Canadian Asian grocer T&T Supermarkets announces first US store

[Brian Lutz]

http://bellevue.com/article.php?id=442& ... J3Rp8ZQqOw

T&T Supermarkets, a Candian chain of Asian grocers with 28 locations across Canada but primarily in British Columbia, has announced that they will be opening their first US store in Bellevue WA. The store will be at Factoria Mall in the space originally occupied by Mervyn's, then later a Walmart store that closed in 2022.

Asian grocers seem to do well in Bellevue and the Seattle area in general (with stores such as H Mart, Uwajimaya, 99 Ranch, Seafood City and a number of independents found throughout the area) so this seems like a good place to start.

[retailfanmitchell019]

http://bellevue.com/article.php?id=442& ... J3Rp8ZQqOw

T&T Supermarkets, a Candian chain of Asian grocers with 28 locations across Canada but primarily in British Columbia, has announced that they will be opening their first US store in Bellevue WA. The store will be at Factoria Mall in the space originally occupied by Mervyn's, then later a Walmart store that closed in 2022.

Asian grocers seem to do well in Bellevue and the Seattle area in general (with stores such as H Mart, Uwajimaya, 99 Ranch, Seafood City and a number of independents found throughout the area) so this seems like a good place to start.

Owned by Loblaw... In other words Loblaw is coming back to the US after a 28-year absence. And perhaps the return of President's Choice the US after Jewel stopped carrying it 12 years ago.
I'm hoping this is a step towards Loblaw buying Kroger/Albertsons divests...

[storewanderer]

T&T has very limited PC merchandise. They have it, but it is very very limited.

This is a great development. What would be interesting would be if Loblaw acquired one of the existing Asian operations in the US. Seafood City or 99 Ranch would be good candidates.

[SamSpade]

Apologies for re-reporting this in the Northwest thread. That one can be locked if necessary, moderators.

!	Message from: SamSpade
	Thanks.

[retailfanmitchell019]

This is a great development. What would be interesting would be if Loblaw acquired one of the existing Asian operations in the US. Seafood City or 99 Ranch would be good candidates.

With that in mind, Loblaws could maybe also get Cardenas off Apollo's hands, to have a Hispanic format in the US.

[storewanderer]

This is a great development. What would be interesting would be if Loblaw acquired one of the existing Asian operations in the US. Seafood City or 99 Ranch would be good candidates.

With that in mind, Loblaws could maybe also get Cardenas off Apollo's hands, to have a Hispanic format in the US.

I don't think Loblaws has a Hispanic format in Canada. The Hispanic population in Canada is significantly smaller than the Asian population. I am not sure if Loblaws would know what it was doing with a Hispanic format and further I am not sure Cardena's (especially after being owned by Apollo) would be a great thing to "learn from." Northgate may be a better partner... if they can keep the management team in place that is already there.

[retailfanmitchell019]

The Hispanic population in Canada is significantly smaller than the Asian population. I am not sure if Loblaws would know what it was doing with a Hispanic format and further I am not sure Cardena's (especially after being owned by Apollo) would be a great thing to "learn from." Northgate may be a better partner... if they can keep the management team in place that is already there.

There aren't much Hispanic format stores in Canada. Most of them are probably corner store type places. None of the big chains operate any Hispanic format stores up there.

Also, T&T will have a regional office in Los Angeles. That says a lot. The timing of Loblaw coming back to the US, with the Kroger/Albertsons merger going on might be a coincidence...

[storewanderer]

The Hispanic population in Canada is significantly smaller than the Asian population. I am not sure if Loblaws would know what it was doing with a Hispanic format and further I am not sure Cardena's (especially after being owned by Apollo) would be a great thing to "learn from." Northgate may be a better partner... if they can keep the management team in place that is already there.

There aren't much Hispanic format stores in Canada. Most of them are probably corner store type places. None of the big chains operate any Hispanic format stores up there.

Also, T&T will have a regional office in Los Angeles. That says a lot. The timing of this expansion, with the Kroger/Albertsons merger might be a coincidence...

They need that office in Los Angeles for buying purposes. Although the PC line is compliant with US-labeling laws for food, many Asian foods imported into and sold in Canada are not compliant with US-labeling laws and that will need to be addressed. Loblaw can't simply send a truck down from Canada to supply the store in a Seattle suburb- they could send some items but not many/all without labeling modifications.

For example ingredients have different names on labels in Canada. The most simplistic example I can give:
Soda: US Soda is full of "high fructose corn syrup"
Canada soda has that same ingredient but it is labeled as "glucose-fructose." You can't label something in the US with "glucose fructose" and you can't label something in Canada with "high fructose corn syrup." Then there is the metric system issue.

T&T will have nothing to do with any Kroger/Albertsons divests. Loblaw runs T&T very independent of the rest of Loblaw. It is not integrated in the way the rest of the Loblaw chains are.