Loeb (supermarket)
 | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Supermarket |
| Founded | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 1912 |
| Defunct | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Ontario, Canada |
| Products | Dairy, frozen foods, grocery, general merchandise (non-food), meat/deli, pharmacy, produce, snacks |
| Parent | Metro Inc. |
| Website | www.loeb.ca |
Loeb was a supermarket chain in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It was once Ottawa's second-largest supermarket chain behind Loblaws.[citation needed] Each of the stores averaged 26,114 square feet (2,426 m2) in size. Loeb was acquired by the Quebec-based supermarket chain Metro in 1999 and converted to the Metro brand in 2008/2009.
History
Loeb began in 1912 when Moses Loeb opened a small wholesale confectionery house in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. From 1912 to 1950, Loeb was a small wholesale warehouse. Eventually, Loeb grew from that small confectionery house into two large warehouses. For Loeb, the following two decades were those of lucrative business ventures. Through partnerships with other companies, Loeb grew to serve the needs of more people within a greater area. They even enjoyed success in the United States – a very competitive market.
Throughout the 1980s, Loeb expanded throughout Canada. In 1990, Loeb launched its own brand of private label products called 'Loeb Made Today', and soon after came 'Loeb Ready' products.
In June 1999, Loeb became part of the Metro Foods corporate group (previously it was owned by Provigo, which had just been sold to Loblaw, and was required to resell Loeb for competitive reasons). Now Loeb was able to put Metro's house brands Merit Selection and Irresistible Brand products on their shelves.
In 2006, following Metro's acquisition of The Great Atlantic & Pacific Company of Canada, Loeb became a subsidiary of A&P Canada. New products and services were introduced to Loeb stores, and the Merit, Econochoix and Irresistible lines were dropped in favour of A&P Canada’s house brands Master Choice, Equality and Baker’s Oven products and Fresh Obsessions produce.
In 2008, Loeb began returning the Irresistible and Selection lines to its stores.
On August 7, 2008, Metro announced it will invest $200 million consolidating the company's conventional food stores under the Metro banner. Over a period of 15 months, all Loeb stores were converted to the Metro name.[1]
It is unrelated to the Swiss department store chain with the same name.
Advertising slogans
- 1998-2002: Real Values (Get Real... Real Saving, Real Quality, Real Variety & Real Freshness)
- 2002-2004: For What's Important in Life
- 2004–2009: Just What You Need, Lunch Box Treats for Kids of All Ages!, Cut Your Way Everyday!, Freshness to Go!
Private labels
- Merit Selection
- Econochoice
- Irresistibles
- Loeb Bakery Shoppe
- The Event Pleaser
- Red Grill Meats
Since acquisition of A&P Canada by parent company:
- Fresh Obsessions
- Master Choice
- Basics for Less
- Equality
See also
References
External links
- Loeb Official website.