With the cost of living on the rise, Ron Robinson is keen on cutting expenses, starting with his grocery spending. He frequents Liquidation Marie, a discount grocery chain in Montreal where prices are up to 50% lower than regular grocery stores. Robinson vividly remembers buying steaks for around six dollars each, a stark contrast to the $20 to $25 price tag for a pack of three at big box stores.
The trend of opting for liquidation-style grocery stores is gaining popularity nationwide as Canadians grapple with escalating food costs. Bianca Amor’s Liquidation Supercentre in Western Canada has expanded to 17 locations in 25 years, while in southern Ontario, The Grocery Outlet now boasts over a dozen outlets. Liquidation Marie, established in 2012, has doubled its locations in the past year alone. Co-owner Marie Eve Breton plans to launch 10 more stores in 2026, bringing the total to 18 across Quebec.
The key to the remarkably low prices at Liquidation Marie is no secret, according to Breton. The store, like other liquidators, procures surplus or unwanted food items from major retailers at significant discounts and sells them to consumers at incredibly low prices. Breton explains that liquidators often strike deals with retailers like Walmart to acquire products that need to be removed from shelves, not necessarily because they are faulty but because they need to be cleared out.
The variety of items at Liquidation Marie is ever-changing, with surplus or mislabeled products like ketchup bottles without barcodes or discontinued chicken patties making their way onto the shelves. Despite the unpredictable inventory, consumer interest remains high, with the store attracting an average of 30,000 customers weekly and a Facebook group dedicated to sharing bargains boasting over 139,000 members.
The surge in liquidation grocery stores can be attributed to the current economic climate, notes Dr. Yu Ma from McGill University. With grocery prices surging by over 27% in the past five years, families are increasingly seeking ways to stretch their budgets amidst inflation. Ma points out that while expenses like rent and utilities are fixed, cutting back on grocery spending is a more flexible option in the face of rising food prices.
Discount grocery shopping is becoming popular across various socioeconomic levels due to increased food insecurity and high prices affecting a broader demographic. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University emphasizes that liquidation stores not only benefit consumers but also major retailers by offering an outlet to offload surplus or damaged goods at discounted rates. Additionally, by educating consumers on the safety and quality of food products beyond their best-before dates, these stores contribute to reducing food waste and alleviating price pressures on the food supply chain.
In conclusion, the shift towards discount grocery shopping reflects a changing attitude towards food products and best-before dates. Liquidation stores like Liquidation Marie are tapping into this shift by offering products near or past their best-before dates at significantly reduced prices, challenging traditional notions of food safety and wastage. As these stores continue to gain traction, their impact on consumer behavior and food sustainability is expected to grow in the future.