Provigo Le Marché™ celebrates two years of transforming Québec's grocery landscape

New Provigo Le Marché flagship store to open in Longueuil

LONGUEUIL, QC, July 9, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - (TSX: L) – At the eagerly awaited opening of the new Provigo Le Marché flagship store in Longueuil, Provigo's management took the opportunity to present a glowing report on the first two years of the banner's Québec relaunch.

Summary
The past 24 months have been marked by:

• the rolling out of five completely renovated Provigo stores and 15 Provigo Le Marché stores as part of the company's massive $210 million investment in Québec;
• the direct creation of some 1,300 new full- and part-time jobs;
• an important new alliance with Québec growers and Aliments du Québec;
• the concept's unique offer and daringly modern design, which have revolutionized the shopping experience;
• the addition of 60,000 square feet of fresh products, which is equivalent to more than a football field;
• the addition of 19 new in-store chefs;
• a marked increase in sales, particularly in the fresh products category;
• changes to our customers' shopping habits.

Eating habits
Management revealed some key findings attesting to how the new concept affects the eating habits of the 1.5 million Québec consumers who shop each week at Provigo. Particularly noteworthy results include:

• significant changes to grocery basket composition, with fresh products accounting for 55% of the contents on average, an increase of 7% compared to two years ago;
• a steady annual increase of 6% in purchases of organic products, whose number varies between 100 and 150 during harvest periods;
• an increase to the frequency of store visits;
• the food category that experienced the highest growth is "ready-to-eat" meals, freshly prepared by Provigo's chefs;
• the new product category that experienced the most sustained demand is fresh, preservative-free juices; and
• in-store culinary workshops experienced an average growth in popularity of over 90%.

The opening of the third Provigo Le Marché built in Montréal's South Shore was attended by elected officials, regional food producers, suppliers, industry partners and customers. Speaking in a tent erected outside the store, Pierre Dandoy, Senior Vice-President of Operations for the Provigo, Provigo Le Marché and Loblaws Québec banners and architect of the relaunch, said: "If, two years ago, we were able to blaze ahead with such assurance, it is primarily due to our ability to listen closely to what consumers across Québec and our dedication to travel the world to identify the most innovative food and retail practices. Today, while we are delighted with the success of the relaunch and the difference we're making to the lives of Québecers, we can nonetheless affirm that the best is yet to come! We thank all our customers and partners for their trust and loyalty — and you can be sure we're listening more closely than ever."

For further details on food trends and Provigo's performance, refer to the following infographic (French only): https://flic.kr/p/vLd36K.

New at the Longueuil flagship store
The store's conversion has made it possible to accommodate many additional services and new items, including:

• a wide range of fresh products and items from growers and producers regionally and across Québec;
• an expanded selection of organic fruits and vegetables, plus a salad bar and a juice bar serving juices freshly squeezed each morning;
• daily deliveries of seafood from sustainable fisheries and an oyster bar;
• beef aged in store, several sausage varieties and local products such as Québec pork, milk-fed veal and lamb that shoppers can discover through butchers happy to share their expertise;
• an immense range of ready-to-eat dishes, pizzas and ready-to-heat meals prepared by chefs;
• a vast array of cupcakes and macaroons;
• a new kind of sushi counter where customers can have their personalized orders prepared before their eyes or while they finish their shopping;
• over 400 cheeses, including 300 from Québec, along with a selection of imported
• prosciutto and Québec pâtés and terrines.

Located at 1150 King George Street in Longueuil, the new Provigo Le Marché is open from 8 am to 10 pm, seven days a week. Its many in-store services will enhance the shopping experience for Longueuil residents, who can also take advantage of Guiding Stars®, an impartial food rating system that uses stars to make healthy choices identifiable at a glance. Shoppers wishing to know more about the program can visit www.guidingstars.ca.

"Today, we are proud to open the Provigo Le Marché flagship store in Longueuil," said Sylvain Jodoin, General Director for the Provigo Le Marché and Loblaws banners in Québec. "My 210 store colleagues and our teams have devoted months to creating an environment in which consumers will enjoy discovering the fresh local products we'll be offering them each day based on the advice of our in-store experts."

The Provigo Le Marché team, which continues to be a strong community supporter, took the occasion to hand a total of $4,000 in donations to the Centre jeunesse de la Montérégie, Moisson Rive-Sud, Breakfast for Learning and young athlete Julianne Séguin, all of whom were on hand to thank the members of the team for its generosity and involvement.

To follow Provigo Le Marché on Twitter: @ProvigoLeMarche

About Provigo, a member of the Loblaw group
Provigo is a member of the Loblaw group, one of the largest private sector employers in Québec and Canada's largest food retailer. The Loblaw group employs nearly 30,000 people in the province of Québec through its 400 corporate, franchised and affiliated stores operated mainly under the Provigo®, Provigo Le Marché™, Maxi®, Maxi & Cie®, Loblaws®, Club Entrepôt Provigo® and Les Entrepôts Presto® banners. The Loblaw group also offers Canada's strongest control (private) label program, including the President's Choice®, no name® and Joe Fresh® brands. In addiion, it makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial® services and offers the PC® points loyalty program.

SOURCE Provigo, member of Loblaw group

or to schedule an interview, please contact: Jessica Drolet, Advisor, SYRUS, [email protected] or 514 935-2777 ext. 205; Geneviève Poirier, Specialist, Corporate Affairs and Communication, Provigo, member of the Loblaw group, [email protected] or 514 383-8800, ext. 646157