The company's third-quarter 2023 operating performance has remained favorable relative to the same period last year. Elevated demand in discount stores, along with strong private-label sales and the company's personalized optimum PC offers, supported a 4.5% year-over-year rise in its food retail same-store sales (SSS). Loblaw's drug retail SSS also remained strong, up 4.6%. This is on top of the robust 7.7% improvement the company reported the previous year. The rise in Loblaw's drug store sales reflects the ongoing strength of its front-store beauty products and increased prescription sales. Considering the company's strong operating performance, we now believe it will end 2023 with SSS and revenue growth in the mid-single digit percent range, rather than the low-single digit percent range
