President's Choice
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President's Choice (or "PC") French: Le choix du président is the private label brand of Loblaw Companies Limited, the largest food retailer in Canada. The PC brand includes a wide variety of food, drinks and consumer products, and services, such as President's Choice Financial services. While many store brands (including Loblaw's own value brand no name) provide low-cost versions of brand-name products, many PC products are marketed as being on the same level as "brand name" products, or even, for some food products, as a "premium" or luxury product.
PC is also used as a "unity" brand across the various food store names operated by Loblaw, and in some cases it has been used in this regard to promote products or services that are not officially under the PC umbrella (such as ads promoting local produce from "the people who bring you President's Choice").
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[edit] History
The brand was launched by Dave Nichol, president of the company's flagship Loblaws chain from 1975 to 1985, and president of Loblaw's product development arm from 1985 to 1993.[1] Nichol, the president from which the brand got its name, has not been associated with the company since 1993, although both the PC brand and the semi-annual "Insider's Report" flyer (which originally bore his name) have continued. The "Insider's Report" differs from typical grocery store flyers in that instead of promoting sales and low prices, it emphasizes the uniqueness of the products, either in that they are only available under the President's Choice brand, or by arguing that the products are of much higher quality than competing products. For example, the report will often present PC-branded cookies and emphasize the use of exceptionally high-quality, imported, or organic ingredients.
While The Decadent, a chocolate chip cookie made with butter and President's Choice-branded Decadent chocolate chips, was only available in 17% of Canadian supermarkets, it became Canada’s best selling cookie.[1] President's Choice also sells separate colas in packaging resembling both major competing brands, PC Cola (in a red can representing Coca-Cola) and PC New Wave Cola (in a blue can representing Pepsi). PC products cover most food categories, although some of these categories have a limited selection compared to other brands (e.g. PC-branded milk is only available in the organic variety).
In Canada, PC products are generally sold only at Loblaw-owned or -affiliated stores. One notable exception is President's Choice beer, which in Ontario is only available at The Beer Store due to provincial laws on the sale of alcohol (although it is also sold at Real Canadian Liquorstore locations in Alberta, where private liquor stores are permitted, and Loblaw-owned or -affiliated stores in Quebec, where supermarkets are allowed to sell beer and wine).
Recently, Loblaw executive chairman Galen G. Weston has begun to appear in advertising in an attempt to revive the PC brand to the status it had under Nichol. Weston is the company's chief executive and a member of the company's controlling family; the title of "president", however, is currently held by Allan Leighton.
[edit] Product lines
In addition to the main President's Choice line of products, the brand also features six specialized product lines:
- Teddy's Choice: products for infants
- Mini Chefs: food for 5- to 10 year-olds
- Organics: organic food
- All Canadian: meat-products produced and distributed specifically in British Columbia, and previously for a short time in Alberta
- Blue Menu: food marketed to health-conscious consumers. Blue Menu products often have lower fat content or healthier ingredients such as whole grains.
- Green: products that are marketed as being more "environmentally-friendly." (For example, advertisements for PC GREEN Toilet Bowl Cleaner state that it is "100% chlorine-free" so there are "...fewer toxic substances going into our water.")
[edit] Types of products
[edit] Food products
PC's food products include a variety of prepared foods (baby food, canned foods, soups, condiments, etc); grain products (breads, cereals, grains, rice, etc); dairy products (yogurt, cheese, etc.); frozen food (frozen desserts, entrees, meats, etc.); drinks (juice, soda, water, coffee, tea and beer.); fresh foods (deli products, meat, poultry, fresh pasta, produce, seafood, etc.); and snacks (crackers, snack foods, chips, dips, and sauces).
[edit] Non-food grocery items
Non-food items include baby products; bath and body care products; cleaning and household products; laundry supplies; miscellaneous goods; paper and office products; and a range of general merchandise.
[edit] Mobile phone service
PC Mobile started in the summer of 2005 as another President's Choice product, reselling Bell Mobility's services as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator in Canada. Due to recent growth in the prepaid mobile industry, PC Mobile now competes with other Canadian pre-paid MVNO companies, such as Virgin Mobile, Solo Mobile, 7-Eleven Wireless, and Petro-Canada Mobility.
PC Mobile currently offers five phones: the Samsung m300, the Nokia 6275i, the Motorola KRZR, the LG Rumour and the LG 160. PC mobile airtime fees are $0.20/minute. There is an initial credit of $10 for new accounts. There are two top-up cards offered: $15.00 (good for 30 days) worth of airtime and $25.00 (60 day expiry). WAP service is also available through PC. For an additional five dollars per month, unlimited access to WAP-enabled websites using the OpenWave browser is granted. (All prices CAD)
[edit] Financial services
[edit] Availability in the United States
President's Choice products have been available in the United States in the Chicago market at Jewel grocery stores since the early 1990s,[2] under an exclusive regional marketing agreement.[3] Even though Jewel-Osco and Loblaws both carry President's Choice products, Jewel Osco's owners (including current parent Supervalu) and President's Choice distributor Loblaw Companies Limited are unrelated companies. From around 1995-1999, Lucky Stores carried President's Choice soda until acquired by Albertsons.
Modesto, California-based New Deal Market chain carried the President's Choice line for a short time under their ownership by Canada-based Provigo Corp.
Michigan-based Glen's Market carried the President's Choice line for a short time. Glen's Market offered special coupons and promotions on the item to create excitement about the new line being offered. Glen's Market is a wholly owned subsidiary of Spartan Stores, Inc.
Michigan-based D&W Food Centers carried the President's Choice brand for several years before eventually being purchased by Spartan Stores, Inc.
Michigan-based Great Scott! supermarkets carried the President's Choice line before going out of business in 1995.
During the 1990s, Stop & Shop supermarkets of Quincy, MA also carried the PC line of products, as did Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Star Market before it was acquired by Shaw's Supermarkets in 1999. Shaw's ceased carrying President's Choice products in its Star-branded stores following the acquisition, despite the PC line being carried by its parent's Jewel stores.
Portland, Oregon-based Fred Meyer stores also carried the President's Choice brand for a time.
Charlotte, North Carolina-based Harris Teeter carried the brand in the early 1990s.
St. Louis based National Supermarkets, then owned by Loblaw rolled out the brand along with other Loblaw-owned chains. This continued until the chain was purchased by competitor Schnucks in 1995. Schnucks continued selling the brand until 1998.
President's Choice was also carried by Bell's Markets in western New York, when they were supplied by a company affiliated with Loblaw. They were later carried by Tops Friendly Markets in that area[4] but can no longer be found there.
Houston, TX-based Randall's Food Markets carried the brand until their acquisition by Safeway Inc. in 1999.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Marketing Hall of Legends: Dave Nichol
- ^ Klepacki, Laura (March, 1992). "Jewel set to roll out President's Choice line". Supermarket News. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4331/is_199203/ai_n15116159.
- ^ Hauk, Katherine (July,1992). "Beyond borders - Jewel Food Stores Inc. to market Loblaw International Merchants Inc.'s President's Choice products - Inside the News". Prepared Foods. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n8_v161/ai_12786757.
- ^ Turcsik, Richard (January, 1995). "Tops said to give nod to President's Choice". Supermarket News. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb4331/is_199501/ai_n15119964.
[edit] External links
- President's Choice website
- President's Choice Mobile Website
- Nichol's speech at The Empire Club of Canada
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