Your Independent Grocer
A Canadian supermarket banner focused on independently operated, community-oriented grocery stores.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Your Independent Grocer, commonly abbreviated as YIG and also known informally as Independent or Yours, is a Canadian supermarket chain belonging to National Grocers, a subsidiary of Loblaw Companies Limited. The banner operates more than 100 stores across Canada, with locations in every province and territory except Manitoba, Nunavut, and Quebec. Its stores are generally run by franchise owners rather than being operated entirely as corporate branches, giving the banner a locally managed character within Loblaw's broader grocery portfolio. The chain's origins are closely connected with the former Steinberg's supermarket business. Many of its original locations were Ottawa-area outlets associated with Steinberg's, a Quebec-based grocery company. After Steinberg's was acquired by Metro Richelieu in 1992, the Ottawa-area franchises were separated from the acquired business and developed under the Your Independent Grocer banner. This history helped shape the brand's model: stores operate within a national grocery group while retaining an emphasis on local ownership, neighbourhood service, and community presence. Your Independent Grocer serves as a full-service grocery option rather than a narrowly specialized food retailer. Typical stores sell fresh produce, meat, seafood, dairy, bakery items, packaged and frozen foods, beverages, household supplies, and other everyday necessities. The exact assortment and services vary by store because locations are commonly managed by individual franchisees and adapted to local demand. This allows the banner to serve both conventional suburban markets and smaller communities where a locally operated supermarket may be an important source of daily provisions. The brand has also expanded through conversions of existing grocery locations. Between 2014 and 2016, a number of SaveEasy stores in Atlantic Canada were converted to the Your Independent Grocer identity. These changes extended the banner's geographic reach and increased its presence in Atlantic Canadian communities. In May 2018, selected stores began offering delivery through Instacart, adding a third-party online ordering and delivery option to the banner's physical-store model. Positioned within Loblaw's collection of grocery banners, Your Independent Grocer combines the purchasing scale and infrastructure of a large national group with the neighbourhood identity of an independently operated supermarket. Its competitive proposition is based on convenience, broad everyday grocery selection, local store management, and accessibility in communities served by its franchise network.
History
Your Independent Grocer developed from the reorganization of grocery operations associated with Steinberg's, a Quebec-based supermarket company that had a significant presence in eastern Canada. A number of the banner's original stores were Ottawa-area outlets connected with Steinberg's. In 1992, Steinberg's was acquired by Metro Richelieu. The Ottawa-area franchises were separated from the acquired business and subsequently operated as a distinct supermarket banner under the Your Independent Grocer name. The new banner retained a relationship with independent store operators. Rather than functioning solely as a network of centrally managed branches, many Your Independent Grocer stores were operated by franchise owners. This structure allowed individual retailers to tailor their stores to local communities while benefiting from the purchasing, distribution, and administrative capabilities of the wider National Grocers organization. National Grocers later became part of Loblaw Companies Limited, placing Your Independent Grocer within one of Canada's largest grocery groups. Over time, the chain expanded beyond its original Ottawa-area base. It established stores across much of Canada and grew to more than 100 locations. The banner is represented in every province and territory except Manitoba, Nunavut, and Quebec. Its store network is therefore national in scope, although its presence is uneven and its operating model remains rooted in local stores and franchise relationships. A further stage of expansion occurred in Atlantic Canada between 2014 and 2016, when many SaveEasy locations were converted to the Your Independent Grocer banner. The conversions brought additional stores into the network without requiring the creation of an entirely new physical footprint. They also strengthened the brand's visibility in smaller and regional markets where community-based supermarkets are particularly important. The banner's development has combined physical-store expansion with gradual adoption of digital and delivery services. In May 2018, selected Your Independent Grocer stores began providing delivery through Instacart. This arrangement gave participating locations access to third-party online grocery ordering and delivery while preserving the stores' role as local retail operations. Today, Your Independent Grocer functions as a Loblaw-affiliated supermarket banner with a broad everyday grocery assortment. Its identity is based on the balance between national scale and local operation: customers receive access to conventional supermarket categories and group-wide infrastructure, while individual stores may reflect the preferences and service practices of their franchise owners. The banner's history is consequently defined less by a single founder or standalone corporate entity than by the evolution of former Steinberg's-related stores, franchise ownership, regional conversions, and integration into the Loblaw grocery portfolio.
- 2018
Instacart delivery introduced at selected stores
[1]Selected locations began offering grocery delivery through Instacart in May 2018.
- 2016
Atlantic Canadian banner conversions conclude
[1]The reported period of converting selected SaveEasy stores to Your Independent Grocer locations ended, expanding the banner's regional footprint.
- 2014
SaveEasy store conversions begin
[1]SaveEasy locations in Atlantic Canada began being converted to the Your Independent Grocer banner, with the conversion program continuing through 2016.
- 1992
Ottawa-area franchises become a distinct banner
[1]Following Metro Richelieu's acquisition of Steinberg's, Ottawa-area franchises associated with the former chain were separated and developed under the Your Independent Grocer identity.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented Canadian supermarket banner that combines local franchise operation with the supply-chain scale and corporate infrastructure of Loblaw Companies Limited.
Fresh food
Fresh grocery departments
Your Independent Grocer stores generally provide core fresh-food departments including produce, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, and bakery products. The precise department mix varies by location, reflecting differences in store size, local demand, and franchise operation.
Grocery
Packaged and frozen groceries
The banner's supermarket assortment includes packaged, canned, refrigerated, and frozen foods, together with beverages and other routine grocery categories. These products support the chain's role as a full-service destination for regular household shopping.
Non-food grocery
Household and personal essentials
Stores also commonly carry household supplies, personal-care products, and other everyday necessities. Availability depends on the individual location and its local merchandising decisions.
Digital service · 2018
Grocery delivery through Instacart
Beginning in May 2018, selected stores offered delivery through Instacart. The service added an online ordering and third-party delivery channel to participating physical supermarkets rather than replacing the store-based shopping model.
Brand decisions
2018
Add third-party grocery delivery at selected locationsOtherBackground
Growing consumer interest in online grocery ordering created an opportunity for participating stores to offer delivery without building an independent delivery network.
Action taken
Selected Your Independent Grocer stores began delivery through Instacart in May 2018.
Aftermath
Participating stores gained an additional digital ordering and delivery channel while continuing to operate as local supermarkets.
2014
Convert selected SaveEasy stores in Atlantic CanadaStrategyBackground
National Grocers expanded the banner's regional presence through existing SaveEasy locations in Atlantic Canada.
Action taken
A number of SaveEasy stores were rebranded as Your Independent Grocer locations between 2014 and 2016.
Aftermath
The conversions increased the number of Your Independent Grocer stores and extended the banner's reach in Atlantic Canadian communities.
1992
Separate Ottawa-area franchises into a new supermarket bannerStrategyBackground
Metro Richelieu acquired Steinberg's in 1992, while a group of Ottawa-area franchises associated with Steinberg's was separated from the acquired business.
Action taken
The franchises were developed as the distinct Your Independent Grocer chain, preserving an independent-store operating model under a new banner.
Aftermath
The decision established the brand's identity and provided the foundation for its subsequent expansion across Canada.
Recent events
- 2018
Selected Your Independent Grocer stores begin delivery through Instacart[1]
Product launch
In May 2018, selected Your Independent Grocer locations began offering grocery delivery through Instacart, extending the banner's services beyond in-store shopping.
- 2014
SaveEasy locations converted to the Your Independent Grocer banner[1]
Other
A number of SaveEasy stores in Atlantic Canada were converted to Your Independent Grocer locations during the period from 2014 to 2016, expanding the banner's presence in the region.
Sources2 sources
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