View source for Maxi (Canadian supermarket)

{{Short description|Quebec subsidiary of the Loblaw Companies}}{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Maxi
| logo = Maxi (Canadian supermarket) logo.svg
| image = A Maxi supermarket chain grocery store in Montreal, Quebec, Canada 01.jpg
| image_size =
| image_caption = A Maxi store in [[Montreal]]
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| industry = [[Supermarket]] (Maxi)<br>[[Hypermarket]] (Maxi & Cie)
| foundation = {{start date and age|1984}}
| location =
| num_employees = 10,000
| products = Bakery, beer, dairy, deli, frozen foods, gasoline, general grocery, general merchandise, liquor, meat & poultry, produce, seafood, snacks, wine
| parent = [[Loblaw Companies]]
| homepage = {{URL|maxi.ca/|maxi.ca}}
| footnotes = <ref name="About Us" /><ref name="About Maxi" />
}}
'''Maxi''' is a discount [[grocery]] [[retailer]] based in [[Quebec]], Canada. Founded in 1984 by [[Provigo]], it is a [[Division (business)|division]] of [[Loblaw Companies]]<ref name="About Us">{{cite web|url=http://www.loblaw.ca/en/about-us.html |title=About Us |publisher=Loblaw Companies |access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref> and the largest of Loblaws' Quebec supermarket chains. Maxi is the Quebec equivalent of [[No Frills (grocery store)|No Frills]], a chain of franchised discount grocery stores outside Quebec, except that Maxi stores are owned by the company. Over 7,000 people are employed at the Maxi and Maxi & Cie stores across Quebec. Maxi's slogans are "''Imbattable. Point final.''" ("Unbeatable. Period"), which references their price match guarantee,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maxi maintient sa politique Imbattable. Point final. |url=https://www.loblaw.ca/en/maxi-maintient-sa-politique-imbattable-point-final/ |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=www.loblaw.ca}}</ref> and "''Maxi, ben oui, Maxi''" ("Maxi, well yes, Maxi"), the latter of which is often uttered by their spokesperson, comedian [[Martin Matte]], in their television ads.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiRUqCokfWc |title=Maxi, ben oui Maxi! |date=2016-11-20 |last=Loblaw Companies Ltd. |access-date=2024-05-22 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
==History==
[[File:Maxi 1994 logo.png|thumb|Maxi's second logo from about 1994 to 2002]]
The first Maxi store opened November 19, 1984 in a former [[Kmart (United States)|Kmart]] location in [[Longueuil]].<ref name="November 20, 1984">{{cite news|title = Superstore wars heats up as Provigo opens maxi|newspaper = [[Montreal Gazette]]|location = Montreal|page = 27|date =November 20, 1984|url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19841120&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}</ref> At 60,000-square-feet, this store was three times the size of conventional supermarkets.<ref name="04 Oct 1985">{{cite news|title = Provigo to open nine Maxi stores|newspaper = [[Montreal Gazette]]|location = Montreal|page = B5|date= October 4, 1985|url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19851004&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}</ref> Maxi was intended to be a  larger spinoff version of Provigo's [[Héritage (Canadian store)|Héritage]] supermarket chain.<ref name="November 20, 1984"/>
By 1987, Maxi had grown to a chain of six locations and three of these stores included a day-care centre for parents to leave their children for up to 90 minutes while shopping.<ref name="9 Apr 1987">{{cite news|url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-stores-day-care-centre-work/130317734/|title = Store's day-care centre works fine say shoppers at Maxi supermarket|newspaper = [[Montreal Gazette]]|location = Montreal|page = G11 |date = 9 Apr 1987}}</ref> Throughout the 1980s and early 90s, Maxi used a cartoonish elephant as its mascot.<ref name="9 Apr 1987"/><ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-maxis-advertisement-page-f/130317407/|title = Maxi's advertisement page|newspaper = [[Montreal Gazette]]|location = Montreal|page = 59 |date = 19 February 1992}}</ref>
When [[Steinberg's (supermarket)|Steinberg]] became defunct in 1992, many of its locations were converted into Maxi stores.<ref name="November 18, 1992">{{cite news|title = SUPER MARKS?; SHOPPERS GIVE MIXED VERDICTS ON SERVICE AT FORMER STEINBERG STORES |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-super-marks-shoppers-give/130207638/|newspaper = [[Montreal Gazette]]|page = C1|date = November 18, 1992}}</ref> In 1993, several Provigo stores (especially the larger ones) were rebranded as Maxi locations. Maxi absorbed the Héritage chain in 1995 to reach a total of 67 locations.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-valdi-stores-close-their-doo/130317853/|title = Valdi stores close their doors|newspaper = [[Montreal Gazette]]|location = Montreal|page = C3|date =21 April 1995}}</ref>
Maxi became a division of Loblaws following the latter's acquisition of Provigo in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://origin-www.loblaws.ca/en_CA/community/who-we-are.html |title=Who We Are |access-date=April 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180409171346/http://origin-www.loblaws.ca/en_CA/community/who-we-are.html |archive-date=April 9, 2018 }}</ref> Maxi used to have stores in [[Ontario]] beginning in 1997,<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post-provigo-opens-first-ontari/130317963/|title = Provigo opens first Ontario Maxi store|newspaper = [[Financial Post]]|location = Toronto|page = 9|date =27 June 1997}}</ref> but they were eventually closed or converted to other Loblaws banners (such as [[Fortinos]]) in 1999.<ref name="12 June 1999"/>
As of 2024, there are 153 Maxi locations in Quebec.<ref name="About Maxi">{{Cite web |title=About Maxi |url=https://www.maxi.ca/about?icta=click:about-us:who-we-are |access-date=18 August 2024 |website=maxi.ca}}</ref>
==Maxi & Cie==
[[File:Logo maxi and cie.png|thumb|Maxi & Cie logo]]
The chain's '''Maxi & Cie/Maxi & Co.''' locations are larger and carry a wider variety of general merchandise.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/archive/loblaw-expands-its-maxi-locations-quebec|title = Loblaw Expands ITS Maxi Locations in Quebec|date = February 21, 2005}}</ref> The first Maxi & Cie opened on September 25, 1996 on Jean-Talon street in [[Saint-Léonard, Quebec]] and is still in operation.<ref>{{cite news|title = In St. Leonard, Provigo opening its first Maxi superstore|newspaper = [[Montreal Gazette]]|location = Montreal|page = D1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-in-st-leonard-provigo-open/130318073/|date =25 September 1996}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maxi.ca/store-locator?searchQuery=Saint-Leonard,+Montreal,+QC,+Canada&type=store|title=Maxi - Find a location|website=www.maxi.ca}}</ref> Some Maxi & Cie outlets are themselves former Maxi stores that were converted because of their larger size.  This includes the original store in Longueuil.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/2655+Chem.+de+Chambly,+Longueuil,+QC+J4L+4J4/@45.5242243,-73.4667996,3a,75y,48.22h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sd_AqgZTCWYYH_dhAS78Zng!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x4cc904b95c0c81b1:0x5c77b9a6995c4765!8m2!3d45.5248087!4d-73.4659162|title=Picture of the original Maxi store|website=Google Streetview}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title = Maxi's advertisement page|newspaper = [[Montreal Gazette]]|location = Montreal|page = D12 |date = July 2, 1986|url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19860702&printsec=frontpage&hl=en}}</ref>
Like with Maxi, Maxi & Co. used to have stores in [[Ontario]], but Maxi & Co. withdrew from Ontario in 1999 after the Loblaws purchase of the chain.<ref name="12 June 1999">{{cite news|title = Provigo to shut six Ontario supermarkets: Montreal firm's Maxi banner retreats from province on consolidation|newspaper = [[The Globe and Mail]]|location = Toronto|page = B11|date =12 June 1999}}</ref> The 1999 movie ''[[Pushing Tin]]'' had a scene at one of the Maxi & Co. stores in Ontario.
==See also==
{{portal|Supermarkets|Companies}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[No Frills (grocery store)]]
*[[Provigo]]
*[[List of supermarket chains in Canada]]
{{div col end}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://www.maxi.ca/ Official website]
{{Canadian Supermarkets}}
{{George Weston Limited}}
[[Category:Hypermarkets]]
[[Category:Loblaw Companies]]
[[Category:Retail companies established in 1984]]
[[Category:1984 establishments in Quebec]]
[[Category:Supermarkets of Canada]]
[[Category:Discount stores of Canada]]