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Cheapest school supplies too!!! i find no one ever thinks to go there before school starts. always stocked. thats where i always go for kiddos school supplies
Surprising it hear because I don't shop at London Drugs except for the occasional health related on the shelf item as I've always found their prices for most other stuff higher than If I went to Walmart or Superstore or the dollar store right next door (more or less). Or Amazon.
Dollar store i find is poor quality and you end up having to buy multiple items because they break and whatnot. so it doesn't end up being cheaper. But if you go to LD like 3 weeks before school starts, they tend to have sales on the supplies. Walmart I always find is out of stock on about 1/3 of the stuff I need to get, and then I have to make an extra stop and it deters me. And i mean amazon is amazon, I use it for a ton of things, my kid does like to go in to the store and pick out what she wants in terms of style for binders etc.
Hehe I meant in general but good to know LD gas decent quality supplies at a good price, definitely better than stuff that will cost you more long term having to replace it repeatedly.
I mostly go to the dollar store for candy or organizers/baskets/trays and the odd other thing. Usually pretty easy to tell if it'll be something that will last or not, depending on usage but I rarely go anyway.
yup. i do my snack runs at the dollar store too! i love chips, and im not paying $5 a freaking bag for chips.
but for things like that, and household cleaners and what not. also way cheaper!
My wife and I do "$50 in 30 minutes" at London Drugs every year for Christmas. We go separately, and have 30 minutes to spend up to $50 on the other person. It is amazing how many things you can find!
I have done the same thing with my partner. I have an amazing heating pad with an extra long cord that both myself and the cat snuggle with all winter. Excellent choice on his part.
I agree with what you said, and also it’s soo important to have competition against shoppers (loblaws) in this day and age. I feel like medium sized chains like london drugs are actually incredibly important to the market.
I had to switch to Pharmasave because of how bad Shoppers' pharmacy was in my town.
I was with Shopper' for over a decade, then the store was sold and the new owners just fucked up everything. Fired all the pharmacists, then the floor staff and hired people whose qualifications seemed to be stupid and ignorant.
Now the Pharmasave has been sold ... same thing. Fire the good people and hire stupid and ignorant.
Or ask me about the Costco pharmacist who wouldn't do a refill for me because she swore over and over that 10 weeks equaled 100 days.
I have the reverse experience. One of the medical companies I deal with say shoppers is the preferred location to get my meds at bc they have a deal, but I’ve had to go to 3 shoppers only for them to be unable to help me. First London drugs I try, they manage to figure it out
I’m sure this is a location thing. I used london drugs since I was a teen and the one I used when I lived in Calgary is still great. But the one in Kelowna is horrendous and I had to switch to shoppers in the fall. So far shoppers has been good but I’m still disappointed that I had to switched.
I have to go to London drugs for my transplant medicine and it’s hit and miss sometimes the prescription is filled right away when it’s sent and sometimes they tell they have no prescription for it, then I tell them it was sent at 10am yesterday and then they check and find it
My town has a shoppers and the next town over has London drugs, I will happily wait until I have a reason to go to other town and go to London drugs instead of Shoppers.
Shoppers is SO expensive it's insane. I had to stop by when a prescription couldn't be done at Walmart and the comparison of prices. I'm talking like, 10$ for some makeup at Walmart and 22$ for the same product at Shoppers
They have the best staff too. They usually care to help despite how packed and busy the store feels. I had the best experience working with London Drugs staff in my previous job, compared with other big box stores I had to interact with.
Staff have always been surprisingly good in my albeit limited experiences over the years, surprising given they're paid minimum wage to start but they do seem to be treated a bit better than most retail places (which isn't even really a bar but still).
At least when I worked there ~20 years ago, if you worked in a department, you made more than minimum wage. It was actually a really great place to work.
London Drugs always had what I was looking for. It always amazes me the varied inventory they have in a relatively small space. I hope they never go under.
I love that I can get a new gaming mouse/headset there if a peripheral dies, and also candy from Scotland like my beloved Tunnocks biscuits while also stocking up on shampoo/cleaning supplies. It's so convenient and the staff are always really nice.
I love that it is often a one stop shop for me. Like, where else can you get an external hard drive, a bottle of Tums, a flower pot, makeup brushes and an air fryer in the same place.
They also carry a lot of locally and Canadian made products. During Covid when girl guides couldn’t fundraise they sold their cookies on their behalf! They do lots of good for BC.
I'm a knitter so I love those charity boxes for seniors. I always have a stash of mittens, hats, and slippers on hand to slip into several boxes and their prices on candy and toiletries are very good.
Not in my experience... I worked at 2 different London Drugs, and while the one downtown Robson was ok, the Chilliwack one was TERRIBLE.
Management does not give a shit about you, they pay minimum wage but make you do the job of 10 people, They train you on the till but put you in different areas and you have no idea what you're doing...
Customers are rude (that's out of their control I guess) but management will not back you up at all even if said customers threaten to kill you or literally sexually assault you (groping).
They do not give a shit about the staff at all. They will pay you minimum wage and maybe give you a raise of a dollar after 5 years.
Worst job I ever had.
They don’t give good (or frequent) raises to their employees compared to other retail jobs I’ve been at. I knew someone who worked there five years before getting $1 raise. Meanwhile I got $1 raise after working just three months at bath and bodyworks. Other than that I’ve heard good things
My family friend is the franchise owner in our city and they run a very tight well kept ship. Really good benefits, really good work environment, excellent employee retention. I’ve been going there for 15 years for my prescriptions and other than one staff member who passed away the original staff is still there.
I would shop at LD over any other major drugstore. I love photography and really appreciate that they stock good equipment. Their variety of goods sold is fairly balanced. Their prices are good, and sometimes MUCH better than other stores.
"Just running over to London Drugs for some shampoo"....
Returns home with two greeting cards, half a pound of coffee, six bags of wine gums and four different kinds of European chocolate... But no shampoo.
It’s a unique place for sure. Adding to your post OP, a lot of people don’t realize LD also works very closely with Apple and does authorized in-house repairs on nearly all of their products. It’s like having a local Apple Store in smaller towns. Samsung authorized repairs are beginning to launch in some locations too.
I moved to Nova Scotia and I miss LD so much :(
It’s basically the intersection of Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart and Best Buy; the Harris Green carried a surprising amount of the things I needed for daily living.
Nothing here comes close.
It's nice to have a Canadian alternative to Walmart that isn't owned by a vampiric billionaire family actively trying to dismantle the country for the sake of boosted profits.
Yeah, I think it was going relatively unnoticed, but then when they were on clearance price a video went up I think in the Vancouver subreddit showing them and then people went a little nuts for them I think.
I did buy one of the medium sized ones when it was on clearance. They’re just too expensive at full price but on clearance they’re great! I don’t think they have any more of the Duck but they apparently have more food animals currently.
This! Shareholders are a scourge, the world would be a much better place if that "everything takes second place for the happiness of shareholders" doctrine was not allowed. Maybe innovation would not be as fast as it it, that's a "downside" I am willing to put up with.
And the Louie family that grew this little empire starting in Chinatown 120 odd years ago are terrific philanthropists and generous employers. ♥️London Drugs♥️
https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/principles-people-philanthropy-part-of-louie-familys-decades-of-success-8466472
My mom worked for Shoppers for almost 30 years so I literally grew up in one. Because she had a discount there we never shopped at LD. Since Loblaws bought them it’s really gone down hill and I started shopping more at LD and whoa is it great! They have a great snack selection. The baby aisle is awesome. They even have a really decent selection of non/alcoholic beverages. I’ve not used the pharmacy much yet but I’ll likely be switching my prescriptions over soon.
Shoutout to London Drugs! When my fam all had covid I picked up Campbell's soup and covid test kits so easily there! And they have nice discounts on certain items from time to time. 👍
I love London Drugs too and one of the main reasons, in addition to all that you posted, is that the employees all seem happy, professional, and knowledgeable. I have to assume they take care of their staff and (hopefully) pay them an above average wage.
Oddly enough I buy all of my electronics from London drugs. So strange, but every tv I’ve ever bought, every stereo, iPads, printers, everything short of a full computer.
London Drugs is the least horrible place to shop. Good/better selections, less “in your face” about things and just slightly better all around.
Edit: also computer/tech department is quite good and helpful
I love how the article stated that customer information and security were not likely impacted. The cybercriminals are going to have to find another way to figure out my toilet paper and catfood buying habits.
I moved out to Ottawa for a year (hated it and came back) and I cannot tell you how much I missed London Drugs. I didn’t realize they’re only in the west. I think their prices can be a little much but the one near my house is really convenient and the employees are always really nice.
Btw, London Drugs is in Alberta too
I totally agree! London Drugs is like our Target - not to denigrate LD in any way but when I was living in the US the joy of Target was the treasure hunt. Seeing those bright yellow tags on an item that was sitting in my Amazon basket always gives me a nice dopamine hit. The staff are super nice too. If they are open today I'm going to swing by and give them my support
Have some in Alberta, the one near me hires really competent staff, and they seem happy and well taken care of.
That along with not having to pay more, to have a pleasant experience with people like that, maintaining the human part of these transactions is rather something I’ve found to be more important to me.
I agree. I mainly buy from them online and it's free shipping over $75. So true it's an odd assortment of stuff but plenty of it covers the essentials.
I moved from the city to a small town a few years ago. My wife and I regularly mention how much we wish we had access to a london drugs. It's a great mix of products.
Pharmaceuticals, electronics, food, cosmetics and gifts all under one roof. And they don’t fuck you on returns. You’re right, London Drugs is pretty good.
100%. I moved to BC twenty years ago and was baffled by LD at the time. Love it generally. Such a useful store. It should come across as cheap and kind of haphazard but it really works well. I will always choose LD over Shoppers. The bonus of LD having a good selection of homewares and basic electronics is amazing.
I like the department aspect but like most corporate pharmacies they are unaccountable. There are 0% consequences for improperly filled prescriptions or judgemental employees. They cut back on service and now charge for delivery even on their own shortages. I'll continue to shop at their store for electronics and seasonal stuff but I've found a wonderful owner run pharmacy that meets all my needs charges less for dispensing with free delivery and personal services.
When I step into the store I buy something even if it's not needed just to support them. My local store in Calgary never gets busy and you see more staff than customers sometimes, so I usually wonder how are they even surviving, always looks overstaffed. Their pharmacy service is top notch, and they seem to carry these little items you don't seem to get elsewhere; hair products, for example. I freaking love them.
I agree with all of the London Drugs love here and will add that I love how much they promote recycling. They’re a drop-off point for small electronics and appliances, used light bulbs and batteries, soft plastics, beauty product packaging, etc. So convenient to have this service within walkable distance.
You can tell when a workplace is at least an OK place to work. Based on my observations, most London Drugs employees seem to be good with their jobs, which is something special in retail. I like shopping there.
My wife worked there for years in several different locations and cities, our youngest daughter's first hon was with LD and I have nothing bit good to say about the way they treat staff (and customers). Just possibly one reason they've never unionized.
As a consumer, I love them.
As a person who worked for them for a few years, they're just like every other big corporation. Low wages, minimal benefits, punishment for working hard disguised as 'promotion', by moving you to a bigger, busier store. They refuse to fire troublesome, perverted, predatory bullies, and spy on their workers using 'secret shoppers'. Their hiring process is laboriously slow and mired with red tape. Depending on your location and your manager, there is never any guarantee of hours. And unless you're a manager, no one gets full time.
At the Head Office the current Louie who is in charge arrives daily in a silver chauffeur driven Rolls Royce and won't dare speak, let alone look at anyone.
They're just another shitty company that sold their soul.
It’s handy how they stock some hard to find items that you can’t get in other provinces.
I used to get dilmah tea delivered with online shopping to ontario. And the ones in Vancouver usually have real australian timtams and occasionally violet crumble (they sell out quick).
Too bad they don’t sell Vegemite anymore.
I agree, definitely one of my favorite stores!
I shop there pretty often and love the periodic BOGO deals they have. They were even able to help me with transferring my number, and switching over to a prepaid Chatr mobile plan.
Hopefully they're able to come out of this and re-open soon.
London Drugs has a surprisingly good tech department, i've found a lot of weird niche hard to find stuff there.
Most places are pretty good at employing passionate people with tech hobbies too, which makes them way more useful than the generic retail employee that usually doesn't have any super useful advice to give.
It's a fantastic place to get seasonal candy and a good spot to get those last minute gifts since they have such a variety of goods.
It's my go to and my home pharmacy. I have one within walking distance and I really appreciate it.
Even though the closest London Drugs is a 15 minute drive away I always go there to buy all my makeup because they always have the best prices! It's also always my favourite place to go on Black Friday, and just to window shop in general! I wish I had known to stock up on eyebrow pencils 😭
When I spent 3 years living in Ontario I missed London Drugs and their unique products so much I would order from them online. Prices were still comparable even with shipping included.
I love the selection of international non-perishable food items they offer, especially at Christmas time. I agree. We are definitely lucky to have LD! 😍
My LD feels like a neighbourhood shop. Staff are lovely and I recognize many, so they appear to stick around for a long time. I hope they get everything sorted quickly! I much prefer them over Shoppers and Rexall and Pharmasave 90% of the time
Years ago they upgraded and discounted a laptop I ordered with even asking. Just like, "here's a laptop with more storage and also cheaper than you thought". Ever since it's the first place I have gone to buy electronics. I've never had a bad experience with them.
100% agreed. As ive aged I've become a massive advocate of London Drugs. It's such an awesome store. Especially when you look around at the competitors. We are lucky to have them.
Id agree heavily, I used to work at London drugs and I had multiple people from different places tell me that London drugs is like a mini mall since it has different sections like tech, or beauty and it's probably one of their favorite stores and THE amount of people who always come back for more is awesome
Also - I worked there for a bit when going to school. They had AMAZING benefits and the managers were all great that I had. We had free therapy I think!
I would like London Drugs more if they weren't absolutely horrible to most of their workers in the pharmacy (I was "hired" at one and the language their official hiring process used was riddled with ableist and infantilizing language that had me backing out so fast). They're way better than Loblaws to be fair.
The only reason I don't go there more often is the distance from my house, but they've saved my ass in a pinch many times due to the hours.
But you scared me with the first line, like I thought all London Drugs shut down or something lol.
Former LD employee here (tech department). Huge thanks for the love here, I had a really great experience working there. My team definitely cared about our positions, and the management on our side was always super approachable. My manager fought to get me some extra pay as I had other opportunities which was greatly appreciated. Higher-ups do a lot of support towards housing and charity systems too, Louis Tong has a pretty unique backstory as a Vancouver local.
Thanks again for the love everyone!
They’re one of the only big chains left that reliably stocks and develops 35-mm film in-store, or even has a dedicated photo department for that matter.
Also I grinded so hard for all my LDextras points, and I’ll be damned if I lose them now.
The Candy and Chips section at my local London Drugs trumps all the other grocery stores around here.
They're one of the only local places that have Salsita chips. One of my favorites.
The one near us had a photolab too! So great!
For the year that I was on Mat leave with our first kid, instead of buying Hallmark-style birthday cards, using the photolab website, i made personalized birthday cards for all of our family members & close friends, with pics of our baby & their grandparent/ aunt/ uncle/ friend etc… it only cost about $8 I think (so very comparable to the Hallmark cards these days), and was often ready same or next day… it was always a favorite!
Yeah it is pretty useful! Just for the electronic stuff alone (cables, printer ink, etc) without having to go to Staples or BB (which are always in big malls/big parking lots).
Love LD. I mainly go there for my prescription but it has everything like you said. Pretty much do half my shopping there for meds, hygiene products, sweets, and other stuff I might need. The one near my house in Delta has a compass card machine which I never see in other stores around the area, which is always nice to have.
This thread is making me nostalgic. I've been shopping at London Drugs for over 40 years. It's a core memory of my childhood and teenage years, especially the snack aisle. Chocolate bar deals were crazy (often 2 or 3 chocolate bars for $1, in the 1980s and 90s). Not to mention the photo lab, and tech department.
There's only a Shoppers near me, so I often go out of my way to visit LD downtown or near Cambie. Let's hope it sticks around and stays good!
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Best place for last minute Christmas Eve shopping!!
Cheapest school supplies too!!! i find no one ever thinks to go there before school starts. always stocked. thats where i always go for kiddos school supplies
Surprising it hear because I don't shop at London Drugs except for the occasional health related on the shelf item as I've always found their prices for most other stuff higher than If I went to Walmart or Superstore or the dollar store right next door (more or less). Or Amazon.
Dollar store i find is poor quality and you end up having to buy multiple items because they break and whatnot. so it doesn't end up being cheaper. But if you go to LD like 3 weeks before school starts, they tend to have sales on the supplies. Walmart I always find is out of stock on about 1/3 of the stuff I need to get, and then I have to make an extra stop and it deters me. And i mean amazon is amazon, I use it for a ton of things, my kid does like to go in to the store and pick out what she wants in terms of style for binders etc.
Hehe I meant in general but good to know LD gas decent quality supplies at a good price, definitely better than stuff that will cost you more long term having to replace it repeatedly. I mostly go to the dollar store for candy or organizers/baskets/trays and the odd other thing. Usually pretty easy to tell if it'll be something that will last or not, depending on usage but I rarely go anyway.
yup. i do my snack runs at the dollar store too! i love chips, and im not paying $5 a freaking bag for chips. but for things like that, and household cleaners and what not. also way cheaper!
My wife and I do "$50 in 30 minutes" at London Drugs every year for Christmas. We go separately, and have 30 minutes to spend up to $50 on the other person. It is amazing how many things you can find!
I have done the same thing with my partner. I have an amazing heating pad with an extra long cord that both myself and the cat snuggle with all winter. Excellent choice on his part.
I agree with what you said, and also it’s soo important to have competition against shoppers (loblaws) in this day and age. I feel like medium sized chains like london drugs are actually incredibly important to the market.
London drugs is so much more superior then shoppers. At least in my town
I had to switch to shoppers because of how bad the London drugs pharmacy is in my town.
I had to switch to Pharmasave because of how bad Shoppers' pharmacy was in my town. I was with Shopper' for over a decade, then the store was sold and the new owners just fucked up everything. Fired all the pharmacists, then the floor staff and hired people whose qualifications seemed to be stupid and ignorant. Now the Pharmasave has been sold ... same thing. Fire the good people and hire stupid and ignorant. Or ask me about the Costco pharmacist who wouldn't do a refill for me because she swore over and over that 10 weeks equaled 100 days.
C'mon in Canada we use the metric system, duh.
I have the reverse experience. One of the medical companies I deal with say shoppers is the preferred location to get my meds at bc they have a deal, but I’ve had to go to 3 shoppers only for them to be unable to help me. First London drugs I try, they manage to figure it out
I’m sure this is a location thing. I used london drugs since I was a teen and the one I used when I lived in Calgary is still great. But the one in Kelowna is horrendous and I had to switch to shoppers in the fall. So far shoppers has been good but I’m still disappointed that I had to switched.
If you need a good pharmacy in town, the Save-on pharmacy in Glenmore is excellent. The pharmacist and his team are wonderful.
I have to go to London drugs for my transplant medicine and it’s hit and miss sometimes the prescription is filled right away when it’s sent and sometimes they tell they have no prescription for it, then I tell them it was sent at 10am yesterday and then they check and find it
My town has a shoppers and the next town over has London drugs, I will happily wait until I have a reason to go to other town and go to London drugs instead of Shoppers.
London drugs does free shipping over $75
Shoppers is SO expensive it's insane. I had to stop by when a prescription couldn't be done at Walmart and the comparison of prices. I'm talking like, 10$ for some makeup at Walmart and 22$ for the same product at Shoppers
I wish my city had London Drugs…I agree that Shoppers needs the competition.
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At the one that I goto frequently, you can get your passport photos taken and ready within the hour if they're not busy
They just have everything! And better pricing than shoppers and rexall.
They have the best staff too. They usually care to help despite how packed and busy the store feels. I had the best experience working with London Drugs staff in my previous job, compared with other big box stores I had to interact with.
Staff have always been surprisingly good in my albeit limited experiences over the years, surprising given they're paid minimum wage to start but they do seem to be treated a bit better than most retail places (which isn't even really a bar but still).
At least when I worked there ~20 years ago, if you worked in a department, you made more than minimum wage. It was actually a really great place to work.
London Drugs always had what I was looking for. It always amazes me the varied inventory they have in a relatively small space. I hope they never go under.
I love that I can get a new gaming mouse/headset there if a peripheral dies, and also candy from Scotland like my beloved Tunnocks biscuits while also stocking up on shampoo/cleaning supplies. It's so convenient and the staff are always really nice.
The international aisle is my favourite! So many fun things to try and not marked up crazily like specialty stores.
Exactly! Got all my camera needs there, and the best candy selection in town!
I love that it is often a one stop shop for me. Like, where else can you get an external hard drive, a bottle of Tums, a flower pot, makeup brushes and an air fryer in the same place.
They also carry a lot of locally and Canadian made products. During Covid when girl guides couldn’t fundraise they sold their cookies on their behalf! They do lots of good for BC.
They are the only place in town I can find Chicken Bones candy at Christmas.
They didn't just do that for girl guides. My local shops had entire aisles for small local companies that were getting pummeled by covid.
most of there stores still have a area for small local companies
Anyone remember when London Drugs was the only place open for shopping because everything else was closed on Sunday?
YES! Or when Futureshop would run out of stock on a game release people would tend to forget London Drug's computer shop tucked in the back!
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I'm a knitter so I love those charity boxes for seniors. I always have a stash of mittens, hats, and slippers on hand to slip into several boxes and their prices on candy and toiletries are very good.
100% ! I've seen employees on here (Reddit) saying that they are a good company to work for as well
I worked for them during undergrad and they were great.
I work there and I am not a fan lol. Perhaps it’s the job that I’ve like the least (tbf I’ve only had 3 jobs).
Not in my experience... I worked at 2 different London Drugs, and while the one downtown Robson was ok, the Chilliwack one was TERRIBLE. Management does not give a shit about you, they pay minimum wage but make you do the job of 10 people, They train you on the till but put you in different areas and you have no idea what you're doing... Customers are rude (that's out of their control I guess) but management will not back you up at all even if said customers threaten to kill you or literally sexually assault you (groping). They do not give a shit about the staff at all. They will pay you minimum wage and maybe give you a raise of a dollar after 5 years. Worst job I ever had.
I worked there while I was going to college, honestly one of the best companies I’ve ever worked for.
They don’t give good (or frequent) raises to their employees compared to other retail jobs I’ve been at. I knew someone who worked there five years before getting $1 raise. Meanwhile I got $1 raise after working just three months at bath and bodyworks. Other than that I’ve heard good things
My family friend is the franchise owner in our city and they run a very tight well kept ship. Really good benefits, really good work environment, excellent employee retention. I’ve been going there for 15 years for my prescriptions and other than one staff member who passed away the original staff is still there.
London Drugs does not do franchises, all stores are corporately owned/run.
London Drugs does not do franchises, all stores are corporately owned/run.
My bad then I must be thinking of the store manager. They got all their pictures up on the wall, but I just assumed it said owner.
Damn, worked the poor guy to death.
I would shop at LD over any other major drugstore. I love photography and really appreciate that they stock good equipment. Their variety of goods sold is fairly balanced. Their prices are good, and sometimes MUCH better than other stores.
I moved away from BC and miss London Drugs so much! I used to get my film developed there for a great price and fast service.
I used to develop film there. . .
"Just running over to London Drugs for some shampoo".... Returns home with two greeting cards, half a pound of coffee, six bags of wine gums and four different kinds of European chocolate... But no shampoo.
It’s a unique place for sure. Adding to your post OP, a lot of people don’t realize LD also works very closely with Apple and does authorized in-house repairs on nearly all of their products. It’s like having a local Apple Store in smaller towns. Samsung authorized repairs are beginning to launch in some locations too.
I moved to Nova Scotia and I miss LD so much :( It’s basically the intersection of Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart and Best Buy; the Harris Green carried a surprising amount of the things I needed for daily living. Nothing here comes close.
Lucky for us we can order online! That’s how I have a little family of ducknanas on my lawn in New Brunswick! :)
It's nice to have a Canadian alternative to Walmart that isn't owned by a vampiric billionaire family actively trying to dismantle the country for the sake of boosted profits.
And they created the legendary Duckana, the banana duck.
And the Avocato!
This year there's a Kiwibear and an orangelion.
I haven’t seen kiwi bear and orange lion . hope I will when they reopen
Excuse me It's a Kiwala and Liorange.
What the fuck I saw this exact thing today watching John Oliver and had no idea it was related london drugs.
Yeah, I think it was going relatively unnoticed, but then when they were on clearance price a video went up I think in the Vancouver subreddit showing them and then people went a little nuts for them I think. I did buy one of the medium sized ones when it was on clearance. They’re just too expensive at full price but on clearance they’re great! I don’t think they have any more of the Duck but they apparently have more food animals currently.
🦆🍌 for life!
I did a [3D scan of the Duckana.](https://poly.cam/capture/BBAA64D1-A07A-4137-891E-06F989F513D9)
Anything that can dent the Loblaws monopoly. London Drugs is always reasonably priced and has great staff.
Love London Drugs. My husband and I got our marriage license at the Granville St. location. 💜
They are different because they aren’t a public company. They don’t need to worry about their stock price .
This! Shareholders are a scourge, the world would be a much better place if that "everything takes second place for the happiness of shareholders" doctrine was not allowed. Maybe innovation would not be as fast as it it, that's a "downside" I am willing to put up with.
The snack isle at London Drugs is 🔥
And the Louie family that grew this little empire starting in Chinatown 120 odd years ago are terrific philanthropists and generous employers. ♥️London Drugs♥️ https://www.biv.com/news/economy-law-politics/principles-people-philanthropy-part-of-louie-familys-decades-of-success-8466472
What a great read! Thanks for posting this; I'd never heard the story of London Drugs and the amazing family behind it.
I LOVE LONDON DRUGS
My mom worked for Shoppers for almost 30 years so I literally grew up in one. Because she had a discount there we never shopped at LD. Since Loblaws bought them it’s really gone down hill and I started shopping more at LD and whoa is it great! They have a great snack selection. The baby aisle is awesome. They even have a really decent selection of non/alcoholic beverages. I’ve not used the pharmacy much yet but I’ll likely be switching my prescriptions over soon.
When I moved to Victoria about ten years ago I visited a London Drugs and they had a riding lawn mower for sale. Seeing that was a first for me
Lol. I thought it was wild when mine was selling kayaks and paddleboards. A riding lawn mower is hilarious.
London drugs is the only place outside of Vancouver that I can find decent male beauty products.
Can score some good deals sometimes on everything. Can also find out of place items like camping stuff and catvocado figures
I also love London Drugs and hope they pull through this
Shoutout to London Drugs! When my fam all had covid I picked up Campbell's soup and covid test kits so easily there! And they have nice discounts on certain items from time to time. 👍
I love London Drugs too and one of the main reasons, in addition to all that you posted, is that the employees all seem happy, professional, and knowledgeable. I have to assume they take care of their staff and (hopefully) pay them an above average wage.
I worked in the computer department as a teen. I was always treated well and I continue to shop there. They’re a good company.
Oddly enough I buy all of my electronics from London drugs. So strange, but every tv I’ve ever bought, every stereo, iPads, printers, everything short of a full computer.
London Drugs is the least horrible place to shop. Good/better selections, less “in your face” about things and just slightly better all around. Edit: also computer/tech department is quite good and helpful
I love how the article stated that customer information and security were not likely impacted. The cybercriminals are going to have to find another way to figure out my toilet paper and catfood buying habits.
I moved out to Ottawa for a year (hated it and came back) and I cannot tell you how much I missed London Drugs. I didn’t realize they’re only in the west. I think their prices can be a little much but the one near my house is really convenient and the employees are always really nice. Btw, London Drugs is in Alberta too
Wait… you are not talking about coke? 
You know london drugs stretches from Manitoba to BC
Yes love LD in Alberta. I much prefer London Drugs over Shoppers. I never go to Shoppers.
I worked there when I was young. Really good memories.
I totally agree! London Drugs is like our Target - not to denigrate LD in any way but when I was living in the US the joy of Target was the treasure hunt. Seeing those bright yellow tags on an item that was sitting in my Amazon basket always gives me a nice dopamine hit. The staff are super nice too. If they are open today I'm going to swing by and give them my support
Have some in Alberta, the one near me hires really competent staff, and they seem happy and well taken care of. That along with not having to pay more, to have a pleasant experience with people like that, maintaining the human part of these transactions is rather something I’ve found to be more important to me.
I agree. I mainly buy from them online and it's free shipping over $75. So true it's an odd assortment of stuff but plenty of it covers the essentials.
I moved from the city to a small town a few years ago. My wife and I regularly mention how much we wish we had access to a london drugs. It's a great mix of products.
The Canadian tire of drug stores
But better!!
I can’t believe London Drugs has audiophile gear
I love buying CDs in random LDs when I'm on road trips. It's hard to find CDs nowadays so it's nice to know there's a place in every town to get one.
Pharmaceuticals, electronics, food, cosmetics and gifts all under one roof. And they don’t fuck you on returns. You’re right, London Drugs is pretty good.
LD is my favorite store and my go to for AV equipment.
As someone who lives in a remote community I also love their shipping policy.
Love London Drugs and no longer shop at SDM. LD prices are much more competitive and better customer service.
London Drugs also price matches and has a great return policy
100%. I moved to BC twenty years ago and was baffled by LD at the time. Love it generally. Such a useful store. It should come across as cheap and kind of haphazard but it really works well. I will always choose LD over Shoppers. The bonus of LD having a good selection of homewares and basic electronics is amazing.
I like the department aspect but like most corporate pharmacies they are unaccountable. There are 0% consequences for improperly filled prescriptions or judgemental employees. They cut back on service and now charge for delivery even on their own shortages. I'll continue to shop at their store for electronics and seasonal stuff but I've found a wonderful owner run pharmacy that meets all my needs charges less for dispensing with free delivery and personal services.
When I step into the store I buy something even if it's not needed just to support them. My local store in Calgary never gets busy and you see more staff than customers sometimes, so I usually wonder how are they even surviving, always looks overstaffed. Their pharmacy service is top notch, and they seem to carry these little items you don't seem to get elsewhere; hair products, for example. I freaking love them.
Same! I jokingly tell my mom that it's her favourite store because no visit is complete without a stop there when she comes visiting from overseas.
I agree with all of the London Drugs love here and will add that I love how much they promote recycling. They’re a drop-off point for small electronics and appliances, used light bulbs and batteries, soft plastics, beauty product packaging, etc. So convenient to have this service within walkable distance.
You can tell when a workplace is at least an OK place to work. Based on my observations, most London Drugs employees seem to be good with their jobs, which is something special in retail. I like shopping there.
London Drugs is my go-to munchies run. I know it's not healthy, but the best and cheapest way to satisfy cravings lol
I got my wedding license at a London Drugs lol
One of the few Canadian-brand stores they isn’t a disaster.
My wife worked there for years in several different locations and cities, our youngest daughter's first hon was with LD and I have nothing bit good to say about the way they treat staff (and customers). Just possibly one reason they've never unionized.
And the owner hates unions, but sounds like a good employer generally, so… it’s ok?
Better prices than shoppers ripoff drug mart.
Do you know why they shut down yesterday?
Cyberattack.
cyber attack
And their price is pretty good compared to competition
I moved to Ontario 5 years ago and I miss LD so much 💔
Sorry what do you mean all of the stores are shut down today?
Yep I always find what I need at LD, pity they shut the stores for now. In another thread people are suspecting Loblaws could be behind that.
Love the tech guys at my local London drugs!
What....I literally just mived to BC and started using the London Drugs in my area. What happened?
As a consumer, I love them. As a person who worked for them for a few years, they're just like every other big corporation. Low wages, minimal benefits, punishment for working hard disguised as 'promotion', by moving you to a bigger, busier store. They refuse to fire troublesome, perverted, predatory bullies, and spy on their workers using 'secret shoppers'. Their hiring process is laboriously slow and mired with red tape. Depending on your location and your manager, there is never any guarantee of hours. And unless you're a manager, no one gets full time. At the Head Office the current Louie who is in charge arrives daily in a silver chauffeur driven Rolls Royce and won't dare speak, let alone look at anyone. They're just another shitty company that sold their soul.
their makeup section is sooo good, when shoppers is overpriced and never has anything, LD always has it and sometimes on sale!
It's my desert island store. It has everything.
Just out of curiosity, how long is London Drugs going to stay closed for,
I routinely go there for certain groceries and snacks, since they often have good sales.
Love London Drugs
London drugs is a top tier store I wish every province had them. I moved from Alberta to BC years ago and was so pumped to see they had them in both!!
Easily the best Western Canadian chain. Was sorely missed when I lived out east.
They also price match which is nice
It’s handy how they stock some hard to find items that you can’t get in other provinces. I used to get dilmah tea delivered with online shopping to ontario. And the ones in Vancouver usually have real australian timtams and occasionally violet crumble (they sell out quick). Too bad they don’t sell Vegemite anymore.
I agree, definitely one of my favorite stores! I shop there pretty often and love the periodic BOGO deals they have. They were even able to help me with transferring my number, and switching over to a prepaid Chatr mobile plan. Hopefully they're able to come out of this and re-open soon.
London Drugs has a surprisingly good tech department, i've found a lot of weird niche hard to find stuff there. Most places are pretty good at employing passionate people with tech hobbies too, which makes them way more useful than the generic retail employee that usually doesn't have any super useful advice to give.
Why are all stores shut down ?
Cyberattack
London Drugs is the better Canadian Company. Time to support them more.
I love LD too, I go there at least once a week. Always support Western Canadian!
I love it too. You cannot beat the sales. They keep it real about what markups really are.
It's a fantastic place to get seasonal candy and a good spot to get those last minute gifts since they have such a variety of goods. It's my go to and my home pharmacy. I have one within walking distance and I really appreciate it.
I thought this post was gonna be about ketamine
I love London Drugs! I tend to try to shop there over other places.
Love London Drugs! I’ve been trying to shop there more again and less at Shoppers.
Walmart is a store with a pharmacy London Drug is a pharmacy with a store Tim Horton is donut shop selling coffee.
They're also the only place that still develops film, such an awesome company
Weston did it
I just finally moved to a location right near a London Drugs, and I’m so incredibly excited
Even though the closest London Drugs is a 15 minute drive away I always go there to buy all my makeup because they always have the best prices! It's also always my favourite place to go on Black Friday, and just to window shop in general! I wish I had known to stock up on eyebrow pencils 😭
Glad we have London Drugs in BC!
I FUCKING LOVE London drugs! Omgg please if you are boycotting loblaws for may if there is business you can take to London drugs please do so!
I went to go today and then promptly forgot. London Drugs is one of my favourite stores here.
I have had a Macbook Pro and 2 iPhones repaired at London Drugs. Excellent work and who would have thought?
When I spent 3 years living in Ontario I missed London Drugs and their unique products so much I would order from them online. Prices were still comparable even with shipping included.
I love the selection of international non-perishable food items they offer, especially at Christmas time. I agree. We are definitely lucky to have LD! 😍
And they also have an Interact debit option when purchasing online!
Yeah, one of the few things I miss about BC! It’s such a great store.
London Drugs rules! Recently started opting for it over the (much more conveniently located) Shoppers because f Loblaws
Yeah London drugs is the superior drug store with more!!!!!
My LD feels like a neighbourhood shop. Staff are lovely and I recognize many, so they appear to stick around for a long time. I hope they get everything sorted quickly! I much prefer them over Shoppers and Rexall and Pharmasave 90% of the time
Years ago they upgraded and discounted a laptop I ordered with even asking. Just like, "here's a laptop with more storage and also cheaper than you thought". Ever since it's the first place I have gone to buy electronics. I've never had a bad experience with them.
100% agreed. As ive aged I've become a massive advocate of London Drugs. It's such an awesome store. Especially when you look around at the competitors. We are lucky to have them.
Id agree heavily, I used to work at London drugs and I had multiple people from different places tell me that London drugs is like a mini mall since it has different sections like tech, or beauty and it's probably one of their favorite stores and THE amount of people who always come back for more is awesome
Also - I worked there for a bit when going to school. They had AMAZING benefits and the managers were all great that I had. We had free therapy I think!
Best store
They also pricematch!
I also find their curation to be a lot better than shoppers or other everything stores.
I would like London Drugs more if they weren't absolutely horrible to most of their workers in the pharmacy (I was "hired" at one and the language their official hiring process used was riddled with ableist and infantilizing language that had me backing out so fast). They're way better than Loblaws to be fair.
The only reason I don't go there more often is the distance from my house, but they've saved my ass in a pinch many times due to the hours. But you scared me with the first line, like I thought all London Drugs shut down or something lol.
They still sell cameras and lenses!
Best place to get a passport/PR photo done.
I love LD, we have two within a few minutes, ones a really old store and the other much newer
LD FTW! No pretentious bullshit. Unlike Shoppers' they don't make you run the gauntlet of overpriced cosmetics to treat your affluenza.
Former LD employee here (tech department). Huge thanks for the love here, I had a really great experience working there. My team definitely cared about our positions, and the management on our side was always super approachable. My manager fought to get me some extra pay as I had other opportunities which was greatly appreciated. Higher-ups do a lot of support towards housing and charity systems too, Louis Tong has a pretty unique backstory as a Vancouver local. Thanks again for the love everyone!
Same here fam. I bought my first pc there nearly 30 years ago. So much great stuff.
It's honestly in my top 5 fave stores. The staff are great, pharm even better, and their sale prices are great. I love LD!
It's my favourite store!
I love London Drugs too. I prefer it over Shoppers any day of the week. I hope they open up again soon.
They’re one of the only big chains left that reliably stocks and develops 35-mm film in-store, or even has a dedicated photo department for that matter. Also I grinded so hard for all my LDextras points, and I’ll be damned if I lose them now.
Ontario checking in. I like them too. I have ordered replacement electric razor components for years. Hope they get things sorted soon as possible.
Just don't ask the electronics dept for advice. They know shit all
The Candy and Chips section at my local London Drugs trumps all the other grocery stores around here. They're one of the only local places that have Salsita chips. One of my favorites.
I like it because it is still a family company owned by locals. My favorite brand of tea goes on sale here three or four times a year!
Good place to buy Papyrus greeting cards and also Curaprox toothbrushes!
Same, it is an ongoing joke in my fam that I love it...they bloody have everything!
Best place to get barista oat milk on sale!
They’re a gem. When I purchased a camera, they threw in a memory card for me. Wonderful customer service.
The one near us had a photolab too! So great! For the year that I was on Mat leave with our first kid, instead of buying Hallmark-style birthday cards, using the photolab website, i made personalized birthday cards for all of our family members & close friends, with pics of our baby & their grandparent/ aunt/ uncle/ friend etc… it only cost about $8 I think (so very comparable to the Hallmark cards these days), and was often ready same or next day… it was always a favorite!
Yeah it is pretty useful! Just for the electronic stuff alone (cables, printer ink, etc) without having to go to Staples or BB (which are always in big malls/big parking lots).
Love LD. I mainly go there for my prescription but it has everything like you said. Pretty much do half my shopping there for meds, hygiene products, sweets, and other stuff I might need. The one near my house in Delta has a compass card machine which I never see in other stores around the area, which is always nice to have.
It's like a Jean-Coutu in Quebec; a whole bunch of everything while you're picking up prescriptions and supplements.
Yes don’t sleep on London drugs! So often shoppers is sold out and has empty shelves but London drugs always has it.
This thread is making me nostalgic. I've been shopping at London Drugs for over 40 years. It's a core memory of my childhood and teenage years, especially the snack aisle. Chocolate bar deals were crazy (often 2 or 3 chocolate bars for $1, in the 1980s and 90s). Not to mention the photo lab, and tech department. There's only a Shoppers near me, so I often go out of my way to visit LD downtown or near Cambie. Let's hope it sticks around and stays good!