Commisso's Food Markets
Encyclopedia
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.
On December 3, 2003, Sobeys
announced that it had entered into an agreement to purchase all of the company’s assets and a deal was finalized on February 3, 2004. All of the original Commisso’s supermarkets were converted to Sobeys
and Price Chopper
stores. The original Beamsville location, which the Commisso family kept in operation for two more years, was purchased by Loblaw Companies
. It closed on January 31, 2007, and re-opened in May as a No Frills
supermarket.
worker, opened a 20 by 80 feet (24.4 m) family grocery store in Beamsville, Ontario. Upon his retirement, the business was handed over to his three sons who expanded the company over a period of several years.
A second location was opened in Welland, Ontario
in 1967. In 1977, the Welland store was re-located to a new 42000 square feet (3,901.9 m²) building, operating under the name Food Terminal. The low-priced products and high quality service of the store, which operated in a warehouse-like setting, made the store popular for families in the area. Food Terminal soon operated in several communities throughout the Niagara region, including three stores in St. Catharines
.
In the 1990s, Food Terminal adopted a new look and name, inspired by the original Beamsville store’s “Town Square” design. All Food Terminal stores were converted to the Commisso’s Food Markets format, which included new investments in state-of-the-art technology and further expansion into Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area
.
In 2000, Commisso's bought Lanzarotta Wholesale Grocers Limited (LWG) - a private family-owned Ontario company. At the time, LWG was one of Canada's largest, most successful independent wholesale
grocers, at distribution rates of nearly 10,000 products to 7,000 retailers a week. The purchase of LWG brought Commisso’s several key advantages including additional purchasing power, stronger merchandising performance, greater warehouse capacity and management, and the introduction of the Our Very Own line of discount products.
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain based in Beamsville, Ontario
Beamsville, Ontario
The community of Beamsville is part of the town of Lincoln in the province of Ontario in Canada. It is located along the southern shore of Lake Ontario and lies within the fruit belt of the Niagara Peninsula...
. 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
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
. At its peak, Commisso’s operated a wholesale business and distribution centre, six cash and carry
Cash and carry
Cash and carry may refer to:*Cash and Carry , the first network-televised game show*Cash and carry , a revision of the Neutrality Acts, designed to aid the British...
outlets, and 16 supermarkets across the Niagara
Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario
The Regional Municipality of Niagara , also known as the Niagara Region, or, colloquially, "Regional Niagara", is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada....
and Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
areas, where its commitment to "quality products, friendly people and low prices” proved very popular.
On December 3, 2003, Sobeys
Sobeys
Sobeys is the second largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,300 supermarkets operating under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales of more than $14 billion CAD in 2009...
announced that it had entered into an agreement to purchase all of the company’s assets and a deal was finalized on February 3, 2004. All of the original Commisso’s supermarkets were converted to Sobeys
Sobeys
Sobeys is the second largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,300 supermarkets operating under a variety of banners. Headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, it operates stores in all ten provinces and accumulated sales of more than $14 billion CAD in 2009...
and Price Chopper
Price Chopper (Canada)
FreshCo. is a Canadian chain of discount food stores owned by Sobeys Inc..The first eight FreshCo stores launched on May 12, 2010 in Brampton and Mississauga, Ontario...
stores. The original Beamsville location, which the Commisso family kept in operation for two more years, was purchased by Loblaw Companies
Loblaw Companies
Loblaw Companies Limited is the largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,400 supermarkets operating under a variety of regional banners, including the namesake Loblaws. LCL is headquartered in Brampton, Ontario...
. It closed on January 31, 2007, and re-opened in May as a No Frills
No Frills (grocery store)
No Frills is a chain of deep discount supermarkets in Canada, owned by Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited...
supermarket.
History
In 1962, Mike Commisso, a local foundryFoundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
worker, opened a 20 by 80 feet (24.4 m) family grocery store in Beamsville, Ontario. Upon his retirement, the business was handed over to his three sons who expanded the company over a period of several years.
A second location was opened in Welland, Ontario
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
in 1967. In 1977, the Welland store was re-located to a new 42000 square feet (3,901.9 m²) building, operating under the name Food Terminal. The low-priced products and high quality service of the store, which operated in a warehouse-like setting, made the store popular for families in the area. Food Terminal soon operated in several communities throughout the Niagara region, including three stores in St. Catharines
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
.
In the 1990s, Food Terminal adopted a new look and name, inspired by the original Beamsville store’s “Town Square” design. All Food Terminal stores were converted to the Commisso’s Food Markets format, which included new investments in state-of-the-art technology and further expansion into Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
.
In 2000, Commisso's bought Lanzarotta Wholesale Grocers Limited (LWG) - a private family-owned Ontario company. At the time, LWG was one of Canada's largest, most successful independent wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
grocers, at distribution rates of nearly 10,000 products to 7,000 retailers a week. The purchase of LWG brought Commisso’s several key advantages including additional purchasing power, stronger merchandising performance, greater warehouse capacity and management, and the introduction of the Our Very Own line of discount products.