Grocery Stores

[ookpik]

I assumed Loblaws had it's own atmosphere and bigger variety of products, I didn't realize that Loblaws is the exact same as Zehrs.

The variety of products at a Loblaws store varies by location. The same is true with Zehrs. This is probably a function of the store size, local preferences and manager's judgement. So neither of each are truly the "exact same" as the other.

I consider the two banners essentially equivalent because they operate in mutually exclusive areas. For example in Toronto, where the flagship banner is Loblaws, there are no Zehrs stores, and in Waterloo region, where Zehrs is the main banner, there are no Loblaws stores. 

Meanwhile banners that are meant to be distinct from the "main" Loblaws/Zehrs brand like ValuMart, Superstore, No Frills, etc. exist in both Toronto and Waterloo.

But that said, I'm making assumptions here too based on personal observations. I don't have any direct insight into the Weston-owned grocery chain's marketing strategy.