Sobeys
| Sobeys Inc. | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Inc. |
| founding | 1907 |
| Seat |
Stellarton , Nova Scotia Canada
|
| management | Michael Medline, President & CEO |
| Number of employees | 85000 (2009) |
| sales | CAD $ 226 million |
| Branch | Trading group / retail |
| Website | www.sobeys.com |
Sobeys is the second largest retail group in Canada with over 1300 supermarkets and is represented in all ten provinces . The company is based in Stellarton .
history
The company was founded by John W. Sobey, a meat supplier in Nova Scotia. In 1924 his son, Frank H. Sobey, joined the company and continued to expand. In 1949 Sobey opened the first self-service supermarket. In 1980 further supermarkets followed in the southern areas of Canada. In 1998 the company bought a competitor ( Oshawa Group), making it the second largest retail group in Canada. In 2005 the company lost in a bidding battle for another company. In 2007 the company Thrifty Foods, which operates 25 supermarkets in British Columbia , was taken over. In 2002 the company underwent extensive restructuring and modernization. All supermarkets have undergone a thorough renovation and equipment, and customer service has also been improved. The company has locations in all provinces.
Divisions
In addition to the classic operation of supermarkets, the company also operates drugstores (Lawtons) and several smaller retail stores under the name (Needs). Furthermore also "Sobeys Express" and "BoniChoix".