Leading Grocery Brands in Canada: Q1 2025 Insights

Introduction

In the competitive landscape of Canadian grocery stores, brands are leveraging digital platforms to engage with customers effectively. This article delves into the performance of three leading brands: PC Express, SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec), and Save-On-Foods. Using Sensor Tower's comprehensive data, we analyze trends from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025, highlighting audience engagement, app usage, and advertising strategies.

PC Express

PC Express offers a robust digital presence with its website, pcexpress.ca, and the PC Express app.

• Audience Trends: The website saw a notable increase in visits, peaking in January 2025 with over 1.3M visits. Monthly true audience numbers remained stable, hovering around 750K to 800K throughout the quarter, with a balanced mix of web and app users.

• App Engagement: Monthly active users for the app consistently stayed above 600K, showing a steady interest in mobile shopping experiences.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Monthly ad spending saw a significant drop from $742K in October 2024 to under $80K by March 2025. Facebook and Instagram were the primary channels, with notable impressions, while desktop video remained unused.

SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec)

SAQ's digital strategy is anchored by its website, saq.com, and the SAQ app.

• Audience Trends: The website experienced a surge in December 2024, reaching over 3.3M visits. Monthly true audience numbers fluctuated, with a peak of over 620K in December, driven largely by web-only visitors.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active user base peaked at nearly 290K in December, indicating heightened interest during the holiday season.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Monthly ad expenditure was dynamic, peaking at around $211K in October. Desktop video and Facebook were key channels, with substantial impressions across Instagram as well.

Save-On-Foods

Save-On-Foods maintains a strong digital engagement through its website, saveonfoods.com, and the Save-On-Foods app.

• Audience Trends: The website saw consistent growth, with visits exceeding 2M in December 2024. Monthly true audience numbers remained stable, with a slight increase to over 420K by March 2025.

• App Engagement: Monthly active users ranged from 180K to 230K, highlighting a stable mobile user base.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Monthly ad spending remained steady, with Facebook and Instagram being the primary channels, delivering significant impressions.

Conclusion

The digital strategies of PC Express, SAQ, and Save-On-Foods highlight the importance of maintaining a robust online presence in the grocery sector. Sensor Tower's unique cross-platform insights provide invaluable data for understanding user behavior and optimizing digital engagement. As brands continue to adapt, leveraging comprehensive data from Sensor Tower will be crucial for staying competitive in the evolving market landscape.

By offering real-time analytics and strategic insights, Sensor Tower empowers decision-makers to make informed choices that drive growth and innovation in the digital marketplace. For more information, visit Sensor Tower.