Overview

• Loblaw confirmed the St. Catharines pilot store closed in July, LaSalle will shut on Oct. 25, and Brockville remains open under review.
• The bare-bones concept cut SKUs, refrigeration, deliveries and hours to lower costs, targeting prices up to 20% below competitors.
• The company did not share detailed lessons from the test, stating only that the LaSalle site failed to build a customer base sustainable long term.
• University of Guelph professor Mike von Massow said the outcome points to market or brand fit issues rather than a failed concept.
• The trial began during a grocer boycott and higher food costs, with some shoppers praising prices but questioning car-centric locations.