Loblaw Celebrates Opening of 300th No Frills Store

Loblaw’s No Frills discount grocery chain has marked a significant milestone with the opening of its 300th store in Mississauga, Ontario, on Friday. The new 40,000-square-foot location, named Raman’s No Frills, offers a wide variety of affordable groceries, including rotisserie chicken, a full in-store bakery, and an assortment of organic and gluten-free options to cater to diverse consumer needs.

The opening of this 300th store highlights Loblaw’s ongoing expansion strategy, which aims to bring value to more communities across Canada. This follows the earlier introduction of a smaller No Frills store format in Toronto earlier this year, measuring under 15,000 square feet—significantly smaller than traditional No Frills stores. These smaller stores are designed to efficiently serve urban areas with limited space, while still providing affordable grocery options.

In 2024, Loblaw plans to open an additional 40 stores as part of its ongoing expansion efforts. Richard Dufresne, CFO of Loblaw, commented, “We know that many underserviced areas in the country are looking for discount grocers who can reduce prices for the community. These new stores, along with our increased investment in the hard-discount format, mark the next step in our commitment to delivering the best possible value.”

This store expansion is a key component of Loblaw’s ambitious $1.4 billion capital investment plan, which also includes remodeling and converting nearly 600 of its locations across Canada. As part of its broader strategy, Loblaw has been converting conventional grocery stores into discount formats like No Frills, with plans to convert 20 market stores to discount locations in 2023 alone.

Additionally, Loblaw is running a pilot program for its value-based “No Name” store format in three Ontario markets. These stores focus on reducing operating costs by offering a smaller product assortment, with only about 1,300 SKUs, and maintaining shorter operating hours, which helps deliver even more affordable prices to consumers.

This commitment to value and accessibility further solidifies No Frills as a major player in the Canadian grocery sector.