Miracle Food Mart

Miracle Food Mart was a supermarket chain in Ontario, Canada, owned by Steinberg's, a Quebec-based retailer in the 1970s and 1980s.
Steinberg purchased the Canadian division of Grand Union, with 38 stores, in June 1959 to make its entrance into Ontario. These stores operated under the Steinberg banner until January 1969, when the marketing program of "Miracle Discount Pricing" was introduced and the entire chain of stores was converted to the Miracle Food Mart banner. The marketing philosophy was a simple one, reduce all of the "fancy" advertising such as colour flyers, television and radio spots and offer everyday items at deeply reduced prices as a line item within the weekly black & white flyer. This move proved to be successful as the chain expanded quickly over the next ten years, gaining a substantial increase in market share.
In 1973, the Miracle Food Mart division made a revolutionary move to abolish its general-image advertising and to mount a "give-'em-the-facts" consumer-oriented campaign. The program included a formal Consumer Bill of Rights, nutrition booklets, a key to the codes used to mark perishables, and clearly labelled price tags.
The supermarket flourished in the 1970s, and expanded with the Miracle Ultra Mart banner into bigger stores with a wide range of health care and general merchandise. The company spent C$30 million in improvements for its Miracle Food Marts in 1987, creating several large 24-hour food-and-drug stores called Miracle Ultra-Marts. The stores offered fresh fish and deli departments, party-planning services, kitchen centres selling microwave ovens, and hardware and electronic centres. In 1989, Steinburgs was sold by its heirs to the Quebec based Socanov Industries, the chain was then sold to A&P Canada. A&P converted the Miracle Food Mart stores into A&P, Dominion or Food Basics stores, but continued the Ultra Mart banner, which it later rebranded as Ultra Food & Drug.
Miracle Food Mart stores were often paired with Miracle Mart discount department stores in mall settings, some operating as one Miracle Beaucoup store. But in the latter years, they became stand-alone locations at smaller plazas across the Greater [Toronto Area].

Locations

Ontario

Most locations continue to be used as supermarkets, but some have been redeveloped for other retail or non-retail used:

Location	Later use	Current use	-
Ajax - Harwood Place		now a Food Basics	-
Barrie - Bayfield Mall	converted to Winners	now a Centra Food Market	-
Belleville - Quinte Mall		Location split into Toys R Us, East Side Mario's and Work Authority	-
Bowmanville - Bowmanville Mall	converted to A&P	Acquired by Metro after sale of A&P Canada	-
Bramalea (Brampton) - Bramalea City Centre Operated with a Miracle Mart, for a time as a Miracle Beaucoup, later Miracle Ultra Mart	became Ultra Food & Drug, later converted to A&P in early 2000s	Acquired by Metro after sale of A&P Canada	-
Brampton - Hurontario Street & Steeles Avenue	converted to A&P	Food Basics - after Metro Inc. acquired A&P Canada	-
Brampton - Brampton Mall, Main Street South	converted to A&P	Acquired by Metro after sale of A&P Canada	-
Brantford - Lynden Park Mall	converted to A&P	Food Basics - after Metro Inc. acquired A&P Canada	-
Burlington - Fairview Street	converted to Ultra Food & Drug, then a Metro	Now a Food Basics	-
Burlington - Guelph Line and New Street	converted to Shoppers Drug Mart	Burned to ground, was rebuilt and remains as Shoppers Drug Mart	-
Burlington - Guelph Line at Upper Middle Roads		Food Basics - after Metro Inc. acquired A&P Canada	-
Cambridge - Cambridge Centre	-
Cambridge - Highland Shopping Centre	converted into Canadian Tire store	Canadian Tire	-
Chatham - 100 King Street West	converted to Food Basics	Closed and turned into other retail spaces	-
Chelmsford - Chelmsford Mall		Your Independent Grocers
Dundas - University Plaza	converted to The Barn Markets, then a Metro	Canadian Tire	-
Etobicoke - Browns Line & Evans Avenue		Now a Farm Boy	-
Etobicoke - Eringate Mall, Renforth Road south of Eglinton Avenue		Demolished and replaced by residential dwellings	-
Georgetown - Highway 7	Acquired by A&P	Food Basics - after Metro Inc. acquired A&P Canada	-
Grimsby, Ontario Village Inn Plaza, Main Street		Food Basics - after Metro Inc. acquired A&P Canada	-
Guelph - Stone Road Mall		replaced by Chapters. Successor to Miracle Food Mart, Ultra Food & Drug, opened a new 56,000 Sq/ft store across the street and then rebranded as Metro in 2008.	-
Hamilton - Upper Gage at Fennell	converted to The Barn Markets	Acquired by Metro when A&P Canada sold	-
Hamilton - Upper Gage at Mohawk Road East		Food Basics - after Metro Inc. acquired A&P Canada	-
Hamilton - Upper James at Mohawk	converted to The Barn Markets and Canadian Tire	Metro after A&P Canada sold, now a Food Basics	-
Hamilton - Queenston Road & Nash	converted to Food Basics	Demolished and site now a Canadian Tire	-
Kitchener - Westmount Road at Ottawa	converted to Dutch Boy, then a Price Chopper	FreshCo - after Sobeys acquired Price Chopper from Oshawa Group	-
London - Adelaide & Huron - store 266		FreshCo - after Sobeys acquired Price Chopper from Oshawa Group	-
London - Cherryhill Mall - store 247	converted to an A&P	Metro after sale of A&P Canada	-
London - Wonderland & Commissioners		Food Basics	-
London - Baseline & Wharncliffe - store 278	converted to XS Cargo & Nevada Bob's Golf	Demolished and now a Shoppers Drug Mart which was previously next to Nevada Bob's Golf	-
London - Oxbury Mall - store 248	converted to an A&P	Food Basics	-
London - Bradley Square - store 270	converted to an A&P	Food Basics	-
Markham - Markville Shopping Centre	Demolished	Site is now a Best Buy	-
Markham - Shops on Steeles and 404	converted to Food Basics	Food Basics	-
Erindale (Mississauga) - Westdale Mall Store 229	converted to Dominion, then a Metro	FreshCo	-
Erin Mills (Mississauga) - Meadowvale Town Centre	became a A&P, then a Dominion	Metro after A&P Canada sale	-
Erin Mills (Mississauga) - Millway Plaza	converted as Food Basics	Giant Tiger	-
Park Royal (Mississauga) - Park Royal Plaza Store 216	Dominion Save-A-Centre	Food Basics	-
Malton (Mississauga) - Westwood Mall	Food Basics, closed February 2012 and demolished. Later converted to Walmart, closed in June 2021.	-	-
Mississauga - Mississauga Marketplace	Food Basics	Oceans Fresh Food Market	-
Mississauga - High Point Mall		Grant's Foodmart
Mississauga - Applewood Village Plaza	Dominion, then Metro	Has become a Longo's Supermarket	-
Mississauga - Iona Square	Dominion	Metro	-
Niagara Falls Victoria Avenue	Later as Hy & Zels and then Pharmacy 1	Shoppers Drug Mart - after collapse of Pharmacy 1	-
North York - Store 269, Willowdale Plaza, Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue East	converted to Dominion, then Metro	Closed in January 2010 and demolished and replaced Hullmark Centre condos with three-floor retail podium which includes a Whole Foods Market	-
North York - Sheppard Plaza, Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West	converted to Dominion	Metro	-
North York - Newtonbrook Plaza, Yonge and Cummer	converted to Food Basics	Closed in January 2019 and demolished. To be replaced with condo development.	-
North York - Bathurst St. and Cedarcroft Blvd.	-	-	-
North York - Store 236, Victoria Park Avenue and Sheppard Avenue East		Food Basics	-
North York - Finchdale Plaza	Converted to Galati Brothers then as Asian supermarket Oriental Food Mart	Centra Food Market	-
North York - 1090 Wilson Avenue	Became Dominion	Metro	-
Oakville - Upper Oakville Plaza	converted to an Ultra Food & Drug, then Dominion	Metro	-
Oakville - Kerr Street and Speers Road		Food Basics	-
Oshawa - Rossland Square, Rossland and Wilson	converted to A&P, then Metro. Closed in August 2019.	Food Basics	-
Orillia - Front and Coldwater	converted to A&P	Metro after sale of A&P Canada	-
Rexdale - John Garland Plaza	converted to Food Basics	Bestco
Scarborough - Bamburgh Circle	converted to an Ultra Food & Drug and later as Bamburgh Food Mart	now Asian supermarket Foody Mart	-
Scarborough - Cedarbrae Mall	converted to Loblaws	now No Frills	-
Scarborough - Scarborough Town Centre		Converted lower food court and various stores on upper floors	-
Scarborough - Alton Towers	later as Ultra Food & Drug and later as Asian supermarket food fair	Asian supermarket Al Premium	-
Scarborough - Store 275, Parkway Mall	converted to Dominion	Metro	-
Scarborough - Markham Corners	Ultra Food and Drug, Converted to Food Basics in ca. August 1999	Food Basics	-
Scarborough - White Shield Plaza at Lawrence Avenue East at Kennedy Road	converted to Valdi	Asian supermarket Lake Tai	-
Scarborough - Kennedy Park Plaza		Giant Tiger	-
Simcoe	converted into A&P	continued to use the "Miracle Food Mart" name until the mid 1990s creating 2 A&P stores in town, now Food Basics	-
St. Catharines - The Pen Centre	converted to Dominion and closed after 4 years	Zehrs Markets	-
Sudbury - Notre Dame Avenue	Converted to A&P	Food Basics	-
Sudbury - LaSalle Boulevard	Converted to A&P	Food Basics	-
Sudbury - Southridge Mall	converted to A&P, then Metro. Closed in January 2015.	Giant Tiger	-
Thornhill - Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue West	Later as Food Basics	FreshCo	-
Toronto - Jane Park Plaza		Food Basics	-
Toronto - Gerrard Square at Pape Avenue & Gerrard Street East		Food Basics	-
Toronto - Thorncliffe Shopping Centre	converted to Dominion	Food Basics	-
Toronto Bathurst and Viewmount	converted to Dominion	Purchased by adjacent school - Bialik Hebrew Day School which subsequently expanded its campus	-
Welland - Seaway Mall		Converted to a new wing of the mall, which currently includes Dollarama, Bulk Barn and several other stores and services	-
Whitby - Dundas & Frances	Converted first to A&P, then Food Basics	Giant Tiger	-
Whitby - Whitby Mall	Closed in 1996	Office Depot	-
Windsor - Devonshire Mall	converted to A&P	Chapters/Indigo	-
Windsor - University Plaza	converted to A&P, then Metro	Closed in Sept 2016. Now a Food Basics.	-