Grocery prices in Quebec aren't getting any easier to stomach, and for most Montreal households, that reality shows up most at the checkout counter.
With food costs expected to keep climbing through 2026, a lot of shoppers are being more deliberate about where they spend their grocery dollars. Even saving a couple of dollars per trip adds up to real money over the course of a year, which is why the store you choose matters more than it used to.
Maxi and Super C are both considered reliable discount options in the Quebec market, serving as go-to alternatives for shoppers who'd rather not pay Provigo or IGA prices on everyday staples. But which one actually gives you more for your money?
With summer in full swing, we filled a cart with BBQ essentials and seasonal favourites and took it to both stores to find out. Our basket included
- 6 corn on the cob
- 1 kg of cherries
- 1 seedless watermelon
- 4 T-bone steaks
- 4 English cucumbers
- Fresh Attitude Spring Salad Mix (312 g)
- Oasis Pure Breakfast Orange Juice (960 mL)
- 1 kg of skinless boneless chicken breast
- Oreo Vanilla Ice Cream with Sandwich Cookie Chunks (1.5 L)
- Heinz Tomato Ketchup, 375 mL
Brands and sizes were matched as closely as possible between both stores, and when an exact match wasn't available, the nearest equivalent was used.
Corn on the cob (x6)
Super C: $2.64 (6 for $2.64)
Maxi: $3.00 ($0.50 ea.)
Winner: Super C (by $0.36)
Both stores had bicolour corn on sale at the time of our shop. Super C's bulk deal came in slightly cheaper, though either way you're getting a solid price on a summer staple.
Cherries, 1 kg
Super C: $10.96
Maxi: $10.77
Winner: Maxi (by $0.19)
Cherry prices are never easy on the wallet, but both stores had them on sale. Maxi came in just a touch cheaper here.
Seedless watermelon
Super C: $6.97
Maxi: $3.77
Winner: Maxi (by $3.20)
This was Maxi's biggest win of the entire shop. At nearly half the price of Super C's watermelon, it's a gap that's hard to ignore for anyone picking one up regularly this summer.
T-bone steaks (x4)
Super C: $30.48 ($7.62 avg. ea.)
Maxi: $41.88 ($10.47 avg. ea.)
Winner: Super C (by $11.40)
This was the single biggest price difference in the cart. Super C's T-bones came in nearly $3 cheaper per steak, which adds up fast when you're buying four (or more).
English cucumbers (x4)
Super C: $5.76 ($1.44 ea.)
Maxi: $4.00 ($1.00 ea.)
Winner: Maxi (by $1.76)
Maxi had cucumbers at a dollar a piece, which was noticeably cheaper than Super C's price per unit.
Fresh Attitude Spring Salad Mix, 312 g
Super C: $6.99
Maxi: $6.49
Winner: Maxi (by $0.50)
Same brand, same size, lower price at Maxi.
Oasis Pure Breakfast Orange Juice, 960 mL
Super C: $2.25
Maxi: $2.25
Winner: Tie
Identical price at both stores.
Skinless boneless chicken breast, 1 kg
Super C: $16.51/kg
Maxi: $14.97/kg
Winner: Maxi (by $1.54)
Maxi was cheaper on chicken, though their stock was listed as low at the time of our shop. Super C's chicken was available and priced straightforwardly by the kilogram.
Oreo Vanilla Ice Cream with Sandwich Cookie Chunks, 1.5 L
Super C: $5.47
Maxi: $6.99
Winner: Super C (by $1.52)
Super C had this one on sale.
Heinz Tomato Ketchup, 375 mL
Super C: $4.29
Maxi: $4.99
Winner: Super C (by $0.70)
Same product, same size, lower price at Super C.
And the winner is...
Super C came out ahead, but just barely.
After pricing out all 10 items, Super C's total came to $98.32 compared to Maxi's $99.11, a difference of $0.79 on a single shopping trip.
The results are close enough that the store you choose probably matters less than what's on sale that week. Maxi won on four items, including the watermelon by a wide margin. Super C's lead came down largely to the T-bone steaks, where it was $11.40 cheaper across four cuts.
A few things are also worth keeping in mind. Prices change week to week, and a sale at either store can easily flip the outcome on any given item. Some comparisons also involved near-equivalent products rather than exact matches.
But based on this snapshot, Super C gets the edge for a summer BBQ shop, especially if steaks are on the menu.
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