Due to the Labour Day holiday, Developers & Chains will not be issued on Wednesday, September 9th, 2026. The next issue with be on Monday, September 14th, 2026. Have a great holiday weekend………
Groupe Montoni, the Mascouche, Quebec-based developer, is partnering with Metro Inc. to develop a new Super C and Jean Coutu-anchored retail project on Ave de l’Esplanade at Chemin des Anglais designed to meet the growing needs of the Mascouche population. The project will include a 36,000 square foot Super C discount supermarket, the first in Mascouche, and a 15,700 square foot Jean Coutu pharmacy operated by pharmacist-owners Catherine Roy and Jean-Christophe Guay. The project is scheduled for 2027 opening. (Groupe Montoni – www.groupemontoni.com) & (Metro Inc – www.metro.ca)……….
AutoCanada Inc. has completed the acquisition of Doug’s Place Southgate, a collision repair business in Edmonton. The acquisition strengthens AutoCanada’s existing Edmonton operations and follows its purchase of Doug’s Place Strathcona in October 2025. Southgate contributes approximately 7,540 square feet of collision repair capacity and has certifications for ten automotive brands, including Honda, Acura, Ford, Toyota, Kia, Nissan, and Stellantis. AutoCanada will retain Southgate’s experienced local team while integrating it with the company’s national resources, insurer relationships, OEM partnerships, and operating practices. The acquisition reflects AutoCanada’s strategy of increasing investment in its collision repair business, where it sees strong opportunities for growth and value creation. AutoCanada operates 61 Canadian franchised dealerships and 38 collision centres under its ACX brand. (AutoCanada Inc. – www.autocan.ca)…….
The Independent Convenience Stores Alliance/ICSA has expanded its national coalition by welcoming the Regroupement des tabagies du Québec/RTQ, strengthening the representation of independent retailers across Canada. RTQ joins regional partners including the Ontario Convenience Stores Association, Ontario Korean Businessmen’s Association, and United Korean Commerce & Industry Association of Canada. The partnership focuses on regulatory fairness, stronger enforcement against illegal tobacco and nicotine products, and ensuring responsible retailers have a meaningful voice in government policy. RTQ has particularly advocated for greater enforcement against illegal vaping products and criticized restrictions that limit legal retailers while leaving illegal markets active. The announcement follows the second anniversary of federal restrictions introduced in August 2024 that prevented convenience stores from selling authorized nicotine pouches nationwide. RTQ-commissioned research in June 2026 found that 73 percent of surveyed Quebec vapers using nicotine products reported purchasing prohibited flavours, with nearly half obtaining them outside the legal market. ICSA and its partners are therefore calling for authorized nicotine pouches to be sold through licensed retailers with strict age verification. ICSA is also piloting AI-based age-estimation technology with Age Guardian Technology Inc. to help retailers prevent youth access to age-restricted products. The initiative aims to complement existing compliance measures and inform future government policy. (Independent Convenience Stores Alliance – www.icsa-addi.ca)……….
Later this week, Trulieve Cannabis Corp. opens a new medical cannabis dispensary in Dunwoody in Georgia, expanding access to medical cannabis for patients in DeKalb County and the greater Metro Atlanta area. Located at 4675 N. Shallowford Rd., the dispensary will offer a variety of medical cannabis products from Trulieve’s brands, including Modern Flower, Momenta, Roll One, and Trulieve. Products are available in formats such as capsules, flower, tinctures, topicals, troches, and vaporizers. Trulieve also provides educational resources, including a physician-finder tool and guidance for becoming a registered medical cannabis patient in Georgia. The company operates medical cannabis businesses in Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. (Trulieve Cannabis Corp – www.trulieve.com)………..
Leyad, a Montreal-based real estate investment and management firm, has completed the acquisition of a portfolio of single-tenant retail properties leased to Loblaw Companies Ltd across ten Canadian provinces, with a transaction value of approximately $300 million(Cdn). The deal, the largest Canadian retail real estate transaction completed so far in 2026, follows an initial closing earlier in the year. The properties are leased to Loblaw under triple-net agreements with an average remaining lease term of about 14 years, providing Leyad with stable, long-term income. The acquisition significantly increases Leyad’s exposure to the grocery sector and makes Loblaw its largest tenant by revenue. Leyad views the transaction as strategically aligned with its focus on necessity-based retail properties, strong tenants and durable cash flows. The deal strengthens its relationship with Loblaw and supports Leyad’s broader strategy of expanding its diversified, income-producing real estate portfolio across Canada. (Leyad – www.leyad.ca)………….
Ameribrands, a Georgia-based diversified platform serving the restaurant, retail, hospitality, entertainment, education, and facilities sectors, has acquired Randal Retail Group, the Batavia, Illinois-based provider of retail design, fixture manufacturing, merchandising displays, and installation services. The transaction closed on July 31, 2026, marking Ameribrands’ fourth completed acquisition since its formation in 2023 and its third acquisition in 2026. Randal Retail brings more than 40 years of experience serving prominent retail and restaurant brands, strengthening Ameribrands’ capabilities in design, engineering, fabrication, manufacturing, and field installation. The acquisition supports Ameribrands’ strategy of creating a premier national platform for branded environments and customer experience solutions, while expanding its ability to deliver projects at scale across North America. Randal Retail will retain its established brand and continue operating with its existing team and customer focus, while gaining access to Ameribrands’ broader resources, relationships, and infrastructure. Leadership from both companies highlighted their shared commitment to customer service, operational excellence, innovation, and long-term growth. Together, Ameribrands’ businesses provide capabilities spanning construction, renovation, equipment manufacturing, project execution, and facility services for national, multi-location customers. (Ameribrands – www.ameribrandsgroup.com) & (Randal Retail Group – www.randalretail.com)………..
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business/CFIB reported last week that Canada’s trade war with the United States is placing significant financial pressure on small businesses. Nearly half of small exporters, 46 percent, and importers, 49 percent, have products directly affected by new tariffs and counter-tariffs, particularly in manufacturing, wholesale, retail and construction. About 18 percent of exporters and eleven percent of importers say they would no longer be financially viable if the trade war lasts three months or longer. Although most small businesses support Canada’s decision to impose counter-tariffs, CFIB warns that affected firms need immediate government assistance. In its new survey, nine in ten small businesses believe revenue from counter-tariffs should support businesses harmed by the trade dispute. CFIB proposes three measures: a Small Business Tariff Relief program providing up to $70,000 to eligible affected firms; an SME Desk to accelerate tariff-remission decisions; and broad tax relief. The latter includes reducing the small-business corporate tax rate from nine percent to six percent retroactive to January 2026 and increasing the Small Business Deduction threshold from $500,000 to $700,000. CFIB stresses that urgent action is needed as businesses face tariffs alongside weak economic growth, lower consumer demand and rising operating costs. (Canadian Federation of Independent Business – www.cfib-fcib.ca)………..
Later in September, international provider of consumer cannabis products, Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. opens a new medical cannabis dispensary, Curaleaf Riverview, at 10422 US Hwy 301 S in Riverview in west-central Florida. The opening expands Curaleaf’s retail presence to 77 dispensaries in Florida and 178 locations nationwide. Located in the rapidly growing Tampa Bay suburb of Riverview, the dispensary is positioned to serve a growing population of patients across the South Shore area and nearby communities. (Curaleaf Holdings Inc. – www.curaleaf.com)………..
Last week, BMO Financial Group announced the completion of the sale of 138 branches in the U.S. to Chicago-based First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co. The branches are in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Idaho, as well as select branches in Minnesota, Oregon, and Illinois. The transaction supports BMO’s strategy to optimize its U.S. financial center network and redeploy capital and resources to markets with strong client engagement and long-term growth potential. BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.5 trillion as of July 31, 2026. (BMO Financial Group – www.bmo.com) & (First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co – www.firstcitizens.com)……..
Last week, Richelieu Hardware Ltd., a leading North American importer, manufacturer and distributor of specialty hardware and complementary products, announces an investment of more than $15 million(Cdn) to expand its Drummondville distribution centre in Quebec. The project will increase the facility’s footprint from nearly 40,000 to 180,000 square feet. This expansion responds to Richelieu’s growing business and will increase its distribution capacity, enabling the company to continue serving customers across Montreal’s South Shore, the Quebec City region and its South Shore, Centre-du-Québec and the Eastern Townships. The project was officially launched with a groundbreaking ceremony held at the Alfred-Nobel St. site. Also last week, Richelieu Hardware announced that it has acquired the hardware division of The Penrod Company, a Virginia-based distributor specializing in commercial and residential door hardware and related components. Penrod primarily serves manufacturers, specialty distributors, architects, contractors and other construction professionals. The acquisition strengthens Richelieu’s presence in the U.S. and complements its existing product offering, particularly through potential synergies with products already sold in Canada. (Richelieu Hardware Ltd. – www.richelieu.com)………
It was a simple question over coffee with a few retailers that were sporting greying and receding hairlines. What are some of the common mistakes made when selecting a site?
First on the list was market knowledge……..or lack of. In today’s rush to ‘get-the-deal-done,’ too many brokers, and landlords too, are failing to truly evaluate the existing tenant mix of a site and/or the immediately surrounding area.
While long distance ‘Google-leasing’ may identify an opportunity that fills the criteria and more, with the perfect size, the right demographics, traffic, etc., it takes research, and this includes both boots-on-the-ground and networking, to know if your biggest competitor is about to open a block away.
On almost a weekly basis we are learning of large chains closing non-performing locations. On closer inspection, and a little more personal-viewing, many of those non-performers would not have been opened in the first place.………Of course, hindsight is always 20/20……………Have a great long weekend…………..