Metro plans to open about a dozen new or converted grocery stores in its 2026 fiscal year, the company said in its latest quarterly report.

Montreal-based Metro said it continue with its plan to accelerate the development of the company’s growing discount banners as it focuses on realizing efficiency gains through the supply chain and store network.

Metro’s main discount grocery-store chains are Super C, located mainly in Quebec and Food Basics, situated primarily in Ontario.

In its last fiscal year, Metro opened seven new Super C Stores in Quebec, said Eric La Flèche, Metro’s president and CEO, in a letter within the company’s annual report. The company also carried out major expansions and renovations in six Metro and Metro-Plus-branded locations and seven Super C outlets in Quebec.

In Ontario, the firm opened a new Metro store, a new Adonis store and five Food Basics outlets. In addition, Metro completed renovations in one Metro-branded location and three Food Basics stores.

On a recent quarterly earnings call, La Flèche said Metro’s discount grocery business is growing faster than its conventional operations.

Metro is among Canadian grocers opening more small-concept stores under discount banners amid growing public and government scrutiny of inflation and challenges to food affordability.

“Food inflation, or rising food inflation, puts pressure on consumers, puts pressure on consumers looking for value, and that puts pressure on promotions,” said La Flèche on the earnings call. “So it’s just one more challenge that we have to face. We’ve been facing.

“We’re in this environment where cost of living is hard. Price of food is key on people’s mind. People are making choices, making some trade-downs, they’re changing stores, they’re buying on promotions. So all that has been happening, continues to happen and we adapt.

“That’s why we’re opening discount stores>

He said the competitive environment remain intense but rational

Marc Giroux, Metro’s chief operating officer, said the company is “very satisfied” with performance of the stores that opened in its 2025 fiscal year.

Pictured: New Food Basics store that opened in Barrie, Ont., in 2025.

Photo: Metro