Another smaller-format grocery store has opened in Montreal. This one is called Les 5 saisons (with a small s) and it is located at the base of the luxury condominium building, 1250 Avenue Greene, in Westmont. It opened Thursday, August 15th.
This Les 5 saisons is only about 10,000 square feet. In comparison, suburban grocery stores are typically several times this size. This store is at the base of a condominium tower where units start at 1510 square feet and go up to 5089 square feet. Units were priced in excess of $1 million. Although there are only about 20 residences at 1250 Avenue Greene, we can safely say that Les 5 saisons has an adjacent population of millionaires.
We recently discussed the increase in urban-sized grocery stores in Canadian cities. Our last article mentioned Marché Adonis, which opened at the base of another condominium tower a few blocks east of Les 5 saisons. Our August 13th article provides further reading on our opinion and analysis of urban grocery store retail.
You'd think with our compact, walkable neighbourhoods, Toronto would be a prime target for these stores, too.
Toronto has been a prime target for these stores for several years now. Longo's Maple Leaf Square and Loblaw's Queen and Portland/Maple Leaf Gardens are probably the best known examples, but all the chains have been opening stores of various sizes throughout central Toronto.