T&T Supermarket Facts for Kids

T&T Supermarket (Chinese: 大統華超市) is a large Canadian chain of Asian supermarkets. It was started in Vancouver in 1993 by Jack and Cindy Lee. Cindy Lee was the first CEO, and her oldest daughter, Tina Lee, took over as CEO in 2014. In 2009, a big Canadian company called Loblaw Companies bought T&T Supermarket.

T&T Supermarket has 37 stores across Canada and one store in the United States. These stores are quite large, usually between 3,250 and 7,000 square meters. Besides regular groceries, most T&T stores offer fresh produce, meats, seafood, and freshly baked goods. They also have special items from different Asian foods, hot food bars, dim sum counters, sushi counters, and Hong Kong-style Chinese barbecue. In 2020, T&T launched an online shopping website and a mobile app for customers.

The name "T&T" comes from the first letters of two companies that helped start the supermarket: Tawa Supermarket Inc. and Tung Yee Uni-President Enterprises Corp.. However, many people like to think it stands for Cindy Lee's two oldest daughters, Tina and Tiffany.

History of T&T Supermarket
Awards and Recognition
See also

History of T&T Supermarket

How T&T Supermarket Started

The business was founded by Taiwanese-Canadian businesswoman Cindy Lee. The very first T&T store opened in Burnaby, British Columbia, in 1993.

Joining Loblaw Companies

T&T Supermarket became part of Loblaw Companies in July 2009. Loblaw Companies is one of Canada's largest food and pharmacy companies.

Growing and Adding Online Shopping

In 2018, T&T opened a very large store in Richmond, British Columbia. This store was special because it was the first to have a live seafood bar, an Asian street food area, and self-checkout machines. Experts even called it a "grocerant" because it offered so many restaurant-style foods.

In 2020, T&T started its online shopping platform. This allowed people across Canada to order Asian food products online and have them delivered to their homes.

Inside a T&T Supermarket store

In 2022, an even bigger T&T store opened in Saint-Laurent/Sainte Croix, Montreal, Quebec. This was the first T&T store in Quebec and is currently the largest store in the entire supermarket chain.

The T&T Supermarket in Montreal, Quebec, which is the largest T&T store in Canada

Expanding to the United States

In 2024, T&T Supermarket opened its first store in the United States. This store is located at Marketplace at Factoria in Bellevue, Washington. It is a very large store, covering about 7,060 square meters, and is said to be the biggest grocery store in Washington state. T&T plans to open more stores in the U.S., with locations in Lynnwood, Washington, and San Jose, California, expected to open in 2025.

Awards and Recognition

In 2018, Tina Lee, the CEO, received the Executive of the Year Award from Ascend Canada. Both Tina Lee and her mother, founder Cindy Lee, were honored with the Retail Council of Canada Canadian Grand Prix Trailblazer Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognized their amazing service and dedication to the Canadian retail and grocery industry. Cindy Lee also received a lifetime achievement award in 2019 at the Chinese Canadian entrepreneur awards for her contributions to the Chinese Canadian business community.

T&T Supermarket facts for kids

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