Bloor Street Market (formerly Manulife ValuMart)

[Urban Shocker]

.. otherwise it'd be pee soup.

 

[JasonParis]

I'm really going to miss it when the No Frills at Sherbourne & Isabella closes.

Did I miss something? When was this accounced?

 

[androiduk]

^ I believe it's coming down to accomodate the new building below.

http://urbantoronto.ca/showthread.php?8416-545-565-Sherbourne-St-%28Medallion-Properties-38s-Page-Steele%29&highlight=sherbourne

 

[Student99]

Bloor Street Market should be opening in the next few days. Originally I heard it was supposed to be today. Hoarding is down, and I saw a peek through their barrier and saw that shelving is up. All they have to do is stock it.

 

[androiduk]

Just got a flyer in the mail saying they would be opening on the 11th.

 

[Student99]

checked it out at lunch. looks pretty swanky, but essentially the same layout except for the conjoined meals to go / coffee bar area. Scored a free smoothie because I pointed out that each side of their two-sided sign had different prices listed. 4.99 for one of their tiny smoothies isn't a great deal (and it tasted pretty bad too)- I think i'll stick with booster juice.
Prices on a lot of their other items appear to have gone up as well.

 

[afransen]

Apparently this place is independent, and just supplied by Loblaws.

 

[Peepers]

I checked out the store tonight out of curiosity. The prices on some items are double what you would pay at no-frills. For example a small package of no-name medium roast coffee that I pay $1.69 at No-Frills was 2 for $7.00. Dr. Oetker Pizza which is often on sale at no-frills for $1.99 each was "2 for $7.00" The prepared food section seems expensive. I saw a single egg salad on white for $5.50. At Sobey's you can get 2 small turkey subs for less than this. Also in the prepared food section a small chicken leg with some mashed potatoes was $6.99 - did not even include a vegetable. At first glance this place seems like a major rip-off.

 

[CDL.TO]

Apparently this place is independent, and just supplied by Loblaws.

That's true about all Valu-Marts. It's a Loblaws Group of Companies franchise.

 

[deerparker]

But it's not a Valu-Mart anymore...

Was there yesterday. As mentioned, the layout is pretty much exactly the same as before but the refresh definitely looks good. Along with new flooring and some stone/brick added to the walls, the checkouts have been modernised and everything has been painted. It was very busy yesterday but the checkouts seemed less congested than before the reno. I'm happy to have it back

 

[urbandreamer]

Sounds rather like Bloor Super Save...or whatever it goes by nowadays. Ripoff central. I always thought Whole Foods would fit better in this mini mall than HL.

 

[interchange42]

Bye bye Valu Mart.

42

 

[Jasonzed]

^you beat me to it...

 

[adHominem]

Just visited. Not really impressed. The space has that Fieldstone-n-walnut-n-brushed-steel look that generic target markets are apparently into. A variety of things I used to buy at the Valu-Mart are no longer carried; they've been replaced by things I could easily buy at three other places in the neighbourhood. I understand the desire to cater to all the tenants of the tremendous number of condos in the area, but it's always kind of baffling when a retailer who already cater to a niche (frozen & tinned basics at reasonable prices) decide to move into a market that's already very well-served in the area (ready food, higher-end items). There's already a Sobey's, a Longo's, Pusateri's, and Whole Foods around here, and they're all better at this sort of thing than Loblaws.

 

[unimaginative2]

I think grocery stores in more urban areas should offer carts to use to take your groceries home on a deposit/return basis.

I once saw a condo building with a small fleet of carts for residents' use. That would make more sense and would probably eliminate the theft problem: it's your home, aren't you going back there anyway?