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A few doors down from Lipa's, a Hasidic-run grocery store on Parc Ave., a new Maxi location with a kosher aisle is tightening the competition for grocers in the Mile End neighbourhood.

While Lipa's owner Lezer Adler said he still believes in his business, he's feeling uneasy about the long-term effect of Maxi locations popping up so close by. The Parc Ave. location near St-Viateur St. opened in August, and Maxi opened its 198th branch on Bernard Ave. in October, replacing gourmet grocer Les 5 Saisons.

"God knows what's going to happen, but (Lipa's) is still going. Maybe less than before, but for sure it's still going," Adler said in an interview Thursday.

Maxi's expansion is not unique to Mile End: 13 new locations have opened across Quebec in 2025, according to an email statement from Loblaw, the parent company of Maxi, Provigo and Pharmaprix. Half of the new Maxi locations are in the Greater Montreal area, and two more are set to open before the end of the year.

As Montrealers and Canadians in general struggle to afford groceries, the retail giant is adapting its strategy by pumping out branches of its discount banner. Maxi's buying power lets the chain offer low prices competitors struggle to match — and local grocers fear for their survival.