Maxi Vs Montreal's Fave Indie Supermarket: I Shopped At Both & Here's Where The Savings Are

Since 1927, a small, rather ugly building on Montreal's rue Saint-Laurent has been home to a beloved store that still somehow manages to maintain an unassuming air of secrecy. This is Segal's Market, an independent épicerie known by word of mouth for its low prices and good selection. But is it really as cheap as everyone thinks it is?

We've compared nearly every big chain in the city against each other, and one store rose above the rest: Maxi, the cheap queen of the major corporate grocery world. Now, it's time to see how she stacks up against the city's most beloved underdog.

It's a topic many Plateau hipsters might be afraid to see resolved — after all, if Segal's isn't as cheap as sources say, then navigating its packed, narrow aisles during a rush is not only foolish, but also a waste of money.

On the other hand, if Segal's wins this battle, it vindicates every diehard grocery snob who only buys their dessert tofu from Segal's hallowed fridges. No longer a humble symbol of cool-kid status, the store would become an emblem of the best of Montreal's energy: affordable, charming and a little chaotic.

I hopped into a Communauto to drive from my sleepy Verdun neighbourhood into the busy streets of the Plateau, hoping that this trip would, at the very least, not cost one million dollars.

Setting the stakes

Before I get into my journey, let's clarify what game we're playing here. I created a short list of grocery needs based on what I actually wanted to have around the house, plus a few extras to round it out. The same list was used for both grocery stores, with as little variation as possible to ensure peak comparative accuracy. I may not be a scientist, but I'm taking this challenge very, very seriously.

I shopped for:

• a bag of red onions
• a jar of minced garlic (~250 g)
• a bag of frozen spinach
• one head of broccoli
• a bag of oranges
• a big bag of Lay's salt & vinegar chips (my favourite)
• one pack of tofu (~425 g)
• 1 box of Krave cereal (my partner's favourite)
• 12 eggs
• 1 loaf of white bread
• 1 bag frozen shrimp

Round 1: Online shopping at Maxi

The winner by a mile in our massive shop-off this year, Maxi offers online ordering, something at which Segal's is a little less adept. That meant I could construct my cart on the Maxi website without needing to actually buy all of these groceries twice. The following table shows what I actually purchased for each list item and how much it cost me. Keep note of that total at the bottom, it'll be helpful later.

Clicking around Maxi's website, I thought about how the chain-store experience compares to walking through Segal's. Many before me have noted the liminality of a big chain grocery store, and it's true that Segal's doesn't have quite the same plastic vibe. It's like a pocket dimension where inflation has been kinder to us, where food is affordable and everyone is friendly, with handwritten price labels on irregular bits of cardboard signalling a humility we can all aspire to.

Round 2: In-person shopping at Segal's

Segal's is weirdly cozy and intimate for a grocery store, its tight aisles forcing you to interact with your fellow shoppers — even just to say "pardon" or "excusez-moi" as you squeeze past them to grab some bok choy. There's a sense of solidarity between customers in Segal's, all of us pretending to keep the secret of this place from the rest of the city as if it's not bustling with activity every day.

As I looked through the aisles for my precious items, I kept noticing other reasonably priced and delicious-looking products that I had to actively stop myself from purchasing. The wide variety of beautiful produce and a seemingly endless array of other goods called to me, especially in the frozen section, with its plentiful display of vegetarian and vegan items.

But I stayed strong and found everything on my list, with only two exceptions. Instead of minced garlic, I picked out some garlic paste, and rather than Krave cereal, I was forced to pick between a slightly pricier selection of organic cereals. The Panda Puffs I selected are surprisingly delicious, but they did cost a few dollars more than a standard box of Krave.

Verdict & Final Thoughts