Atlantic Superstore & Wholesalers

It's hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the first Atlantic Superstore opened its doors in Nova Scotia. Superstores now dot the landscape throughout Atlantic Canada with 53 stores in total – 30 of these in Nova Scotia.

"We're very pleased with how things have progressed. We've been able to significantly grow our customer base because of what we offer," says Andrew MacIsaac, Executive Vice President of Atlantic Wholesalers Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the parent company Loblaw Companies Limited. "We're always pushing to demonstrate to the customer that we offer value day in and day out."

Innovative products at great prices is the company motto, and one that they take seriously. It's the fuel behind two of their most successful brands – no name® and President's Choice®. Most recently, it's the impetus behind a whole host of changes including massive "one stop shop" stores, a line of designer clothes, and environmentally-friendly shopping bags.

"We recognize that our customers are looking for choices, so that's what we offer," says MacIsaac. The one stop Superstores carry the usual grocery fare in addition to electronics, housewares, and pharmacy items. "Joe Fresh" is the latest brand name they've established. Described as designer apparel at affordable prices, the clothing line offers an array of seasonal choices for women, men, and children. With some of the larger stores being over 60,000 square feet, they also boast community rooms, drive-thru pharmacies, gas bars, liquor stores, tobacco shops, and even walk-in medical clinics.
It's unlikely that the two founders of Atlantic Wholesalers Ltd, would have foreseen these developments way back in 1903. Dr. F. A. Dixon, who bought and shipped hay, and Mr. W. C. Milner, a flour and feed merchant combined forces in Sackville, New Brunswick to establish Eastern Hay & Feed Company Limited. The company grew, a number of franchises were bought, and the name changed to its present day form. In 1976, Loblaw bought all the shares in the company and the first no name® products appeared on store shelves. President's Choice® came on the scene in 1984.

During the 1990's, the company's headquarters were relocated from Sackville to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. New warehousing facilities for "just in time" logistics distribution were built and a major expansion campaign brought Superstores to many centres in the region. Today, in addition to the Atlantic Superstore banner, the wholesale and retail operations of Atlantic Wholesalers Ltd. includes: SuperValu, IGA, Save Easy, Foodtown, and Valu-Mart, among others. They employ a whopping 11,000 people in Atlantic Canada.

Breaking new ground is something the company prides itself on. This year, they've introduced their first "bagless" Superstore in Milton, Ontario. There won't be a plastic bag found anywhere in the store. Instead the company will be offering its new "green" bags. It's all a part of a commitment to reduce waste by diverting 1 billion plastic shopping bags from landfill sites.

The PC Green Shopping Bag is twice the size of a standard grocery bag and made from 85 per cent post-consumer recycled soft drink and water bottles. "We're looking at the opportunity of rolling this out across the country," says MacIsaac, who notes that part of the company's mission is driven by the responsibility to respect the environment. They also commit to source with integrity, make a positive difference in their communities, reflect Canada's diversity, and be a great place to work.

"Every time we offer a new product, it has pieces of our mission incorporated into it," says MacIsaac. The PC Signature Series is a prime example. "These are President's Choice items that we try and create some excitement around, because they offer incredible value and they represent something that we are trying to stand for as an organization." In addition to the green bag launch, recent examples of their attention to the environment include their PC 2X Laundry Detergent. "It's an extremely concentrated detergent," says MacIsaac, "which means that it's cheaper in terms of transport. It also uses 42 per cent less water and 23 per cent less packaging."

For MacIsaac, who was raised in Dartmouth and now works at the head office, there's no better place to do business than in Nova Scotia. "In terms of people," he says, "the quality of the workforce is a big plus for us. The people of Nova Scotia overall have a great work ethic." In addition, the Superstores across the province have a mature employment base which lends their stores stability. "We know we can count on people for a good day's work. People take pride in what they do here, so it's a pleasure to work with them."

From a product standpoint, Atlantic Wholesalers Ltd. supports local growers and dairy and meat producers as much as possible. "There's a lot of high quality product that is available here – seafood and blueberries are just two examples – we don't have to go very far to find things that are good products for us." MacIsaac adds that their customers recognize and appreciate the importance of trying to source locally. "It's great that we can draw on the local community to source so many of our products."

Add to all of this, the fact that Nova Scotia has a built-in port and that seals the deal for MacIsaac. "Nova Scotia is incredibly accessible and convenient for shipping purposes. The fact that we do have a port means that it's very handy for getting products quickly into the market."

Incredible growth, rapidly multiplying stores, and an expanded market share have characterized the last twenty years of Atlantic Superstore history. The next twenty are up for grabs, but one thing is for certain: "We're going to keep moving ahead," says MacIsaac. "It's great to be part of this community and we're going to be here for a long time to come."

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