According to a Toronto Star article published this morning Loblaw Co Ltd, parent company of national grocery chain, Loblaws, will be purchasing national drugstore and beauty chain, Shoppers Drug Mart.  Shoppers Drug Mart, a favourite of many, especially in central Canada, has been, at least in the past few years, known for its extensive beauty centre, selling brands more typically found in department or specialized beauty stores (and therefore competing with Sephora) and its in-house brand, Life.  Loblaws, which has been a “staple” grocery chain for generations, is known for not only its store brand, President’s Choice, but also clothing line Joe Fresh.

A Shoppers Drug Mart store in Toronto

This acquisition did not surprise me.  Recently, competitor to Loblaws, Sobey’s, purchased Safeway Canada to become the second largest grocery chain in the country and for the past few years, Shoppers has been selling its own private label foods, such as Simply Food.  Many of the larger Loblaws stores have pharmacies as well.  While this is pure speculation, this impending marriage (a Shoppers press release noted that the purchase will require 66.6% approval from its shareholders) would likely mean that Simply Food would be replaced by President’s Choice and no name.  Shoppers’ beauty brand Quo (I’ve only used this brand once – bought the false eyelashes I wore at my wedding) might be replaced by Joe Fresh Beauty (I have several products).  I’m actually not sure many people would even notice that Simply Food would disappear – can anyone in Canada name private label brands that aren’t Life, President’s Choice or no name?

Loblaws on 60 Carlton (Maple Leaf Gardens) on the day it opened in 2011

What are your thoughts?  Would you like to see PC brand foods at Shoppers?  Joe Fresh Beauty?  Or do you think that this acquisition makes the shopping landscape smaller, with fewer choices available?

Image credits: Shoppers image from Wikicommons; Loblaws image by author