Brossard Store Grand Opening
Dear Team,
We did it! 3 stores in 6 weeks – a T&T first. I am so proud of you and your teams. Despite the drizzle, hundreds of customers lined up excitedly outside our store before doors opened.
We heard so many customers in Montreal tell us how they have been waiting for years for T&T to open on the South Shore and are especially excited for all the flavours in the Kitchen department. One customer told me he moved to Brossard 20 years ago and the only thing missing in his life was a T&T – and he is so happy that T&T is here now!
I can tell that we have taken our lessons from London, Kanata, and we’re applying the learnings to new stores. It’s wonderful that we are establishing a rhythm to new store openings and that we are getting better and better. The team is becoming a well-oiled machine for people development, construction, and store set up.
One of the highlights of my week was meeting all the new members who have joined the T&T family over the last 3 years. I am touched by how they embrace their responsibility to represent the Chinese community, and to uplift Asian food standards to the highest level we see in Canada. We want to be just as good, if not better, than all the other Canadian grocery stores. Better than Whole Foods, than Sobeys, or Metro, or Safeway. If we aspire to even higher heights, then we can secure a future of reaching more Canadians (and Americans!) by delivering Food For Joy. It’s great to have T&T! 有大統華，真好！
Tina Lee
CEO
A sight to behold in Osaka store
(Osaka store) Store Admin Dept. - Lily Zhang
Sifan is our store's leading food promoter, promoting products, and assisting customers with T&T points cards sign-ups. She actively participates in cross-department training and supports various departments as needed, always fully backing the store's operations without hesitation.
As a passionate foodie, Sifan studies ingredients, cooking techniques and nutrition pairings to deliver exceptional service. She actively gathers customer feedback and communicates with the Department Head to adjust promotion strategies based on customer needs. Her strong communication skills and genuine enthusiasm have earned her trust and a loyal following. Customers often tell us, "Your demo lady is amazing!" Sifan’s product promotions are so effective that even customers about to leave after paying often make additional purchases after sampling. She goes the extra mile, helping customers pick items and even bringing them to the service counter for checkout. Sifan once said, "Customer's satisfaction and recognition give me the greatest sense of accomplishment."
This value of "customer is number #1, Be the Best We can Be" is the key to success in the service industry. Her work ethic not only enhances the customer experience, but also inspires her colleagues to find joy in their work.
Food We can Trust
(Store Support Centre) Store Operations Dept. - Raymond Ng
The hygiene inspections at our store are rigorously overseen by a professional team. Apart from regular internal inspections by dedicated staff, the food safety team, and myself, we also hire a third-party organization called Steritech to complete two independent inspections each year. Steritech's strict standards cover 450 indicators. If the score deduction exceeds 30 points, the store would be classified as high risk and must immediately implement corrective measures.
These inspections cover both the store's hygiene and employees' knowledge of hygiene practices like proper disinfection and handwashing, which are key to maintaining high food safety standards.
A key focus of the inspection is temperature control. If two or more hot food display cabinets fail to meet the required temperature, the store is classified high risk, highlighting the importance of temperature in food safety. While these strict standards may sometimes inconvenience customers - such as customers finding the pork chop display too hot for easy serving - food safety remains our priority. If necessary, our staff is available to assist and ensure customers can enjoy their meals safely.
Thanks to this comprehensive and stringent inspection system, customers can trust the quality of our products and have peace of mind when it comes to food safety.
Change is the only constant
Asset Protection Dept.
The Asset Protection Department has gone through two years of steady growth, shifting from a reactive approach - relying on store security for patrol, managing suspected shoplifters, and responding to emergencies - to a more proactive, strategically structured process.
Following changes in direction, the Asset Protection Department's management team restructured, underwent external training, and developed training manuals on theft and fire prevention. They also implemented Loblaw company's "compliance" annual inspection system to ensure the company meets government regulations.
After the restructure, the department now takes a proactive and collaborative approach to provide stores with more efficient security services, employee training, loss prevention checks and recommendations for the stores. It also reviewed the Marketing Department's guidelines and safety protocols, while implementing fire and theft prevention, as well as crisis management training to strengthen compliance and employee safety.
The department redesigned its on-the-job training to help current staff refresh skills and new hires onboard faster. Reports are now fully digital via a mobile app, improving efficiency and promoting environmental sustainability.
The department actively engages in and supports events organized by provincial and municipal police, like community vendor-police communications and retail theft prevention initiatives, all of which have produced positive results.
Change should be gradual, purposeful, and can withstand scrutiny.
Change should inspire reflection, planning, implementation, and adaptation towards success.
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