T&T Supermarket

Last updated

T&T Supermarket
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Retail
Founded1993;31 years ago (1993)
Founder Cindy Lee
Headquarters Richmond, British Columbia
Number of locations
33 stores [1]
Key people
 Tina Lee (CEO)
Products Grocery
Parent Tawa Supermarket Inc. and Uni-President Enterprises Corporation (Joint venture, 1993-2009)
Loblaw Companies
(2009–present)
Website tntsupermarket.com

T&T Supermarket is a Canadian supermarket chain that sells primarily Asian foods, including fresh produce, meat, seafood, and Asian packaged goods. It also sells kitchenware and gifts, and has in-store kitchens and bakeries. [2] T&T Supermarket was founded in Vancouver in 1993 by Cindy Lee. It is currently led by CEO Tina Lee, who succeeded her mother in 2014. [3] In 2009, T&T Supermarket was acquired by Loblaw Companies Limited. [4]

Contents

The stores range in size from 35,000 sq ft (3,300 m2) to 74,000 sq ft (6,900 m2). In addition to the many departments found in a regular supermarket, most T&T stores also have an in-house bakery, an Asian deli, a sushi and Chinese barbecue department. T&T Supermarket currently has 33 stores in Canada. In 2020, they launched an online shopping platform and an app. [5] T&T Supermarket is set to open its first store in the United States, located in Bellevue, Washington. The new store, spanning 76,000 square feet, will be the largest Asian supermarket in the state and will serve as T&T Supermarket's flagship store in the United States. [6]

"T&T" is a reference to Cindy Lee's eldest daughters, Tina and Tiffany, [7] as well as the two joint venture investors that founded the supermarket chain in 1993, Tawa Supermarket Inc. and Uni-President Enterprises Corporation, whose Chinese name is pronounced "Tung-yee". [8]

History

Establishment

The chain was created as a joint venture of Uni-President Enterprises Corporation, one of Taiwan's ten largest conglomerates; Tawa Supermarket Inc., a California-based chain of Asian supermarkets; and a group of Canadian investors. Taiwanese-Canadian businesswoman Cindy Lee started the business with one store in 1993. [9]

Exploitation lawsuit

The interior of a T&T store T&T Supermarket.jpg
The interior of a T&T store

On March 5, 2007, The Tyee reported a case of a foreign temporary worker who claimed to have been exploited, and had his passport seized by T&T Supermarket. According to The Tyee's coverage, "In a notice of claim filed with the small claims division of the provincial court of British Columbia, Gui Qiang Zou claims he was pressured into working longer hours for lower wages than promised after the firm kept his passport and other key documents." [10]

Acquisition by Loblaw

T&T is part of Loblaw Companies, which purchased it in July 2009 for $225 million in consideration, consisting of $191 million in cash and $34 million in preferred shares. [11] The consideration paid above and beyond the tangible asset base of the company (i.e. the accounting goodwill) which was estimated at $180 million. [12]

Expansion

With rapid expansion, T&T is Canada's largest Asian supermarket chain. [13] It has thirteen stores in British Columbia (all in Metro Vancouver), one in Quebec, seven in Alberta (four in Calgary and three in Edmonton), and ten stores in Ontario (eight in the Greater Toronto Area, one in Waterloo, and one in Ottawa). [2] T&T Supermarket is set to open its first store in the United States, located in Bellevue, Washington. [6]

Launch of T&T brand and rewards program

In 2012, T&T launched its own T&T brand, a collection of private label products such as crackers, dumplings, cakes, pastries, green tea and marinade sauce. [14] The company also started a rewards program for its customers who can collect points and redeem them in-store for gifts.

Unionization issues

Huff Post Business Canada reported on July 17, 2012 that workers at a T&T Supermarket warehouse in Scarborough, Ontario, would head to a secret ballot vote on Monday, July 23, 2012 for unionization. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) filed an application for certification with the Ontario Labour Relations Board on July 16, 2012. According to UFCW national representative Kevin Shimmin, the workers at the T&T Supermarket Scarborough warehouse, are seeking unionization to attempt improving scheduling issues as well as tying wage more closely to seniority, instead of favouritism. Shimmin gave in the article an example that Warehouse staffs at T&T Supermarket are working a 39-hour work week, spanning six days in a week. He also pointed out that there are cases where staff have been working for T&T Supermarket for three years and are still earning a minimum wage of $10.25 per hour. Paul Ho, marketing manager for the grocery chain in Ontario, said he did not have details about wages, but maintained that work hours "vary from individual to individual, and depends on the production schedule." [15]

The Globe and Mail reported on July 23, 2012 the result of T&T Supermarket Scarborough warehouse staff unionization. About 100 employees at the T&T Scarborough warehouse voted in the secret ballot vote on Monday July, 23. However, the Ontario Labour Relations Board sealed the ballot box for review. Dispute arose as the UFCW and T&T Supermarket argued about the eligibility of the voters in the voter list. UFCW national representative Kevin Shimmin said that the dispute caused the secret ballot vote to be reviewed, while Cindy Lee, founder at T&T Supermarket claimed that it was the decision of the Ontario Labour Relations Board to look into whether the union has enough support from employees to in the first place file the application. [16]

Largest T&T store and development of e-commerce platform

T&T at Fairview Mall in Toronto (2023) T&T Supermarket - Fairview Mall - 20230524 (cropped).jpg
T&T at Fairview Mall in Toronto (2023)

In 2018, T&T opened a 74,000 sq. ft. flagship store in Richmond, British Columbia, which was the first to have a live seafood bar, an Asian street food station, and self-checkouts. Industry experts dubbed the store a "grocerant" because of its restaurant-style offering. [17] [18]

In 2020, T&T launched its e-commerce platform, facilitating online order and delivery of Asian food products across most provinces in Canada. [19] [20]

On May 18, 2023, T&T opened a 36,000 sq. ft. location at Fairview Mall in Toronto. [21] [22]

In June, the company announced that they would open their first store in the United States at the Marketplace at Factoria in Bellevue, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. The store, a former Walmart location, is 76,000 square feet (7,100 m2) and is scheduled to open in 2024. [23] This would mark the return of Loblaw Companies to the United States after a 28-year absence following its sale of National Supermarkets.[ citation needed ] A second American location, north of Seattle in Lynnwood, Washington, is planned to open in 2025. [24]

Locations

British Columbia

The front entry of the T&T Supermarket at Marine Gateway in Vancouver, British Columbia T&T Supermarket Marine Gateway Store.jpg
The front entry of the T&T Supermarket at Marine Gateway in Vancouver, British Columbia

Alberta

  • Calgary (4) – Pacific Place Mall, Harvest Hills Crossing, Deerfoot Meadows and Sage Hill Plaza
  • Edmonton (3) – West Edmonton Mall, North Town Centre and South Edmonton

Ontario

The entrance of T&T Supermarket Warden Store in Markham, Ontario T&T Warden Centre Store.jpg
The entrance of T&T Supermarket Warden Store in Markham, Ontario
The front entrance of the T&T Supermarket College Store in Toronto, Ontario T&T Supermarket College Store.jpg
The front entrance of the T&T Supermarket College Store in Toronto, Ontario

Quebec

The entrance to T&T Supermarket Store in Montreal, Quebec T&T Supermarket Montreal Store.jpg
The entrance to T&T Supermarket Store in Montreal, Québec

Former locations

T&T had two stores in Toronto which have closed:

Awards

In 2018, the Retail Council of Canada awarded the Canadian Grand Prix Trailblazer Lifetime Achievement Award to founder Cindy Lee and CEO Tina Lee for having "demonstrated outstanding service and dedication to the Canadian retail and grocery industry." [32] [33] Cindy Lee received the lifetime achievement award at the 2019 Chinese Canadian entrepreneur awards in recognition of her contributions to the Chinese Canadian business community. [34]

See also

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    Shoppers Drug Mart Inc., commonly known as Shoppers is a Canadian retail pharmacy chain based in Toronto, Ontario. It has more than 1,300 stores in ten provinces and two territories.

    Loblaws Inc. is a Canadian supermarket chain with stores located in the province of Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia under the Loblaws CityMarket banner. Headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, Loblaws is a subsidiary of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Loblaw Companies</span> Canadian retail company

    Loblaw Companies Limited is a Canadian retailer encompassing corporate and franchise supermarkets operating under 22 regional and market-segment banners, as well as pharmacies, banking and apparel. Loblaw operates a private label program that includes grocery and household items, clothing, baby products, pharmaceuticals, cellular phones, general merchandise and financial services. Loblaw is the largest Canadian food retailer, and its brands include President's Choice, No Name and Joe Fresh. It is controlled by George Weston Limited, a holding company controlled by the Weston family; Galen G. Weston is the chair of the Loblaw board of directors, as well as chair of the board of directors and CEO of Canada-based holding company George Weston.

    Sobeys Inc. is a national supermarket chain in Canada with over 1,500 stores operating under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales of more than C$25.1 billion in the fiscal 2019 operating year. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited, a Canadian business conglomerate.

    Dominion was a national chain of supermarkets in Canada, which was known as the Dominion of Canada when the chain was founded. The chain was founded in 1919 in Ontario and was later acquired by the Argus Corporation. It was later sold to The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P), which restricted the chain to the Greater Toronto Area. Stores outside Ontario were converted to the A&P banner or sold to third parties. A&P's Canadian division was later acquired by Metro Inc., which rebranded the remaining Dominion stores to its namesake banner in 2008.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Galen Weston</span> British-Canadian billionaire businessman (1940–2021)

    Willard Gordon Galen Weston was a British-Canadian billionaire businessman and Chairman Emeritus of George Weston Limited, a Canadian food processing and distribution company. Weston and his family, with an estimated net worth of US$8.7 billion, are listed as the third wealthiest in Canada and 178th in the world by Forbes magazine.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">99 Ranch Market</span> Taiwanese-American supermarket chain

    99 Ranch Market is an American supermarket chain owned by Tawa Supermarket Inc., which is based in Buena Park, California. 99 Ranch has 58 stores in the U.S., primarily in California, with other stores in Nevada, Oregon, Washington, New Jersey, Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Arizona, and Virginia. The company also started offering shopping via its website in 2014. In February 2021, the company also launched their mobile app for grocery delivery.

    Real Canadian Superstore is a chain of supermarkets owned by Canadian food retailing giant Loblaw Companies. Its name is often shortened to Superstore, or, less commonly, RCSS.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Food Basics</span> Canadian supermarket chain

    Food Basics Ltd. is a Canadian supermarket chain owned by Metro Inc. The company operates 142 stores throughout Ontario.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Steinberg's (supermarket)</span> Defunct Canadian supermarket chain

    Steinberg's was a large family-owned Canadian grocery store chain that mainly operated in the province of Quebec and later Ontario. In addition to its flagship supermarket chain, the company operated several subsidiaries across the country. The company went bankrupt in 1992, three years after being sold to private interests, after 75 years in business.

    No Frills is a Canadian chain of discount supermarkets, owned by Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited. There are over 200 franchise stores located in nine Canadian provinces.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Fortinos</span> Canadian supermarket chain, a subsidiary of the Loblaw Companies

    Fortinos is a Canadian supermarket chain that was founded in Hamilton, Ontario. It operates 24 stores across the western Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. It is owned by Loblaw Companies Limited.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Masonville Place</span> Shopping mall

    Masonville Place is a two-storey regional shopping mall located in London, Ontario, Canada, at the southeast corner of Fanshawe Park Road and Richmond Street. The mall contains over 130 stores, several restaurants, and a food court. Masonville Place is anchored by several large retailers including Hudson's Bay, Zara, H&M, Sport Chek/Atmosphere, and Shoppers Drug Mart. Cineplex Cinemas has two locations at the shopping mall, the SilverCity / IMAX theatres, and The Rec Room, an adult-centred entertainment facility featuring food, drink, arcade games and axe-throwing.

    Zehrmart Inc., is a Canadian supermarket chain in southern Ontario. The chain has 43 locations and is a part of Loblaw Companies Limited, which purchased the Zehrs chain in the mid-1970s.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxi (Canadian supermarket)</span> Quebec subsidiary of the Loblaw Companies

    Maxi is a discount grocery retailer based in Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1984 by Provigo, it is a division of Loblaw Companies and the largest of Loblaws' Quebec supermarket chains. Maxi is the Quebec equivalent of 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.", which references their price match guarantee, and "Maxi, ben oui, Maxi", the latter of which is often uttered by their spokesperson, comedian Martin Matte, in their television ads.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">FreshCo</span> Canadian discount supermarket chain owned by Empire Company Limited

    FreshCo Ltd. is a Canadian chain of discount supermarkets owned by Sobeys. It was launched in March 2010. As of September 2023, there were 100 FreshCo stores.

    Walmart Canada is a Canadian retail corporation and the Canadian branch of the U.S.-based multinational retail conglomerate Walmart. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, it was founded on March 17, 1994, with the purchase of the Woolco Canada chain from the F. W. Woolworth Company.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Commisso's Food Markets</span> Canadian supermarket chain

    Commisso's Food Markets was a Canadian supermarket chain based in Beamsville, Ontario. Operating under Commisso's Grocery Distributors Limited, the chain was part of one of the largest independently owned grocery and food distribution chains in Southern Ontario. At its peak, Commisso's operated a wholesale business and distribution centre, six cash and carry outlets, and 16 supermarkets across the Niagara and Hamilton areas, where its commitment to "quality products, friendly people and low prices" proved very popular.

    SaveEasy was a chain of small retail grocery store franchises in the Atlantic Provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, owned by Loblaw Companies.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridlewood Mall</span> Shopping mall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Bridlewood Mall is a neighbourhood shopping centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It serves the L'Amoreaux neighbourhood in the Scarborough district of Toronto. Its anchors include Shoppers Drug Mart, Dollarama, Metro, and Yours Food Mart.

    References

    1. ↑ "T&T Supermarket Store Location". T&T Supermarket.
    2. 1 2 "T & T Supermarket – T&T Supermarket". T&T Supermarket. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
    3. ↑ "T&T Supermarket CEO passes the torch". Canadian Grocer. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
    4. ↑ "Loblaw buying T&T Asian food chain". CBC News. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
    5. ↑ "T&T Supermarket just launched a brand new app across Canada". Daily Hive. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
    6. 1 2 Toneguzzi, Mario (June 8, 2023). "T&T Supermarkets Expanding into the US with 1st Store". Retail Insider. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
    7. ↑ Devlin, Megan (January 12, 2024). ""For the next generation": T&T Supermarkets CEO on store's viral origin story". Daily Hive . Retrieved April 8, 2024.
    8. ↑ Eade, Ron (October 2, 2009). "T&T arrives with a bang". The Ottawa Citizen . Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
    9. ↑ "How the CEO of Canada's Largest Asian Supermarket Took the Lead on COVID". MONTECRISTO. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
    10. ↑ Sandborn, Tom (March 5, 2007). "Tricked and Exploited?". The Tyee .
    11. ↑ "Loblaw buying T&T Asian food chain". CBC News . July 24, 2009. Archived from the original on July 25, 2009.
    12. ↑ "2009 Third Quarter Report" (PDF). Loblaw Companies. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
    13. ↑ "Loblaw buys Asian grocery chain". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
    14. ↑ "Loblaw Expands Private Brand Portfolio And Introduces the T&T Brand". Archived from the original on March 27, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
    15. ↑ "T&T Union Certification: Asian Grocer's Warehouse Workers In Scarborough, Ontario Seek Certification". Huffington Post Canada . July 17, 2012. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012.
    16. ↑ Strauss, Marina (July 23, 2012). "Loblaw locked in labour dispute at Asian supermarket chain". The Globe and Mail .
    17. ↑ "T&T unveils flagship store in Richmond". Canadian Grocer. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
    18. ↑ "Canada's largest T&T Supermarket opens in Metro Vancouver". Straight. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
    19. ↑ "T&T launches e-grocery". Canadian Grocer. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
    20. ↑ "T&T Supermarket launches online ordering and home delivery across Canada". DailyHive. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
    21. ↑ "T&T Supermarket Brings 'Food Hall' Energy to CF Fairview Mall" (Press release). May 18, 2023. Archived from the original on May 25, 2023.
    22. ↑ Shelley Carroll [@shelleycarroll] (May 18, 2023). "#DonValleyNorth is home to a brand new T&T Supermarket at Fairview Mall, a great destination for some amazing Asian eats! Thank you to the team at Cadillac Fairview, T&T, and this little adorable celebrity! 💚" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 25, 2023 – via Twitter.
    23. ↑ Thompson, Joey (June 8, 2023). "Asian supermarket chain T&T taps Bellevue for first US location". Puget Sound Business Journal . Retrieved June 8, 2023.
    24. ↑ Podsada, Janice (June 5, 2024). "New Asian grocery store T&T Supermarket to open in Lynnwood". The Everett Herald . Retrieved June 5, 2024.
    25. ↑ "T&T Supermarket set to expand to London, Ontario in 2024".
    26. ↑ Doradea, Karen (May 4, 2023). "T&T Supermarket to open new Toronto location this month & will have new food offerings". Curiocity. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
    27. ↑ "T&T Supermarkets is bringing its iconic shopping experience and selection to downtown Toronto with a second location".
    28. ↑ "T&T Asian Supermarket Has Chosen Its Montreal Location & It'll be the Biggest in Canada". January 21, 2022.
    29. ↑ MacDonald, Thomas (December 15, 2022). "Montreal's First T&T Asian Grocery Store Is Now Open & It's Freakin Ginormous". MTL Blog. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
    30. ↑ Hatherly, Tara (December 20, 2019). "T&T Supermarket closing Cherry Street store in Toronto". Toronto.com. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
    31. ↑ Miller, Adam. "Loblaws announces closure of T&T Supermarket in Scarborough". Global News. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
    32. ↑ "T&T Supermarket's Cindy and Tina Lee to Receive Prestigious 2018 RCC Grand Prix Trailblazer Lifetime Achievement Award". Retail Insider. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
    33. ↑ "T&T Supermarkets' Cindy and Tina Lee receive RCC's 2018 Canadian Grand Prix Trailblazer Lifetime Achievement Award". Retail Council of Canada. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
    34. ↑ "2019 Awards Winners". ACCE. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.