Southern Ontario Shoppers gives thumbs down to Metro rebranding of Dominion

by Text Squared, Chowhound writer

Our local Dominion (in Pickering) just got Metro-fied. They did some minor renovations (more like rearranging the displays and changing the sign out front), but the biggest change we saw was in pricing. Everything was higher overall, and not by insignificant amounts either. Crumpets and bagels that used to be around 99 cents to $1.29 a bag were priced at closer to $2, bags of frozen french fries that used to be in the $2.00 range were going for over $3.... Dominion used to include free packets of Renee's Gourmet salad dressing if you bought their house salads (1 packet if you bought the small size, 2 for the medium, 3 for the large). Not anymore, the free dressing sign has been replaced with one that reads "Don't forget the salad dressing!" with the packets priced at 39 cents each.

This is the closest supermarket to our house and we generally went there for convenience only (pick up a few things we need right away, and save our big shopping for Sam's Club, No Frills, etc). But if the biggest change Metro has made other than rearranging everything is to hike prices 25-50%, I think the nearby Independent (which is cleaner, less crowded, and often has cheaper prices than the Loblaws) has just earned a much larger chunk of our business. Heard a lot of grumbling among fellow shoppers at the checkout lines.... What are they doing, trying to charge Quebec prices in Southern Ontario?

Sample of other comments:

Well, the METRO at College Park remains a dive. I went by... to see if there were any changes and it was still the same crap. Too bad. -- Czthemmnt, October 2008 I am pretty focussed when I go in there [rebranded Metro at College Park, that used to be a Dominion]. I only go because it is close to work, so it is handy if I need something at the last minute before I go home. If I have to go in after work, I keep my head down and elbows out to get in and out as fast as possible. -- Sooeygun, October 2008 The new 'Metro' on College street seems to be sliding down the slope even more. Same surly staff, same layout for the most part and higher prices -- with a few paltry 'specials' thrown to us starving masses to keep us happy. Methinks it's time for some exercise. Going to be doing a lot of walking to Kensington and Fiesta Farms. -- Escoffier, November 2008) Now what did I buy at Metro yesterday? Oh that's right. Nothing. Even though I walked in to use the BMO machine. My current duet is the SLM and Sobey's. Sobey's has Kerr Farms beef for roughly 3/4 of the price it sells at Whiteveen and will cut to order. For that alone I would go to Sobey's it's such a good hook. -- Googs, November 2008 Metro has had these stores for over a year, and has made gradual changes before the innocuous revamps. Artisinal breads including P. Moisson is the major one, but mostly they have taken over without major changes. This is leadership by blandishment, and management by bean counting. I expected better. -- Jayt90, November 2008 I went last Sunday [9 November 2008] to the Metro at Bloor/ Spadina for a few items (bad timing, I know) and the crowd and the narrow aisles made it impossible to manuver. I'd rather go to Sobey's with their unpleasant, unknowlegable staff and higher prices just to avoid the insanity. -- Ttckitty, November 2008

Metro may wish to consider "converting" their Metro stores back into Dominion, before the apparent arrogance of their original rebranding causes them to end up in serious financial problems, like Circuit City in the United States (or other supermarket chains that like Canada Safeway, Steinberg's and Maxi Plus that were victimized by their own apparent arrogance). Dominion Supermarkets was founded 1919 in southern Ontario.

The decision to summarily end this Canadian tradition, in favour of Metro's corporate name symbolizes an apparent corporate culture of shortsightedness that disrespects community civic identities, and apparently also basic standards.

Editorial reference, LINK

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