Laval to Open Grocery Store Laboratory

Laval University has announced plans for a "supermarket school," a facility that has a fully functional, 40,000 square foot retail outlet on or near campus that will be run by one of Quebec's leading grocery chains and will double as a research and teaching tool.  Researchers in the areas of food processing, nutrition, marketing, management, industrial relations and more will benefit from the new facility. Sobeys, Metro Inc. and Provigo Inc. are all rumoured to be bidding.  Everything will hold potential for experiment: from shopping carts to consumer psychology to management strategies.  The winning store should be determined by mid-May, and will be expected to cover all costs, operate the store, pay rent on the building and contribute $2 million to fund a research chair.  The Globe & Mail