TORONTO, CANADA - Loblaw Companies is testing out a new store format in Canada. The retailer opened a test location just yesterday in Toronto, consisting of a smaller store footprint with discount groceries as its focus. The store was converted from City Market, another banner under the Loblaw umbrella.

“We're able to offer an entire shop within the space of 10,000 square feet in a pocket of downtown Toronto that we don't have a hard discount presence in,” said Melanie Singh, who leads Loblaw’s discount division that includes No Frills and Maxi, in an interview at the grand opening of the first store in the rollout. “So, we’re super proud of that.”

Though the company already has some smaller discount stores in its portfolio, Coast Reporter states that Loblaw is pressing the gas on its strategy. There are even more stores with this format planned to open between now and Thanksgiving.

The strategy comes at a time when discount retail formats are growing in popularity amidst continued inflation. We have yet to see whether Loblaw will make a larger shift toward the format.

Time and ANUK will tell, so stick with us!

UNITED STATES - An atmospheric river storm is forecast to make landfall in the Pacific Northwest on Sunday, with moderate to heavy rainfall continuing through early Tuesday.

The National Weather Service reported that the atmospheric river will be fueled by “what remains of a tropical system.” This is in reference to Typhoon Ewiniar, which hit the Philippines hard this week due to flooding rain and strong winds, leaving several casualties.

As reported by The San Francisco Chronicle, with a pseudo-tropical air mass in place, PNW weather will be rainy, with a chance on Monday for that day to be the wettest June day in recorded history in a few portions of Washington.

Northwestern California will also be affected, with rainfall reported for Crescent City and Eureka. As the news source noted, heavy rainfall is unlikely to reach the Bay Area, but the system will help reinvigorate the marine layer. The source also expressed hope in the system contributing to staving off any seasonal start to wildfires in the state.

Rainfall is forecast to exceed an inch in Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, with totals of 2–4 inches expected in the Cascade and Olympic mountains.

Keep reading ANUK for the latest weather updates like this.