TORONTO, July 21 (Reuters) – Canada’s Loblaw Cos (L.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)
said on Wednesday it opened the first “small-format” pharmacy
in one of its supermarkets as part of a push to take market
share from Shoppers Drug Mart (SC.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and other drugstore
chains.

The country’s No. 1 grocer, which already operates about
500 pharmacies at its bigger stores, launched the new
400-square-foot design at one of its discount No Frills stores
in Mississauga, Ontario.

TORONTO (Reuters) – Netflix Inc said on Monday it will bring its streaming video subscription service to Canada this fall, competing against a growing crop of Canadian video services and retailers like Blockbuster Inc.

In Netflix’s first foray outside of the United States, members can watch unlimited movies and shows streamed instantly to their TV sets and computers for a monthly fee.

TORONTO, July 14 (Reuters) – U.S. teen apparel retailer
Zumiez Inc (ZUMZ.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said late on Tuesday it is no longer
interested in buying Canada’s West 49 Inc (WXX.TO: Quote, Profile, Research), clearing
the way for Australia’s Billabong International Ltd (BBG.AX: Quote, Profile, Research) to
wrap up its C$83.2 million ($80.5 million) takeover offer.

West 49, whose shares sank more than 9 percent Wednesday
morning, confirmed in a separate release it would now favor
Billabong’s offer, after Zumiez backed away over disagreements
on the terms of the due diligence process.

TORONTO, July 13 (Reuters) – Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc
(ATDb.TO: Quote, Profile, Research), a convenience store operator seeking to buy Casey’s
General Stores Inc (CASY.O: Quote, Profile, Research), said on Tuesday quarterly earnings
rose 81 percent on higher gasoline margins and strong sales
growth.

Both profit and revenue at Couche-Tard, North America’s
largest independent convenience store operator, topped analyst
forecasts, pushing its shares up more than 2 percent.

TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada’s Kobo Inc is a tiny player in the crowded digital book market, but it has ambitions to become one of the leading global players, in part by offering one of the least expensive e-readers in the field.

Kobo, an electronic book retail spin-off from Indigo Books & Music, needs to compete on price because the business has become hyper-competitive, as the company’s chief executive readily concedes.

TORONTO, July 9 (Reuters) – Canada’s West 49 (WXX.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) said
on Friday Zumiez Inc (ZUMZ.O: Quote, Profile, Research), a U.S.-based teen sports apparel
retailer, was prepared to top Billabong International Ltd
(BBG.AX: Quote, Profile, Research)’s offer for the company, sending its shares sharply
higher.

Last week, Australian clothing retailer Billabong offered
to buy West 49 for C$83.2 million ($80.1 million), or C$1.30
per share, in cash, aiming to expand in the North American
market for surfing and skateboarding gear. [ID:nSGE65T0EB]

TORONTO, July 8 (Reuters) – Richelieu Hardware Ltd (RCH.TO: Quote, Profile, Research)
reported a 57 percent jump in quarterly earnings on Thursday
and said it was acquiring a U.S. distributor of woodworking
products for an undisclosed price, sending shares up more than
5 percent.

The Canadian specialty hardware distributor will acquire
Connecticut-based Raybern Company, Inc., a privately held
distributor of decorative and other finishing products for the
commercial woodworking industry. It did not disclose the
terms.

TORONTO (Reuters) – Cott Corp (BCB.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) (COT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday its $569 million acquisition of Cliffstar will position it for growth as the world’s largest maker of private-label soft drinks looks to rebuild sales after a recent slide in revenue.

Mississauga, Ontario-based Cott, a soft drinks supplier to major retailers such as Wal-Mart (WMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Safeway (SWY.N: Quote, Profile, Research), announced after markets closed on Wednesday that it would buy closely held Cliffstar Corp, the largest private-label maker of fruit juices in North America.

TORONTO (Reuters) – MDS Nordian, one of the world’s biggest suppliers of medical isotopes, said it is looking for ways to broaden its sources after the disruption caused by the closure of Canada’s Chalk River nuclear plant.

“We are definitely planning on diversifying our business,” said Chief Executive Steve West in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, hours before a decision to allow the reactor to reopen by the end of July.

TORONTO, June 30 (Reuters) – Ontario Teachers’ Pension
Plan, the largest stakeholder of Maple Leaf Foods (MFI.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz),
said on Wednesday it would oppose the Canadian food processor’s
adoption of a shareholder rights plan, used by companies to
protect against takeovers.

Maple Leaf, whose stock price has been battered in recent
years from a series of issues ranging from a food scandal to
high commodity prices, implemented the plan on Tuesday after an
agreement between its largest shareholders, Teachers and McCain
Capital Corp. expired.