The Erin Mills homeowner awoke before 6 a.m. today just to witness the opening of a new nofrills store in her neighbourhood.
Dennis nofrills is located at 6465 Erin Mills Pkwy., in the Battleford Centre.
Jackson was the first customer to walk through the turnstiles when the doors swung open promptly at 8 a.m.
“I couldn’t wait to get here to see the ribbon cutting,” said Jackson, marveling at the vast array of veggies and fruits in the produce section near the entrance, before she got down to serious shopping.
“Everything is arranged so perfectly...and the prices are right, too,” she said, beaming like the store’s well-known banana logo.
Her words, had he overheard them, would be music to owner Dennis Dumais’ ears.
A 31-year career man with parent company Loblaws, this is Dumais’ third nofrills franchise.
“When this location came up, (Loblaws) bought me out at the South Common Mall and I bought this one,” he said.
What the two stores have in common, he said, is the diverse clientele — and the product selection reflects that diversity.
“Our meat department has a lot of variety to cater to the different cultures and religions. So, too, are sections such as rice and oil,” he said.
A lot has changed over the three decades since nofrills was first rolled out. That first prototype store has grown into more than 130 franchise locations across Ontario.
While the first stores had only a few hundred items, today’s nofrills, like Dumais’ new outlet, have thousands to choose from, including the popular President’s Choice, as well as the no-name line of products.
Ward 11 City councillor George Carlson helped cut the ribbon. It’s the second time he’s done so at a nofrills opening within the past two weeks.
“Grocery stores are vital to neighbourhoods, and it was sad when the smaller ones started disappearing. Now the trend is gradually being reversed,” he said.
jchin@mississauga.net
