Steinberg's
Encyclopedia
Steinberg's was a Canadian grocery store
chain that mainly operated in the province of Quebec
. In addition to its flagship supermarket chain, the company operated several subsidiaries across the country. The company went bankrupt in 1992, after 79 years in business.
, Quebec
, Canada
by Jewish-Hungarian
immigrant, Ida Steinberg. Her five sons, led by Sam Steinberg
, grew the company from a tiny storefront on Saint Lawrence Boulevard
into the most popular and largest supermarket
chain in Québec. It was the first to create the "supermarket" concept in Québec, with expansions into Ontario
(primarily the Ottawa
area) and parts of New Brunswick
.
. Steinberg's also had holdings in food production and distribution.
In keeping with increasing French language pressures in Québec, Steinberg's dropped the possessive
"'s" from its name to become Steinberg in 1961. This was accompanied with the introduction of a new logo
as shown above this article (the previous logo had consisted of Sam Steinberg's personal signature
). Despite the change, the chain continued to be referred to as Steinberg's among the English speaking public and media throughout its history and beyond.
For several decades, and until the late 1980s, Steinberg's was the largest supermarket chain in the province of Québec. Store outlets could be spotted in nearly every district of the island of Montreal
and was a major competitor for chains like Provigo
and Metro. Sam Steinberg was one of the first employers to implement mandatory bilingualism (English-French) for all his personnel and as a result, the company became so entrenched in Québec culture that among French speakers, "Je fais mon Steinberg" ("I'm doing my Steinberg's") became a synonym for going grocery shopping, regardless of supermarket chain.
The chain expanded into Ontario beyond the Ottawa area, typically using the Miracle Food Mart
and Miracle Ultra Mart banner for its Ontario supermarkets outside of Eastern Ontario.
At one point a hypermarket
was introduced called Steinberg Beaucoup, which consisted of a Steinberg's grocery, a Miracle Mart department store and Le Quick and Pik-Nik restaurants, all under the same roof.
Steinberg's owned and operated several well known businesses:
and lack of a succession plan for the company began its decline. Things worsened rapidly when a power struggle developed between his daughter Mitzi, her husband Mel Dobrin, daughter Marilyn Steinberg Cobrin and daughter Evelyn Steinberg.
The Miracle Food Mart and Ultra Food & Drug stores in Ontario were sold to A&P Canada
, who converted the Miracle Food Mart stores to its "A&P
" and "Dominion
" banners. The Ottawa locations of Steinberg's were bought by Loblaws and either converted to "Loblaws" or "Your Independent Grocer" banners or closed outright.
By the end of the 1980s, rising costs and increased competition were taking their toll, and Steinberg's was placed on the auction block for an estimated $1.5 billion. The Ontario-based Loblaws chain initially attempted to acquire Steinberg's, a move blocked by the Quebec provincial government on nationalist grounds. They arranged for the firm to be purchased by Socanav, a shipping firm with no experience in retail.
. To avoid accusations of monopoly, Metro and Provigo sold some Steinberg's stores to IGA
.
By mid 1992, Steinberg's and its department store M disappeared, as the Steinberg's stores were absorbed and converted by its competitors, and the M stores were closed. Valdi Foods remained a company subsidiary until the stores in the western provinces were closed in 1991/92.
Although Steinberg's, Miracle Mart/M, Miracle Food Mart, Valdi and Cardinal Distributors are now things of the past, Sam Steinberg is survived by two of its companies which are still in business today. The first is his real estate company Ivanhoe (which absorbed Cambridge Shopping Centres Ltd in 2001 to become Ivanhoe Cambridge
). The second is Pik-Nik, his restaurant chain founded in 1966.
Succession for the Steinberg's grocery chain was the subject of a 1974 National Film Board of Canada
documentary by Arthur Hammond entitled After Mr. Sam.
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
chain that mainly operated in the province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. In addition to its flagship supermarket chain, the company operated several subsidiaries across the country. The company went bankrupt in 1992, after 79 years in business.
Beginning
Steinberg's began as a grocery store founded in 1913 in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 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...
by Jewish-Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
immigrant, Ida Steinberg. Her five sons, led by Sam Steinberg
Sam Steinberg
Samuel Steinberg, OC was a Hungarian immigrant to Canada who transformed the grocery store founded by his mother, Steinberg's Supermarket, into one of the largest chains in the Province of Quebec....
, grew the company from a tiny storefront on Saint Lawrence Boulevard
Saint Lawrence Boulevard
For the Ottawa road, see St. Laurent Boulevard. For the Gatineau road called "Boulevard Saint-Laurent", see Boulevard des Allumettières.Saint Lawrence Boulevard or boulevard Saint-Laurent is a major street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
into the most popular and largest supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain in Québec. It was the first to create the "supermarket" concept in Québec, with expansions into Ontario
Ontario
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....
(primarily the Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
area) and parts of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
Expansion
Steinberg's eventually entered the real estate market in 1952 under the name Ivanhoe Investments and owned several shopping centres. Ivanhoe turned out to be one of Steinberg's most profitable ventures and still exists today under the name Ivanhoe CambridgeIvanhoe Cambridge
Ivanhoe Cambridge is a property management and development company that formed from the merger of two former companies, Ivanhoe and Cambridge, in 2001.-Ivanhoe Corporation:...
. Steinberg's also had holdings in food production and distribution.
In keeping with increasing French language pressures in Québec, Steinberg's dropped the possessive
Possessive
Possessive may be:* Possessive case* Possessive adjective* Possessive pronoun* Possessive suffix* Possessive construction, pattern among words indicating possession * For possessive behavior in a relationship, see Attachment in adults...
"'s" from its name to become Steinberg in 1961. This was accompanied with the introduction of a new logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
as shown above this article (the previous logo had consisted of Sam Steinberg's personal signature
Signature
A signature is a handwritten depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a signature is a signatory. Similar to a handwritten signature, a signature work describes the work as readily identifying...
). Despite the change, the chain continued to be referred to as Steinberg's among the English speaking public and media throughout its history and beyond.
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
and was a major competitor for chains like 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...
and Metro. Sam Steinberg was one of the first employers to implement mandatory bilingualism (English-French) for all his personnel and as a result, the company became so entrenched in Québec culture that among French speakers, "Je fais mon Steinberg" ("I'm doing my Steinberg's") became a synonym for going grocery shopping, regardless of supermarket chain.
The chain expanded into Ontario beyond the Ottawa area, typically using the Miracle Food Mart
Miracle Food Mart
Miracle Food Mart was a supermarket chain in Ontario, Canada, owned by Steinberg's, a Quebec-based retailer in the 1970s and 1980s.Steinberg purchased the Grand Union chain of 38 stores in June 1959 to make its entrance into the Ontario market. These stores operated unter the Steinberg banner until...
and Miracle Ultra Mart banner for its Ontario supermarkets outside of Eastern Ontario.
At one point a hypermarket
Hypermarket
In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...
was introduced called Steinberg Beaucoup, which consisted of a Steinberg's grocery, a Miracle Mart department store and Le Quick and Pik-Nik restaurants, all under the same roof.
Steinberg's owned and operated several well known businesses:
- Miracle Mart, a discount department store chain (led by daughter Mitzi and renamed "M" store in 1986), carried clothing, toys, household appliances and goods. The "M" department stores ceased operations shortly after Steinberg's went bankrupt.
- Miracle Food MartMiracle Food MartMiracle Food Mart was a supermarket chain in Ontario, Canada, owned by Steinberg's, a Quebec-based retailer in the 1970s and 1980s.Steinberg purchased the Grand Union chain of 38 stores in June 1959 to make its entrance into the Ontario market. These stores operated unter the Steinberg banner until...
, a supermarket chain operating in the Ontario regions where there were no stores of the grocery chain Steinberg's proper. - Valdi, a limited assortment (discount) grocery chain in Ontario and the western provinces, Valdi was founded in 1979.
- Pik-Nik, popular snack-bars operating in shopping malls.
- Le Quick, a restaurant chain
- Cardinal Distributors, a mail-order gift catalogue that merged in 1980 with Consumers DistributingConsumers DistributingConsumers Distributing was a catalogue store in Canada and the United States that operated from 1957 to 1996...
.
Decline
Trouble started brewing for the chain after the death of Sam Steinberg in 1978; his laissez-faire dealings with the unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and lack of a succession plan for the company began its decline. Things worsened rapidly when a power struggle developed between his daughter Mitzi, her husband Mel Dobrin, daughter Marilyn Steinberg Cobrin and daughter Evelyn Steinberg.
The Miracle Food Mart and Ultra Food & Drug stores in Ontario were sold to A&P Canada
A&P Canada
A&P Canada was a Canadian supermarket company from 1927 to 2009.In 1927, A&P opened its first stores in Canada. By 1929, A&P was present in 200 communities in Ontario and Quebec....
, who converted the Miracle Food Mart stores to its "A&P
A&P Canada
A&P Canada was a Canadian supermarket company from 1927 to 2009.In 1927, A&P opened its first stores in Canada. By 1929, A&P was present in 200 communities in Ontario and Quebec....
" and "Dominion
Dominion Stores (Ontario)
Dominion Stores was once a national chain of supermarkets in Canada, which was still known as the Dominion of Canada at the time of the company's founding. The chain was founded in 1919 in Ontario and was later acquired by Conrad Black's Argus Corporation...
" banners. The Ottawa locations of Steinberg's were bought by Loblaws and either converted to "Loblaws" or "Your Independent Grocer" banners or closed outright.
By the end of the 1980s, rising costs and increased competition were taking their toll, and Steinberg's was placed on the auction block for an estimated $1.5 billion. The Ontario-based Loblaws chain initially attempted to acquire Steinberg's, a move blocked by the Quebec provincial government on nationalist grounds. They arranged for the firm to be purchased by Socanav, a shipping firm with no experience in retail.
End of Steinberg's
The Socanav-run Steinberg's foundered within a couple of years, and again, Loblaw attempted to buy the chain. They were again foiled by the Quebec government, who arranged for Steinberg's to be purchased by its two major local competitors Metro Richelieu and ProvigoProvigo
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...
. To avoid accusations of monopoly, Metro and Provigo sold some Steinberg's stores to IGA
IGA (supermarkets)
IGA is a brand of grocery stores active in more than 30 countries. Contrasting with the chain store business model, IGA operates as a franchise through stores that are owned separately from the brand. Many of these stores operate in small town markets and belong to families that manage them...
.
By mid 1992, Steinberg's and its department store M disappeared, as the Steinberg's stores were absorbed and converted by its competitors, and the M stores were closed. Valdi Foods remained a company subsidiary until the stores in the western provinces were closed in 1991/92.
Although Steinberg's, Miracle Mart/M, Miracle Food Mart, Valdi and Cardinal Distributors are now things of the past, Sam Steinberg is survived by two of its companies which are still in business today. The first is his real estate company Ivanhoe (which absorbed Cambridge Shopping Centres Ltd in 2001 to become Ivanhoe Cambridge
Ivanhoe Cambridge
Ivanhoe Cambridge is a property management and development company that formed from the merger of two former companies, Ivanhoe and Cambridge, in 2001.-Ivanhoe Corporation:...
). The second is Pik-Nik, his restaurant chain founded in 1966.
Succession for the Steinberg's grocery chain was the subject of a 1974 National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
documentary by Arthur Hammond entitled After Mr. Sam.
See also
- Corporation (TV series)Corporation (TV series)Corporation is a Canadian business documentary television series which aired on CBC Television in 1975.-Premise:This series broadcast all but one of the National Film Board of Canada documentary films on the Steinberg grocery company, documenting the business life of the company. The films received...
, about the Steinberg's chain - List of Canadian supermarketsSupermarkets in CanadaThis is a list of supermarket chains in Canada. For supermarkets operating in other countries, see List of supermarkets.-Major chains:*Costco*Jim Pattison Group operates**Bulkley Valley Wholesale**Buy-Low Foods**Cooper's Foods...