Loblaws Buying SDM

[Silk]

http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/381484-...a/#post5890060

Silk

[tjthemanto]

Loblaws has agreed to buy Shoppers Drug Mart for $12.4 billion

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Has anyone seen any major changes in SDM after this ? Except the occasional PC products like PC cookies in SDM aisles , I am not really seeing anything new.

I was hoping for better prices , better deals & better layout/cash area checkout etc ..due to the streamlined operations & synergies.

But things are same old same old . Not worse but not better either.

[katie333]

I haven't seen anything different except for the inclusion of the PC products, along with some of their no-name products, like the chips. With PC Plus, I keep waiting for the ball to drop on the Optimum program which I have greatly enjoyed. For now, I'm taking the no news is good news approach on that front.

[FallenPixels]

Loblaws have spoken several times of the success of Optimum, I can't see them ending it at least before the terms run out on the current card agreement

In terms of layout etc, I don't see it changing. SDM worked, that is why they bought it. They will make efficiencies in brands but why change it and risk losing customers who liked it? How many times have we said on SC if it aint broke don't fix it after a store made stupid changes we hated

[dizzyb]

I've been watching the gift card selection at Loblaws in the hopes that they would begin to carry SDM cards. I'd love to spend my PC Plus points on an SDM card--I really need a new laptop, and the gift card combined with Optimum points would mean $0 OOP.
I figured this would be a natural progression after the buyout...I'm pretty sure I've seen it the other way around. Ie. PC cards at SDM.

[luckbealady]

I wasn't really expecting any big changes to start with. I just figured it was one successful company buying another successful company in order to expand their customer base and reap in more profits.
PC foods moving in and Simply moving out makes sense, as they would have a contract to sell PC brand foods - so I could see Simply disappearing when that contract runs out.

[annedougherty]

I don't want SDM to change in terms of better all around prices at all. I want 20x on their loss leaders and great prices on toilet paper, milk, eggs, paper towels etc. When you factor in that 20x is around a 40% return if you were redeem at the highest level...many items already are much cheaper even if you are paying more before points. People spending their money on the ridiculous prices at SDM, without regard for optimum points, is pretty much how they can afford to pay out the rest of us the 20x lol.

[Decaf]

Loblaws have spoken several times of the success of Optimum, I can't see them ending it at least before the terms run out on the current card agreement

In terms of layout etc, I don't see it changing. SDM worked, that is why they bought it. They will make efficiencies in brands but why change it and risk losing customers who liked it? How many times have we said on SC if it aint broke don't fix it after a store made stupid changes we hated

That's not their approach though, when they acquired T&T supermarket, they killed the sushi bar, stop carrying hard to find brands in favour of generic you can find anywhere brands.

The success of T&T were based on fabulous fresh made sushi, yummy cake and pastries, hard to find brands, and their little canteen area for dim sum meal. I stopped going there bc there is no more fresh sushi, pastry were made smaller, brands that I can only get from them they no longer carry...so long Loblaw...you've killed one of the best supermarket in town. I just hope that they won't ruin SDM.

[FallenPixels]

Maybe they learned a lesson from ruining T&T
The takeovers are a little different though, SDM still has their own HQ etc, they are making efficiencies in the PC products rather than have almost identical Life/Simply Foods products
T&T's takeover was more involved

[jsmile]

They have been switching out SDM products for No Name/PC products.

I noticed in the flyer that they are advertising no name cheese. I'm not a fan of the no name line (60% due to the ugly yellow packaging, 40% because the food doesn't taste good). I can deal with buying no-name brand eggs, but I used to buy the SDM cheese, and now I don't think I can bring myself to buy the no name cheese.

[jsmile]

That's not their approach though, when they acquired T&T supermarket, they killed the sushi bar, stop carrying hard to find brands in favour of generic you can find anywhere brands.

The success of T&T were based on fabulous fresh made sushi, yummy cake and pastries, hard to find brands, and their little canteen area for dim sum meal. I stopped going there bc there is no more fresh sushi, pastry were made smaller, brands that I can only get from them they no longer carry...so long Loblaw...you've killed one of the best supermarket in town. I just hope that they won't ruin SDM.

In Vancouver, where there is lots of fish and sushi around and the T&T supermarkets still have sushi bars & dim sum. I wonder why they don't have it in Ontario.

[maple7]

I heard that my local Shoppers will be replacing all electronics (which is a sizable area) with groceries which will make them more of a grocery store than anything else. They are already a store with a lot of groceries including ready to go vegetables and dinners and there are three grocery stores within a 5 minute walk. The simply foods products are now gone. Long term (in say 2 years) I have heard there will be no more flyers or sales. Everything will be personal.

It should be interesting watching the retail industry change. It was only say two years ago that it was hard to use a printable coupon in a store (because they could be copied) and pricematching meant the store calling another local store to see if they had it in stock or you wouldn't get the pricematch. My guess as a couponer that it will get easier to access and use coupons but harder to abuse them. No more empty tearpads in stores or using coupons on products not intended. It certainly can be automated.