Loblaw invites communities to the table by hosting hundreds of BBQ's across the country

TORONTO, June 29, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, one of Canada's most iconic and trusted brands, President's Choice® will celebrate our nation's 150^th year by continuing its mission to bring people to the table and #EatTogether.  On the first-ever Eat Together Day, Loblaw is inviting its nearly 200,000 employees, thousands of business partners and all Canadians to come together over food.

"The Eat Together movement celebrates the role food plays and the power it has in bringing people together at a time when the world seems increasingly disconnected," says Uwe Stueckmann, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Loblaw Companies Limited. "From fostering communities to fighting obesity to bringing people closer, the simple act of eating together has countless benefits. Today, we invite everyone to join us in experiencing the joy that comes with friends, families and communities eating together."

Eat Together Day activities will include hundreds of public barbeques held from coast to coast at participating Loblaw grocery store banners, including Loblaws®, Loblaws CityMarket®, Your Independent Grocer®, Zehrs®, Provigo®, Dominion® and Atlantic Superstore®.  These events will bring Canadians to the table and highlight the physical and mental benefits of eating together, including happier and healthier children, stronger family relationships and sociocultural understanding.

"We are facing an unfortunate trend towards eating alone," said Dr. Karyn Gordon, Family and Relationship Expert. "The simple act of eating together has so many benefits for our mental health and social connectedness, it's important that we make it a priority to eat with others – today and every day."

According to Dr. Gordon, organizing regular eat together moments with family and friends is easy and most impactful if you follow her three most recommended guidelines:

Plan: Schedule time to eat together with family and friends and you'll be more likely to follow through.
Practice: Don't be nervous! The more you eat with others, the more comfortable you will become.
Presence: Be present during your #EatTogether moments by removing distractions – like phones – and engaging with those around you. You'll be astounded by the connections you make.

For inspiration on how they can participate in Eat Together Day, Canadians can visit http://www.facebook.com/PCEatTogether. Join the movement by sharing an image or video of you participating in Eat Together Day by tagging @PresChoice @PCEatTogether and #EatTogether. 

About Loblaw Companies Limited:
Loblaw Companies Limited is Canada's food and pharmacy leader, the nation's largest retailer, and the majority unit holder of Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. Loblaw provides Canadians with grocery, pharmacy, health and beauty, apparel, general merchandise, banking, and wireless mobile products and services. With more than 2,300 corporate, franchised and Associate-owned locations, Loblaw, its franchisees, and Associate-owners employ approximately 200,000 full and part-time employees, making it one of Canada's largest private sector employers.

Loblaw's purpose – Live Life Well – puts first the needs and well-being of Canadians who make one billion transactions annually in the companies' stores. Loblaw is positioned to meet and exceed those needs in many ways: convenient locations; more than 1,050 grocery stores that span the value spectrum from discount to specialty; full-service pharmacies at more than 1,300 Shoppers Drug Mart^® and Pharmaprix^® locations and more than 500 Loblaw locations; PC Financial^® no-fee banking; affordable Joe Fresh^® fashion and family apparel; and three of Canada's top consumer brands in Life Brand^®, no name^® and President's Choice^®. Through the PC Plus^® and Shoppers Optimum^® loyalty programs, more than one in every three Canadians are rewarded for shopping with the companies.

About the President's Choice Survey:
From March 16th to March 20^th, 2017 two separate online surveys were conducted. The first survey was among 1,511 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists, and the results were statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. The margin of error for the first survey—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.5%, 19 times out of 20. The second survey was conducted among 2,461 randomly selected adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists, in the provinces of Ontario (n=508), Alberta (n=508), Quebec (n=506), British Columbia (n=506), PEI (n=126), and Nova Scotia (n=311). The margin of error for the second survey is +/- 2.0%, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

SOURCE Loblaw Companies Limited

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