By Neleh Vigneau Sargeant – Contributor

For Bishop’s students, the Provigo on Queen Street is likely a consistent venue for grocery shopping. Many students with access to transportation may also shop at the discount brand Maxi with locations in downtown Sherbrooke. In 2023, several Provigo stores in Quebec were converted to Maxi. Lennoxville’s venue will begin transforming throughout the month of February.

On Feb. 10, the store will close for a period of approximately 25 days.

Geneviève Poirier, the manager of corporate affairs and communications at Loblaws, wrote in an emailed statement to The Campus that the 25-day period will be used to complete the most extensive portion of the renovations required, while the rest of the work will be carried out until June while the store remains open. “Representing an investment of several million dollars, that brand new and fully renovated Maxi store will cater to our customers’ needs more effectively than ever before. Maxi promises customers a simplified and friendly shopping experience and low prices, in a modern environment”, wrote Poirier.

Kenzie Bjorgfjord, a Bishop’s student who lives and works near Provigo, is a regular shopper there. Though she was initially surprised at the news, she thinks it could be beneficial: “I usually augment my local shopping with trips to discount and health food stores in Sherbrooke” she relayed. “If I could get more fresh food at better prices right in Lennoxville, that would be a real time saver.”

In a conference call, Loblaws chairman and president Galen Weston said discount chains “Maxi and No Frills stores led the way,” for Loblaw’s third quarter of 2023, “generating double-digit growth”. There was higher than expected sales growth from converted Maxis, said Chief Financial Officer Richard Dufresne in the call. In a 2022 survey, Statistics Canada found that one half of respondents “had sought out sales or promotions” or “purchased cheaper alternatives, brands or items in response to price pressures” amidst rising food inflation.

Loblaws is a company headquartered in Ontario and has a major presence in Canada. In fact, 90 per cent of Canadians live within ten kilometres of one of their grocery stores. Loblaws acquired Provigo in 1998. Maxi, as a discount brand founded in 1984 by Provigo, was part of that acquisition. Provigos are mostly franchises while Maxis are corporately owned. Newly converted Maxis will be managed by a corporate-appointed employee.

According to the emailed statement from Poirier, “all employees from Provigo who wish to continue their employment have the opportunity to do so,” and Maxi also plans to make ten new hires for the conversion. A discount store may draw people from the surrounding area to shop in Lennoxville instead of downtown Sherbrooke. 

Anyone who is not enjoying the new model is not without recourse as they may visit the Provigo in Sherbrooke at Jacques-Cartier and rue King Ouest.