New No Frills concept store opens in Toronto to mixed reviews
An all-new type of No Frills just debuted in downtown Toronto, and amid parent company Loblaws’ celebration of the location, a few shoppers are already speaking out against its format.
The things that set the small-scale outpost in Liberty Village apart from others — and are thus supposed to serve as its benefits — seem to be the exact aspects that some people complained about during its first week in operation.
These include, primarily, a greater emphasis on self-checkout terminals than in-store staff, which is a model that the industry at large has started pivoting toward in recent years but that some brands have since backtracked on due to theft and other issues.
Recently-inaugurated Loblaw Companies Inc. CEO Per Bank touted these and other features of the novel No Frills in a video tour shared to his personal LinkedIn on Friday, which received a mix of responses on the platform and others.
New smaller No Frills to replace recently closed grocery store in Toronto https://t.co/BvJfFxjiGH
— blogTO (@blogTO) June 8, 2024
Amid people hyping Bank up and applauding the new supermarket, one person pointedly asked “Why are you still doing so many more self-checkout vs. ‘normal’ checkouts? A 7-2 ratio means less jobs for people that need them, and more work for the consumer.”
The executive actually responded directly, writing, “it is because we listen to customers. In the smaller stores, there are less items per basket, hence customer checkout time is shorter, having more self-service checkouts. But we follow it closely and adjust if needed.”
One other mourned the Organic Garage that used to exist on the site, and another noted that a No Frills also just opened its doors less than a kilometre away at King and Shaw Streets. “We really don’t need two No Frills in Liberty Village,” the comment reads.
Aside from these outliers, more than 100 people jumped in to call the shop — which is only the second of its kind — innovative, well-merchandised and organized, sharp, convenient, customer-friendly and with “half the size and great assortment and value.”
Some called it a premium or boutique version of the budget banner, saying they “really love the idea of small format in busy city.”
But, on Reddit (and out of Bank’s view), reactions were less supportive.
“I don’t understand how putting seven self-checkouts and two manned checkouts is the strategy. This is downtown Toronto and a small store that can’t afford big lines. I think this is going to blow up in their face,” one person said in one thread sharing the video.
Others complained about the technology in general, writing things like “self-checkout should save the customer the taxes. If I’m going to do something they can pay people to do, I should get paid too.”
Then there were the inevitable grumbles about Loblaws stores in general, mentioning the company’s recent self-locking shopping cart debacle (“Too bad he wasn’t pushing a cart when the wheels locked, he would have had the full customer experience,” one person joked) and its high prices.
Per Bank posted this on Linkedin this morning
byu/mbap76 inloblawsisoutofcontrol
“‘Our prices are lower than our competition,'” one person said, quoting Bank’s clip. “As that vulture walks past $5 asparagus. I just got $1.99 asparagus at Food Basics. Nope, Per Bank. I am not coming back. You still sound so sleazy.”
“This man made $22 million in 2023. Would be curious to know where HE does his shopping,” reads another dig at Bank himself.
“Seven self-service checkouts and two normal checkouts. A nightmare if you ask me! He doesn’t care about what consumers want or that we as a country are hungry; he’s just excited to take a field trip.”
The mini No Frills at 42 Hanna Avenue is about half the size of a normal store under the umbrella, with a selection that Bank says is “tailored to the community,” with a focus on organic produce, hot food items and fresh baked goods. Loblaws hopes to roll out more of this version of the grocer in major cities across Canada.
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