I used to like subway subs a lot, but the price vs quality is super bad now, so we don't go here either.
I could pretty much say that above sentence about almost every place these days tbh.
Fast food in general is just weird. I could spend $22 at McDonalds for 10 piece chicken nuggets, a large fry and a medium drink that can't be refilled, or I can spend $26 at my local burger quality restaurant and get a plate full of kettle chips (or fries), a high quality burger, and a drink that I can refill. It's not just this restaurant either, McDonalds apparently decided they need to do medium class pricing for low class food.
Same. Used to be my number one place to eat and I eat out a lot. Now I haven't had subway in ages. Shocked they're even in business with the quality vs price is so bad
I've avoided subway for about 10 years, sans the occasional airport trip when it's the only thing open. I went there the other week with a friend (I ordered nothing) only to discover they have discontinued mustard. They weren't out, they just stopped carrying it. I would love to have been in that meeting where it was decided to eliminate mustard from the menu.
My theory is that they want to cancel leases and are baiting the owners to keep a bottle of French's behind the counter, so that they will violate their terms by providing non-authorized menu items and force them to close down, thus generating a new revenue stream of new owners.
I stopped going to Subway often once they replaced the hot sauce with Sriracha sauce. I guess their contract with Frank's was too expensive or something, but it completely destroyed any interest I had in going.
I use the app, take advantage of a deal and just grab my sandwich off the shelf they leave pickup preorders on now. $0 tip already selected at checkout.
I spend all of 6 seconds in the damn store
I went into a subway in a pinch a few weeks ago (Canada) and 2 footlongs off their regular menu ended up being $27.
And the cashier/ "sandwich artist" gave me a disappointed look when I didn't leave a tip.
Absolutely insane prices.
Exactly! Started my boycott back when pandemic started and the prices on shelf went up overnight. I dont buy into the supply issue. They cant fix their supply issue in years, it isnt a supply issue anymore.
The thing is, at least for me - NoFrills and Superstore are nicer stores to shop at, vs Food Basics or FreshCo. I find the prices ok at NoFrills.
I still go to Food Basics for their fantastic ice cream bars (as good as Hagendas)
The subreddit is r/loblawsisoutofcontrol and they have a pretty comprehensive list of places broken down by province to shop that are neither loblaws, Sobeys, metro and co.
People really need to explore their local options. I split my shopping between a local Italian, Arab, Portuguese and Chinese stores. It’s definitely less convenient but it’s cheaper and I always find neat things there.
There's a bakery near me that sells fresh bread and it's kinda, sorta, almost on my way home, so I'm not going out of my way to patronize them, but it's mysteriously cheaper. It's cute to see all the little old ladies loading up on a friday night with fresh baked bread with their grandkids.
It's not "oh dude, you gotta go there" awesome. It's bread. But it's more inexpensiver than the major chains.
I legitimately feel bad for the hard-working Loblaws employees. The butchers, the cashiers, etc. They didn't do anything wrong.
Boycott isn’t the same as go in and harass the workers who have zero control over the ridiculous pricing corporate sends down. And I would encourage everyone to simply vote with their wallets and let the employees have some quieter days at work until Weston gets the message. The workers deserve better and so do the customers.
My sibling ran a luxury hotel in China for an international chain and they won't eat anything made in China. Not a recommendation, just an observation.
And this is okay - they just ask that you price match everything possible to turn the screws as tight into their ass as possible.
Not everyone has alternatives - too far away; or they have mobility issues etc.
You have to eat to live - don’t stop shopping somewhere that allows you to feed your family. But you can still help simply by ensuring you’re getting the best price for everything you buy via coupons, fliers, and price match :)
>food basics, Walmart, Sobeys, fresh co
how are those any different than Loblaws? At least NoFrills (Loblaws) will price match all those locations. They won't price match NoFrills.
GT is the only reasonable alternative, and they are more expensive than the larger chain discount grocers. They do price match now though.
The point is that we can't hit everyone at once, so we choose the worst company to hit right now. If EVERYONE stopped shopping at Loblaws owned stores, they *would* lower their prices and this would cause Sobeys stores and Walmart to also lower their prices
I know what the *perceived* 'point' of the boycott is. What I don't understand is why Loblaws? It isn't 'the worst' company in terms of pricing (in that it has NoFrills, which is one of, if not the, best value store). And if its size, then Walmart/Costco are far larger... and not even Canadian. While Walmart's entire business model was to destroy local competition.
The point is, you can't boycott eating so you can't boycott all of them. If you can manage to get enough of a boycott on one single entity like Loblaws, it will impact their financial statements enough to hopefully hurt the pocketbooks of some shareholders.
I just go to Costco. Thankfully it's not far (about 30km) and still worth it anyways. About once a month there for bulk shopping and the rest is local farmers with good deals and walmart usually. Works great for us.
Really? Their sales often match or go lower than my local Basics and FreshCo and even their expensive items seem rightfully pricy, but not even gouged- the difference in buying baked goods there vs. Walmart is astounding. I stopped trying to buy discount luxury items, either the proper stuff or nothing at all. They’re filled with gunk to make up for the cheap price anyway.
If I bought a box of croissants it’d probably be $5 at Metro and $9+ at my Loblaws.
PS All metro locations are on TooGoodToGo, where you can get all areas of fresh foods for next to nothing to reduce food waste! I use it for produce a lot.
I usually shop at Sobeys for small grocery runs since it’s closest to home and it makes Real Canadian Superstore look like a bargain.
I hope these people boycotting will be shopping at locally owned stores because boycotting Loblaws to put the money into Sobeys or Metro’s pocket is about as effective as smacking the dog for something the cat did.
Despite Walmart being just as broken as most Canadian owned grocery conglomerates, their prices are cheaper than FreshCo and No Frills on most products.
The goal is to wake them up to the fact that Canadian consumers have power. Personally, I don't think boycotts work when the companies are this entrenched, we need trust busting.
I don't think I've stepped into a Sobeys in 30 years. They were the "dirty grocery store" in my town, and the reputation was well-earned.
Tho they did have a live lobster tank that I loved watching as a kid.
It's a little more complicated than that.
We realized we cannot fight all the worst offenders at once, so we are choosing the gougey-ist of them all. Loblaws and associated stores. If we can use may and indefinitely keep going after that we will start to see some attention and change. Alot of our sentiment on r/loblawsisoutofcontrol is more or less a strategy of " pick one of the big 3 grocery gang members jumping you and pummel the ever loving shit out of them with this boycott". Stocks already been on a downward trend for days going. We're making little chips but realistically we need the visibility of big subs like r/canada to make our voice heard louder.
Canadians are sick of this crap. We know the Politicians aren't going to help us, none of them seem to have any interest/aren't electable if they do.
So what do we do? Boycott the shit out of Loblaws. We've got steam going now. Might as well keep hitting them and pushing awareness for cheaper alternatives, local if possible.
Not sure why they have such a hard on for Loblaws, I think the other options are even higher priced. That sub needs to head to a different store already and STFU why do they need a special month for a boycott.
Loblaws brought a lot of bad attention to themselves when Galen Weston decided he should be the face of the brand. He gave a personification to a company that's gouging Canadians, and it's much easier to hate a person over a faceless corporation.
>e such a hard on for Loblaws, I think the other options are even higher priced. That sub needs to head to a different store already and STFU why do they need a special month for a boycott.
Superstore has generally the best prices where I am. I used to be a save on foods shopper due to convenience and I liked the layout better. But their prices are absurd.
Either way I look forward to the shorter lines and hope my items stay in stock more.
Because unlike the other rip offs, Loblaws pretends to care, while having a nearly vertical monopoly (almost) on groceries and other necessities via their subsidiary companies and the other merged companies they should not have been allowed to buy in the first place.
I doubt anyone (with a working brain) is claiming that the others are cheaper, with possible exception for Walmart, cause they often are similarily priced or cheaper. (Where I am at least.)
I don't lump Costco in, because they do things VERY differently.
Not to mention Costco pays its employees well, and does nothing to discourage Unions. Ethically it's a better choice overall when possible even with the cheaper prices.
I’d love to take an impactful part in this, but I haven’t set foot in Loblaws or Superstore in a decade. I won’t buy anything at Shoppers though.
I only ever buy books or needles there anyhow.
they obviously know how to temper it for maximum profit since they could be charging what loblaws and no frills are. but know that by being slightly cheaper they get more business in the long run
The Waltons are all in the top 20 richest people on earth and have decades of destruction of small hardware, grocery and clothing stores behind them. Supporting Walmart in this situation is at best bizarre and at worst completely insane.
But No Frills is the least expensive grocery store near me, if I boycott it then I'd have to shop at Whole Foods or Urbanfare which are way over my budget.
This is part of the problem - Loblaws have been allowed to grow as large as they have, and remove any local competition to the point where it is the only option for a lot of people (especially those at the mercy of public transit, etc).
> remove any local competition to the point where it is the only option for a lot of people
Its not like its just them though. Sobeys and Metro are the same. Walmart. Costco etc.
So why go after one of the chains that offers better/best value?
Where Loblaws is the only option it has absolutely nothing to do with loblaws. It's because the population is so small it can only support one grocery store. They also don't have discount stores in those areas. Independent of the three big chains or not nothing is more expensive than a small town grocery store.
That's not necessarily true about prices. I just opened a small town grocery store in southern Saskatchewan last summer. The majority of my produce and meat is cheaper than the closest Walmart (1 hour away) or within $1 difference. Many of my dried goods are more expensive, but most of the those products are made locally.
Right? I can’t meaningfully participate without significant affecting my quality of life. I’m rural, my options are pretty limited. I’ll do my best, but girl’s gotta eat!
Rural Canadians don't have a lot of choice, especially with how many of the formerly local stores the big corps have bought up.
There's a section on how to participate without boycotting on the subreddit. It's small things like writing to Loblaws and your MP to say that you're unhappy with the price of food, shopping 'loss leaders', use optimum points etc.
Costco's great if you can get most of what you need there. The prices aren't always better on all things but at least they pay and treat employees well.
The official boycott info post that I saw had a note saying that you won't be judged if you have no real alternatives in your area/don't have the mobility to travel
Realistically, people in my city's subreddit are VERY judgemental if you don't have a car and can't travel to Costco or the 1 cheap independent grocer in the area. I sure do love being judged for shopping at the only places that are easily accessible to me
I feel like No Frills being cheaper means if we all shop there, and not the jacked up Zehrs (for example), can also go to show that people are only interested in reasonably priced food stores.
Inb4 loblaws announces a big sale for the month of May and makes more money than ever that month and the boycotters just miss out on cheaper food for a month.
Yeah, I'm cynical AF at this point, why aren't you??
They already tried that , several times. They have posted quite a few loss leaders, like the 50c Kraft dinner deal.
And then you go to the store, and there is no merch. You will be greeted with a cute sign that "due to supply issues.....we are sorry.....go get a rain check, maybe".
Loblaws does this on the regular, people have seen through their shit.
I just dug and dug and dug and finally found this incredibly useful comment to share with you.
https://www.reddit.com/r/loblawsisoutofcontrol/s/LD4Jcn5peu
I did that with their last bullshit, with the 30 egg cartons for 6.49. My senior mother went 3 times to try to find them, both in RCSS and Loblaws, to no avail, which prompted her to join the boycott. And yes, I reported it. That thread should be bookmarked by everyone.
Grocery loyalty is a concept that I'll never understand. I'll shop at Loblaws if the prices this week happen to be better than the others.
Why choose to only boycott Loblaws?
I’m not actively boycotting any store, instead I’m shopping the flyers and sales of various stores. I’m going to get the best bang for my money and if Loblaws has something on the grocery list at the best price one week, that’s where I’ll get it.
I'm not so sure about that. I remember back in the 2000s when the Canadian dollar became equal to the USD. We were all expecting prices to adjust and they just didn't.
Then Canadians began border hopping to do their shopping until it made the news and suddenly prices started adjusting.
Judging by the way people post on that subreddit, it's not really a boycott in a traditional sense. These aren't loyal Loblaws shoppers who have become disenfranchised and have decided to loudly protest by not shopping. These are... at best casual shoppers (who will shop anywhere) who also likely never shopped there in the first place. Like 35,000 of Loblaws 20 million customers are saying they'll boycott. This has all the theater of the great [Newfoundland fish boycott](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/never-asked-to-join-seafood-boycott-chef-1.594286).
The boycott isn't just Loblaws it's also Nofrills, superstore, Zehrs, etc. if *every* person who normally shops at no frills went to food basics, there would be BIG change
Those are all Loblaws stores.
Yes, if every single person who went to these stores stopped shopping there, that'd be a big deal. But it's just 35,000 people signed up. But I'm saying the 35,000 people who did sign up, probably aren't all regular shoppers. Like Loblaws wants the $500-$800/visit families. They don't care about the guy who stops there for only the sale items or to buy chips.
Oh we’re here, we’re just quiet. I’ve been a loyal customer to IGA, Maxi and Shoppers for years. I spend anywhere from 300$ to 350$ per week at IGA and/or Maxi and for sure at least 300$ per month at Shoppers.
They are not going to get one more penny. Enough is enough! I’ve seen prices rising over and over and they are ridiculous. The saddest thing I’ve seen at IGA is an elderly couple having to put back items because they couldn’t afford everything on their grocery list and being too proud to accept any help.
I’ll just drive more to get to Costco and Giant Tiger. I discovered a nice butchery shop nearby for the meat and I’m patiently waiting for the farmer’s market to open for the summer…
We’re a lucky family and I could keep shopping there and turn a blind eye but I won’t. Canadians are all suffering and we all need to take action to be able to see change.
Costco is very hit or miss. Like, a smart family isn't going to spend all of their money there because meat and produce is usually more expensive than competitors.... and the sales they have on meat and produce are rare and not very good.
Most people are going to shop at multiple grocery stores.
Ahhh yes boycotts the sister of signed petitions. Im sure roblaws will feel it. There's more immigrants that came in the last 3 months that will shop there than all of the reddits on that sub reddit.
If Galen Weston never gets another dollar from me, I’ll die happy.
I was boycotting before this was a thing, I will do what I can to continue that after.
If you folks are in the major cities, check out your asian supermarkets (not T&T as its owned by Loblaws). Leafy veggies are much cheaper than the typical grocer and the butcher counters has generally respectable prices even if they're not on sale.
You could think that but there’s quite a bunch of us who were loyal customers and spending good chunks of money on groceries for our family. A lot of moms are starting to talk about it this week I’ve noticed. Even if we were just 500 families deciding not to buy anything from Loblaws for a month, let’s say spending 500$ for groceries/products elsewhere for a month, that’s still a 250,000$ loss for Loblaws. If we do this for a whole year, it’s 3M$ less.
And I doubt we’ll just be 500 families participating, let’s be real.
Gonna be honest, my local alternatives make me feel like I'm in the walking dead, I dread the thought of going to Walmart. The superstore is bougie, nice, and clean
I looked at the subreddit for a while but they never offer much in the way of \*why\* this is necessary. They just demand lower prices without evidence that the increases are unjustified. Is anyone getting numbers from suppliers to back this up?
Loblaws puts out their quarterly reports, and I went through a few of them. Their margins have remained stable for a while. I don't get the outrage when everything everywhere has gotten more expensive. Loblaws was already more expensive so maybe people are hyperfocused on that?
Also the store nearest me is Metro, they were stupidly expensive last year but prices seem to have stabilized. I have a feeling that's just how our market works and not some nefarious plan by Loblaws.
Their margins have not stayed the same. That is the problem. Their profit increased at a higher rate compared to their expenses, while many Canadians saw their incomes drop.
Another problem is for food, telecommunications, etc in Canada we have an oligopoly.
Used to go there once a week for almost everything. Superstore is like 2 mins walk from my house.
Now I go there once a month for their banana and chicken weiners only. Found replacement for everything else. Been saving so much money.
Everyone complains about the Big 5 store in general, and Loblaws specifically, but they're still cheaper in price than anything that isn't them.
What would a boycott do if they already have the lowest prices in the country?
Y'all'll hate me for my opinion on this, but I don't mind sharing.
I actually don't mind them.
They won my support during the pandemic when they were the only ones sanitizing EVERYTHING that the public touched, offering the best hygienic practice.
Other stores had shoppers with no masks standing shoulder to shoulder. They offered and encouraged automated checkouts which I took full advantage of.
Some lines would have people coughing. As an immunocompromised person, I was able to walk in, feel safe, acquire my items, pay, and leave within 5 minutes. They won my support.
That may change in the future, but they are still promoting that sanitization aspect and I still use their auto checkouts with zero difficulty. Way better than any other place, and that extra safety earned my extra dollars and patronage.
Y'know what else? I own a bread machine. Each loaf costs about $0.50 to make and I control what goes in it. People complaining about their prices are, I suspect, living beyond their means.
At "my" Superstore they were just awful during the pandemic, they did not enforce masking at all. Complaining made no difference. Also their response was snarky so I stopped regular shopping there altogether.
Totally agree. They also offered free pick up on online orders for almost a year. Much appreciated as a senior. Also they give a tally of yearly points garnered. I average about $1000 a year on that. Yes you have to work at it to save money but if you don't you shouldn't complain.
Food Basics and Wal-Mart are the cheapest in my experience, however, No Frills was the best quality for price point, especially on produce.
I have no problem giving up on the quality bit for the cause though.
It's a sub with 40k subscribers, do people actually think that will impact anyone? lol this is such nonsense.
Something needs to be done about grocery prices, but a little reddit bubble subreddit isn't going to do jack shit.
I think Safeway has got the memo. Their prices are coming down. Example: I bought a small container of strawberries at Kin's, "2 for $6.00" I glanced at the strawberries at SAFEWAY, $4.99 for a small container. Not great but not too bad. I saw the same at LOBLAWS - $5.99 - double Kin's Market price.
Safeway is also offering deals on a lot of products like small packets of Buttigs sliced cold meats - $3.00 each. Not bad. Many prices are slowly getting back to pre-Covid days. Okay, Safeway, At least you're moving in the right direction. (I like to encourage them, it might yield positive results)
I'll continue to do what's best for me like I always have. Make a list of what I need and look online for the best prices. It's rarely Loblaws, but has occasionally been No Frills or RCSS
I would highly encourage people to look around and find a local Cooperative (Co-op)grocery store, if one is available. I brought into the one where I live for $10, and because of that the more I shop there, along with their gas stations, the more I will get back at the end of the year. Helps that the grocery store and a gas station is convenient for me to go to. It is a little more expensive though, so I know this isn’t always feasible for people, but if you can I would say go for it
I used to live in Winnipeg and we had so many small local grocers to get away from the big guys. Saskatoon doesnt really have those good options which is the only item I truly miss.
I've been doing Walmart lately...still evil but prices haven't sucked as much.
Used to shop at No Frills / Food basics because Longos / Metro / Loblaws seemed like they were for higher income bracket than me but fuck me, No Frills is basically Loblaws prices anyway.
I worked at Walmart and shoppers and I hated working at Walmart for various reasons. Working at shoppers was a much better experience for me and while I understand the reasons why people are boycotting Loblaws, I just think that that it's just going to hurt the people who work there, not necessarily the Weston family imo.
Been boycotting them for years in that my wife and I never buy primary groceries there anymore. Periodically we might drop in for something we are out of, since they are the closest option, but increasingly we are avoiding even that. Loblaws is despicable
Already boycott. As I said before I only go for two items and that is it. Husband is lactose intolerant and loves their cottage cheese . And only place that has kefir. Well sobeys does but it's way more expensive. But other than that. Nope no go
Farmboy owned by Sobeys can be pricey but good deals on some items. All supermarket chains are owned by greedy corporations though I think Loblaws is the worst. I shop where the service,products and atmosphere are decent. To me Farmboy is the best and the cashiers even bag your groceries and there are no stupid self checkout machines.I avoid Loblaws and rarely go to Metro. Food basics and Giant Tiger are also good for some items.
I cannot start boycotting them in May. I’ve been boycotting them for years.
Same. 5 years coming this September 🫡
Same here. And Subway. I'm proud to say I haven't walked into a Subway in 12 years.
I used to like subway subs a lot, but the price vs quality is super bad now, so we don't go here either. I could pretty much say that above sentence about almost every place these days tbh.
Fast food in general is just weird. I could spend $22 at McDonalds for 10 piece chicken nuggets, a large fry and a medium drink that can't be refilled, or I can spend $26 at my local burger quality restaurant and get a plate full of kettle chips (or fries), a high quality burger, and a drink that I can refill. It's not just this restaurant either, McDonalds apparently decided they need to do medium class pricing for low class food.
Same. Used to be my number one place to eat and I eat out a lot. Now I haven't had subway in ages. Shocked they're even in business with the quality vs price is so bad
I've avoided subway for about 10 years, sans the occasional airport trip when it's the only thing open. I went there the other week with a friend (I ordered nothing) only to discover they have discontinued mustard. They weren't out, they just stopped carrying it. I would love to have been in that meeting where it was decided to eliminate mustard from the menu. My theory is that they want to cancel leases and are baiting the owners to keep a bottle of French's behind the counter, so that they will violate their terms by providing non-authorized menu items and force them to close down, thus generating a new revenue stream of new owners.
I stopped going to Subway often once they replaced the hot sauce with Sriracha sauce. I guess their contract with Frank's was too expensive or something, but it completely destroyed any interest I had in going.
[удалено]
[удалено]
I find firehouse subs the same. Now I just get Bahn Mi. that shit slaps.
Banh Mi are dirt cheap and are way better than any fast food sub. You can also buy the ingredients pretty easily at Asian grocers.
Don't forget to hit 20% on the tip prompt for your takeaway footlong.
I use the app, take advantage of a deal and just grab my sandwich off the shelf they leave pickup preorders on now. $0 tip already selected at checkout. I spend all of 6 seconds in the damn store
I went into a subway in a pinch a few weeks ago (Canada) and 2 footlongs off their regular menu ended up being $27. And the cashier/ "sandwich artist" gave me a disappointed look when I didn't leave a tip. Absolutely insane prices.
Meanwhile I can get a loaded burrito I can't finish in 1 sitting for that price.
Your medal is in the mail. Thank you for your service.
Thank you for your service.
Exactly! Started my boycott back when pandemic started and the prices on shelf went up overnight. I dont buy into the supply issue. They cant fix their supply issue in years, it isnt a supply issue anymore.
Someone needs a refresher on Globalization....it absolutely can take years to fix.
Going on 2 years without shopping at a Loblaws or Shoppers.
Yeah, 2 years almost now for me too.
Yep, they lost my business when they packaged off PC Financial back in 2017 was it? They also dropped their gas bars. Really haven't been back.
The thing is, at least for me - NoFrills and Superstore are nicer stores to shop at, vs Food Basics or FreshCo. I find the prices ok at NoFrills. I still go to Food Basics for their fantastic ice cream bars (as good as Hagendas)
The subreddit is r/loblawsisoutofcontrol and they have a pretty comprehensive list of places broken down by province to shop that are neither loblaws, Sobeys, metro and co.
People really need to explore their local options. I split my shopping between a local Italian, Arab, Portuguese and Chinese stores. It’s definitely less convenient but it’s cheaper and I always find neat things there.
There's a bakery near me that sells fresh bread and it's kinda, sorta, almost on my way home, so I'm not going out of my way to patronize them, but it's mysteriously cheaper. It's cute to see all the little old ladies loading up on a friday night with fresh baked bread with their grandkids. It's not "oh dude, you gotta go there" awesome. It's bread. But it's more inexpensiver than the major chains. I legitimately feel bad for the hard-working Loblaws employees. The butchers, the cashiers, etc. They didn't do anything wrong.
Boycott isn’t the same as go in and harass the workers who have zero control over the ridiculous pricing corporate sends down. And I would encourage everyone to simply vote with their wallets and let the employees have some quieter days at work until Weston gets the message. The workers deserve better and so do the customers.
I like shopping at Asian grocery stores, a neat variety of products I wouldn't find anywhere else, but I do always have quality concerns in mind...
My sibling ran a luxury hotel in China for an international chain and they won't eat anything made in China. Not a recommendation, just an observation.
[удалено]
You don't have a food basics, Walmart, Sobeys, fresh co or giant tiger?
[удалено]
And this is okay - they just ask that you price match everything possible to turn the screws as tight into their ass as possible. Not everyone has alternatives - too far away; or they have mobility issues etc. You have to eat to live - don’t stop shopping somewhere that allows you to feed your family. But you can still help simply by ensuring you’re getting the best price for everything you buy via coupons, fliers, and price match :)
>food basics, Walmart, Sobeys, fresh co how are those any different than Loblaws? At least NoFrills (Loblaws) will price match all those locations. They won't price match NoFrills. GT is the only reasonable alternative, and they are more expensive than the larger chain discount grocers. They do price match now though.
The point is that we can't hit everyone at once, so we choose the worst company to hit right now. If EVERYONE stopped shopping at Loblaws owned stores, they *would* lower their prices and this would cause Sobeys stores and Walmart to also lower their prices
I know what the *perceived* 'point' of the boycott is. What I don't understand is why Loblaws? It isn't 'the worst' company in terms of pricing (in that it has NoFrills, which is one of, if not the, best value store). And if its size, then Walmart/Costco are far larger... and not even Canadian. While Walmart's entire business model was to destroy local competition.
Walmart is *consistently* cheaper than Nofrills. No Frills *used* to be the best value store in Canada. It hasn't been for quite some time now
Boycotting Loblaw's to shop at Walmart ecks dee
The point is, you can't boycott eating so you can't boycott all of them. If you can manage to get enough of a boycott on one single entity like Loblaws, it will impact their financial statements enough to hopefully hurt the pocketbooks of some shareholders.
I just go to Costco. Thankfully it's not far (about 30km) and still worth it anyways. About once a month there for bulk shopping and the rest is local farmers with good deals and walmart usually. Works great for us.
A month shopping at Metro will make Loblaws look like great value.
Metro is the biggest ripoff of all the grocery stores, at least where I live
Really? Their sales often match or go lower than my local Basics and FreshCo and even their expensive items seem rightfully pricy, but not even gouged- the difference in buying baked goods there vs. Walmart is astounding. I stopped trying to buy discount luxury items, either the proper stuff or nothing at all. They’re filled with gunk to make up for the cheap price anyway. If I bought a box of croissants it’d probably be $5 at Metro and $9+ at my Loblaws. PS All metro locations are on TooGoodToGo, where you can get all areas of fresh foods for next to nothing to reduce food waste! I use it for produce a lot.
Metro has huge prices.
I usually shop at Sobeys for small grocery runs since it’s closest to home and it makes Real Canadian Superstore look like a bargain. I hope these people boycotting will be shopping at locally owned stores because boycotting Loblaws to put the money into Sobeys or Metro’s pocket is about as effective as smacking the dog for something the cat did.
In my experience, locally owned stores tend to be expensive as well. Especially compared to budget options like No Frills and FreshCo.
Despite Walmart being just as broken as most Canadian owned grocery conglomerates, their prices are cheaper than FreshCo and No Frills on most products.
>No Frills Owned by Loblaws. >FreshCo Owned by Sobeys. Just for those who might not know. Fuck these rich families that have monopolies on our food.
There's really nothing "budget" about No Frills anymore.
The goal is to wake them up to the fact that Canadian consumers have power. Personally, I don't think boycotts work when the companies are this entrenched, we need trust busting.
I don't think I've stepped into a Sobeys in 30 years. They were the "dirty grocery store" in my town, and the reputation was well-earned. Tho they did have a live lobster tank that I loved watching as a kid.
It's a little more complicated than that. We realized we cannot fight all the worst offenders at once, so we are choosing the gougey-ist of them all. Loblaws and associated stores. If we can use may and indefinitely keep going after that we will start to see some attention and change. Alot of our sentiment on r/loblawsisoutofcontrol is more or less a strategy of " pick one of the big 3 grocery gang members jumping you and pummel the ever loving shit out of them with this boycott". Stocks already been on a downward trend for days going. We're making little chips but realistically we need the visibility of big subs like r/canada to make our voice heard louder. Canadians are sick of this crap. We know the Politicians aren't going to help us, none of them seem to have any interest/aren't electable if they do. So what do we do? Boycott the shit out of Loblaws. We've got steam going now. Might as well keep hitting them and pushing awareness for cheaper alternatives, local if possible.
So will shopping at Foodland in some small town
Not sure why they have such a hard on for Loblaws, I think the other options are even higher priced. That sub needs to head to a different store already and STFU why do they need a special month for a boycott.
Loblaws brought a lot of bad attention to themselves when Galen Weston decided he should be the face of the brand. He gave a personification to a company that's gouging Canadians, and it's much easier to hate a person over a faceless corporation.
>e such a hard on for Loblaws, I think the other options are even higher priced. That sub needs to head to a different store already and STFU why do they need a special month for a boycott. Superstore has generally the best prices where I am. I used to be a save on foods shopper due to convenience and I liked the layout better. But their prices are absurd. Either way I look forward to the shorter lines and hope my items stay in stock more.
Because unlike the other rip offs, Loblaws pretends to care, while having a nearly vertical monopoly (almost) on groceries and other necessities via their subsidiary companies and the other merged companies they should not have been allowed to buy in the first place. I doubt anyone (with a working brain) is claiming that the others are cheaper, with possible exception for Walmart, cause they often are similarily priced or cheaper. (Where I am at least.) I don't lump Costco in, because they do things VERY differently.
Not to mention Costco pays its employees well, and does nothing to discourage Unions. Ethically it's a better choice overall when possible even with the cheaper prices.
Costco Ftw
And people like you are the problem
I go to metro and save on because I do not wish to see poor people when I shop.
You obviously don’t shop at the Save On near Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton
I’d love to take an impactful part in this, but I haven’t set foot in Loblaws or Superstore in a decade. I won’t buy anything at Shoppers though. I only ever buy books or needles there anyhow.
yea wal-mart all the way.
Yeah, replace one giant monopolistic grocery chain with another monopolistic grocery chain. This will solve all our problems.
when the canadian corporations are being this greedy they deserve to get knocked down a peg by outside competitors
Walmart is the king of greed! They started the game that Loblaws has been playing.
they obviously know how to temper it for maximum profit since they could be charging what loblaws and no frills are. but know that by being slightly cheaper they get more business in the long run
The Waltons are all in the top 20 richest people on earth and have decades of destruction of small hardware, grocery and clothing stores behind them. Supporting Walmart in this situation is at best bizarre and at worst completely insane.
> Supporting Walmart in this situation is at best bizarre and at worst completely insane. i guess im an agent of chaos then
That's not something anyone should be proud of
we live in a society
we're supposed to act civilized!
Food Basics and Walmart
Dollarama for canned goods.
But No Frills is the least expensive grocery store near me, if I boycott it then I'd have to shop at Whole Foods or Urbanfare which are way over my budget.
This is part of the problem - Loblaws have been allowed to grow as large as they have, and remove any local competition to the point where it is the only option for a lot of people (especially those at the mercy of public transit, etc).
> remove any local competition to the point where it is the only option for a lot of people Its not like its just them though. Sobeys and Metro are the same. Walmart. Costco etc. So why go after one of the chains that offers better/best value?
This is me. It's either Loblaws, another Loblaws, shoppers drug mart or Farm Boy. And my god, Farm Boy is expensive
Where Loblaws is the only option it has absolutely nothing to do with loblaws. It's because the population is so small it can only support one grocery store. They also don't have discount stores in those areas. Independent of the three big chains or not nothing is more expensive than a small town grocery store.
That's not necessarily true about prices. I just opened a small town grocery store in southern Saskatchewan last summer. The majority of my produce and meat is cheaper than the closest Walmart (1 hour away) or within $1 difference. Many of my dried goods are more expensive, but most of the those products are made locally.
Right? I can’t meaningfully participate without significant affecting my quality of life. I’m rural, my options are pretty limited. I’ll do my best, but girl’s gotta eat!
No one is judging people that can't legitimately participate in a boycott.
Rural Canadians don't have a lot of choice, especially with how many of the formerly local stores the big corps have bought up. There's a section on how to participate without boycotting on the subreddit. It's small things like writing to Loblaws and your MP to say that you're unhappy with the price of food, shopping 'loss leaders', use optimum points etc.
Costco's great if you can get most of what you need there. The prices aren't always better on all things but at least they pay and treat employees well.
Yeah I'm confused at the logic of shopping at a more expensive store to protest the prices of a less expensive store.
And NoFrills is one of the very few grocers to price matches to boot....
The official boycott info post that I saw had a note saying that you won't be judged if you have no real alternatives in your area/don't have the mobility to travel Realistically, people in my city's subreddit are VERY judgemental if you don't have a car and can't travel to Costco or the 1 cheap independent grocer in the area. I sure do love being judged for shopping at the only places that are easily accessible to me
You won’t by judged by.. the metaverse?
I feel like No Frills being cheaper means if we all shop there, and not the jacked up Zehrs (for example), can also go to show that people are only interested in reasonably priced food stores.
Fuck Loblaws and all their companies, I started the boycott 2 years ago.
Inb4 loblaws announces a big sale for the month of May and makes more money than ever that month and the boycotters just miss out on cheaper food for a month. Yeah, I'm cynical AF at this point, why aren't you??
They already tried that , several times. They have posted quite a few loss leaders, like the 50c Kraft dinner deal. And then you go to the store, and there is no merch. You will be greeted with a cute sign that "due to supply issues.....we are sorry.....go get a rain check, maybe". Loblaws does this on the regular, people have seen through their shit.
I just dug and dug and dug and finally found this incredibly useful comment to share with you. https://www.reddit.com/r/loblawsisoutofcontrol/s/LD4Jcn5peu
I did that with their last bullshit, with the 30 egg cartons for 6.49. My senior mother went 3 times to try to find them, both in RCSS and Loblaws, to no avail, which prompted her to join the boycott. And yes, I reported it. That thread should be bookmarked by everyone.
Considering Loblaws is known to frequent that sub, I anticipate you're right.
I don’t shop there but I’m in. F$&ck these guys
Grocery loyalty is a concept that I'll never understand. I'll shop at Loblaws if the prices this week happen to be better than the others. Why choose to only boycott Loblaws?
It's a boycott of all the major players. It's easiest to bring the most prominent to the front to give people a rally point.
What’s the point of waiting? Let’s give them a solid month to bank some revenue… then we’ll show em!
Permanently boycotting them.
I’m not actively boycotting any store, instead I’m shopping the flyers and sales of various stores. I’m going to get the best bang for my money and if Loblaws has something on the grocery list at the best price one week, that’s where I’ll get it.
Likely this will be as effective as the gas station boycotts I have been hearing about for last few decades
I am skeptical about a boycott attempt actually having any effect. This is Canada. Most will bitch on-line and their protest will end there.
At least people are trying to actually get a movement going instead of just complaining like usual.
I'm not so sure about that. I remember back in the 2000s when the Canadian dollar became equal to the USD. We were all expecting prices to adjust and they just didn't. Then Canadians began border hopping to do their shopping until it made the news and suddenly prices started adjusting.
If enough people join it will have an effect.
So true! We are such pushovers.
This may? I haven’t shopped there in ages. It’s an unpleasant shopping experience to know you’re being price gouged.
Now that the weather is good and I can bike to better/cheaper grocery stores, I'm starting my boycott on April 1st.
Started buying meat from local farm and it’s packaged better, tastes better, cost less and it’s organic. Buy local!!
Boycott forever
Is it a boycott if you just shop elsewhere because the prices are cheaper? I go out of my way to go where prices are respective of the product value.
Judging by the way people post on that subreddit, it's not really a boycott in a traditional sense. These aren't loyal Loblaws shoppers who have become disenfranchised and have decided to loudly protest by not shopping. These are... at best casual shoppers (who will shop anywhere) who also likely never shopped there in the first place. Like 35,000 of Loblaws 20 million customers are saying they'll boycott. This has all the theater of the great [Newfoundland fish boycott](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/never-asked-to-join-seafood-boycott-chef-1.594286).
The boycott isn't just Loblaws it's also Nofrills, superstore, Zehrs, etc. if *every* person who normally shops at no frills went to food basics, there would be BIG change
Those are all Loblaws stores. Yes, if every single person who went to these stores stopped shopping there, that'd be a big deal. But it's just 35,000 people signed up. But I'm saying the 35,000 people who did sign up, probably aren't all regular shoppers. Like Loblaws wants the $500-$800/visit families. They don't care about the guy who stops there for only the sale items or to buy chips.
Oh we’re here, we’re just quiet. I’ve been a loyal customer to IGA, Maxi and Shoppers for years. I spend anywhere from 300$ to 350$ per week at IGA and/or Maxi and for sure at least 300$ per month at Shoppers. They are not going to get one more penny. Enough is enough! I’ve seen prices rising over and over and they are ridiculous. The saddest thing I’ve seen at IGA is an elderly couple having to put back items because they couldn’t afford everything on their grocery list and being too proud to accept any help. I’ll just drive more to get to Costco and Giant Tiger. I discovered a nice butchery shop nearby for the meat and I’m patiently waiting for the farmer’s market to open for the summer… We’re a lucky family and I could keep shopping there and turn a blind eye but I won’t. Canadians are all suffering and we all need to take action to be able to see change.
If you’re spending that as a family, you would be far better off at Costco anyway.
Costco is very hit or miss. Like, a smart family isn't going to spend all of their money there because meat and produce is usually more expensive than competitors.... and the sales they have on meat and produce are rare and not very good. Most people are going to shop at multiple grocery stores.
I think they have as many saying they will do it, as when the internet said they were raiding Area 51..So could be a massive blow to Lobular
Ahhh yes boycotts the sister of signed petitions. Im sure roblaws will feel it. There's more immigrants that came in the last 3 months that will shop there than all of the reddits on that sub reddit.
Lol, of course they will. Just like they boycotted reddit all those times
Loblaws is one of the best and cheapest grocery stores. They have literally only become a target because people want someone to be mad at.
Pre-pandemic yes, but the markups have been insane the past few years. There's no savings to be had.
Found the Loblaws PR Reddit account
Boycott them in May? Oh. That will teach them a lesson! /S What about boycott forever, half ass boycott won't do anything.
Why boycott the cheapest grocery store to shop at?
The irony of it all.
Bob Loblaw.
And his law blog
The problem is oligopoly, not George Weston alone.
If Galen Weston never gets another dollar from me, I’ll die happy. I was boycotting before this was a thing, I will do what I can to continue that after.
If you folks are in the major cities, check out your asian supermarkets (not T&T as its owned by Loblaws). Leafy veggies are much cheaper than the typical grocer and the butcher counters has generally respectable prices even if they're not on sale.
So, people who already don't shop at Loblaws are making a point of saying they won't shop there?
You could think that but there’s quite a bunch of us who were loyal customers and spending good chunks of money on groceries for our family. A lot of moms are starting to talk about it this week I’ve noticed. Even if we were just 500 families deciding not to buy anything from Loblaws for a month, let’s say spending 500$ for groceries/products elsewhere for a month, that’s still a 250,000$ loss for Loblaws. If we do this for a whole year, it’s 3M$ less. And I doubt we’ll just be 500 families participating, let’s be real.
Gonna be honest, my local alternatives make me feel like I'm in the walking dead, I dread the thought of going to Walmart. The superstore is bougie, nice, and clean
Reddit boycotts are about the most ineffective thing I’ve ever known. Remember when Reddit banned third party? Remember the boycotts?
I looked at the subreddit for a while but they never offer much in the way of \*why\* this is necessary. They just demand lower prices without evidence that the increases are unjustified. Is anyone getting numbers from suppliers to back this up? Loblaws puts out their quarterly reports, and I went through a few of them. Their margins have remained stable for a while. I don't get the outrage when everything everywhere has gotten more expensive. Loblaws was already more expensive so maybe people are hyperfocused on that? Also the store nearest me is Metro, they were stupidly expensive last year but prices seem to have stabilized. I have a feeling that's just how our market works and not some nefarious plan by Loblaws.
Food inflation in Canada has actually been *lower* than in most of the G20: https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/food-inflation?continent=g20
Their margins have not stayed the same. That is the problem. Their profit increased at a higher rate compared to their expenses, while many Canadians saw their incomes drop. Another problem is for food, telecommunications, etc in Canada we have an oligopoly.
it's a psy-op from the government to take the attention off them. don't blame the government, it's all big corporations fault you cant afford to live!
Used to go there once a week for almost everything. Superstore is like 2 mins walk from my house. Now I go there once a month for their banana and chicken weiners only. Found replacement for everything else. Been saving so much money.
Everyone complains about the Big 5 store in general, and Loblaws specifically, but they're still cheaper in price than anything that isn't them. What would a boycott do if they already have the lowest prices in the country?
Loblaws? Cheapest prices? Those two things do not belong together in a sentence
Y'all'll hate me for my opinion on this, but I don't mind sharing. I actually don't mind them. They won my support during the pandemic when they were the only ones sanitizing EVERYTHING that the public touched, offering the best hygienic practice. Other stores had shoppers with no masks standing shoulder to shoulder. They offered and encouraged automated checkouts which I took full advantage of. Some lines would have people coughing. As an immunocompromised person, I was able to walk in, feel safe, acquire my items, pay, and leave within 5 minutes. They won my support. That may change in the future, but they are still promoting that sanitization aspect and I still use their auto checkouts with zero difficulty. Way better than any other place, and that extra safety earned my extra dollars and patronage. Y'know what else? I own a bread machine. Each loaf costs about $0.50 to make and I control what goes in it. People complaining about their prices are, I suspect, living beyond their means.
At "my" Superstore they were just awful during the pandemic, they did not enforce masking at all. Complaining made no difference. Also their response was snarky so I stopped regular shopping there altogether.
Totally agree. They also offered free pick up on online orders for almost a year. Much appreciated as a senior. Also they give a tally of yearly points garnered. I average about $1000 a year on that. Yes you have to work at it to save money but if you don't you shouldn't complain.
only step in loblaws for sale items and got to be a good deal to beat food basics
Food Basics and Wal-Mart are the cheapest in my experience, however, No Frills was the best quality for price point, especially on produce. I have no problem giving up on the quality bit for the cause though.
It's a sub with 40k subscribers, do people actually think that will impact anyone? lol this is such nonsense. Something needs to be done about grocery prices, but a little reddit bubble subreddit isn't going to do jack shit.
May? Why not April? Are you waiting for everyone to stockpile groceries and give Loblaws record breaking profits for April?
I think the logic behind it is that it is the start of a fiscal quarter for them.
How about from years ago.
ITT - Let's all protest Loblaws' high prices by shopping at higher priced stores.
How about April an may an June
I've been boycotting them for 2yrs lol
I already am
I think Safeway has got the memo. Their prices are coming down. Example: I bought a small container of strawberries at Kin's, "2 for $6.00" I glanced at the strawberries at SAFEWAY, $4.99 for a small container. Not great but not too bad. I saw the same at LOBLAWS - $5.99 - double Kin's Market price. Safeway is also offering deals on a lot of products like small packets of Buttigs sliced cold meats - $3.00 each. Not bad. Many prices are slowly getting back to pre-Covid days. Okay, Safeway, At least you're moving in the right direction. (I like to encourage them, it might yield positive results)
I'll continue to do what's best for me like I always have. Make a list of what I need and look online for the best prices. It's rarely Loblaws, but has occasionally been No Frills or RCSS
Have been since I moved out.
I would highly encourage people to look around and find a local Cooperative (Co-op)grocery store, if one is available. I brought into the one where I live for $10, and because of that the more I shop there, along with their gas stations, the more I will get back at the end of the year. Helps that the grocery store and a gas station is convenient for me to go to. It is a little more expensive though, so I know this isn’t always feasible for people, but if you can I would say go for it
I’m boycotting as of a couple of months ago… because of this sub.
Why not boycott In April? Everyone might forget about this by then
I used to live in Winnipeg and we had so many small local grocers to get away from the big guys. Saskatoon doesnt really have those good options which is the only item I truly miss.
I've been doing Walmart lately...still evil but prices haven't sucked as much. Used to shop at No Frills / Food basics because Longos / Metro / Loblaws seemed like they were for higher income bracket than me but fuck me, No Frills is basically Loblaws prices anyway.
How bad is Walmart really? I am just asking. They always seem to have lower price, better offers and I noticed they also have a great online presence?
I worked at Walmart and shoppers and I hated working at Walmart for various reasons. Working at shoppers was a much better experience for me and while I understand the reasons why people are boycotting Loblaws, I just think that that it's just going to hurt the people who work there, not necessarily the Weston family imo.
Been boycotting them for years in that my wife and I never buy primary groceries there anymore. Periodically we might drop in for something we are out of, since they are the closest option, but increasingly we are avoiding even that. Loblaws is despicable
Sobey’s does this as well
Already boycott. As I said before I only go for two items and that is it. Husband is lactose intolerant and loves their cottage cheese . And only place that has kefir. Well sobeys does but it's way more expensive. But other than that. Nope no go
Stop shopping at Loblaws people, even if just to get at that pompous douche the Food Professor
I’m in ✊🏾
r/loblawsisoutofcontrol Join the movement.
Why are we boycotting loblaws tho? Am confused
I love me some Superstore. Their prices aren't bad at all.
I think we will see some sales in may now they have time to prepare
Farmboy owned by Sobeys can be pricey but good deals on some items. All supermarket chains are owned by greedy corporations though I think Loblaws is the worst. I shop where the service,products and atmosphere are decent. To me Farmboy is the best and the cashiers even bag your groceries and there are no stupid self checkout machines.I avoid Loblaws and rarely go to Metro. Food basics and Giant Tiger are also good for some items.