President's Choice
Encyclopedia
Private label
Private label products or services are typically those manufactured or provided by one company for offer under another company's brand. Private label goods and services are available in a wide range of industries from food to cosmetics to web hosting...
or store brand
Store brand
Store brands are a line of products sold by a retailer under a single marketing identity. They bear a similarity to the concept of House brands, Private label brands in the United States, own brands in the UK, and home brands in Australia and generic brands...
owned by Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s largest food retailer. As the company’s premium line, President’s Choice includes a wide variety of grocery and household products, in addition to financial services and mobile phones. While private labels have been associated with inferior or inconsistent quality, President’s Choice products are promoted as being equal to or better than name brands at more affordable prices. President’s Choice may also be considered a
unity brand, available across the company’s various retail banners, which include Loblaws
Loblaws
Loblaws is a supermarket chain with over 70 stores in Canada, headquartered in Brampton, with stores across Ontario and Quebec. Loblaws is a division of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor...
, Loblaw Great Food, No Frills
No Frills (grocery store)
No Frills is a chain of deep discount supermarkets in Canada, owned by Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited...
, Real Canadian Superstore
Real Canadian Superstore
Real Canadian Superstore is a chain of hypermarkets owned by Canadian food retailing giant Loblaw Companies. Its name is often shortened to RCSS or Superstore....
, Provigo
Provigo
Provigo is a grocery retailer based in Quebec, Canada, consisting of over 300 stores and franchises throughout the province. A majority of the stores are located in the Montreal area. It is owned by Loblaw Companies Limited. Provigo is similar to Ontario's Your Independent Grocer/Zehrs banners, as...
, Atlantic Superstore
Atlantic Superstore
Atlantic Superstore is a Canadian supermarket chain of 54 stores in the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island...
, Zehrs Markets
Zehrs Markets
Zehrs Markets, or simply Zehrs, is a chain of grocery stores located in southern Ontario, Canada. The chain consists of 43 locations and is a part of Loblaw Companies Limited. The first store was established by Emory Zehr and his sons in Kitchener in 1950...
and Fortinos
Fortinos
Fortinos is a Canadian supermarket chain operating 20 stores in Ontario . It is part of Loblaw Companies Limited.- History :In 1961, immigrant steelworker John Fortino opened his first Fortinos store in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1972, John took on seven partners and opened a second store on Hamilton...
. Many storefronts, in fact, now promote themselves, through secondary signage, as "The Home of President’s Choice." The brand has also been used as a general promotional device for products other than PC, with advertising that refers to "the people who bring you President’s Choice," rather than a corporate name or particular store banner.
President's Blend
The first President’s Choice products began appearing on Loblaw store shelves in 1984, but the concept was born somewhat by accident the year before as the company went to market with a new high quality ground coffee. Dave NicholDave Nichol
David Nichol is an award-winning Canadian Product Marketing expert. He introduced several store branded lines of products in the 1970s that propelled Loblaws from a struggling chain to an industry leader...
, president of Loblaws Supermarkets, was constantly on the lookout for new products to add to the company’s line-up of No Name
No name (brand)
No Name is a line of generic brand grocery and household products sold by Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada’s largest food retailer...
generics and had even begun offering gourmet items in the familiar, unbranded yellow packaging. His Louisiana buyers had recently discovered a new high-grade coffee, around the time some of the leading national brands had downgraded the quality of their store coffee. Toronto designer Don Watt was asked to come up with packaging – the only stipulation being that it had to be yellow, the same as No Name. Watt recalled how President’s Blend Gourmet Coffee went on sale in time for Christmas:
It goes on the shelf and becomes the number-one selling item in the grocery section. And Nichol, who was always listening to the consumer, said, 'Well, I guess the consumer is telling us that we should be trading up. Why don't you take your President's Blend idea and figure out how to do a package? Because we've got a lot of yellow in the store, so the only comment I'm telling you is don't make it yellow.'
While Loblaw kept the “President’s Blend” label, the name was otherwise too product specific. Since the new line would be personally endorsed by Nichol, an associate suggested “President’s Choice” as a brand name that could be used across a wide range of items. According to Watt, “PC was chosen because it was the president’s ‘choice.’ It wasn’t necessarily the absolute best that you would find in a gourmet deli or something – it was the best value, the best quality, the best relative to the competition.” In fact, Dave Nichol’s association with the product line would extend to almost every aspect of marketing, including the President’s Choice logo, which was Nichol’s own handwriting.
Development
In developing a premium line of store brand products, Loblaw looked to one of Great Britain’s leading merchandisers for inspiration. “Nichol remembered seeing how London retailer Marks & SpencerMarks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
had featured its own brand, St. Michael, which was not only less expensive but also higher in quality than the leading brands.” For Nichol, private labels represented not only a marketing opportunity, in addition to higher margins, but also a way of becoming less dependent on the big name national brands. “I started off running Loblaws like every other retailer in North
American, which is getting people in the store by giving Coke and Tide away below cost.”
Loblaw, in fact, had a long history of offering in-house products. Founded by Toronto grocers Theodore Pringle Loblaw and J. Milton Cork in 1919, Loblaw Groceterias Co. Limited featured many of its own products, individually branded under a variety of labels such as Pride of Arabia Coffee and Jack & Jill Peanut Butter. While Loblaw Groceterias’ innovative self-serve format produced rapid growth throughout its early years, by the 1970s Loblaw Companies Limited was struggling to revitalize its operations and recapture market share. As newly appointed CEO, W. Galen Weston earmarked $40 million for product development. With a major corporate rebranding underway, Weston commented there was no point redesigning product packaging if the consumer found the quality inside, which had previously disappointed, no better than before.
Insider’s Report
Some of the first President’s Choice products included Belgian biscuits, chocolate chip cookies, and passion fruit sorbet. The advent of PC also coincided closely with the appearance of a new marketing tool called Dave Nichol’s Insider’s Report, first published in November 1983. Described as a cross between Mad magazine and Consumer ReportsConsumer Reports
Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
that combined “zaniness and food tips in a comic book format,” the newspaper supplement was a quirky, tongue-in-cheek product review modelled after a
California supermarket flyer. As the popularity of President’s Choice grew, along with the number of products, the Insider’s Report became increasingly devoted to the promotion of the line.
With its cover shot of Nichol alongside Georgie Girl, his favourite French bulldog, Dave Nichol’s Insider’s Report was written in the first person, with Nichol telling his readers all about his latest food related finds and product quests. Often he would relate production development stories:
I approached technicians at one of Canada’s leading dairies and asked them to make a passion fruit sorbet for Loblaws that would be so good that I could put my name on it and proudly call it ‘President’s Choice.’ They set to work; the first problem, of course, was to find enough passion fruit concentrate. A long and determined search produced five tons of concentrate in Brazil and we had it flown here to ensure that we’d meet our deadlines. After many batches were sampled, we finally came up with a product that I’m proud to put my name on.
Nichol and his product developers travelled extensively in search of new ideas. One such overseas excursion bought them to the boardroom of one of Europe’s leading biscuit makers:
During our visit to their plant in Belgium, we discovered that Delacre is the world’s largest producer of tinned assortments of premium biscuits. So then and there we put in the challenge to them: “Let’s create the best assortment of tinned biscuits in the world.” To accomplish this, Delacre laid all of its most costly biscuits on a table along with empty 1 kg tin. We then proceeded to fill it with a selection of your favourites – both dark and milk chocolate. Bichocs, cigarettes russes, etc., etc. When we were done the President of Delacre look at it and said, “This assortment has more chocolate than any of our other assortments – it’s definitely our best.”
Throughout the Insider’s Report, Nichol promoted President’s Choice as being as good as or better than the national brand and told his readers how he and his team were committed to developing products superior in quality and to sell them at substantially lower prices. “We are constantly amazed at how easy it is to do this; it seems that some companies have compromised the quality of their national brands to save a few pennies.” Nichol often drew direct comparisons to competitor’s products. In a November 1986 Insider’s Report, he pointed out that Butterball frozen turkeys didn’t contain any butter, only coconut oil margarine, while the President’s Choice Normandy-Style Butter-Basted Frozen Turkey had 3 percent real butter by weight. Nichol would also challenge consumers to come up with a product superior to President’s Choice. “We dare you to find a better Bar-B-Q Sauce anywhere, any place, anytime,” he wrote.
For Loblaw’s management, the sales strategy surrounding President’s Choice went beyond simply competing with the national brands. Just as important was the product line’s ability to draw customers into the stores. “Our intentions are very clear,” Nichol was once quoted. “We’re trying to create products that you can’t get anywhere else, so you’ll have to come to our stores.” The approach led to the development of an array of unique items such as President’s Choice Gourmet Italian Dog Foods, in addition to entire lines such as ‘The Decadent’ products or ‘Memories of’ sauces. And while not all successes originated with Nichol, many did:
Nichol had some stunningly creative ideas. When, for instance, he tasted a satay sauce at a restaurant at Bali, he put his staff to work replicating it, sending them back to the kitchen time and again until they got it right. The result, Memories of Szechwan Peanut Sauce & Dressing, has outsold ketchup in some Loblaw stores.”
The Decadent
Nichol, who was both a chocolate lover and a fan of cookies as a product category, decided that he wanted “the ultimate chocolate chip cookieChocolate chip cookie
A chocolate chip cookie is a drop cookie that originated in the United States and features chocolate chips as its distinguishing ingredient. The traditional recipe combines a dough composed of butter and both brown and white sugar with semi-sweet chocolate chips...
.” When it became known that another brand was trying to come up with a cookie that could successfully compete with PC's Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Connoisseur, Nichol decided he wanted a cookie that could sweep the category. Though there were concerns about how practical it was to introduce more natural ingredients, the decision was made to use real chocolate chips and real butter, instead of hydrogenated oil, typically used to ensure longer shelf life. But including more natural ingredients presented its own challenges, such as how to stop the chocolate chips from melting all over the production line. It took supplier Colonial Cookie of Kitchener, Ontario, more than a year to figure out the logistics and come up with a product that met Nichol’s exacting standards. Colleague Jim White was the first to sample the prototype cookie:
When the first samples arrived, I asked Jim White to try them. “Are they good?” Jim’s eyes glazed over. They’re beyond good. They’re truly decadent.”
On its release, The Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie contained 39 percent chocolate chips by weight – more than double the leading national brand. It soon became the best selling President’s Choice product and within three years was Canada’s best selling cookie, even though it was available in only 20 percent of Canadian food stores.
Not all President’s Choice products were hits, though. Lucullan Delights, a vanilla crème sandwich cookie designed to compete with Oreos, was introduced a year before The Decadent. Nichol had come across a food critic’s reference to Lucullus, a 1st Century B.C. Roman senator famous for his lavish banquets, and decided he had to use the name. But sales proved slow as shoppers apparently struggled to make sense of the name, even with an explanatory note on the packaging. In 1992, the product was reformulated and re-launched, this time as the “Eat The Middle First” cookie, with a guarantee from Nichol that if
you didn’t like them he’d give you a bag of Oreos for free. Sales subsequently rose.
G.R.E.E.N
In the spring of 1989, Loblaw introduced G.R.E.E.N, a new line of environmentally friendly and body friendly President’s Choice products – the first major North American company to offer a green product line. The items ranged from unbleached coffee filters to organic lawn and garden fertilizer. Nichol wrote in the June issue of the Insider’s Report how astounded he was at the level of public interest in such products. He explained how his team had met with many of executives of Canada’s leading environmental groups to ask them what sort of products they would like to see developed. But Nichol cautioned that not all organizations took the same approach and, as such, "we accept the fact that it is inevitable that not all environmental groups will agree with all our President’s Choice G.R.E.E.N products.” In fact, the new line soon came in for criticism from a number of groups that included Green Peace and the Consumers Association of Canada. Green Peace took exception to G.R.E.E.N’s organic fertilizer, maintaining that it was not completely free of toxins. Meanwhile, the Consumers Association charged that some items were no different than products already found on store shelves. There was further controversy when the executive director of Pollution Probe, Colin IsaacsColin Isaacs
Colin Francis Weeber Isaacs is an Ontario environmental consultant, journalist and former political figure. He represented Wentworth in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1979 to 1981 as a New Democratic Party member....
, went on television alongside Nichol to provide a qualified endorsement of non-chlorine bleached disposable diapers, saying that if you had to use disposables, these were the ones to buy. Isaacs soon resigned as other environmentalists objected to any endorsement of a throw-away product. While Nichol appeared on the defensive at times, he contended that events had actually helped promote G.R.E.E.N:
The real success of the green story is the enormous controversy it caused,” he says. “Within four weeks we had an 85% awareness level, and 27% of the people actually had bought the products.” After a minute of reflection he adds, “Controversy is a wonderful thing.”
Loblaw president Richard Currie
Richard Currie
Richard James Currie, OC was born in 1937 in Saint John, New Brunswick, and is a notable Canadian businessman.- Education :He began his post-secondary education at the University of New Brunswick in 1955, after receiving a Beaverbrook Scholarship to attend the institution, where he was elected...
pointed out that following the introduction of the line that there was a flood of ‘green’ products by other manufacturers to hit the market, apparently in response to the company initiative. A year after the launch, the number of G.R.E.E.N products had reached 100 with another fifty in the works, but product development eventually slowed. Nichol later lamented that it was so hard to find green products to bring to market.
Growth
By 1990, the number of President’s Choice products had reached 500. Meantime, Dave Nichol’s Insider’s Report, which according to an A.C. Neilson survey was read by 59 percent of Ontario households, had become almost exclusively devoted to the promotion of President’s Choice. The line now represented $1.5 billion in sales, or 20 percent of Loblaw’s annual revenue.Nevertheless, Nichol continued to pursue product categories where he felt PC could make further inroads. The lucrative cola market was one such area in which President’s Choice had experienced only limited success. In 1991, Nichol re-launched PC Cola, this time with a reformulated version of RC Cola, and sales jumped 71 percent. In Loblaw’s pursuit of the national brands, PC Cola was re-packaged in red and white colours, similar to Coca Cola. Years later, the 2004 launch of PC New Wave Cola featured blue and white packaging, along with a “Join the New Wave Generation” ad campaign “calling all Pepsi Cola Fans” to switch brands. Nichol also pursued new product lines under President’s Choice. In November 1991, Too Good To Be True! was launched, made up of 50 healthy, low-fat products. Meanwhile, his “Dave Nichol’s Barbecue Secrets” video on outdoor cooking with PC products sold
some 55,000 copies.
Throughout Nichol’s association with President’s Choice, Loblaw relied heavily on the executive’s own palate when it came to product development. According to one newspaper report, “Dave’s taste buds decree major business decisions.” The Loblaw test kitchen was, in fact, situated next door to Nichol’s office in central Toronto where it served as crucible for product
acceptance or rejection:
Nichol is stepping through his daily paces in Loblaw’s airy, white test kitchen. Seven product-development staff hover watchfully. He forks a small sample of what appears to be chilli with meat into his mouth. The room falls silent. He closes his eyes. He swallows. He nods his head. The tension breaks. Dave likes it ... This is market research, Dave Nichol style. No focus groups. No marketing surveys. If the president of Loblaw International Merchants, the product-development arm of Loblaw Companies Ltd., likes the taste, it’s in.
If an item met with Nichol’s approval, and merchandisers expressed interest, it could be brought to market in a few months. If, on the other hand, Nichol was unimpressed, that usually meant the end of the line. “He could kill a product with a shrug of indifference, and there was no court of appeal.” Most product ideas were rejected or sent back to suppliers for modification while others went through numerous reformulations before get the go ahead. Meanwhile, Nichol seemed to relish his role as ultimate arbiter. “Nothing gets called President’s Choice without my approval,” he once commented. “If you dislike any of them, then I’m the guy who has to take the blame.”
In addition to product development, Nichol and associates paid close attention to packaging. Though Don Watt produced many early PC packages, others, such as Loblaw art director Russ Rudd, were responsible for the execution of many of the most successful designs. When it came to The Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie, Rudd lined up hundreds of cookies on a conference table and photographed the best looking ones. An enlargement of one of the cookies became the cover shot, with dozens of chocolate chips forming the background. Other times, unconventional stock photos were featured to represent the exotic and unique nature of the product. A fierce-looking Japanese Kabuki actor, in heavy theatrical make-up, became the cover for President's Choice Memories of Kobe line of products, while the penetrating eyes of a veiled woman, taken from a fashion shoot, became the iconic image for PC Memories of Ancient Damascus Pomegranate Sauce. Nichol apparently took some satisfaction in boldly using images that other food manufacturers would never consider for their product packaging.
U.S. market and beyond
While President’s Choice had become increasingly popular among Canadian consumers, the brand was still largely unknown in the United States. Those U.S. stores owned by Loblaw, in St. Louis, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana, did not even carry the line. By the late 1980s, though, Don Watt, working on design contracts for a number of American supermarket chains, had become something of an “unofficial ambassador” for PC. Nichol, who regarded the American market as “a great opportunity,” considered ‘going global’ the next logical step. He told of how international executives who toured Loblaw stores would ask whether the company’s private label program was for sale. But while Loblaw pitched PC as a higher margin alternative to the national brands, putting President’s Choice on the shelves of American retailers proved less than straightforward:
[Nichol] brought in a man named Tom Stephens to sign deals with regional grocers, like D'Agostino in New York and Jewel in Chicago. He told them a strong store brand would free them from the tyranny of manufacturers. Many American grocers scoffed at the idea, calling it "Canadian lunacy," Stephens remembers. "The stores that took President's Choice," he says over a plate of risotto at a quiet Toronto trattoria, "were either desperate or brilliant."
As President’s Choice began making inroads, Loblaw aired a series of prime time infomercials on television in Buffalo, New York, with Nichol and marketing executive Boris Polakow, in advance of the next issue of Dave Nichol’s Insider’s Report. In 1991, PC was available in only a handful of states but a little more than two years later was on the shelves of some 1,200 stores in 34 states, due in large part to Wal-mart. President’s Choice had come to the attention of Sam Walton, founder of the Wal-mart chain of discount stores, through Don Watt. After a year of meetings, a deal was struck in which Loblaw agreed to develop a line of private label products under the Wal-mart brands Sam’s American Choice, later shortened to Sam’s Choice, and Great Value. Described as "a big coup for Nichol," items such as “Sam’s Cola” and “Sam’s Over 39% Chocolate Chip Cookies” made their debut in 1991. The Toronto Star later reported that cola and cookies sales had "gone through the roof."
Loblaw also started making deals outside of North America. Holding a can of Australia’s Choice Cola, Nichol appeared on the July 1993 cover of Canadian Business magazine, as Loblaw moved ahead with plans to market private labels for Coles Myer Limited – now Coles Group – Australia’s largest food retailer. Loblaw was also preparing to test market PC products on the shelves of ParknShop, Hong Kong’s second largest supermarket chain. Deals in the U.K., Sweden and South Africa were also in the works.
President’s Choice also began pursuing opportunities beyond the traditional grocery store aisle. In 1992, PC Premium Draft beer went on sale at Brewers Retail outlets in Ontario. Launched only weeks before Christmas, supplier Lakeport Brewing assured Loblaw, based on historical data, that it had enough product in stores to last throughout the holiday season. Advertised as being “premium quality,” yet value priced, the beer sold out before Christmas. Lakeport subsequently ran full page ads apologizing for the shortfall. For Nichol, the success of PC beer confirmed to him that he could sell almost anything under President’s Choice, as long as it represented better quality at a more affordable price:
If I sold you a PC tennis shoe, I think you would understand that I’m trying to give you a better tennis shoe at a lower price. The PC franchise is expandable in any number of directions.
Around this time, Nichol also made reference to a “brand tax revolt” on the part of consumers. He contended that PC was part of a larger phenomenon in which consumers were increasingly willing to slash away at traditional shopping habits in search for better value for their money.
Nichol departs
In November 1993, Loblaw Companies Limited announced that Dave Nichol was leaving as president of Loblaw International Merchant, the company’s control label division, to establish his own business as a consultant. Loblaw confirmed that Nichol would remain spokesman for President’s Choice and said it looked forward to working with him. Meantime, Nichol dismissed suggestions that his leaving was anything less than amicable and said that Loblaw did everything to convince him to stay as a full-time employee, but said he felt somewhat constrained. Although he hosted one more issue of Dave Nichol’s Insider’s Report, six months later he was no longer associated withPC. Instead, he began promoting a number of Dave Nichol branded products as the new president of controlled brands at Cott Corp., a private label soft drink maker. Loblaw Companies Limited president Richard Currie said of the break that it was neither positive nor negative but “neutral” and that the business did not require a spokesman.
PC post-Nichol
Loblaw did not, in fact, replace its long-time spokesman. The Dave Nichol’s Insider’s Report became simply The Insider’s Report but looked much the same. In administrative terms, Loblaw International Merchants, in charge of PC product development, was merged with the company’s buying division, Intersave, to become Loblaw Brands Limited. Although Nichol’s departure received considerable news coverage, media reports indicated little or no negative impact on Loblaw:
Since Nichol’s departed, Loblaw’s profits have shown double-digit growth in five of six quarters. Total Loblaw’s sales in Canada were up 8.4% in 1995. Company brand sales – chiefly President’s Choice – were up 18.5%, well ahead of the average gain of 11% recorded by A.C. Nielsen of Canada Ltd. for 550 store-brand product categories.
In the coming years, Loblaw continued to expand the number of President’s Choice products and extended the brand into new, service oriented areas. President’s Choice, as an upmarket private label, continued to provide Loblaw with a vehicle for attracting shoppers into its stores, along with better profit margins. But according to Richard Currie, the product line had other advantages too, that included added clout, in terms of pricing, right across the supermarket shelf:
Most supermarkets use private label to increase their margins. We use private label to sell national brands at a lower price. The happy combination is that we sell President’s Choice or No Name at a lower price than the national brand. We make more profit on the control label than we do on the national brand but our national brand is being sold at a lower price than the competitor’s ... and we’re selling more national brands than any other company in Canada. What a terrific combination.
In 1998, Loblaw launched President’s Choice Financial, promoted as a no fee alternative in personal banking. Press reports noted that “it’s the first time a major Canadian retailer has developed its own full-fledged banking services, which will be available to customers across the country within 18 months." Along with free savings and chequing, PC Financial offered no fee in-store banking, free groceries through its ‘PC Points’ program, along with mortgage and loan services. Though branded exclusively as President’s Choice Financial, news stories noted that the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce acted as “service provider.” By 2010, PC Financial had 2.5 million customers and $20 billion in managed funds. President’s Choice continued to add new products and lines. In 2001, PC Organics was introduced as a third party certified line of organic food products, in accordance with the guidelines of the National Standard of Canada on Organic Agriculture. A year later, PC Home unveiled a collection of new household accessories. In 2005, PC Blue Menu introduced a new line of healthy and convenient food items, which replaced the Too Good To Be True! line of products. PC Mini Chefs, a line of foods for kids, was added to the product line-up.
Galen Weston
In October 2006, after a problematic corporate restructuring resulted in a string of losses, John Lederer resigned as president and Galen G. WestonGalen G. Weston
Galen G. Weston is a Canadian businessman and the current executive chairman of Loblaw Companies Limited. He is the son of Willard Gordon Galen Weston and Hilary Weston....
assumed the new post of Executive Chairman of Loblaw Companies Limited. Within six months, Weston had taken on the role of spokesman for President’s Choice. In a series of television commercials, designed by Toronto advertising agency Bensimon Byrne, Weston appeared informally in shirt sleeves and, without reference to any corporate title, introduced himself simply as “Galen Weston.” One of the first ads showed Weston promoting the new 99 cent PC GREEN Reusable Shopping Bag, with the goal of reducing the number of plastic bags in Canadian landfill sites by a billion a year. Consumer response was strong with the bag almost selling out in its first week. Company figures later indicated that, along with a new 5 cent charge per plastic bag, the goal of reducing the number of disposable bags had exceeded the one billion mark. “The sell-out of our PC GREEN Reusable Bag confirms it — when retailers make it simple for consumers to do their part, they will embrace the opportunity." In commenting further on his new role as brand spokesman, Weston said he intended to focus on areas of personal concern, in particular the environment and healthier food products. Subsequent television commercials included PC organic baby food and the re-launched of the President’s Choice line of GREEN products.
From a glass walled test kitchen at its Brampton, Ontario, headquarters, Loblaw Companies Limited generates some 500 new food items a year, many of which become President’s Choice products. And while suppliers regularly pitch new ideas, the company also undertakes its own research and development. “We try to be ahead of the market,” noted Loblaw vice president Paul Uys. "Our radar screens are around the world." Though Loblaw has retracted its private label program from the U.S. and international markets, President’s Choice and No Name still account for 25 percent of its domestic food sales, double the industry average. Loblaw vice president of food Pietro Satriano said the company’s control labels remain crucial to its overall strategy. “In the end, it drives people to our stores. It drives loyalty. People can’t get them anywhere else. It’s tough to quantify, but it’s crucial." Currently, there are more than 2,000 President’s Choice products on Canadian supermarket shelves.
Product lines
In Canada, PC products are generally sold only at Loblaw-owned or affiliated stores. One notable exception is President's Choice beer, which in OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
is only available at The Beer Store due to provincial laws on the sale of alcohol (although it is also sold at Real Canadian Liquorstore
Real Canadian Liquorstore
The Real Canadian Liquorstore is an Albertan chain of liquor stores owned by Loblaws subsidiary Westfair Foods. The name is similar to that of the Real Canadian Superstore, a hypermarket chain also owned by Loblaws...
locations in Alberta, where private liquor stores are permitted, and Loblaw-owned or -affiliated stores in Quebec, where supermarkets are allowed to sell beer and wine).
In addition to the main President's Choice line of products, the brand also features six specialized product lines:
- Teddy's Choice: products for infants
- Mini Chefs: food for 5- to 10 year-olds
- Organics: organic foodOrganic foodOrganic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
- All Canadian: meat-products produced and distributed specifically in British Columbia, and previously for a short time in Alberta
- Blue Menu: food marketed to health-conscious consumers. Blue Menu products often have lower fat content or healthier ingredients such as whole grains.
- Green: products that are marketed as being more "environmentally-friendly." (For example, advertisements for PC GREEN Toilet Bowl Cleaner state that it is "100% chlorine-free" so there are "...fewer toxic substances going into our water.")
Food products
PC's food products include a variety of prepared foods (baby food, canned foods, soups, condiments, etc.), grain products (breads, cereals, grains, rice, etc.), dairy products (yogurt, cheese, etc.), frozen food (frozen desserts, entrees, meats, etc.), drinks (juice, soda, water, coffee, tea and beer.); fresh foods (deli products, meat, poultry, fresh pasta, produce, seafood, etc.), and snacks (crackers, snack foods, chips, dips, and sauces).Non-food grocery items
Non-food items include pet food and supplies; baby products; bath and body care products; cleaning and household products; laundry supplies; miscellaneous goods; paper and office products; and a range of general merchandise.Mobile phone service
PC Mobile started in the summer of 2005 as another President's Choice product, although the domain name PCmobile.ca was registered on January 17, 2005. It is a mobile virtual network operator
Mobile virtual network operator
A mobile virtual network operator is a company that provides mobile phone services but does not have its own licensed frequency allocation of radio spectrum, nor does it necessarily have all of the infrastructure required to provide mobile telephone service...
(MVNO) reselling Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility
Bell Mobility is a CDMA and HSPA+ based wireless network and the division of Bell Canada which sells wireless services in Canada...
's services in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. While the company mostly sells CDMA feature phones, it now carries HSPA+ feature phones as well as one Android smartphone. Due to recent growth in the prepaid mobile industry, PC Mobile now competes with other prepaid Canadian MVNO companies, such as 7-Eleven Wireless, Petro-Canada Mobility
Petro-Canada Mobility
Petro-Canada Mobility is a Canadian Mobile Virtual Network Operator created in late 2006 by gasoline firm Petro-Canada as a competitor to other store based MVNOs like PC Mobile. Petro-Canada Mobility operates on the GSM network of Rogers Wireless....
, and Bell-owned Virgin Mobile Canada
Virgin Mobile Canada
Virgin Mobile Canada is a cellular telephone company that was launched on March 1, 2005 as a joint venture between Virgin Group and Bell Canada. Since May 7, 2009, it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Bell Mobility. - Pre-launch :...
.
PC Mobile currently offers six feature phones phones:
- LG Flick
- LG Rumour 2LG Rumor 2The LG Rumor 2 and LG Script is a Sprint, Bell Mobility, Solo Mobile, Virgin Mobile USA and Virgin Mobile Canada feature phone manufactured by LG Electronics. It is available in black titanium, vibrant blue, purple, gray, and orange. The phones are offered by Sprint in Black, Blue, and Orange and...
- Nokia 7230Nokia 7230The Nokia 7230 is a metallic grilled 3G slider phone from Nokia. It's estimated price is 100 Euros and it sports a high resolution vertical display that supports up to 262 thousand colors. It features a 3.2 mega pixel camera without flash support and is capable of recording videos at QVGA...
- Samsung Entro
- Samsung m300
- Samsung R330NokiaNokiaNokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
They previously offered the Motorola KRZR, but it has been discontinued a long time ago.
The operator also sells the Samsung Galaxy 550
Samsung i5500
The Samsung i5500, also named Samsung i5503, Samsung Galaxy Europa, Samsung Galaxy 550 and the Samsung Galaxy 5 in some countries, is a smartphone. , it is the lowest cost mobile phone made by Samsung that uses the open source Android operating system . It was announced on 15 June...
, a basic smartphone powered by Android.
PC Mobile offers an initial credit of $10 for new accounts with the Anytime plan, which costs 20¢ per local minute, 45¢ per Canadian long distance minute, 15¢ per sent North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
, and 20¢ per sent international SMS. Four monthly plans are also available, ranging in price from $15 to $45, and those who activate a new account with such a plan receive their first month free. All five plans come with unlimited received SMS, and plans costing $15 or more includde unlimited local PC-to-PC calling.
There are three top-up cards offered: $15 valid for 30 days, $25.00 valid for 60 days, and $100 valid for 365 days. Cards can be used to pay for any plan's monthly or pay-per-use fees. There is also an Auto-Allowance which automatically tops up for the equivalent of the monthly plan fee or, for the Anytime plan, when the account has less than $5 remaining. This method uses pre-authorised debit or credit, and rewards the customer with a 10% bonus if they are on a monthly plan of $15 or more. Another method, the Express or Credit Card Top Up, allows users to manually top up their account using a debit or credit card.
PC in the United States
President's Choice began appearing in various U.S. supermarkets beginning in the early 1990s. The product line found a home in the ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
market on the shelves of Jewel
Jewel (supermarket)
Jewel-Osco is a supermarket chain headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. Jewel-Osco has 182 stores across northern, central, and western Illinois; eastern Iowa; and portions of northwest Indiana.Jewel-Osco and Jewel are currently wholly owned subsidiaries of Eden Prairie,...
stores under an exclusive regional marketing agreement.
Also, from circa 1995-1999, Lucky Stores
Lucky Stores
Lucky Stores is an American supermarket chain founded in Alameda County, California in 1935. Lucky is currently operated by SuperValu in Southern California and Nevada and by Save Mart in Northern California and Nevada.In 1998, Lucky's parent company, American Stores, was taken over by Albertsons,...
carried President's Choice soda until acquired by Albertsons.
Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
-based New Deal Market chain carried the President's Choice line for a short time under their ownership by Canada-based Provigo Corp.
Michigan-based Glen's Market carried the President's Choice line for a short time. Glen's Market offered special coupons and promotions on the item to create excitement about the new line being offered. Glen's Market is a wholly owned subsidiary of Spartan Stores
Spartan Stores
Spartan Stores Inc. is an American food distributor and grocery store chain headquartered in Byron Township, Michigan. The company distributes national and Spartan brand products to over 400 independent grocery stores in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.-History:...
, Inc.
Michigan-based D&W Food Centers
D&W Food Centers
-History:D&W Fresh Market was founded in 1943 by Roy Woodrick and Sid DeVries. The first store was opened in Grandville, Michigan as an Independent Grocery Association retail grocery store...
carried the President's Choice brand for several years before eventually being purchased by Spartan Stores, Inc.
Michigan-based Great Scott! supermarkets carried the President's Choice line before being acquired by Kroger in 1990. Kroger then sold President's Choice products in its Michigan stores for a short time after the acquisition of Great Scott! (presumably until a contract to carry the product expired).
During the 1990s, Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company is a chain of supermarkets located mostly in the northeastern United States. Its main rivals are Shaw's Star Market and Hannaford in New England, while ShopRite and the A&P family of supermarkets are its main competition in New York and New Jersey.- History :Stop...
supermarkets of Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
also carried the PC line of products, as did Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
-based Star Market before it was acquired by Shaw's Supermarkets
Shaw's Supermarkets
Shaw's, along with companion store Star Market, are wholly owned subsidiaries of Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based SuperValu. Together, Shaw's and Star Market comprise the third-largest grocery chain headquartered in New England; behind Stop & Shop and Hannaford, although Shaw’s is the largest grocery...
in 1999. Shaw's ceased carrying President's Choice products in its Star-branded stores following the acquisition, despite the PC line being carried by its parent's Jewel stores.
Portland, Oregon-based Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer, Inc., is a chain of hypermarkets founded in 1922 in Portland, Oregon, by Fred G. Meyer. The company was one of the pioneers of one-stop shopping, eventually combining a complete grocery supermarket with a drugstore, clothing store, shoe store, fine jewelers, home decor store, home...
stores also carried the President's Choice brand for a time.
Charlotte, North Carolina-based Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter is a chain of supermarkets based in Matthews, North Carolina, just outside Charlotte. , the chain operates 207 stores in eight Southern states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.Harris Teeter is a...
carried the brand in the early 1990s.
St. Louis based National Supermarkets
National Supermarkets
National Supermarkets was the second largest grocery chain in both the St. Louis, Missouri and New Orleans, Louisiana areas of the United States. Both firms were owned by Loblaw Companies of Canada, but in June 1995, they were sold by Loblaw to Schnucks Markets...
, then owned by Loblaw, rolled out the brand along with other Loblaw-owned chains. This continued until the chain was purchased by competitor Schnucks
Schnucks
Schnucks is a supermarket chain. Based in suburban St. Louis, the company was started in 1939 with the opening of a store in north St. Louis city and now operates 100 stores in five states throughout the midwest. Schnucks also runs stores under the Logli Supermarkets and Hilander Foods banners...
in 1995. Schnucks continued selling the brand until 1998.
President's Choice was also carried by Bell's Markets in western New York, when they were supplied by a company affiliated with Loblaw. They were later carried by Tops Friendly Markets
Tops Markets LLC
Tops Friendly Markets is an American supermarket chain based in Williamsville, New York, with stores in the western and central regions of that state and in northern Pennsylvania-Early years:...
in that area but can no longer be found there.
Houston, TX-based Randall's Food Markets carried the brand until their acquisition by Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
in 1999.
Availability outside of Canada and the United States
In Grand CaymanGrand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the nation's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles southwest of Cayman Brac.-Geography:Grand Cayman encompasses 76% of...
, Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
, Hurley's Supermarkets carried the brand until 2007.