Long before Sephora ventured into Canada, there was Shoppers Drug Mart. The homegrown retailer was also a pioneer in merging mass and prestige way before Ulta Beauty entered the market. Countless US drugstore retailers have tried to duplicate its formula.Shoppers Drug Mart operates more than 1,300 stores (including Pharmaprix, as they are known in Quebec). The store count far exceeds the 100-plus Sephoras and covers most markets across the country.The assortments in all stores are typically more upscale than US drugstores, and there are 460 doors with elevated shops within stores called Beauty Boutiques. In the early days, Shoppers Drug Mart secured brands not typically sold in the mass market because its stores didn't overlap with department stores or specialty boutiques. Today, the retailer maintains customer loyalty and an upscale ambiance so that brands have no issue existing under a Shoppers Drug Mart roof. With many significant retailers retreating from Canada, the beauty pie is divided up by Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart with sprinkles of regional players. Gwennaëlle Varnier, Vice President of Prestige Beauty, points out that beauty is just one component of the assortment in Shoppers Drug Mart. Shoppers Drug Mart also serves large and small markets—often where it is the only location for beauty products. At this point, Sephora is still building up secondary markets.Shoppers Drug Mart has penetrated the market. Many Canadians live within 10 minutes of a store. The retailer nurtures strong loyalty—many of its shoppers grew up in the retailer’s aisles and shop there as adults today.