Discount Wars Push Canada’s Mid-Priced Grocery Stores Upscale

Metro Inc.’s store No. 46 is a testing ground for the mid-market supermarket of the future, one that is decidedly more upscale than its predecessor.

The Mississauga store features a lush “wet wall” of fresh vegetables stacked in colourful arrangements, an eight-foot-long display of mushroom varieties, hot gourmet pizza, plus local and organic pork and chicken.

Montreal-based Metro isn’t alone in transforming the traditional mid-priced supermarket into a premium foodie’s destination. After a rush to roll out discount formats in response to new competition and a budget-conscious consumer, grocers are now upgrading their shrinking array of conventional supermarkets, as a way to differentiate them from low-cost competitors.

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