FreshCo stores in five provinces (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia). In 2022 there were 136 locations.
Sobeys has been expanding FreshCo’s discount banner, primarily in Western Canada through converting Sobeys and Safeways markets. It also has shuttered a few Sobeys in Ontario, and in some cases opened Chalo! FreshCo stores, with their emphasis on South Asian products.
Stores contain a full range of groceries including produce, pantry, meat and frozen. The stores stress deals, including on value size and lower-priced options like the Best Buy private label. Many also have in-store pharmacies and offer vaccinations.
Stores average a footprint of approximately 35,000 square feet.
Lawtons Drugs
There are 77 Lawtons Drugs stores in four provinces (Newfoundland-Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick). Store counts have remained stable.
Besides operating a pharmacy and offering services like blood pressure screenings and vaccinations, some Lawtons locations — namely New Glasgow and Truro areas — also offer walk-in clinics which provide non-urgent primary care.
Lawtons carries a lot of drugstore items like vitamins and supplements, cold and allergy medications, health and beauty, snacks, beverages and impromptu gift items like accessories and jewelry, and baby products (including several national brands like The Clorox Co.’s Burt’s Bees and Johnson & Johnson). They also offer home health care products and advice.
Store sizes average 9,000 square feet.
Rachelle-Bery
There are 10 stores in Quebec. These shops focus on healthier lifestyles and convenience, with options like organic products, baked goods, coffee kiosks, prepared foods, microbrewery beer and more. Some IGA Extras also have smaller, in-store Rachelle-Bery boutiques that serve as on-site health food stores.
The number of Rachelle-Bery stores has dipped slightly, from 11 in 2021 and 15 in 2020, but remained the same from 2022 to 2023.
Needs Convenience
There are 80 Needs Convenience stores in five provinces (Newfoundland-Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Manitoba). In 2022 there 83 locations.
These are neighborhood stores that are open late or 24 hours. They have baked goods, coffee, ice cream, beverages like their signature Xtraslush slushies, prepared foods and snacks. Many stores sell tobacco products, lottery tickets, Robin’s donuts, propane, liquor, flowers and more.
IGA Express
There is one IGA Express store in Quebec. That number is down from 20 in 2020. These are small neighborhood markets — 3,500 to 4,000 square feet — with a heavy focus on mostly healthier on-the-go products and ready-to-eat foods.
Boni-Soir
There are four Boni-Soirs in Quebec. They are geared more toward the shopper on the go, with options that include coffee to go, wine and beer departments, a “Pet Corner” with pet products, “My Candy Zone” sweets, Xtraslush slushies, and ready-to-go options like sandwiches, pastries, bottled drinks and fruit cups. They tend to be open late. No new stores have opened lately.
Voisin
There are four Voisin stores in Quebec. These serve as neighborhood convenience stores with fuel pumps, car wash, ready-to-eat foods (sushi, wraps, poke bowls, and muffins), beverages (Xtraslush drinks) and snack options. Stores are either open late or 24 hours. No new stores have opened in recent years.
Retail Fuel Sites
For 2023, Sobeys operates 389 retail fuel sites (two less than in 2022) in seven provinces — Newfoundland-Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia, (This does not include 38 Safeway co-located fuel sites or 17 co-branded convenience fuel locations.)
Liquor
There are 103 retail liquor shops (down two from 2022) under various names, including Sobeys Liquor, Safeway Liquor and Thrifty Foods Liquor in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Quebec, New Brunswick and select Ontario supermarket and convenience store locations sell wine and beer.
Distribution Centers
Sobeys has 28 distribution centers nationwide (save for Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan having none in 2023), and three e-commerce categories — central fulfillment grocery delivery, legacy grocery delivery, and Voila curbside pickup.
Promotional Strategy
Promotional Strategy
Sobeys and its banners have various ongoing promotions. Much of the activity is tied to the calendar, particularly seasonal occasions but also to causes and contests.
Sobeys places a lot of emphasis on its Scene+, offering loyalty points on most purchases, typically with extra points-garnering opportunities on its private label SKUs, but members also can earn extra loyalty points on periodic promotions featuring national brands such as PepsiCo/Frito-Lay or Coca-Cola.
Some banners, particularly Sobeys and Safeway, run periodic sales (dubbed Safeway Days or Sobeys Days). These also offer added savings on both private labels and national brands, including Coca-Cola, Kraft Heinz and Unilever products.
Sobeys tends to place a heavier focus on local and seasonal Canadian products, ranging from province-sourced meats to area and in-season produce.
National brands can get extra attention in promotional activity. Recent examples include:
- a $15 digital Tim Card on a qualifying $40 Tim Hortons product purchase,
- buy more-save more on participating products from Kraft Heinz, and
- winter savings and points-earning opportunities on select General Mills products.
Sobeys also rolls out an annual price freeze for the holiday season. For 2023, it expanded the effort in response to consumer concerns about inflation, keeping prices of packaged goods — approximately 20,000 products — at November 2023 prices until at least January 2024. It also paused planned price increases on more than 1,500 SKUs.
Merchandising
Merchandising
The grocery stores (See Store Formats/Growth for more information on specific banners) tend to offer standard supermarket fare, with produce, floral, deli, frozen, prepared foods, meat and seafood departments. Other categories include beverages, baby, home, pet, health, beauty, pharmacy and wellness.
Convenience formats (such as Needs) or drugstore, liquor and fuel stops tend to cater to more specific needs and wants for the shopper who may be more pressed for time.
Sobeys and all its banners put a heavy emphasis on their private label SKUs, but also sell nationally (and internationally) known brands, including PepsiCo, The Hershey Co. and Kraft Foods Group products.
Many stores tailor product assortments for their location, and a spotlight is placed on local products. In November 2023, Sobeys and Safeway partnered with the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance and the Fisheries Council of Canada on a campaign that included placing "Choose Canadian Seafood" labels on products in more than 300 of the banners' locations. Recipe booklets were handed out at some stores as well.
Sobeys and other banners also carry exclusive lines, including those of celebrity chef and TV personality Ricardo. (Sobeys purchased Ricardo Media in 2021.) Ricardo products — which include desserts, dips, seasoned meats, dressings and more — are available at many IGA and Sobeys stores. Ricardo's latest line includes marinated proteins and products to make mealtime easier. It launched exclusively at Sobeys stores in Ontario.
In early 2024, actress Blake Lively's Betty Buzz non-alcoholic brand made its Canadian launch at more than 300 Sobeys, Safeway and Thrifty Foods stores nationwide.
E-Commerce
E-Commerce
Sobeys had several e-commerce operations, including Voila, Grocery Gateway, IGA.net and ThriftyFoods.com. Sobeys has gradually been replacing them with Voila.
![voila screen grab](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-08/sobeysvoilascreengrab.jpg)
Sobeys’ primary e-commerce platform is Voila, which was introduced in 2020. Eventually it will replace the other online shopping options. More recently Longo’s Grocery Gateway amd IGA's platforms have transitioned over to Voila.
Farm Boy’s website does not have a shopping option, save for customers being able to place online orders for specialty dinners or catered options that include platters, salads, breads, entrees, sides and desserts. At the bottom of the FarmBoy.ca page, however, site visitors can click on Voila and shop there. Voila's page allows shoppers to purchase from all private labels as well as national brands.
Voila was first made available to greater Toronto-area customers, and Sobeys continues to expand the online grocery home delivery service. By 2025 Voila should be available to British Columbia customers.
With Voila, Sobeys plans to reach 75% of Canadian households and account for about 90% of Canadians’ projected e-commerce spending by some time in 2024 or 2025.
Through Voila customers can log into their Scene+ loyalty account, shop online and select delivery or curbside pickup.
Voila has a Delivery Pass, where subscribers can order unlimited grocery deliveries. It’s currently available in Ontario and Quebec. Options include:
- An “Anytime Delivery Pass” that a customer can use seven days a week costs $14.99 a month (occasionally there is a free one-month trial promotion), $79.99 for six months, and $139.99 for 12 months. (Plus applicable taxes.)
- The “Midweek Delivery Pass” for delivery on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Cost is $9.99 a month, $54.99 for six months, and $99.99 for a year. (Plus applicable taxes.)
A minimum $35 purchase is required.
Voila-powered curbside pickup is available in many more locations, including at select locations in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Voila is powered by U.K.-based Ocado technology, which enables the online ordering, automated fulfillment and home delivery capabilities.
Robots put orders together at the customer fulfillment centers, and Voila employees deliver orders to customers’ homes in temperature-controlled vehicles.
Sobeys has steadily opened robotically enhanced CFCs to streamline the ordering and delivery processes, with plans to operate four CFCs nationwide. They serve the following areas:
- Vaughn CFC: Serves the greater Toronto area, Barrie, Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Hamilton, Niagra, St. Catharines, Brantford and Ottawa.
- Montreal: Began deliveries in March 2022, transitioning customers to Voila from IGA.net, as that platform is phased out. Services more than 100 communities including Montreal and Quebec City.
- Calgary: Expected to begin deliveries in early 2024, this center will service most of Alberta.
- Vancouver: Scheduled to begin serving British Columbia customers in 2025.
To further increase CFC efficiencies the company has also been opening spoke facilities, first in Etobicoke, Ontario, and followed by spokes in Ottawa and Quebec City in 2022.
Grocery Gateway
Longo’s had its own e-commerce platform, Grocery Gateway, which it first purchased in 2004. Despite Sobeys (Empire) owning 51% of the business (with the Longo family owning the remaining 49%), Longo’s is managed as a separate company within Empire and is run by an executive leadership team. The acquisition, besides including 36 Longo’s locations, also added approximately 70,000 online customers to Sobeys’ e-commerce business.
Sobeys merged Grocery Gateway into Voila in the second half of 2023. Longo's will serve as a "shop within a shop" on Voila, a move that would add approximately 2,000 Longo’s SKUs onto the platform.
Longo’s has a mobile app, too, where customers can shop their preferred store.
IGA.net
IGA stores let customers shop their local shops or via the IGA app. In some areas, particularly greater Montreal and Quebec City, Voila has replaced IGA.net, and site visitors are redirected to the new platform to shop.
Thrifty Foods
Thrifty Foods’ customers can shop online, both on the main site, or they can access their store’s flyer online, where they can click on items to add to their shopping list, or select “See More Info” and be taken to a new window that allows them to add the item to their carts.
The website also has a number of features, including drop-down menus with:
- Recipes, and shoppable ingredients lists.
- Catering/entertainment platters which can be ordered online and picked up in-store. Shoppers can also order wedding cakes and flowers.
- Online grocery shopping, with delivery as an option (where available, for a $5 fee).
Internet Marketing
Internet Marketing Strategy
Many of the banners’ websites have similarities, apart from the Farm Boy and Longo’s pages.
Most have carousel ads highlighting the Scene+ rewards (where available), ways to earn points and save money, private label or Canadian brands, and seasonal offerings. Private labels receive most of the spotlight.
Shoppers can access their preferred store’s digital flyer, browse for deals and learn what departments and services are available in that location.
Occasionally a carousel item may highlight a product, and clicking on it will lead site visitors to the store’s circular, which highlights Canadian products, private-label offerings, as well as big brands like Coca-Cola and Kraft.
On the website, shoppers can click on items in the flyer and add them to their shopping list, or shop the flyer where Voila is active.
Sobeys encourages shoppers to enroll in its Scene+ rewards program, and not just at the Sobeys banner, but wherever Scene+ is available. (Eventually it will be company-wide.) Once signed in, shoppers can access their chosen store, browse offers, add items to their shopping lists. (If Voila is in their area, they can shop through that platform and choose curbside pickup, where available.)
If a banner has an app, a CTA to download that will be posted as well.
All stores have weekly digital circulars — save for Needs Convenience — that can be viewed online.
Farm Boy
Farm Boy’s website is entirely focused on its eponymous private-label offerings.
On the home page, carousel ads highlight the weekly flyer, seasonal promotions and the Farm Boy label. Specials, new products and recipes populate the rest of the page.
Browsers can filter their search by category, and narrow that further to specific subcategories or product tags, then click to learn more about a product.
The Farm Boy website also allows users to:
- Locate a store and browse its specific circular
- Browse pages devoted to private labels
- Search recipes
- Sign up for weekly emails
At the bottom of the page, site users can click on Voila and be redirected to a shoppable page where they can purchase Farm Boy and Sobeys private labels as well as national brands.
Longo’s
Longo’s home page has carousel ads touting its products, services and seasonal offerings. There is no sponsored content for national brands.
Site visitors can also log in to their account and shop their preferred Longo’s, which is powered through their Grocery Gateway e-commerce platform. (Grocery Gateway is merging into Voila sometime in 2023.)
Longo’s private labels are featured prominently throughout, but national brands turn up in search results as well.
The Longo’s home page also allows visitors to:
- Find a Longo’s location
- Browse the in-store flyer and online specials
- Explore seasonal offerings, recipes and new products
- Sign up for or check Thank You Rewards status
- Find cooking classes
- Sign up for delivery
- Download the seasonal in-house Experience magazine (see Circulars)
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Marketing Strategy
Sobeys has a mobile application, launched in 2013 and created by Toronto’s The Working Group (TWG).
![Sobeys app screen grab](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-08/sobeysapp.png)
The app lets users:
- Connect to the Scene+ card, which tailors offers to shopping habits, tracks points earned, and facilitates points redemption on groceries or with outside partners. (See Loyalty Marketing.)
- View the local store’s weekly circular.
- Search for recipes, and add ingredients to the shopping cart.
- Make shopping lists.
- Link to Voila to shop online and earn points.
Longo’s has a mobile app, too, powered by the Grocery Gateway e-commerce platform. Shoppers can download the app, sign up or log in, and shop their preferred Longo’s.
Safeway and IGA have apps that allow shoppers to view personalized offers, their store’s circular, and connect to the Scene+ loyalty program. Eventually Voila will become the sole shopping option.
Thrifty Foods also has a mobile app that allows customers to create digital shopping lists, order groceries for pickup or delivery, view the weekly flyer and find their nearest store. Thrifty Foods also has a pharmacy app where customers can order or transfer prescriptions.
Farm Boy does not have a mobile application.
Collaborative Alliances
Collaborative Alliances
Sobeys seeks out strategic partnerships that fit well with its brand.
In January 2024 the retailer partnered with Cookin, a homemade food delivery marketplace platform. Customers can use the Cookin app to order food made by vetted local cooks, chefs, bakers and creators.
Sobeys is promoting the app both in-store and online. Cookin, meanwhile, is promoting Sobeys to its customer database on social media. The partnership includes TikTok and Instagram posts that show food creators in Toronto shopping for and experimenting with Sobeys ingredients and exclusive products. Sobeys and Cookin customers can also expect exclusive content and complementary offers.
Social Media
Social Media
All of Sobeys’ banners use social media to some extent.
Each chain has a Facebook account, but the number of posts and followers vary. Sobeys is most active, with more than 333,000 Facebook followers (as of August 2023, but Marche Bonichoix, with a smaller footprint, has approximately 1,800 followers.
Most banners post at least a couple times a week. Sobeys and Safeway post nearly every day.
Activity reminds followers and page visitors of respective loyalty programs, ongoing promotions, special offers, contests and events. Posts also tie in to national observances or relevant products to enhance the celebration. Additional topics include polls (hard vs. soft taco shells for National Taco Day, for example), recipes, new products and seasonal tips like what produce is in season or suggestions for back-to-school lunches.
Short videos are posted once or twice a week, typically highlighting events or products.
The convenience and drug stores tend to post content that features more national brands, like Coca-Cola products or Heineken beers for holidays and events, or L’Oreal’s Vichy products for sun protection.
Most banners have a presence on Instagram, but here, Farm Boy and Sobeys have the most followers (69.8K for the former, and 42.1K for the latter).
The activity mirrors, or is highly similar to, what the banners post on Facebook.
Approximately half the banners have Twitter accounts, but they vary in followers and activity. Here, Lawtons Drugs and Needs Convenience are more active, posting about promotions, products and contests, and sharing shopping suggestions. Most banners post infrequently, with activity tapering among the majority throughout 2022.
A handful have Pinterest accounts, but these aren’t very active. Where there are postings, usually it’s a link to a recipe or a graphic featuring some advice or tips, like what’s in season or how to freeze vegetables.
YouTube
Sobeys, IGA, Thrifty Foods and Longo’s have YouTube channels. Videos are uploaded infrequently, but there has been an uptick in activity leading into the 2022 holiday season, with mostly short videos (clocking in at less than 10 seconds) promoting the respective banner as a place to shop for holiday fare. In IGA’s case, it unveiled its annual 90-second holiday film.
Loyalty Programs
Loyalty Programs
Sobeys finished rolling out its Scene+ customer loyalty program in the spring of 2023 — which Empire co-owns along with Bank of Nova Scotia and Cineplex — after announcing it was parting ways with the Air Miles rewards program.
![Sobeys scene plus](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-08/sobeyssceneplus.jpg)
Scene+ members can earn points by simply shopping. The rewards plan unlocks personalized offers, special promotions and members-only deals. Using a Scotiabank Scene+ credit or debit card accrues more points. Shopping through Voila also lets Scene+ members earn 500 points for every $50 they spend online or through the app.
For every 1,000 points earned under Scene+, customers can save $10 off select purchases at Empire’s banner stores or get account credits on eligible Scotiabank cards.
As an added incentive, shoppers using their Scene+ loyalty card can win prizes like gift cards or free groceries for a year.
As of October 2023 Scene+ had approximately 14 million members.
Points also can be earned at Scotiabank, Cineplex Theatres, approximately 1,000 Home Hardware stores, and more than 700 Recipe restaurants across Canada, including Swiss Chalet, Harvest and Montana’s. Other redemption partners include Expedia, Apple and Best Buy.
Customers active in the Air Miles rewards program are being transitioned over to the Scene+ program once it becomes available in their region. (Air Miles rewards will not transfer over to Scene+, according to Sobeys.)
Longo’s
Longo’s has its own loyalty program, Thank You Rewards. Members earn points on purchases (50 for every $25 spent) as well as on featured products. Members also receive added savings with the loyalty card. Signing up for emails opens up additional rewards opportunities through exclusive offers and promotions. Points break down as follows:
- 2,200 amounts to $10 toward a purchase
- 4,000 unlocks $20 off a purchase
- 6,000 earns $30 off a purchase
After that, every additional 2,000 points earns another $10 reward.
Farm Boy
Farm Boy does not have a loyalty program.
Circulars & Publications
![Sobeys Circular](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-07/sobeyscircular.jpg)
Circulars & Publications
Most of Sobeys’ banners have circulars that run Thursday-Wednesday, with the exception of Lawtons Drugs, which runs Friday-Thursday.
Weekly circulars range from four to approximately 20 pages in size.
Digital versions let respective website visitors select their preferred store. Banners enabling e-commerce via Voila facilitate clicking on items to add them to a shopping cart or list. (In the case of Longo’s, customers can shop online through the Grocery Gateway platform.)
Where available, the circulars encourage enrollment in Scene+ (see Loyalty Programs) by heavily promoting spending incentives to earn points, scannable coupons, deals exclusive to the program’s members, and sweepstakes to earn rewards such as gift cards or groceries for a year. Circulars have QR codes to streamline Scene+ signup.
Generally the circulars tout each banner’s — and sometimes individual store’s or region’s — offerings. Some banners have unique components:
- Lawtons’ circulars typically promote beauty, self-care, home health care, wellness, snacks and gifts as well as new and seasonal offerings.
- Chalo! FreshCo emphasizes South Asian fare.
- Rachelle-Bery circulars highlight typical grocery store fare, but give real estate to organic, vegan, gluten-free and wellness-related options. The Rachelle-Bery Espace Sante boutique (found in some IGA Extra locations) gets a page highlighting wellness products like vitamins, supplements and other natural categories.
All banners give prominent space to private labels. Longo’s and Farm Boy’s circulars promote their brands in a fashion similar to the other Sobeys banners.
The convenience stores and fuel stops do not have circulars — websites and social media activity tend to promote deals and offers and highlight their top products, like the Xtraslush frozen drinks.
![inseason magazine farm boy](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-09/inseasonmag.png)
Magazines
In September 2023, Farm Boy launched its inSeason digital magazine, which features food inspiration, vendor stories, recipes and product news.
Longo’s has a 14-day circular schedule that begins Thursdays and a quarterly “Baby Flyer” that spotlights baby products. It also publishes a quarterly magazine, Experience, which includes recipes, meal and entertaining ideas, and features ads from major CPGs like Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Conagra, and Kraft Heinz, as well as space dedicated to Longo’s private labels and some local brands, especially meat and seafood suppliers.
Pete’s Frootique publishes a digital magazine twice a year, Merry & Bright for the holidays, and Spring & Bloom for the spring. The magazines feature recipes, seasonal suggestions, items for order, and imported (with a focus on U.K. offerings) and local products.
Private Label
![Compliments Sobeys Greek Yogurt](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-07/sobeyscompliments.jpg)
Private Label
Sobeys officially has four private labels: Compliments, Panache, Best Buy and Eight Treasures.
Longo’s and Farm Boy have their eponymous brands. So does another banner, Kim Phat.
Compliments
Compliments is available in all provinces, at all banners except Farm Boy.
Compliments makes up the majority of the private-label assortment, and Sobeys positions it as equivalent to national brands.
Categories include frozen foods, pantry items, snacks and candy, deli, health and beauty, household products, bread and bakery, dairy and eggs, meat and seafood, beverages, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, pets and baby products.
Sub-brands — marketed as healthier alternatives — include Compliments Organics, Plant Based, Greencare, Gluten-Free, Balance, and Naturally Simple.
Panache
Formerly Sensations by Compliments, Panache is the premium private label. Categories include snacks and candy, frozen foods, deli and pantry.
Best Buy
These are budget-friendly, low-frills options that include frozen, dairy, paper products, canned goods, pantry items and pet food.
Eight Treasures
Eight Treasures is marketed toward the South East Asian consumer. It includes pantry and frozen items.
![Longos cones](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-07/longoscones.jpg)
Kim Phat
Kim Phat Asian markets have their own eponymous private label. It includes primarily Asian pantry items like canned goods, sauces, seasonings, snacks, noodles, rice, and oils. Kim Phat products are sold in Kim Phat and IGA stores, and via the Voila platform.
Longo’s
Longo’s has its own private labels, initially not sold at other Sobeys banners, but approximately 2,000 products are being added as Longo's Grocery Gateway platform is absorbed into Voila, sometime in 2023.
- Longos: Includes fruits and vegetables, dairy and frozen, meat and seafood, prepared meals, bakery and deli.
- Longo’s Curato: A curated line of Italian imports, including baked goods, pasta, pasta sauce, deli meats and cheeses.
- Longo’s Essentials: These offerings are more basic, including canned goods, dairy, bread, frozen, grains and household products.
![Farm Boy coffee](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2023-07/farmboycoffee.jpg)
Farm Boy
Farm Boy has a full portfolio of eponymous private-label products. The lineup includes grocery, bread and bakery, prepared foods, frozen, cheese, meat, deli, dairy and eggs, seafood and household items.
Products are tagged Made in Canada, organic, gluten-free, Kosher, local, vegan, vegetarian and peanut-free, and there is a strong focus on local fresh produce and meat. Products are touted as being high quality and a great value.
Several hundred Farm Boy products can also be purchased on the Voila platform.
Cause/Community Programs
Cause/Community Programs
Sobeys and its franchisees, affiliates and employees unite to raise funds for hundreds of community organizations that help Canadians. The Sobey Foundation invests in community, health and education through funding scholarships, supporting the arts, advancing sustainability and waste reduction, fighting hunger and helping children’s health (particularly mental health).
Education
The company and its foundations support several scholarship programs, including:
- Sobeys Inc. and the Empire Scholarship Program each year awards approximately 40 students with $1,500 scholarships.
- The D&R Sobey Scholarship presents up to eight students from Atlantic Canada who are pursuing a commerce degree at the Smith School of Business at Queens University. Each four-year scholarship is worth $80,000.
- The Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies each year gives eight $3,500 awards to full-time business school students who are attending Atlantic Canadian universities.
Community
Feed the Dream
Empire Company serves as the official grocer of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic teams.
In advance of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Empire kicked off a Feed the Dream campaign. Highlights include:
- A Feed the Dream lunchbox, which serves as a centerpiece of the campaign;
- A FeedtheDream.ca website where fans can send personal messages of support to Team Canada athletes. There, visitors also get a chance to win their own lunchbox;
- Feed the Dream film spots and imagery;
- A media partnership with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that includes coverage and dedicated content;
- A touring Feed the Dream mobile food experience trailer; and
- In-store and digital engagements with contests where shoppers can win prizes.
Shoppers who use their loyalty card or shop online via Voila and buy qualifying products at participating banners from brands such as Coca-Cola Co., General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez International and Sobeys' private labels also can win prizes.
Banners also periodically sell Feed the Dream reusable bags to support the athletes and encourage reducing waste.
Sobey Art Foundation
Established in 1981, the Sobey Art Foundation’s stated mission is to preserve 19th and 20th century Canadian art and award annual cash prizes to emerging Canadian artists (of any age). Annually, more than $200,000 is awarded in prize monies, including $100,000 to the winner and $25,000 to each short-listed artist. Art is exhibited through a partnership with the National Gallery of Canada.
Sustainability and Environment
The Sobeys Inc. Better Food Fund was founded in 2014. It teams with national and regional charities to improve access to healthier food. It’s trademarked OurPart with a stated goal to help the planet. This includes:
- Reducing food waste and plastics and packaging.
- Asking everyone in the supply chain to commit to environmentally friendly, ethical and sustainable products and practices.
- Supporting farmers and workers to provide fair trade products. Improving living standards, working conditions and wages is linked to that effort.
- Committing to seafood sustainability, identifiable among products marked by the Ocean Wise logo.
- Adding a fourth “R” — rescue — to reduce, reuse and recycle as part of a commitment to generate less waste.
- Supporting local farmers, producers and suppliers to provide foods and other products to fill shelves.
- Devoting time, especially on social media, to sharing ways to reduce food waste, including Foodland’s support of Second Harvest.
The company has stated its commitment to the environment. In July 2022, Empire revealed a Climate Action Plan, with a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonize its business. The company has pledged for its operations to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, and for its supply (value) chain by 2050.
Some of the ways it is working to achieve that is by installing energy efficient lighting and refrigeration in stores, adding rooftop solar panels at more locations, and turning to electric-powered delivery and fleet vehicles.
For grocery delivery in Ontario (where available), when people buy through the Voila platform, stores have a “closed-loop bag recycling program” where shoppers can return any single-use plastic bags to delivery workers. These are then recycled into new Voila bags. For delivery service in Quebec and curbside pickup locations in the rest of Canada, recyclable paper bags are used.
In 2024, Sobeys stores in Ottawa will carry reusable containers as part of a yearlong project piloted by Innovation Council with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada. Grocers will be responsible for cleaning and transporting the containers.
Hunger and Health
Sobeys established a Community Action Fund in March 2020 with a goal to make it easier for more Canadians to have access to healthy and affordable food, and to help foster mental health among children and teens. The CAF is also committed to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion by partnering with marginalized groups. The retailer has also shown support for women and women-owned businesses, highlighting them online and via social media.
Hunger
Sobeys aims to help the hungry through several initiatives, including:
- Toonies for Tummies: Sobeys, Longo’s, Farm Boy, IGA stores and Safeway periodically raise funds for Toonies for Tummies, a program that helps feed hungry children in the community. Sobeys (corporate) will match donations, to a set point.
- Thanksgiv’er fundraiser: Pete’s Frootique encourages people to drop off food donations, give at the cash register, or purchase a $5 or $10 produce pack to help Feed Nova Scotia.
- Food drives: Several of the banners hold food drives for needy families in the community.
- Longo’s has a partnership with Too Good To Go, where they sell surplus food from Longo’s stores at one-third the price, with the goal being to divert 90% of operational waste from landfills by 2025. Two Longo’s Surprise Bag options are available through the initiative — baked goods and prepared meals. People can download the Too Good To Go app and shop.
- Periodically Longo’s encourages customers to purchase a Neighbour in Need bag in-store or online, to help provide meals to area families.
- IGA releases an annual animated holiday short. For 2023, the message was to donate or buy packages of nonperishables for families in need.
Mental Health
- A Family of Support: Sobeys’ banners — save for Longo’s and Farm Boy — hold periodic in-store drives to help AFoS fund local mental health programs for children.
- Sobeys also offers a sensory-friendly shopping time slot on Wednesday evenings. Shoppers with sensitivities can visit select stores during a two-hour slot when lighting is dimmed and music and announcements are paused.
- The Longo Family Foundation has donated to strengthen mental health care and research, including $5 million (in November 2022) to help Trillium Health Partners and its Institute for Better Health.
Cancer
- Thrifty Foods teams with Vancouver Island-area grocers to raise funds for British Columbia’s BC Cancer Foundation. A month-long campaign in the fall encourages donations, with Thrifty Foods matching donations up to $50,000.
- Boni-Soir and Voisin have held fundraisers (including car washes) to benefit the Foundation Charles-Bruneau, to help fight childhood cancer.
- Longo’s sponsors Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer, an annual road hockey tournament which features rookies, veterans, celebrities and NHL players uniting to help cancer research. Select products sold in-store and online (for a limited time) support Princess Margaret Cancer Centre’s clinical research and care initiatives, and help fund the annual event.
Sponsorships
Sponsorships
Sobeys is the official grocer of the National Hockey League. It also is the official grocer of Canada’s only Major League Baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sobeys (and Empire Company) is the official grocer of the Canadian Olympic and Canadian Paralympic teams. For Winter 2022 the retailer revealed the Feed the Dream platform and pledged “to celebrate the emotional connection between family, food and sport.”
Empire and Tennis Canada also have a partnership. Montreal and Toronto are host cities for the National Bank Open, and the retailer secured naming rights for two stadiums in those cities.
Sobeys Stadium in York, just north of Toronto, is a multipurpose site designed to host both sports and entertainment events. Fans can order food delivered directly to their seats through the Voila by Sobeys platform, the official in-seat ordering option.
IGA Stadium in Montreal will also host tennis events. The venues alternate hosting duties for men’s and women’s events.
Advertising Strategy
Advertising Strategy
Tagline: “So.Be.It”
Sobeys in autumn 2023 launched a new campaign centering around those unpredictable but sometimes all-too-familiar moments in the family. The first spots focus on a toddler who uses salt instead of sugar while helping his father make treats for the school bake sale, and two children sit down to supper with their parents, and share the day's school lesson: What amounts to a nutritious dinner. Sobeys comes to the rescue in both situations, with prebaked cupcakes and a sack full of leafy greens.
The national paid media campaign reinforces Sobeys’ positioning as “Canada’s family grocery store” and includes in-store signage, two TV spots and two online videos as well as social, print and OOH messages.
FCB is overseeing strategy and creative, UM is handling media and North Strategic is leading PR.
Sobeys has also been promoting its Scene+ rewards program. "Ordinary Purchases, Extraordinary Rewards" plays on the carrot-as-reward metaphor. A 60-second hero spot shows travelers using carrots as currency in several situations including to pay for their hotel, buy items in markets, and other scenarios. The ad is capped off with a person using their Scotiabank Scene+ Visa card. The campaign is designed to get loyalty members to see the perks of using the card. The spot is running on TV and in Cineplex theaters. It's also supported by OLV, OOH, social and digital.
IGA releases an annual Christmas Tale short film, in both French and English. In 2022, the focus was on keeping memories of loved ones alive through a recipe, with ingredients that could be purchased at IGA stores.
For 2023 it was "Mr. Beaver's Yule Log," an animated spot featuring a grumpy beaver who realizes the power of sharing. The short ends with a reminder that viewers can purchase a "Yule Log of Generosity" package of nonperishables and/or make a donation at checkout, both of which help families in need.
![Sobeys Logo](https://assets1.p2pi.com/styles/hero/s3/2023-07/sobeys_logo.jpg)
Sobeys Promotional Calendar
A roundup of seasonal promotions.
January
All Banners
- Healthy New Year: Social media and emails focus on improving health in many ways, including meatless options, Veganuary, plant-based products, clean eating challenges, recipes, supplements, organizing, and sports and energy drinks.
- Cold/Flu/COVID-19: Banners offering immunizations and boosters display the services prominently on their websites.
- Team Canada Olympic/Paralympic Teams: Sobeys is a sponsor of the Feed The Dream, supporting the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic teams. Social media cheer on the athletes. Contests are held for prizes such as free groceries for a year, or a Family Viewing Kit with food and supplies from Team Canada’s CPG partners. Limited edition item sales help fund athletes.
- OurPart: Sobeys and Safeway team with Second Harvest to lessen food waste. Nearly all banners promote reduce/reuse/recycle initiatives year-round, or hold food drives periodically.
Sobeys, Safeway and FreshCo/Chalo
- Sobeys/Safeway Days: “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” promotion on select items as well as deals on private labels and major CPGs, along with a chance to earn extra rewards points.
- Lunar New Year: Items priced “88” (88 cents, $2.88, etc., as the number 88 symbolizes fortune and luck in Chinese culture). Products feature Asian fare, gift ideas and celebratory items.
Longo’s
- Toonies for Tummies: Sobeys supports The Grocery Foundation’s mission to feed hungry school children, with the company matching donations, to a set point. Longo’s takes part in the campaign in late January and early February; other banners participate periodically throughout the year.
- Valentine’s Day
Kim Phat, Rachelle-Bery and Les Marches Tradition
- Lunar New Year: Highlighting Asian products, specialities and gifts to celebrate.
Pete’s Frootique & Fine Foods
- Robert Burns Day: Scottish recipes and SKUs support the observance.
FreshCo/Chalo
- Lohri: Acknowledging the Punjabi folk festival with FreshCo product and recipe suggestions.
Lawtons Drugs
- 55+ Appreciation Days: Wednesdays, Scene+ loyalty card members ages 55 and older receive a 20% discount on select items.
Needs Convenience
- Super Bowl: Snacks, beverages suggested for game day viewing.
- Minute to Win It: Halifax Moosehead gamegoers have a chance to win a $100 Sobeys gift card if the Canadian Hockey League team scores during the pre-determined minute. If the Mooseheads don't score, the $100 gift card rolls over into the next game and keeps building until someone wins the pot.
February
All Banners
- Cold/Flu/COVID-19
- Olympic/Paralympic Support
- Valentine’s Day
- Lunar New Year
- Maple Syrup Season
- Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday
Sobeys
- National Hockey League All-Star Game: With game day recipe suggestions.
- Toonies for Tummies: Circular activity spotlights participating partners; brands include General Mills' Cheerios, B&G Foods Canada's Green Giant canned and frozen vegetables, and many others.
Safeway, IGA, Farm Boy and Longo’s
- Super Bowl
Lawtons Drugs
- 55+ Appreciation Days
![farm boy fan faves 2024](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/public/2024-02/farmboyfaves.jpg)
Farm Boy
- Farm Boy Fan Faves: Shoppers are encouraged to vote on their favorite Farm Boy products for a chance to win gift cards.
Les Marches Tradition, Marche Bonichoix
- Foundation Olo: A portion of participating product sales goes toward programs that help give babies a healthy start; periodic promotions support.
March
All Banners
- March Break: Snacks, activities to keep kids entertained.
- World Compliment Day: For the March 1 observance, Scene+ loyalty members receive exclusive offers on Compliments private label products.
- St. Patrick’s Day
- Easter
- Spring and Spring Cleaning
- Team Canada/Paralympic Support
- Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday
- Maple Syrup season
- Pi Day
Sobeys
- Home Team Contest: Customers can buy participating products from CPGs such as Kraft Heinz or The Hershey Co., or enter the contest in-store. Past prizes include a $15,000-valued family room renovation and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
Sobeys, Safeway, IGA and Longo’s
- International Women's Day: Highlighting local or regional entrepreneurs.
IGA
- Charles-Bruneau Gastronomique Soiree: Social media posts encourage periodic support for pediatric cancer research initiatives.
Farm Boy
- Coupons for Kids: Customers can purchase a $10 coupon and recipe booklet with $75 in savings for Farm Boy products. Proceeds benefit local children’s hospital programs.
Longo’s
- Spring Experience: Seasonal magazine is published four times a year with recipes, meal and entertaining ideas. Major CPGs including Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay and Conagra have real estate in the magazine. Also focuses on Longo’s private labels and local brands, especially meat and seafood suppliers.
- Baby Days: Deals on SKUs from Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies, Procter & Gamble’s Pampers, Nestle’s Gerber and other brands.
Pete’s Frootique & Fine Foods
- Best of British: Highlighting imported products from brands such as Cadbury.
FreshCo/Chalo
- Holi: Social media posts acknowledge Hindu spring festival.
Lawtons Drugs
- 55+ Appreciation Days
April
All Banners
- Spring: Including seasonal products and/or grilling.
- Easter
- Earth Day
- Ramadan
Sobeys and Safeway
- Sobeys Days/Safeway Days: Deals on both national and private label SKUs, and a chance to earn bonus loyalty points.
- Good Friday: Meal suggestions.
- Toronto Blue Jays Support: Sobeys is team sponsor.
- National Poutine Day
IGA
- Montreal Canadiens Support: Sobeys is a team sponsor.
Farm Boy
- Mother’s Day
- Coupons for Kids
Longo’s
- RibFest: Deals on heat and serve options as well as DIY chefs.
- Easter: Meal kits are promoted. In 2023, Kinder sponsored an in-store Easter egg hunt.
- Baby Days
FreshCo/Chalo
- Vaisakhi: Acknowledging the major Sikh festival.
- National Tea Day
- Eid
- Halal Products
Lawtons Drugs
- 55+ Appreciation Days
Rachelle-Bery
- Suncare
May
All Banners
- Spring: With recipes, products, plants and flowers.
- Mother’s Day
- Grilling Season
- Team Canada Olympic/Paralympic Teams
Sobeys, Safeway, Thrifty Foods, Foodland, Rachelle-Bery and IGA
- Burger of the Week Promotion: Summer-long focus on different recipes and proteins.
- Fairtrade Month: Part of the company’s commitment to sustainability and fair trade, focusing on their fair trade offerings.
Longo’s
- Seasonal produce: Focus on Ontario growers; chance to win a gift card (via social media).
- Summer Experience: Seasonal magazine is published.
- Baby Days
Kim Phat
- Dragon Boat Festival: With food ideas.
FreshCo/Chalo
- Eid
Lawtons Drugs
- 55+ Appreciation Days
Boni-Soir
- Patriots Day: Made better with highlighted beers from Corona, Heineken.
- May the Fourth: Star Wars holiday greetings.
June
All Banners
- Grilling
- Summer
- Father’s Day
- Canada Day
- Pride
- Team Canada Olympic/Paralympic Teams
Sobeys
- Sobeys Home Team Contest: Grand prize winner announced.
- Special Olympics support
Longo’s
- Seasonal produce and seafood
- Baby Days
Kim Phat
- Dragon Boat Festival: With a focus on traditional food.
- Quebec National Day/St. John’s Day
Thrifty Foods
- Summer Smile Fest: Make most of the season with brand-agnostic snacks, summer inspiration and recipes, and featured products from private labels.
- World Oceans Day: Focus on sustainable seafood and recipes.
FreshCo/Chalo
- Dragon Boat Festival
Lawtons Drugs
- Sun Protection: With space in flyers and social media dedicated to products such as L’Oreal’s Vichy.
- Summer Pharmacy Essentials: Including from brands including Johnson & Johnson’s Band-Aids and Polysporin, or private label Compliments.
- 55+ Appreciation Days
Needs Convenience
- Special Olympics Support
Boni-Soir
- St. Jean (National Day): Touting products such as AB InBev’s Corona or Heineken NV’s Heinken beers.
July
All Banners
- World Cup: Sales, tie-in products featured.
- Fresh Game Days: Scene+ members can enter to win a grand prize that includes $5,000 worth of groceries and Toronto Blue Jays merchandise. Additionally, 20 winners receive $250 Sobeys gift cards and a Blue Jays jersey. Shopping in-store and buying participating products net additional entries.
- Grilling
- Summer
- Canada Day
- Team Canada Olympic/Paralympic Teams
Sobeys, Safeway, Farm Boy, Thrifty Foods, Foodland, FreshCo/Chalo and Lawtons Drugs
- Family of Support: Donations sought to help area children’s hospitals so youth receive mental health support.
Longo’s
- Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer: For five days sales of select items sold in stores and online; a portion benefits the initiative.
- Seasonal produce and seafood promotions
Thrifty Foods
- Summer Smile Fest
Lawtons Drugs
- Sun Protection: With tips and featured products from Edgewell’s Banana Boat Canada or L’Oreal’s Vichy.
- 55+ Appreciation Days
Boni-Soir
- Christmas in July: With encouragement to shop their wine department.
- Stay Hydrated. With products including Gatorlyte.
- Beach Outings: Suggestions for snacks and beverages from brands such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.
- French National Day
August
All Banners
- Back to School: Primarily featuring brand-agnostic suggestions.
- World Cup
- Grilling
- Labor Day/End of Summer
- Team Canada Olympic/Paralympic Teams
Safeway
- Grey Cup Family Experience Contest: Chance to see Canada Football League playoffs.
Sobeys, Safeway, Longo's, FreshCo
- Baby Days: Chance to shop savings and earn extra loyalty points on baby products.
Longo’s
- BlueberryFest: Two weeks of celebrating the in-season berries with recipes and deals.
- Peachfest: Similar to BlueberryFest, but focusing on peaches.
- Celebrate Canada Youth in Sports: In 2022 the retailer partnered with Equifruit, which sells fair-trade fruit and was the official banana of the 2022 Canada Games. An online contest gave people a chance to win a pair of two-day pass tickets for the Niagara 2022 Canada Games.
Kim Phat
- Moon Festival: Newsletter, social media suggest foods and gift ideas.
Lawtons Drugs
- Sun Care: With tips and featured brands including L’Oreal’s Vichy.
- 55+ Appreciation Days
Needs Convenience and Boni-Soir
- National Convenience Week: End-of-summer event recognizing and celebrating convenience stores and c-store workers. Also raises funds for charity. (In 2022, Make-A-Wish Foundation benefited.)
Boni-Soir, Foodland
- International Beer Day: Boni-Soir in particular highlights brands such as Heineken and Corona.
September
All Banners
- Fall: With brand-agnostic and private-label products, seasonal flavors highlighted.
- Mid-Autumn/Moon Festival: Moon cakes and other traditional fare are highlighted as well as recipes.
- Thanksgiving: Recipes, meal kits, private-label options
- Back to School
Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, Marche Bonichoix, Les Marches Tradition, Rachelle-Bery
- Family of Support
Safeway, Sobeys
- Safeway/Sobeys Days: Deals on local products, private labels and major CPG brands.
Longo’s
- Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer: Longo’s is a sponsor; a portion of featured products sold online and in-store goes to charity. (2022 sponsors included PepsiCo’s Gatorade and Canada-based Noble Estates Wine & Spirits.)
- Experience: Fall magazine is published.
- SalmonFest: Annual two-day event with deals.
Pete’s Frootique & Fine Foods
- Thanksgiv’er Fundraiser: Helps Feed Nova Scotia charity; stores accept donations or people can buy a produce pack to help those in need.
FreshCo/Chalo
- Rosh Hashanah
Lawtons Drugs
- 55+ Appreciation Days
- Cold and Flu Season
Boni-Soir
- International Chocolate Day: Focus on Nestle products.
- Football: Featuring Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser and Bud Light.
October
All Banners
- Fall: Focus on seasonal produce and flavors (apples, pumpkins). Some stores hold events with food samples and activities.
- Seasonal professional/semi-pro sports: Occasional contests, promotions tout snacks and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
- Thanksgiving: Featuring recipes, product suggestions (heavily private label or brand-agnostic) and pre-made items.
- Halloween: Some stores host events. Farm Boy, for example, held a Halloween Hunt at some locations, where children could arrive in costume and take part in a scavenger hunt and collect treats.
- Cold and Flu Season
Sobeys, Thrifty Foods, Foodland, FreshCo/Chalo and Safeway
- Waste Reduction Week: Focus on reducing, reusing, recycling and rescuing food to prevent waste.
Sobeys
- Home Team Wins: In time for hockey season, the grocery invites fans to predict the winners of five National Hockey League matchups each week. The grand prize winner gets to go to the 2024 Rogers NHL All-Star game. Players can also win exclusive offers and other prizes.
Safeway
- CFL Prizes: Contest to win Canada Football League tickets or a “homegating” package.
IGA and FreshCo/Chalo
- Diwali
Longo’s
- Apple Season: With recipes and call-outs to area orchards.
- Neighbour in Need Program: Shoppers can buy a Neighbour in Need bag in-store or online to help those in need.
Pete’s Frootique & Fine Foods
- Customer Appreciation Day: One-day event with local businesses sharing samples, plus product giveaways and discounts are planned.
- Thanksgiv’er Fundraiser
Thrifty Foods
- Support BC Cancer Foundation (British Columbia): Donations matched to a set point.
Lawtons Drugs
- 55+ Appreciation Days
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Voisin
- Oktoberfest: Beer and pretzels are a fine way to celebrate.
November
All Banners
- Holidays: Banners promote private labels, platters, floral, baked goods and recipes.
- Black Friday: Many banners held a four-day sale in 2023.
- Cold/Flu Season
Sobeys and Safeway
- 12 Roasts of Christmas: Features meats and roasts shoppers can order for their holiday dinners; recipe suggestions are available.
Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Pete’s Frootique & Fine Foods. Thrifty Foods, Les Marches Tradition, Needs Convenience, Boni-Soir
- Remembrance Day, Veterans Day
Farm Boy
- Cookie Day: Free cookie offered at the bake shop.
- World Vegan Day: Plant-based and vegan options get the spotlight.
Longo’s
- Holiday: Christmas tree delivery and an online holiday shop for decor, gift baskets, advent calendars and more. Seasonal edition of Experience magazine is published.
- Movember: Select items online and in-store raise funds for men’s health initiatives.
Kim Phat
- Taiwan Food Festival: Flavors of Taiwan, with samples, bubble tea, sauces, and more in store.
Pete’s Frootique & Fine Foods
- 12 Days of Giveaways: Gifts, snacks, sauces, non-alcoholic beverages, and tagging participating businesses on social media (with some bonus giveaways)/
- Best of Britain: Spotlight on imported British goods (Cadbury’s, for example), advent calendars and other gifts.
Thrifty Foods
- BC Cancer Foundation Support
Marche Bonichoix
- Food Drive: Benefits area families in need.
- Holiday Contest: In 2022, a $35 purchase made the shopper eligible for a gift bag of private-label products or a grand prize of $3,000 in groceries.
Les Marches Tradition
- Holiday Contest: In 2022, a $45 purchase made the shopper eligible for a grand prize of $5,000 in groceries.
Lawtons Drugs
- Holidays: Highlighting gift suggestions including skincare gift sets by L’Oreal, Marcelle Cosmetics and others.
- 55+ Appreciation Days
Rachelle-Bery
- Annual Food Drive
Boni-Soir
- Holidays: Shoppers can win prizes such as speakers, headphones, an Apple Watch, etc.
- Hockey Night: Featuring Heineken or Michelob products.
Voisin
- Holidays: Focusing on Heineken, Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola products for celebrations.
December
All Banners
- Holidays: Focus on snacks, seasonal flavors, gift ideas, and entertaining.
- Boxing Day
- New Year
- Cold/Flu
Sobeys
- Daily Giveaways: Canadians can enter the contest for a chance to win prizes such as gift cards, big-screen TVs, Scene+ rewards points. Purchasing eligible items also enters shoppers into the contest.
- Home Team Wins
Sobeys, Safeway
- 12 Roasts of Christmas
- 12 Deals of Christmas
Safeway
- Dry January: Mocktail suggestions to prepare.
Chalo, Foodland, FreshCo, Safeway, Sobeys, Thrifty Foods
- Holiday Food Bank Fundraiser: Customers can donate in-store through most of December to benefit local food banks. The retailer matches donations on specific days.
Farm Boy
- Holiday Food Drive: Shoppers encouraged to visit Farm Boy stores and make a non-perishable food donation or buy a prepackaged bag of staples. Benefits community food banks.
Pete’s Frootique & Fine Foods
- 12 Days of Giveaways: Gifts, snacks, sauces, non-alcoholic beverages and more are highlighted. Participating businesses are tagged on social media (with some bonus giveaways).
Marche Bonichoix and Les Marches Tradition
- Holiday Contest: Continues.
Lawtons Drugs
- Boxing Day Clearance: Holiday items are discounted.
- Wellness Prize Package: Customers can enter for a prize package or a $50 gift card.
- 55+ Appreciation Days
Boni-Soir
- Pige Dans le Sac/Girl in the Bag: Contest to win prizes, such as a Vitamix blender or spa package
- Hangover Help: CPGs including Keurig Dr Pepper’s Bai or More Labs’ Morning Recovery beverages to rehydrate.
- Snacks: Products such as Cadbury chocolate to fuel shopping.
- Wines: Social media, circulars tout their wine department.
Voisin
- Holiday: Social media, circulars showcase CPGs such as Heineken, Coca-Cola and Frito-Lay.