During the global COVID-19 health pandemic, social distancing is important as ever. And while most non-essential retailers are temporarily closing their doors to the public, essential retailers such as grocery stores and drugstores are staying open.
Those working essential retail positions, such as cashiers and stockists, are working on the frontline and putting their health at risk so that shoppers have everything they need to prepare for isolation. And the company’s employing these individuals are doing their best to protect them.
Sobeys recently announced that it would be installing plexiglass screen guards at its cash registers.
The added barrier will act as another safeguard for customers and cashiers. In the statement, Michael Medline, the company’s President and CEO, said that the company “began to install the shields in stores [on March 19] and will work around the clock to get them in our stores.”
In addition to Sobeys’ plexiglass screen guards, Sobeys has taken a number of other precautions to protect shoppers and employees.
The protocols include mandatory handwashing for staff every 15 minutes, enhanced cleaning of common areas and surfaces, floor markers at checkout to maintain social distancing, Senior Shopping Hour, and the removal of open items like hot foods and olives.
You can read the entire statement on Twitter.
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When it comes to plastic waste, retailers play a major role in production. And while we’ve seen some brands take steps towards sustainability, one grocery retailer has made a major leap.
Sobeys recently announced that it will be removing plastic bags from stores by January 31, 2020.
In a press release, the chain announced that it will no longer offer Sobeys plastic bags at checkout in stores across Canada. With this major step towards plastic reduction, the grocery chain will be taking 225 million plastic bags out of circulation.
And this is just one of the initiatives that Sobeys has launched that work to the chain’s commitment to reducing plastic.
Sobeys aims to reduce plastics across all of its banners.
Some other initiatives that have already launched include introducing plastic checkout bags that are made with 30% less plastic; launching a reusable container pilot in IGA stores in Quebec; partnering with the likes of TREX Recycling Program and LakeCity Plastics to turn plastic waste into decking, furniture, and more; and eliminating plastic mini-cucumber trays.
Not to mention, Sobeys is also encouraging and incentivizing its shoppers to reduce the amount of plastic they use.
In the press release, Sobeys shared some of the other examples that show the steps they’re taking to help its shoppers reduce plastic, which include:
- A new line of reusable, mesh produce bags made from recycled water bottles available to provide another reusable bag solution, and cut down single-use plastic waste.
- In-store plastic bag recycling programs in Atlantic Canada and Western Canada.
- IGA stores on Montreal Island launched innovative ways to incentivize reusable bag adoption with initiatives such as:
- Designated parking spots for customers who bring reusable bags
- A program allowing customers to “rent” reusable bags from IGA stores for a returnable deposit
- Promotional IGA offers on reusable bags and boxes to encourage customer use
- Partnering with Enactus Canada on a Social Enterprise Accelerator. The program seeks to challenge young Canadians to find innovative alternatives to plastic use, work towards more sustainable operations, and drive behavioural change.
Removing Sobeys plastic bags from checkout is a major move for the grocery chain, and we hope to see other retailers follow suit.
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Saving your money has never been more important, and one of the biggest monthly costs for Canadian families is groceries and food. Every month, Canadians are looking for ways to save more money at the register, and one of the best ways to do so is to pick the right place to shop. After searching through the various shopping options it seems clear that if you’re going for everyday groceries it’s pretty hard to beat No Frills & Fresh Co. so we decided to compare the two.
Have you ever wondered which budget grocer is better? Both Fresh Co. and No Frills are owned by grocery store conglomerates. Fresh Co. falls under Sobey’s umbrella and No Frills is part of the Loblaw family. While both offer food for less, over the years we’ve noticed some difference between the two. Is one better than the other?
Check out our comparisons of No Frills and Fresh Co.
Experience & Return Policy
Fresh Co. was quite empty at 8:30 pm on a Monday night, with few people working in general and only one cashier ringing customers through. As for their return policy, it states on Freshco.com: “At Fresh Co. we stand behind our products. If you aren’t satisfied with an item, bring it back with your receipt within 14 days and we’ll give you your money back.”
No Frills was quite busy at 9:00 pm as it was staffed accordingly with 3 cashiers as opposed to Fresh Co.’s one. There was also an abundance of flyers around which highlighted the week’s deals. As for their return policy, the honor was the same one as Fresh Co.
Assortment/Offerings
Fresh Co.’s variety did not compare to No Frills, as the displays were not nearly as pleasing to the eye and lacking. Point blank – Fresh Co. seemed to have less variety in several areas, but in particular pertaining to the kale, spinach, and salad section.
Not that No Frills is perfect or high-end in any way, but No Frills trumps Fresh Co. in the assortment. They had more of a variety of items throughout the displays and aisles.
Another thing to note is that the Fresh Co. flyer featured 103 items on sale or promotion while No Frills featured 71 items.
Atmosphere/Cleanliness
When I walked into Fresh Co. I noticed that the lighting had a cold tint to it and there were no flyers readily available or visible for shoppers to read.
No Frills was brightly lit with a warm tint, it was much more welcoming and stacked flyers featuring the week’s deal were adjacent to the grocery store entrance. No Frills seemed to be cleaner and offered what at least appeared to be higher quality, fresher vegetables, and meat.
Prices
Both locations had sales and good deals but Fresh Co. actually had more sales and promotions at this particular time. In terms of quality and freshness, there are some items I would buy from Fresh Co. over No Frills. These include ice cream, snacks, cereal, etc. For meat and produce, I would choose No Frills.
All locations for any merchant vary due to geographic location, management, and different franchise owners. It’s definitely key that these factors are taken into consideration when comparing the two grocery stores overall!
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With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, the pressure is on to do something sentimental for your sweetie. But let’s be real – not everyone was built with romance in their blood and sometimes, life gets busy and we don’t always have time to plan a big extravagant affair.
Cue Instabuggy. The delivery app/website is here to save your Valentine’s Day (and potentially your love life).
Known as Toronto’s speediest grocery delivery program, the food and drink summoning program offers prepared gourmet meals (think prime rib, lobster mac & cheese, and more), wine, cognac, chocolates, and more for delivery. Best part? It only takes 1-hour, meaning that even if you’re in the tightest squeeze, you can make a heartfelt romantic evening of love happen come February 14th.
And if you’re worried about getting stuck with tacky offerings, there’s no need to fret. Instabuggy is partnered with some of Toronto’s finest food & drink retailers, including Summerhill Market, Sobey’s Urban Fresh, and the LCBO, to name a few. With a massive selection of 3,887 red wines, 2,192 white wines, 111 brandies and cognacs, and hundreds of baked goods, a custom night of delicious bites and libations is just a click away.
Customers can order online or through the app and receive 1-hour delivery directly to their home or office.
Try it yourself and thank us later.
Have you ever used Instabuggy? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comment section below.
Featured Image: Flickr/Proflowers
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