Australian comedian's viral reaction to Toronto's Nations Experience store
Peter Josip's bewildered reaction to a grocery store with an arcade, a food court and a play area has drawn attention to the concept, which also has a second location planned for Oakville in 2027.
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"There's a playground in a supermarket…with an arcade. Bubble tea, sushi, dim sum, pizza, burgers. What the hell?" That is how Australian comedian Peter Josip reacted on Instagram to Nations Experience, the 155,000-square-foot store at Stock Yards Village in Toronto that puts a grocery, a food court, an arcade, party rooms and an indoor play area under one roof.
If you shop at Stock Yards, this is the store already on your block. Josip said the idea is strange to Australians. "Culturally, it's very weird to Australians to have everything in one shop," he said. "For instance, being able to buy groceries in a Shoppers Drug Mart, or Walmart selling food, clothes, and electronics, and also having a McDonald's in there is very strange." In Australia, he said, those items are bought at separate retailers.
The store is run by Nations Fresh Food, described as a subsidiary of Oceans Fresh Food Market. The chain took over a former Target location at Stock Yards Village in 2017, and the Stock Yards store is its largest in Ontario. The concept was built to draw customers back to physical stores as online shopping grew.
When this came up in 2018, Canadian Grocer quoted senior VP Frank Ho saying the team "should have tripled the entertainment space" because party rooms were fully booked every weekend. A second Nations Experience is planned for Oakville Place, a space across two floors of the former Hudson's Bay. Construction is slated to start in late 2026, with an opening in 2027.
Nations Fresh Food and its parent company have not responded to requests for comment. Josip said Nations would be welcome in Australia, though no Australian location is planned. The Oakville build starts late 2026.
The facts
What does the Nations Experience store in Toronto include?
Nations Experience, a 155,000-square-foot store at Stock Yards Village in Toronto, combines a grocery, a food court, an arcade, party rooms and an indoor play area under one roof.
Who runs Nations Experience?
Nations Experience is run by Nations Fresh Food, which is described as a subsidiary of Oceans Fresh Food Market.
When did Nations Fresh Food take over the Stock Yards Village location?
Nations Fresh Food took over a former Target location at Stock Yards Village in 2017, and the Stock Yards Village store is the chain's largest in Ontario.
Where is the second Nations Experience planned, and when will it open?
A second Nations Experience is planned for Oakville Place, across two floors of the former Hudson's Bay in Oakville, with construction slated to start in late 2026 and an opening in 2027.
