Cheap bread | The less fortunate lose an ally

Bad news for those who buy their bread at a discount in the economy stores of the bakery giant Canada Bread, known for its brands POM, Bon Matin, Vachon and Villagio. All the branches in Quebec, some twenty, will close in mid-November.

Not very well known to the general public, economy stores are small businesses that sell surplus breads, pastries and crackers. The products are not expired. In some cases, they may be mislabeled or flawed.

Stores are generally located in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

In times of high inflation, as is currently the case, they are invaluable allies for the less fortunate and other bargain hunters. Canada Bread sells all its bread there for less than $2 a piece. You can, for example, get 10 for $10. The closure will come at a bad time for many families. In August, the annual food inflation rate reached 10.8%.

No announcement was made by Canada Bread. But its parent company, Grupo Bimbo, confirmed the rumored news on Facebook to The Press.

“Our sustainability and food waste reduction efforts have resulted in a significant decrease in surplus products, so we don’t have a constant supply of products to sell in stores,” the company wrote. in an email.

Grupo Bimbo did not specify whether the same fate awaited its economy stores elsewhere in the country.

“We were told that the staff is aging, that it is understaffed and that there are fewer bread returns,” told us an employee who is preparing to lose her job. “It’s a pity…”, said one of her colleagues from another city, before giving us a list of other places where to buy bread at low prices.

Already less options

Canada Bread had already significantly reduced the number of its liquidation businesses.

Its website still lists all addresses, with opening hours and phone number. However, verification done, many are already closed. This is the case in Brossard, Longueuil, Montreal (rue Sainte-Catherine Est, Monselet, Notre-Dame Ouest), Gatineau, etc. In some cases, the premises are already occupied by another company.

In his email sent to The PressGrupo Bimbo maintains that it remains “deeply committed to improving [ses] process to reach all consumers in a way that is cost effective, eliminates food waste and preserves the environment”.

It had not been possible to know, at the time of writing these lines, what would happen to the surpluses and returns of bread after November 18, the scheduled closing date.

Grupo Bimbo is the largest bakery company in the world, with a presence in 32 countries. She bought Canada Bread in 2014. The Vachon bakery in Beauce was swallowed up a year later. The multinational has 4,800 employees, according to its website.