And there it is, a brand new Maxi opened its doors on June 27. The blue and yellow banner with its recognizable and tightly packed slogans has not yet taken possession of all its space in Forestville. This will happen gradually and will culminate in an official opening planned for next November.
This is according to Maxi district manager Eric Provencher, who indicates that there have been no major changes apart from the upgrading of the pricing system and the installation of banners for the moment.
The store remains operational, and the district manager assures that the new banner “doesn’t leave anything behind” except the old colors.
“There is nothing that has changed yet. It’s a renovation that will take place over several weeks and we will have to close the store from August 4 to 29,” he reveals.
Éric Provencher estimates these investments in the coming weeks at $5.4 million for the ultimate transformation of the old Provigo into Maxi 3.0 in Forestville.
During this closure period, heavy equipment will be replaced and others will be added, and according to the district manager, the store will be “turned around 360°”.
Eric Provencher says he is aiming for November 21 as the opening date with an official inauguration, and indicates that by then the store will not be at 100% despite “some added values.”
Same team, new prices
Martin Lapierre, who operated the Provigo branch, will be store manager and will have “the same tasks and the same involvement in the community,” says Éric Provencher.
The Journal wanted to know what the main differences would be between the two Loblaw banners Provigo and Maxi for consumers.
“People will see it for themselves,” summarizes Eric Provencher, who says he does not necessarily want to quantify them or put them in percentages.
“When you go to Maxi, you can expect price reductions,” he explains.
“We aim to make the consumer understand that they have access to the same products and the same quality, but at a lower price,” he adds in the same breath.
Éric Provencher indicates that management will listen to customers to determine what will fill its shelves.
“We will look at the proportion in which we will favor organic products, natural products and general merchandise over time. We will listen to the customer,” he explains.
Still involved in the community
The district director speaks of an involvement in the community that was present with Provigo which will be more visible with Maxi thanks to its own policies.
“It’s not only a policy, it’s part of our company’s values,” says Éric Provencher.
The latter refers to the presence in schools and community organizations in the form of donations or sponsorships.
“We will continue to be involved in the community, and I have the impression that there will be added value at that level in the future,” he said.
