Metro flyer Inc. is a Canadian supermarket chain with locations in Quebec and Ontario. The company’s headquarters are located at 11011 Boulevard Maurice-Duplessis in Montreal, Quebec. After Loblaw Companies Limited and Sobeys, Metro is Canada’s third biggest retailer.

In Ontario and Quebec, there are 365 named sites. Super C is a budget grocery chain with 72 locations in Quebec, each measuring 4,000 square meters (43,056 sq ft). Metro’s yearly sales amount to C$1 billion thanks to these outlets. Metro operates 139 Food Basics cheap supermarkets in Ontario, which are remarkably similar to Super C shops. Metro Plus is the brand name for large Metro flyer shops in Quebec. Under the Marché Richelieu label, Metro also runs 142 small grocery stores.

Metro weekly flyer reported a 9.3% rise in profits for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2007, bringing the total to $276.6 million, up from $253 million in 2006. Marché Adonis, one of Quebec’s largest ethnic food merchants specialized in Mediterranean cuisine (Marché Adonis sales CAD$73 million 2011), was bought by Metro in 2011 for a majority (55.5 percent) (CAD$153.8 million) share. Metro said in a March 2020 news release that it would spend $420 million over the next five years to build a new automated distribution center for fresh and frozen items, which they plan to operate in 2023.
Rolland Jeanneau created the firm in 1947 in Verdun, Quebec. Magasins Lasalle Shops Ltée was formed when a number of independent food stores joined the corporation. Magasins Lasalles Stores Ltée became Épiceries Lasalle Groceteria in 1952. At the time, the corporation had 43 associated grocery shops. In 1955, there were 50 franchised businesses and a $2 million income for the corporation. The firm sprang to prominence in 1956 when an advertising in La Presse featured turkeys for sale for 39 cents. Mayor Jean Drapeau was already talking about establishing a fast transport system in Montreal that year, dubbed the Montreal Metro. This prompted the corporation to establish a Metro division. In 1957, the firm added another 73 grocery shops, increasing its total sales to $10 million.

The firm was renamed Metro-Lasalle in 1963 due to the success of the Metro division. Metro-Lasalle changed its name to Metro-Ltée in 1972. In 1975, Metro combined with the Marché Richelieu supermarket chain to become Groupe Metro-Richelieu Inc, which was founded in 1976.

Due to severe competition from Provigo and the recession in the early 1980s, Metro had a difficult time. Metro and Epiciers Unis Inc. combined and became Metro-Richelieu Inc. (dropping the “Groupe” from its name). It did well throughout the remainder of the 1980s and was listed on the Montreal Stock Exchange in 1986.

The early 1990s recession hit Metro hard. A reorganization strategy was put in place, and the management team was restructured. When Steinberg went bankrupt in 1992, Metro bought 48 of the company’s 112 stores. These locations were renamed Super C and Metro locations. In 1993, Metro joined the Toronto Stock Exchange. In 1999, it bought Loeb Stores from Loblaws. In the early 2000s, the Metro Plus banner was formed. While some of the shops were transformed to Super C, others remained as Loeb. In Ontario, the Super C shops were renamed Food Basics. All Loeb shops were converted to Metro in 2009.