Emory Zehr
From The Waterloo Way Wiki
Contents |
Introduction
Emory Zehr (1904-1978) was the founder of Zehr's Markets Limited. Emory Zehr and sons Lester and Clifford opened the first Zehrs store in Kitchener, Ontario, in July 1950. The chain eventually grew to more than 50 stores and became one of Southern Ontario's most successful retail grocery chains.
History
Zehr opened his first small grocery store in Ayr, which he operated for six years. The first Zehrs Market was opened in 1950 and was located at 100 Highland Road West. A family business, his sons Lester and Clifford worked at the store and Elva, Lester's wife, was the first cashier. He and his sons exceeded their expectations by doing $3000 in business in their first week.
The 1950s were prosperous times for the Zehrs and they decided to expand beyond their small family run store. By the early 1960s, there were six Zehrs Markets in Kitchener-Waterloo. The stores were becoming bigger, growing into supermarkets with extended hours. Zehrs soon expanded into the nearby city of Guelph. In the 1970s, inflation strained the economy, however Zehrs continued to expand, acquiring another chain called Gordons Markets, with eleven outlets.
As a "one-stop" shop, Zehrs stores contain traditional departments such as fresh bakery, meat and produce, and newer non-traditional departments such as optical stores, wine shops and electronic departments. During the 1980s, Zehrs responded to two economic recessions by setting-up whole departments dedicated to bulk foods. At the same time, more services were added, such as in-store pharmacies and photo labs. Zehrs began experimenting with new formats and much larger stores, including Zehrs Food Plus, offering "one-stop convenience" with more general merchandise. In the 1990s, Zehrs continued to grow, with new stores opening in Barrie, Stratford, and Sarnia. The array of in-stores services also continued to expand, with the addition of Meals To Go and in-store cafés.
Zehrs was the first company in Canada to begin using scanning technology, a world pilot for the personal computer-based point-of-sale-system, and one of the first companies in the world to have integrated debit systems.
Emory Zehr retired in 1964 after Loblaw’s purchased a controlling interest in Zehr. Today, the administrative portion of Zehrs is located in Brampton, Ontario, under the leadership of Vice President Vince Scorniaenchi and Store Operations Vice President Ken Code.
Philanthropy
- Zehrs and its employees have been active in over 150 local charities, including WALK for MS and the United Way.
References
- History of Zehrs, Zehrs website - http://www.zehrs.ca/about_us.asp
External Links
- Zehrs website - http://www.zehrs.ca/
