Valu-Mart

So this happened today!

MORE CHANGES Thank you all for your patience during our renovation. Here is a glimpse at some of the new decor. We are very excited!

GREAT NEWS Big changes are coming to your downtown grocery store! We ask for your patience through our renovation, and I will keep you posted about more changes to come!

IT'S ASPARAGUS TIME!!!!

Ever wonder what happens to the comments you make when you fill out our survey? I read every single one of them, and it's been a great thing for me to learn what kind of experiences people are having in my store. However, this is an actual response that I read this morning: Please tell us why you gave that rating?... I always received the best service at the bedroom are they are very polite and helpful. Now, I've been running this store for almost 25 years, and I didn't even know we had a bedroom!!! It made me laugh when I read it, and I hope you get a smile out of it too. Happy Easter everyone - please stay safe, and remember that we are closed Sunday, so today is your last day to shop!

ARE YOU READY FOR THE EASTER BUNNY? A reminder of our store hours this weekend: Thursday April 1st: 7am to 7pm... Friday April 2nd: 9am to 5pm Saturday April 3rd: 7am to 7pm Sunday April 4th: CLOSED Monday April 5th: 7am to 7pm We are currently well-stocked on all your Easter favorites: PC or Butterball Frozen Turkeys - getting low on the largest Fresh Turkeys - all sizes Hams - lots of variety Dinner Rolls - store baked as well as Old Mill Hot Cross Buns - store baked Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing Whipping Cream, and Gay Lea Whipped Cream Pies - Lots and lots Ice Cream - Breyer's All Natural on sale starting Thursday Asparagus, Brussels Sprouts, Rutabaga, Potatoes and of couse: CHOCOLATE - running down, but still plenty left!

A GREAT TRADITION! Sitting by the fire with a bowl (ok, a tub) of PC Candy Cane Ice Cream - brings back so many memories! And new this year: PC Peppermint Hot Chocolate Ice Cream! Available now, and only for a limited time, so don't miss out!

Exciting things planned for PC optimum this Christmas - sign up in-store - it's super easy, and it will SAVE YOU MONEY!!!

FREE DELIVERY! A friendly reminder as winter approaches, that we are pleased to shop and deliver your grocery order free of charge. Simply visit our website at mauricesvalumart.ca or call us at 705-526-5140 for more information.... Remember - it's safest to stay home as much as possible!

Check out our new snack bowls! 5 different combinations to choose from - made fresh in-store!

OWNER'S UPDATE October 13, 2020 GOING DIGITAL: Don't look for our flyer in your mailbox on Thurday - we are going digital! In a market test, we are not going to distribute a paper flyer. Instead, please visit valumart.ca to see our full flyer online. ... It's a very competitive ad - our dollar sale - so please don't miss out! Did you know that every week the digital ad has items that are not printed? This is a one-week test only, and our flyer will be distributed as usual for the following week - but wouldn't it be great for the environment if we could eliminate it altogether? Turkeys: Thank you to everyone who helped us out by picking up a fresh turkey! We managed to sell them all, so that none had go to waste! We still have plenty of frozen turkeys, so if you missed out, we've got you covered. Pie: we sold every single pie we had in the store - a 1st! Thank you to everyone who picked up one of my wife's pumpkin pies - if you have any feedback, we'd love to hear it! I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

OWNER'S UPDATE October 10, 2020 We will be closed Monday October 12, but open 7am to 7pm every other day... We're in full Thanksgiving mode, and despite my concerns earlier in the week, we are in great shape on just about everything! Turkeys: fresh and frozen, lots of sizes, butter basted or grade "A" Hams: Bone in, boneless, spiral cut, small and large Dinner Rolls, hot cross buns, and baked goods - everything fresh out of the oven this morning - no issues Fresh Cranberries: lots Whipping Cream: sold out, but still have the spray kind, and Cool Whip Pure Pumpkin: sold out, but we have all the traditional spices if you already have your pumpkin Pumpkin Pie: we have a fresh batch of the ones we made from scratch, but they're moving pretty fast. I think we have enough for today, but will probably run out early tomorrow. Whole beef tenderloins: lots! Lot of fresh herbs, squash and rutabaga, asparagus, brussels sprouts, potatoes and sweet potatoes - all your favorites! And don't forget we also have our awesome hot-wing deal right now: 20 wings for $10! As always, you can call ahead to reserve some if you'd like: 705-526-5140 Happy Thanksgiving!

SOMETHING NEW! We were running low on Pumpkin pies, so my wonderful wife and daughter jumped in to help out! We have fresh-baked from scratch pumpkin pies available. We taste-tested them with our staff, and the verdict is: DELICIOUS! If you'd like one set aside for you, give us a call at 705-526-5140

OWNER'S UPDATE September 5, 2020 Hello everyone! It's been a few months since I posted a business update, and I've had a few people tell me that they miss them, so I'm going to try to post 2 or 3 updates weekly. ... Covid-19: Although our shelves are generally in good shape, there are still quite a few things that we still can't get on a regular basis. If you're looking for something and can't find it, please feel free to ask. Sometimes there's not much we can do, but sometimes there is! Disinfecting wipes: hit and miss - try us on a Monday or a Friday for your best chance. There are some Clorox wipes on the shelf right now. Coke and Pepsi: Variety is increasing, but we are still missing a few flavours such as Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi, and Fanta Orange. We do have CD Tonic and Club soda in-stock Paper towels: many varieties missing, but our warehouse is shipping as much as they can, so we do have stock on some varieties. FLYER SPECIALS: In the past few weeks we have had a very difficult time keeping our flyer specials in-stock. Some of the problem has been with our supplier, but in truth most of the issue has been under-ordering on our part. It feels as though people are perhaps becoming more price-conscious, and stocking up on more specials. Our goal is to satisfy every customer, and have everyone leave here happy - and we've been failing! We are reviewing all upcoming ads, and really ramping up our efforts to have stock on our specials all week long. I'm happy to report that today we are IN-STOCK on ALL of our front-page features, and very few out of stocks on the inside and back pages. Actually I couldn't find anything we were out of today, and it looks good for tomorrow as well. LOCAL PRODUCE It's now or never! we have lots of baskets of tomatoes and cucumbers, as well as peaches and nectarines, cauliflower, cantaloupes, and of course corn! All product of Ontario, all at the peak of the season. Thank You!

'TIS THE SEASON Fresh Ontario fruits and vegetables are available now! Don't miss out, they'll be gone before you know it!

CHECK THESE OUT! Ontario-grown heirloom tomatoes - limited time only, so don't miss out!

OWNER'S UPDATE October 7, 2020 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!... We will be closed on Monday Oct 12, but open our regular store hours (7am to 7pm) all other days. It has been busier than we planned on this year, and I am becoming concerned about some of the staple products for Thanksgiving. We are in good shape as I write this, but I am definitely recommending not to wait until the last minute to shop! If you'd like us to set aside a fresh or frozen turkey for you, give us a call at 705-526-5140 - that way you can get the exact size you want! We will be out of pumpkin pies today, so we're going to try something new this year and bake our own from scratch. They will be an 8" pie, and we will have them fresh daily through the weekend. COVID-19: Please remember that Covid isn't behind us yet. As we head into this long weekend, please be mindful of social distancing, hand-washing, and sanitizing. We are doing our best to keep our staff and customers safe, but we ask everyone to please respect our procedures. It will be quite busy in-store on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so there may be times that we ask you to wait outside, but it's usually not a very long wait. Please keep your distance, and keep safe! LINE-UPS: As many of you are aware, we have moved to a single-line system. At busy times the line can look quite long and discouraging, but I timed it out yesterday and from the end of a very long lineup, it was only about 4 or 5 minutes until those customers were served. So I think it looks longer than it really is! I've had a few negative comments about the long lines, but we are doing our best, and if there are not enough lanes open, we open new ones as fast as we can. Please hang in there. Thank you all for choosing to shop with us, and have a very happy Thanksgiving!

ONLY 5 LEFT Down to our last 5 bags of the Sunspun 20kg, but we can offer a similar deal on P&H 10kg! 1 bag for $7.50, 5 bags for $6 each, 10 or more bags for $5 each! Please call 705-526-5140 if you're interested

OWNER'S UPDATE Friday September 11, 2020 It's beginning to feel a little like fall outside, and just in time we've received some ornamental corn and gourds. We've also received our first order of pumpkins!... Covid-19: We are still manning our entrance to make sure everyone is as safe as possible. Yesterday was a very busy day, and we had to ask a few folks to wait outside. This is unusual for us, so we appreciate everyone's patience! I had a little bit of negative feedback about our "everyone must take a cart" policy. I've given this a lot of thought, and I still believe this is the right thing to do. I know that not every store is doing this, but it helps us in 3 ways. 1) it definitely helps people to remember to keep their distance, 2) it prevents people from loading up groceries in their arms - some of which get put back on the shelf, and 3) it helps us keep track of how many customers are in the store so that the store doesn't get too crowded. I take everyone's feedback seriously, but when it comes to safety, I'm not willing to compromise. Shipments: there are still a number of items that are hit and miss for us, but we're in good shape all-in-all. We've been out of fresh liver and sweet potatoes (to name a couple) for a while, but we received both of those today if you've been looking for them. Wipes: we have wipes as of right now. We are holding them in the back-room to prevent people from hoarding. If you're looking for wipes, please ask a staff member, and we'll get them out of the back for you. They will probably still only last today. Specials: Once again I am pleased to be able to tell you that we are in great shape on our advertised specials. The $1 sugar and $7.99 BBQ chickens are selling well, but we have plenty. It's only a guess, but I believe we'll be in good shape through the weekend. BBQ Chickens: Speaking of chickens, if you haven't yet tried the Jerk chicken, I can tell you it's outstanding. It's got a really nice spice blend, but really mild on heat. At $7.99 for PC optimum members, it might be a great time to give it a try!

ANYONE NEED FLOUR? We have 20 bags of 20kg flour that we're looking to sell. They're $15.99 each, but if you'll take 5, we'll knock it down to $12 each, or $10 each for 10 or more! If you're interested stop in or give us a call at 705-526-5140

OWNER'S UPDATE September 9, 2020 Covid-19: I'd like to thank everyone for doing their part in keeping us safe. As we've learned how to live in these times, people have adjusted to our "new normal" and we have very few customers that complain or refuse to comply with our new restrictions. It's really good to see! If anyone does have an idea or an issue with how we're doing things, please feel free to speak to me about it. A very few people seem to want to argue with the person... at the door, but I can assure everyone that I make policy, not them, so please be kind! Disinfecting Wipes: We were able to supply some schools and institutions with wipes, but we are currently out of stock. We are hoping for more on Friday. Flyer Specials: We've had a good week staying in-stock. All of our front page specials for this week are available. In fact, we are heavy on the chocolate milk, so if you want to treat yourself, please come by and pick up a 1L chocolate milk - $1.79 each, or $1.00 for PC optimum members (you can sign up in-store and get the $1 chocolate milk immediately). The best before is Sept 20, so there's still lots of time to enjoy! Next Week's Flyer: Great deals starting tomorrow! Member's only price on whole BBQ chicken from the Deli at $7.99. 2Kg white sugar Member's only price at $1.00 - I have a vague recollection of a $1 sugar sale in the 1980s, but I haven't seen that price since! I am concerned that I haven't ordered enough, but it's really hard to predict how this will sell. I believe we have lots, but as always if we run out, we do offer rain checks. Really strong flyer next week - check it our at valumart.ca! Local Produce: still in good shape for Ontario produce. Seems like it must've been a great year for our growers - we had very few out of stocks this season, which is fairly unusual. That's it for today - if anyone has any questions, or suggestions about topics they'd like to hear about, please let me know!

GREAT DEAL for a GREAT WEEKEND! whole beef tenderloin for 9.88/lb, 21.78/kg

Does anyone have a branded valu-mart grocery bag in their big pile of grocery bags? We would really like to have one!Does anyone have a branded valu-mart grocery bag in their big pile of grocery bags? We would really like to have one!

THEY'RE BAAAACK It's been a while, but we now have our full variety of service salads in our Deli department! Fresh and ready to eat just in time for summer!

BRING 'EM IN We are once again encouraging our customers to bring their reusable bags. You will be asked not to shop directly into them (we still ask every customer to take a shopping cart), and we will ask you to not place them on the checkout counter, but you will be able to pack your groceries into them. Thank you for your understanding as we continue to learn during these trying times!

SEEN THIS? Great deal for PC optimum members! Not a member - sign up instantly in-store and get this amazing reward!

FINALLY A bit delayed, but we finally got some local Asparagus from our friends at Barrie Hill Farm! In our ad this week for 2.49/lb or 5.49/kg from now until June 3rd 2020

YA MON! The taste of summer has arrived - but only for a limited time - don't miss out!

IT'S OFFICIAL They have (in spite of promises to the contrary) closed Hugel Ave at King street for construction. We know that this might prove to be an inconvenience for folks trying to get into our store, but there is still easy access to our parking lot on Midland Ave from either Yonge Street, Elizabeth Street, or Bayshore Ave.... We rarely have to restrict access here, so there usually isn't a lineup to get in, and there is plenty of parking. We are a family run business employing 40 people, and we would like to ask for your patience and continued support during this time!

GOOD TIMING We were able to get a good deal on some really nice bone-in striploins just in time for the long weekend! Just $8/lb for club pack - only while they last!

NEW PRODUCT LINE Well, new to us anyway You asked, and we got it for you - we now carry Canada Bread lines including Dempsters, Villaggio, Weight Watchers, and Malt Bread!

REMINDER! Our free delivery service runs from Tuesday to Saturday, so if you need groceries for the long weekend, please get your order in as soon as possible! mauricesvalumart.ca or call 705-526-5140

Please remember to stay safe this holiday weekend! If you're going to stock-up, remember that it will be busier than usual on Friday and Saturday, so you may want to consider shopping on Wednesday or Thursday - or you could stay home and let us bring your groceries to you! Place your order on our website: mauricesvalumart.ca... We will be closed Monday May 18th so that our wonderful staff has some time off!

NEW PRODUCT LINE A customer recently requested that we start carrying Schar gluten-free products. According to her, this is the best gluten-free bread she's ever tried!

DON'T FORGET MOM! For the mother in your household (don't forget social distancing!) We have a great selection of indoor and outdoor plants and flowers, hanging baskets, and even some vegetables, along with a beautiful selection of cut flowers! Happy mother's day to all the moms out there!... Photo by Jeremy Cai on Unsplash

Another Sign of Spring! Yummy fresh corn on the cob! Please don't shuck it in the store though - sorry for the inconvenience.

Reminder! We no longer have delivery service on Monday, so order today for Saturday delivery if you need food!Reminder! We no longer have delivery service on Monday, so order today for Saturday delivery if you need food!

Thank you to Danielle Somers for developing our new delivery website! If you need an expert in web design, find her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-somers-14362b17/ She's great to work with, and really knows what she's doing!

NEW EASY DELIVERY ORDERING PROCESS - VISIT mauricesvalumart.ca TO PLACE AN ORDERNEW EASY DELIVERY ORDERING PROCESS - VISIT mauricesvalumart.ca TO PLACE AN ORDER

DELIVERY SERVICE UPDATE Hello Everyone! Delivery service will only be offered Tuesday to Saturday effective immediately.... The past 6 weeks have been a sharp learning curve for all of us, and as we continue to grow our understanding, we have decided to make this change for three reasons: 1) We don't receive very many orders for Monday delivery - less than 1/2 of what we get for any other day. 2) Our in-stock position on Sunday night is the poorest of any other night of the week. 3) This will allow our staff who have been working 6 or 7 days per week to get at least 1 day off. In order to help accommodate this, we will extend our usual 2pm cutoff time on Fridays only, and take as many orders as we can for delivery Saturday. Thank you for your understanding! Steve and Karen Maurice

Thank-You to a former staff member for your generous donation to help out people in need!Thank-You to a former staff member for your generous donation to help out people in need!

Thank you Amy Campbell for making it feel more like spring!

UPDATE Hello everyone! As we continue to think about and learn how to adapt in this new world, we have decided to make a few more changes here in order to try to keep everyone as safe as possible. We have closed our King Street entrance so that we can better control the number of people in the store at one time. Social distancing is very important, so we have to be careful that it doesn't get too crowded.... At our parking-lot entrance you will find a staff member to greet you. We are offering our customers hand sanitizer and gloves if they'd like. We are sanitizing the the shopping carts after each use, and we are asking each customer to take a cart. The shopping carts help people keep their distance from each other, and prevent people from piling up groceries in their arms, and then putting them back on the shelves if they change their minds. Hopefully everyone understands that there is no "play book" for this, and we are trying very hard to figure out how to keep everyone as safe as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

REMINDER It's safest to stay home! Let us bring your groceries to you! 100% free service Deliveries Monday to Saturdaty... Everywhere from Cedar Point, to Wyevale to Port Severn email us your list at [email protected] or call us at 705-526-5140. Credit card payment only.

Huge Thank-you to Mark and Dave and the Residents of Copeland Creek Drive, Tiny for the delicious gift of Pizza Nova Pizzas! (Sorry about the fuzzy pic!)

Spring is here!

Thank-you to stuffies4hugz for dropping off these wonderful care-packages for our staff! What a wonderful thing to do!

Happy Easter everyone! We are Closed Good Friday April 10, and Easter Sunday April 12, but open Saturday April 11 and Monday April 13.

Hello everyone, I've had a few questions about an incident in our store this morning. A gentleman had to be taken out by paramedics. This was due to a health condition that has NOTHING AT ALL to do with COVID-19. If we ever have an incident like that, we have plans in place to deep clean and sterilize the entire store, and we would close to the public for however long that process would take. Rest assured, we are prepared, but so far nothing like that has happened!

Delivery Service A quick update on our shopping and delivery service. We are trying for next-day delivery, but we've found that 80 orders is our current maximum, so we have had to push some orders to 2 days out. The store is closed on Friday, but the delivery team has agreed to work that day so that we can try to make sure everyone gets their groceries before Easter.... We will deliver Friday and Saturday, but will have no deliveries Sunday or Monday to give the team a much-needed rest. We will not be looking at emails or answering the phone on Saturday or Sunday, so if folks could hold off ordering until Monday for Tuesday delivery (or even later if possible) it would really help us!