The subject line on the corporate letterhead from Sobeys to shipment suppliers sent out recently was "store closure," going further to say that effective August 14 of this year, store number 5481 – the Lac La Biche location – would be closing.
Not quite, says Willie Abougouche, who owns the downtown Lac La Biche grocery store with his brother Moe. The store has been in the Abougouche family for more than 70 years, starting with Abougouche's late grandfather Kelly who opened the business as M & M Meats which grew into Lakeview Shopping before becoming an IGA and then falling under the Sobeys branding more recently
"We are leaving IGA, Sobeys after 58 years — but we are staying here as a grocery store. We're just switching banner names," Abougouche told the Lac La Biche POST newsroom on July 4.
The new branding for the family business will be under the AG Foods banner, part of the Save-On Foods franchise, a Pattison Foods Group company.
Abougouche said customers will not notice any disruptions or significant changes with the corporate change ... " just some different colours," he said.
As the change is made, the in-store brand for generic food will be Western Family instead of Compliments. Abougouche said a new loyalty program under the AG Foods banner is also expected to be unveiled soon.
Overall, he said, it's a business decision that has been in the works for a few years as the contract with Sobeys came up for renewal.
"We will still be here, still a grocery store, still serving the community," said Abougouche.
One part of the new corporate change is a link to the early days of the family business – at least in name. Abougouche hinted that the new branding may include an M&M Food Market Express area, offering brand-name frozen food offerings. The M&M name, said Abougouche, would once again be part of the local family's retail legacy.
