I decided to check out three of Quebec's largest supermarket chains to see how they compared in terms of prices, item freshness, and overall shopping experience.
I also gave each store what I call the "Hummus Test," by seeing how long it took me (a newbie in the store) to find hummus. The goal of the Hummus Test is to suss out how intuitive or well-labelled the store's layout is for new shoppers.
With all that said, each grocery store had its own strengths and weaknesses, with one that I personally wouldn't shop at again.
Maxi
Quebec grocery stores — which one is the best?
Owned by Loblaws, Maxi is the Quebec equivalent of No Frills elsewhere in Canada. They're known for having the lowest prices (or price-matching lower prices elsewhere) and often have in-store Joe Fresh departments.
Maxi definitely had the best price-to-freshness ratio, in my opinion. The meat and produce all looked great, with regular and organic options at a reasonable price. Their halal meats were clearly labelled in their own section, which was awesome, and there was even a butcher in the back of the store preparing fresh cold cuts.
In the center of the store, between the aisles of dry goods, they had a large kitchenware and homeware section. And the stuff looked to be good-quality and genuinely well-designed! Whoever designed their plates went above and beyond the usual "generically cute" mandate we'd expect from grocery store tableware.
This would probably be the chain to go with if you're the type to collect redeemable points as a budget tactic. Maxi is one of the many stores (like Pharmaprix) that give shoppers PC Optimum points for every dollar spent. PC Optimum is the best point system provided by a grocery store, in my opinion. But that's a whole other article.
So while their prices were actually comparable (if not identical) to other budget-friendly grocery stores, the sheer breadth of items they sell, combined with a PC Optimum card, could potentially get shoppers a lot of free stuff over time. I know at least one family that pays for their Christmas – turkey, gifts, everything – with just the points they earn during the year.
That said, the carts were awkward and noisy as hell. And they didn't offer baskets. The goal is clearly to get you to fill up a full cartload of items and to move fairly slowly through the store, grabbing extra stuff you happen to spot as you meander the aisles.
And despite the signage all over the place, it utterly failed the Hummus Test – meaning if you forget an item on your list or need something that doesn't fall into one neat category, you may find yourself wandering around for a while. And if you realized that you'd forgotten something at the other end of the store, you'd probably opt to go without it.
All in all, I'd say Maxi is the best option for families looking to make large grocery orders and for shoppers looking to rack up points. But it was by far the most exhausting shopping experience.
IGA
Quebec grocery stores — which one is the best?
IGA works on a franchising model, so often stores are owned by a local business or individual. This means IGA locations often feel less uniform and soulless than other large chains, but they also run the risk of issues that simply wouldn't fly in a store with more corporate oversight.
The IGA I went to was by far the smallest store I shopped at for this article, but the selection of items was definitely varied enough that I imagine shoppers always find what they're looking for. The smaller size also makes it easier to navigate. IGA passed the Hummus Test, and the layout was generally intuitive.
And this was the only store of the three that actually offered baskets and smaller carts. I could actually picture myself nipping in to grab a few things as needed – the shopping experience didn't feel like a whole thing.
But I have to say it: the price-to-freshness ratio just wasn't there. The meat on display was older than at the other stores, despite being generally more expensive, and I even found mould in some of the berries. The only items that weren't more expensive than other chains were milk and eggs – which are regulated in Quebec.
Weirdly, IGA had the longest wait times at checkout, despite having a fraction of the shoppers of other stores. And the layout meant you had to scooch around the checkout line to get from one aisle to the next. It's clearly an issue with the building's size, but it wasn't ideal.
And while IGA offers the Scene+ points rewards system, it's easily the worst points program on this list, in my opinion.
I'd recommend IGA for people who prefer to do their shopping in smaller, more frequent orders and for people who find big box stores overstimulating. Just be sure to inspect the meat and produce before you buy them. And expect your grocery budget to balloon.
Super C
Quebec grocery stores — which one is the best?
Owned by Metro, Inc., this is the chain most Quebecers think of when they imagine an affordable grocery chain. Though they now have competition from stores like Maxi, it remains a staple in the province.
Super C is the better big box store chain, in my opinion. They have low prices, but the store isn't so big that it could house an entire football field. You could see yourself actually circling back for a forgotten item. Once again, there were only large carts available to shoppers, but at least they were silent and lightweight.
And of the three grocery stores I shopped at, Super C scored the highest on the Hummus Test – things are arranged so intuitively that the signage almost isn't needed. Super C is one of the stores where shoppers can swipe a MOI card for redeemable points. It's not quite as good a system as PC Optimum (IMHO), but if you're shopping at Super C every week, it's still worth using.
The price-to-freshness ratio was high again, though their meat displays were comparatively small and empty in places. What they had was reasonably fresh, though, and I do give them points for having a modest Halal variety.
Also, at the location I went to, there were gates at the end of the checkout aisles and at the exit of the self-serve checkout that must be opened by an employee to let customers leave. Maybe this is becoming standard, and I live under a rock, but I found that pretty dystopian.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
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