Food Facts

Sobeys is the second largest Canadian grocery retailer in Canada. It was founded in Stellarton Nova Scotia in 1907 by John W. Sobey. With it being one of the only two major grocery retailers in Canada it is held in high regards and with a strong presence in Canadian consumers due to its services and over 100 years of experience in the business. here are some interesting facts about the company that have made the retailing giant what it is today.

• Sobeys was originally a meat delivery business based in Stellarton that consisted of a horse-drawn cart that would go around and purchase or collect livestock from local farmers for resale.
• In 1924 John W. Sobey's 16 year old son was the one that gave his father the idea of expanding the business to a full line of groceries
• The Sobeys business was entirely focused in Atlantic Canada for 80 years. It wasn't till 1987 that they open their first store outside if this area in Guelph, Ontario.
• Sobeys open its first self serve supermarket in 1949.

• in 1998 Sobeys purchased the Oshawa group owners of the IGA franchise across Canada and became the nations second largest grocer. By 2007 the Sobeys name expanded to include several other well known Canadian grocery chains as seen on the image on the left.
• Sobeys main competitor is the Ontario based Loblaws.
• 2007 was also the year that the company was taken private by the majority shareholder Empire Company Limited.
• Sobeys operates over 1300 stores throughout 10 provinces in Canada.
• In 2011 the Sobeys wholesale division signed an agreement with the american retailers Target to supply select foods and grocery products to its new Canadian stores that have yet to open.
• The Sobeys private label brand was known originally as Sobeys than change to Our Best and eventually came to be called Compliments which is the name by which we know the Sobeys private label brand today.
• Sobeys has a partnership with the airmiles loyalty program. One reward mile is earned per 20 dollars spent in the store. This works the same way throughout all of their retailer associates except for their stand alone drugstore Lawtons drugs.