Provigo to upgrade grocery stores

MONTREAL -- Provigo plans to spend about $100 million this year on renovating and upgrading its Quebec retail network, as well as building a new store in Sherbrooke.

The company, a member of the Loblaw group, said a "significant number" of its locations will be among those getting a makeover.

Besides operating under its own name, Provigo has stores under the Loblaws, Maxi and Maxi & Cie banners in Quebec.

Provigo says it will add a total of about 100 permanent jobs in different regions and contractors will employ hundreds of construction workers for the project.

A portion of the investment will be allocated towards creating the new concept version of Provigo and Loblaws stores in various regions of Quebec.

In addition to the recently announced new Provigo store at Cite du Parc in Sherbrooke, the existing Provigo Prieur store (Ahuntsic) and in Boucherville and the Loblaws stores in Magog, Saint-Bruno and Saint-Sauveur will each be renovated to adopt a similarly inspired concept.

The Loblaws store in Kirkland, Que., will also be renovated representing the flagship store of the company's new conventional store model in the province.

Provigo is part of the Loblaw group, which operates nearly 400 corporate, franchised and affiliated stores in Quebec and employs close to 30,000 people in Quebec, making it the province's third-largest employer.