KaleMart24 opens fresh convenience concept in Montreal

KaleMart24 celebrated the grand opening of its first store in Montreal on March 8. The growth concept c-store chain unveiled a lineup of natural and organic brands in every category—from beverage to confectionary—a better-for-you fresh food menu, generous loyalty initiatives and a clean, modern sustainable store design.

Launching with the slogan “Where Wellness Meets Convenience,” the first KaleMart24 is in Berri-UQAM Metro station in the city centre borough of Ville-Marie, which is home to major shopping arteries like Sainte-Catherine Street. 

Berri-UQAM is also a main transfer hub of Montreal’s transit system, connecting three of the city’s four metro lines, Green, Orange and Yellow. According to transit operator Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Berri-UQAM, which underwent a $87 million refurbishment mostly completed in late 2020, is the busiest station in the system, with 12.6 million commuters passing through its turnstiles each year. 

Bright and inviting, KaleMart24 features LED lighting and eco-friendly building materials and furnishings, such as recycled and reclaimed wood and steel. 

Entrepreneur Sam Saoudi, who is CEO, director and founder of KaleMart24—a venture he first announced in January 2023 with the promise of it becoming the “Whole Foods of Convenience Stores” and disrupting the c-store category with healthier choices catering to a younger, on-the-go customer base—said an emphasis on sustainability with the store design is reflected in the natural sustainable products on offer to customers, too.

“KaleMart24 prioritizes suppliers that align with its commitment to healthier choices and environmental sustainability,” Saoudi said during an interview earlier this week with Convenience Store News Canada. He says that means brands dedicated to “sustainable sourcing, eco-friendly packaging and ethical standards.” 

“Local sourcing and transparency in practices are also emphasized,” he added. 

According to the KaleMart24 website, which includes online shopping capability through Shopify’s Shop Pay mobile checkout service, the food menu includes vegan rice bowls (like a Tempeh Buddha Bowl and Beyond @Chili Bowl), power snacks, sandwiches, hot ciabattas and self-serve hot drinks, like Matcha Tea and Americano. 

Lunch options include freshly prepared “organic superfood meals” by Canadian-based organic meal delivery company Bio Raw, which KaleMart24 recently promoted on its Instagram feed. KaleMart24 has also promoted on the social media platform the Toronto-based raw nut brand Handfuel and Frankie’s Organic Snacks, which is a Quebec-based brand. 

Confectionery brands on offer include Alter Ego organic chocolate bars, Simply Gum Fennel Natural Chewing Gum, Healthy Hippo low-sugar gummies and Hardbite handcrafted all-natural potato chips and root vegetable chips. 

In the jerky category, KaleMart24 carries Raincoast Trading Wild Salmon Jerky, non-GMO vegan jerky made from soy protein from the Canadian brand Noble, and Thrive Provisions meat bars in unique flavours like “maple apple and blueberry” and “honey lime and black pepper.”