At the eagerly awaited opening of the new Provigo Le Marché flagship store in Longueuil, QC, Provigo's management took the opportunity to present a glowing report on the first two years of the banner's Québec relaunch. The concept's unique offer and modern design has revolutionized the shopping experience and customers' habits, resulting in a marked increase in sales, particularly in the fresh products category.

The past 24 months have been marked by the rolling out of five completely renovated Provigo stores and 15 Provigo Le Marché stores as part of the company's massive $210 million investment in Québec. This has resulted in the direct creation of some 1,300 new full- and part-time jobs, as well as an important new alliance with Québec growers and Aliments du Québec.

Earlier this year, The Produce News visited the Provigo Le Marché superstore in Montreal’s historic former Jean-Talon train station. View some of the highlights here.

Management revealed some key findings attesting to how the new concept affects the eating habits of the 1.5 million Québec consumers who shop each week at Provigo. Particularly noteworthy results include the following:

• Significant changes to grocery basket composition, with fresh products accounting for 55 percent of the contents on average, an increase of 7 percent compared to two years ago.
• A steady annual increase of 6 percent in purchases of organic products, whose number varies between 100 and 150 during harvest periods.
• An increase to the frequency of store visits.
• The food category that experienced the highest growth is "ready-to-eat" meals, freshly prepared by Provigo's chefs.
• The new product category that experienced the most sustained demand is fresh, preservative-free juices.
• In-store culinary workshops experienced an average growth in popularity of over 90 percent.

The opening of the third Provigo Le Marché built in Montréal's South Shore was attended by elected officials, regional food producers, suppliers, industry partners and customers. Speaking in a tent erected outside the store, Pierre Dandoy, senior vice president of operations for the Provigo, Provigo Le Marché and Loblaws Québec banners and architect of the relaunch, said, "If, two years ago, we were able to blaze ahead with such assurance, it is primarily due to our ability to listen closely to what consumers across Québec and our dedication to travel the world to identify the most innovative food and retail practices. Today, while we are delighted with the success of the relaunch and the difference we're making to the lives of Québecers, we can nonetheless affirm that the best is yet to come. We thank all our customers and partners for their trust and loyalty — and you can be sure we're listening more closely than ever."

New at the Longueuil flagship store

The store's conversion has made it possible to accommodate many additional services and new items, including a wide range of fresh products and items from growers and producers regionally and across Québec; and an expanded selection of organic fruits and vegetables, plus a salad bar and a juice bar serving juices freshly squeezed each morning.

"Today, we are proud to open the Provigo Le Marché flagship store in Longueuil," said Sylvain Jodoin, general director for the Provigo Le Marché and Loblaws banners in Québec. "My 210 store colleagues and our teams have devoted months to creating an environment in which consumers will enjoy discovering the fresh local products we'll be offering them each day based on the advice of our in-store experts."

The Provigo Le Marché team, which continues to be a strong community supporter, took the occasion to hand a total of $4,000 in donations to the Centre jeunesse de la Montérégie, Moisson Rive-Sud, Breakfast for Learning and young athlete Julianne Séguin, all of whom were on hand to thank the members of the team for its generosity and involvement.