Inside the ascent of a grocery scion
UNFORGETTABLE SAGAS, SCOOPS AND SCANDALS
from Toronto Life’slong-form archives |
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Dear reader, It’s no secret that many nepo babies fantasize about their reputations eclipsing those of their famous parents. Galen Weston Jr. has achieved that dream—though the attention may not be as rewarding as he’d imagined. Since Weston inherited the reins at Loblaws and its parent company from his father nearly two decades ago, he has become the face of the ever-rising cost of groceries. Rightly or wrongly, when angry shoppers bemoan the price of meat or resort to shoplifting a block of cheese, they’re cursing his name. Weston stepped down from his position as president of Loblaw Companies Ltd. in 2023 (though he remains chairman), but the guilt-by-association hasn’t faded. Earlier this week, his name was used as ammunition during the Ontario leaders’ debate. “It’s not fair that Mr. Ford has handed out $200 cheques to millionaires and billionaires like Galen Weston,” said Green Party leader Mike Schreiner, calling Weston “the guy gouging you at the grocery store.” With all the attention, it can be hard to believe there was a time when Weston’s name drew blank stares rather than ire. Before he took over the business, he was practically unknown. For an inside look at his rapid ascent to the Weston family throne, we’re revisiting Peter Foster’s 2007 feature, “Who’s Minding the Store?” For more great long-reads from Toronto Life, subscribe to our print edition here. |
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| —Maddy Mahoney, features editor |
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Loblaws’s decline is a story of clashing egos, professional jealousy and strategic screw-ups, the biggest mistake being the company’s decision to try to out-Walmart Walmart. Can Galen Weston Jr. save this sinking ship? |
BY PETER FOSTER | DECEMBER 1, 2007 |
“Hi,” says the young man on the television screen in the vestibule of a new Loblaws Superstore. “I’m Galen Weston.” The ad raises a few questions. The first: Who the hell is Galen Weston? The TV spot seems to assume everyone will know that this amiable, slightly geeky-looking 34-year-old is the son of Galen Weston Sr. and heir to the Weston family fortune, the semi-unknown who has taken over his father’s company in the middle of a series of misadventures. In 2006, Loblaws experienced its first loss in almost 20 years. The relevant business school case study questions are: How did it get here? And is the relatively inexperienced Galen Jr. the man to lead it back to the promised land of profitability? |
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