Revamped Loblaw Superstore to Go ‘Bagless’

JON SPRINGER

TORONTO — A revamped Loblaw Superstore that opened Wednesday in Milton, Ont., billed itself as the first major grocery and general merchandise store in North America to go “bagless.” The 120,000-square-foot store will not offer plastic grocery bags at checkout but instead will encourage customers to use reusable “green bags” or the “green box,” a reusable plastic tote designed to fit into the store’s shopping carts, the retailer here said in a statement. Loblaw mailed a free “green bag” to all the residents of Milton and is offering discounts on purchases of green bags and boxes until Oct. 6. The new prototype also unveiled a new logo, a revamped layout including “clutter free” checkouts, and a shorter name — Loblaw dropped the “Real Canadian” phrase from its superstore name. The changes are designed to improve general merchandise performance and emphasize value. Loblaw management is expected to assess the success of the new store in late September with an eye toward rolling out additional locations in 2008, according to Irene Nattel, an analyst for RBC Capital Markets in Montreal.

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