A look at the fresh produce offerings of Montreal’s ethnic and discount stores

Last week, CPMA organized a Retail Tour to a number of grocery stores in and around Montreal. One bus took attendees to 'regular' stores while the other bus visited a number of ethnic stores as well as a discounter. This article summarizes the ethnic tour.

Adonis – a Mediterranean banner
The first stop was Adonis, a Mediterranean banner founded in 1979 by two Lebanese brothers and a friend. In 2011, Metro acquired a majority stake of 55 percent, and the chain continues to grow and expand. Today, a total of 15 stores serve customers in Quebec and Ontario. Fresh fruits and vegetables make up a significant share of Adonis' sales (24%) and the produce department is much larger compared to the produce department of a traditional grocery store. The majority of produce is sourced in Canada and the U.S. with about 30 percent originating Mediterranean countries, including Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. Fresh fruits and vegetables are very important in the Mediterranean culture with greens being an important base for many meals. Other top selling items include tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions. Citrus is one of the key fruit items and so are apples and avocados.

Kim Phat – Asian grocery store
The next stop was Kim Phat, an Asian grocery chain with four locations in the Greater Montreal area. Just like Adonis, fruits and vegetables make up a significant share of total store sales. At this Kim Phat location, 35 to 38 percent of total sales are generated by the produce department. Since 2018, Kim Phat has been partnering with Sobey's who purchased a majority stake. While a lot of produce is sourced locally in Canada as well as in the U.S. and Mexico, the two main supplying countries from Asia are Thailand and Vietnam.

Click here for a photo report of the retail tour.

T&T Supermarket
With 38 locations, T&T is Canada's largest Asian store chain. In 1993, the first location was opened in Vancouver and while most stores are based on the West Coast, the company has expanded East over the years and now has 13 locations in Ontario and two in Montreal. The store that was visited during the retail tour was opened just over two years ago. In 2024, the chain opened its first store in the U.S., in Bellevue, WA. While the company still operates independently, it was purchased by Loblaw's in 2009. Produce is sourced from all over the world with China, Korea, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil playing an important role in the origin of T&T's produce.

Maxi
Maxi is a discount grocery retailer in Quebec with 188 locations. The chain was founded in 1984 and became a division of Loblaw's in 1999. The store that was visited during the retail tour is over 80,000 sq. ft. while the average store size is 62,000 sq. ft. More recently, the company has been opening stores with a smaller footprint. The produce department generates about 15 to 20 percent of total store sales and most produce is pulled from the distribution center. Some products are purchased directly from Montreal wholesalers like Canadawide and Courchesne Larose. Due to the recent tensions, the chain makes it easier for consumers to identify Canadian grown produce by showing the Canadian flag on displays and bins.

Click here for the photo report of the retail tour.