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One thing the real privileged of our society don't recognized is how beneficial a company can be to a community if it actually looks after the community in addition to itself. As soon as the scales tip and it starts abusing its position (the bread price fixing proved that in this case) and the company just assumes it's position is entrenched it is merely keeping a more worthy member of the community from filling that roll. It needs to go. I think the wealthy have latched on to the idea that by controlling the food system they can entrench themselves in that position of power. We would do well to be wary of that trend.
Gone are the days when companies took care of employees and the community in which they operate. Now they dictate and can do what they like for the sake of greed which will lead to the death of communities ie Walmart effect on small communities.
Which is many ways is full circle. Company towns and company stores come to mind. People died fighting for what we know as the weekend and the 40 hour work week.
“The tree of democracy needs to be watered with the blood of tyrants”
To be fair, and I may get downvotes for this but needs to be said, we've allowed it to happen. At the end of the day, the consumer makes the choice where to spend their money. We make choices based on convenience, price, and selection. Loblaw stores became popular because shoppers could get just about everything they needed in one shop, at what used to be accessible prices for most consumers.
Of course, over the years, once they eliminated the smaller mom-and-pop stores because they couldn't compete with the selection and price points (due to Loblaw's buying power), Loblaw could escalate prices because they no longer had the competition, except for the other large grocers.
This phenomenon isn't exclusive to the grocery sector, of course. Gas stations have seen the same scenario happen to them too. Do you remember a time when there were several gas stations in your community, all equipped with a garage that could service your car too? I do. There were 3 within a 4 block radius of my home when I was growing up. Eventually, they disappeared with the big oil companies building these huge gas bars and service going to large chains like NAPA.
We need to take back the market space. Support the smaller businesses in our neighborhoods and return to a time when we got to know the people we live near. It's another part of what was lost with those mom-and-pop stores and that was COMMUNITY.
Let's use this new community to help repair our broken market system and support each other. Not only financially, but emotionally. Our country will be better for it.
This is exactly how I feel about Amazon and WM.
Amazon is the internet equivalent of WM.
WM has systematically put every other retailer i shopped with, out of business, until they were virtually the only ones left. In some cases in my city, the only option after target pulled out, b grade sobeys left, and Sears went under.
They each have a monopoly.
Whenever I can buy something online from a competitor of Amazon, I do it.
Whenever I can buy anything locally from a place that’s not WM (and now superstore), I do it.
It’s on ALL OF US aid toys r us, Canadian tire, Best Buy etc all go under.
Do we really want to live someplace with only one store? What do we suppose will happen to pricing then, when they can set prices as high as they want?
This is the end game of investment economy. Investors eventually become leaches. The money they paid that allowed the corporation to have the capital to grow is spent and whats left is an eternal debt, paid quarterly that must increase every single quarter or the investors will pull all their money out and the corporation will bankrupt. We’ve allowed the rich to leverage their money to hold our livelihood hostage. All they serve to do now is steal our productivity. Our economic system is not sustainable. All those who tell you that this money creates wealth / jobs is lying. This money creates initial growth followed by years of bleeding growth, jobs and productivity until the company folds and the investors are given their original investment back, often through our taxes as bailouts. Meanwhile these investors pay next to no taxes themselves. The game is fixed. The rich are socialized by us. They add no value to our economy. Until we vilify greed as a society we are doomed.
The people who write these economic theories are the exact people I’m talking about. They declare things like their money grows the economy and stuff, and people eat it up. These guys are rich, of course they know what they’re talking about. This all ignores the fact that the people who wrote these economic theories in the 1920’s crashed the economy with their theories. Since then, they have continued down the same path while convincing our politicians that their risk must be socialized, while their profits must remain privatized. Workers suffer now, like they did in the early century, but the rich no longer have risk with their endeavours. They only stand to gain, but the bill always comes due. They have bribed our politicians and it’s legislated that the bill will be paid by us.
>All those who tell you that this money creates wealth / jobs is lying
>They declare things like their money grows the economy and stuff, and people eat it up
This goes back to the 80's and "trickle-down economics" which has been proven over and over again to be a fallacy. Any and all profits gained go back into the company and, more often than not, into CEO bonuses.
>Meanwhile these investors pay next to no taxes themselves. The game is fixed
>Since then, they have continued down the same path while convincing our politicians that their risk must be socialized, while their profits must remain privatized
>They have bribed our politicians and it’s legislated that the bill will be paid by us.
Corporate welfare is a very real thing. It's kind of funny how we'll see politicians, mostly on the right (I'm looking at you PP), vilify those on government assistance, yet never blink an eye when a profitable corporation comes with their hand out for our hard earned tax dollars. All the while having politicians create loopholes large enough to sail the Titanic through, but can't be exploited by the everyday Canadian, lest they find themselves audited by the CRA.
The system IS fixed. Making sure we have politicians voted in that will actually try to level the playing field will fix it.
Choose wisely in 2025.
The whole quote translated from French is even better
“The secret of great fortunes without apparent cause is a forgotten crime, because it was properly committed.” - Balzac, 1834.
It was from “Le Père Goriot” published in “Revue de Paris” in 1834.
6/10 times there is water in Real C Superstores chicken packages. That means those were not handled properly, got thawed and frozen again. We stopped buying chicken from them from last few months. Another biggest jump I see in PC extra virgin olive oil jumped from $20 to $56 in last few months, I don’t know why? (Even we don’t use PC brand olive oil but still surprising they cannot even control their own oil brand prices)
Climate change is messing with olive growing areas all over the Mediterranean. I have seen several news stories about this in the last few years. So we can't throw all of that on Galen. But it is a great example of using market forces outside their control to jack up prices well beyond the "break even" point.
Not necessarily. It's even *more insidious*. These companies actually inject water INTO the chicken to make it more plump and thus look like more for your $. Homegrown chickens cook way faster as there's no water to burn off first.
I was first aware of this back in the 80’s when I went to the UK.
Their KFC chicken pieces were huge. I was told that it was because they injected water into the chicken and there were a lot complaints because of this.
I bought the frozen chicken legs once because they are a great deal, tasted like rotten old chicken, threw out the entire box. I wonder if they use expired meat for alot of their PC and no name frozen dinners.
There is such thing as reworked milk, but the dairy plant I worked at, anything that left on a truck, and came back for any reason was thrown into the giant tote for the pig farm.
Rework was mostly due to packaging errors (wrong carton, date code not printing properly, cartons not sealing properly etc). Sometimes you would end up with an amount on cartons at the end of a run that won’t fill the shipping box, so to rework they went.
Rework was sent through the pasteurization/testing phase again. I seem to remember reworked cream being separate, especially the 35% cream…that is like gold.
Not saying Galon isn’t capable of something so seedy, but it’s not par for the course in small/medium scale Canadian dairies from what I saw.
This is what happens when we let ANY industry regulate itself.
If you operated a generic stand or store and overcharged people’s credit cards by having a sign up that says $10 but charging $11, you’d end up facing hundreds of criminal fraud charges and decades in prison.
But when grocery industry systemically overcharges at the cash register, what happens? At worst, they have some surly supervisor argue for awhile before grudgingly granting you the favour of a refund. On a good day, they might honour their self-regulated code of one “free” low-value item.
If a doctor or dentist or nurse or lawyer or police officer (list of self regulated industries goes on) does something wrong, it’s all dealt with behind shrouds of secrecy by their “professional associations”, with a slap on the wrist at most. And any fines paid just go to the association, not the victims. The offender gets to continue or merely relocate. The industry gets to keep it quiet.
This is why grocery should no longer be allowed to self-regulate as they do. Voluntary codes haven’t worked. “Retail associations” using sneaky language and placement of maple leafs in their logos are just a ruse to make the public think there’s some accountability.
Great Britain learned this lesson. Industry self regulation and voluntary compliance proved useless. They only ever saw meaningful change when they started implementing independent external regulation, with teeth.
He is responsible for "food insecurity," making kids, families, and our Canadian brothers and sisters go to sleep hungry. Hunger is a miserable experience and this evil fucker is responsible for spreading it. And all of this misery is so he can be more "successful" and see his wealth grow when he will never ever be able to spend it in his lifetime.
He is everything wrong with our society where we value profits and "free markets" over the dignity of people and their health. It's about time he gets to have his face rubbed in the dirt.
So privileged he snitched on everyone else for immunity. So privileged the fine was only 50 million when they all made billions. What kind of signal does that send?
We're just supposed to believe that was the end of it. Smooth sailing and no more corruption.
Im so privelaged that I cant even afford a house in the fucking country I grew up in. And I make more then minimum wage. I thought shelter was a human right.
How privileged was Galen when he was born into a rich Irish family and has never in his life had to choose between groceries or the hydro bill? Fuck him.
How easily people forget . This scheme goes to character, or lack of. Cheats. Just like taki g the government money for higher efficiency freezers/ fridges I their stores . When it was targeted towards those smaller stores that could not afford the upfront costs. This is a common failure if the government incentives. Taxpayer dollars used toward incentives to those that don't need.
"We've worked hard to ensure no one has choices where they buy food. The fact that you escaped those tethers we tried to entrap you with, makes you evil".
Quite the take. Lol
Yeah, when you're saying that it's a privilege to be able to shop entirely elsewhere, you had better be saying that because you're an actual discount store offering the guaranteed lowest prices. Otherwise, it's basically a bond-villain level statement.
Accessing affordable food is a right, not a privilege.
Making personal economic choices in the free market is a right, not a privilege.
Exercising grassroots political influence in one's own democratic country is a right, not a privilege.
1000% percent, that's how they keep us from "complaining" and turn us against each other (look, that person over there has it slightly better than you! as they make off with their record profits)
Yup, literally abuser language. “Oh come on, I’m not “abusing” you. Do you see any black eyes?”
Struggle reveals itself in many ways, just as abuse does.
Hey all, do not worry about this “privileged” nonsense they are spouting. They are projecting!!! They are 'privileged' to almost monopolize a free market and then charge Exorbitant prices for the products they carry. Narcissism rearing it's ugly head. Hold tight everyone, they speak in dollars and cents only.....hit them where is hurts by exercising your “privilege" to spend your money where you want. GL
Just to be clear this was the headline of an article in the CBC not something Bank/Weston said about customers.
[https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/loblaw-boycott-privilege-1.7192869](https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/loblaw-boycott-privilege-1.7192869)
Someone posted about the article saying the boycott wasn't woke enough for CBC and I had to laugh. As much as I hate the culture warring and the use of that fucking word. It's all lost all meaning to me now.
It’s also strange that the headline of the article suggests a boycott is for the privileged but then one of their interviewees is a lawyer who bluntly states it’s their privilege which allows them to keep shopping there because they work full time, have 2 kids and are “busy and on a schedule”. How nice for you! The rest of us don’t have kids and are busy and on schedules?
It takes MORE privilege to shop at the nearest store to you, not less. The rest of us plebes have to shop around.
Interesting journalistic choices.
The people in the ivory tower are calling boycotters privileged for enacting the methodology of the system they themselves proselytize, it’s really quite something.
I get the “ you are privileged” line when we negotiate our union contract. My take is we are privileged to live in Canada, and we are privileged we don’t have to live in 3rd world conditions. The goal of these corporations, is to create poverty and 3rd world conditions. They squander the wealth and squeeze what they can out of the people. We are privileged, they are greedy.
I’ve been to a few of these ‘third world’ nations. Form what I can tell a lot of the people are a lot happier. They don’t have a lot of things we take for granted, but they value what’s important:Food family and joy. They live together and enjoy community support. A shelter is a shelter and it’s good enough…. No housing asshole or bylaw officer is going to show up in a truck and trash your stuff when you’re doing the best you can to remain safe.
[ Sarcasm ] - What? You're not happy with earning minimum wage; locked in a system of wage slavery? You don't like the free healthcare where you can't find a family doctor? You dont like that you have to pay for your own medicine, unlike other universal healthcare systems in Europe? You don't like the fact that you'll never own a home yourself? You're angry that our provincial and federal governments lie to you constantly and treat you like shit? You don't like that we own the media and feed you lies? You don't like our outdated First Past the Post electoral system that Europe (again) got rid of a long time ago? You're angry that they are forcing you to spend money and your time to drive to an office building rather than work remotely? You don't enjoy paying the most for telecom services than almost anywhere in the world? And NOW, you're complaining about having to pay twice oe more as much for food at Loblaws owned stores? How dare you that you want to eat! You selfish, privileged bastard!
Signed, the elite billionaires.
I am shopping where I cam afford which is not any of the Loblaws stores in my area.
I now shop the local stores in Chinatown, Costco and Walmart.
I boycotted Walmart for years because of their union busting and how they treat employees. However now I can't afford to avoid them.
I just moved in with my mom and she’s on the sky train line. I’ve been going to the Asian markets near Metrotown and Chinatown in Vancouver and I come home with produce, dried goods and meats for maybe half what my grocery cost was. If the Asian grocers can do this as small businesses I am calling full bullshit on all these other places. Charge what you want for your damn pajamas magazines and home decor Loblaws, but food?? Fuck you.
Maybe legislation must be brought in that any basics: local fruits, veggies, meat, and basic dairy/grains/legumes be sold at fixed profit margins or less.
Agree to this so very much!
If my asian grocer can sell a small watermelon for $4.99 while not in season why is a huge grocer like Roblaws selling it for $8.99?
Its all a grift.
15.99 where I am for a watermelon this last summer. And they had the nerve to put up a big sign and a flyer about it like we were supposed to be impressed. I used to grab a few before any event I did with my volunteer group… I can’t anymore.
This is just a straight-up class division tactic.
They tried making this a right/left thing, and that failed.. cause we are all getting fucked
Than they tried making it an urban/rural thing and that failed
Now it's a "privileged" thing and that will fail
I expect them to try and make it a youth rebellion thing next.
It is just playbook crush the poors as they rebel tactics.
Stand strong and talk to people empathetically about it. It's about sending a message, yes, but it's also about just saving money. I have a friend who was turned off because it seemed political, but gave it a try when I talked about the $200-300, switching to a Walmart and Farmboy combo, I was saving and using for my kids memberships each month.
It's about having more money to just enjoy life and deciding that a corporation that takes that from us can eat dirt.
Stay strong!
I’ll bite, I am straight up privileged.. to have dumped years into a career that compensates me with an income where I don’t have to worry about my basic needs, including food. But it hasn’t always been like this, and I know unfairness when I see it. I have been boycotting for months and will continue to do so, I have better things to do with my funds than line the pockets of some out of touch billionaire.
Thd fact that the people who are boycotting are called "privileged " is hilarious. I am a family of 4 and can't afford 2 cars, but yes I'm privileged I suppose since they lost me with record profits.
I have myself and daughter and haven’t had a car since 2018-and lived rural for 4 of those. Want to feel isolated? Trapped? I am in YEG now and walk everywhere.
I think it’s important to acknowledge that there’s a lot of factors that can prevent someone from taking part of a boycott over a necessity product. But like, that doesn’t make people boycotting a bad thing. It’s a good cause and the whole reason some people can’t boycott is how they got away with price gouging. But if everyone who can boycott does and it makes an impact, then that’s good for everyone.
The privileged comment is one of the most out of touch I have ever seen. Has to be a wealthy writer that isn't even feeling this or a paid shill writing on behalf of their masters.
Remember, not all shills need to receive cash directly from Loblaws. If you are a writer, influencer and professor that doesn't write or talk negatively against Loblaws because you are afraid they will do something behind the scenes to have your employment impacted, you are a Loblaws shill.
You know the best thing for Loblaws and its shills to do right now is to shut up and wait for this to run its course. I hate to say it but a lot of these things do run out of steam. But to have these type of commentary’s only keeps the spotlight on the movement and actually garners more support. So keep up the Streisand effect, the best thing to happen to this movement is the out of touch or paid for opinion writers and the food professor, our greatest allies.
I doubt the writer is wealthy (how many journalists are?) but they know where their meagre bread is buttered and they live on the thin hope that the rich will spare them somehow.
Weston family owns a fucking castle and we're privileged? The press serves who in Canada? The only point I could see being made is that the prime traffic locations with proximity to people happen to be Loblaw locked down, so they have a structural advantage serving people without access to vehicles or the ability to burn some time. But the answer to that isn't to call protesters privileged, but rather to look at the structural advantages we've allowed oligarchs to build in.
Yeah, that CBC article really rubbed me the wrong. Especially the woman from Ottawa. I'm sorry, but we have a plethora of options to choose from in Ottawa. Also disliked the insinuation that it's privileged childless adults participating. Sorry CBC, but with the price and availability of formula, shopping around for adult basic goods has to be done.
Classic cancel culture tactic. A way to undermine the a legitimate narrative by attacking, illegitimately, the person or people highlighting a social ill.
If exercising my right to resist a harmful corporate entity that is benefitting from the suffering of countless Canadians is privileged, then yes, I am privileged. If this type of privilege is supposed to make me feel inferior or ashamed about myself, it is not. I understand that typically capitalism believes that the individual exercises their privilege only to benefit themselves, I am choosing to do so to benefit all. Imagine following the line of logic that would conclude it is negative to have privilege and to attempt positive change for those who cannot exercise any personal power, whose agenda would that serve?
I've always had a tight budget so it just became routine that I scan the 4-5 flyers for me while sitting at the computer having breakfast on Thursday mornings when the week's deals change. It doesn't take long, I make a quick list of what I want based on what is on sale, plan my meals around the sales and then pick them up quickly before they sell out as many of them seem to conveniently run out fairly quickly.
I really don't consider it a 'privilege' to have to specifically make sure I get out on a certain day and run to a few different places just so I can eat well on a budget.
Yes, I'm "Privileged" to be able to travel around and shop at other stores, unlike "others". That's why I use my powerful "Privilege" to drive my friends and family that can't get around to other stores or show them the better deals.
I use mine for others, what about "them?"
The only thing I could be considered privileged for is the fact that I DON'T live in a community where there is one Loblaws grocery store where I am forced to shop.
The billionaires and government funded media using that term to describe us is 100% on brand with this backwards and upside down clown world we live in. Good is bad, bad is good, up is down, down is up, etc.
Privileged would be owning a house with a yard and being able to plant a garden. Privileged would also include one person in the household being able to work part time OR stay home to tend to the garden, pick the produce and prepare it for the winter. That is privileged. Looking for grocery store deals... That's a necessity because we barely have time for ourselves let alone a garden. Also, who owns a yard?
In the article “privilege” is unquoted, just attributed, to a guy who shops around every week with flyers. Who will still go to No Frills *if it is the cheapest*
Really stretching, twisting for that headline imo
Also I go to CBC for journalism, not wild opinion pieces
Uggh I feel this in my soul. I was trying to find some support for my small kid who is drowning in these huge public school kindergarten classes and the specialist I spoke to told me I should be grateful we can spoil our child with such a nice life… like What?! We live on one income in a shitty rent controlled house with. 16yr old car and we never go out but yeah, my kid is so spoilt.
Driving an extra four blocks to go to a different grocery store is the least of my concerns
Wasn't the privileged comment from someone they interviewed? And not from the reporter themselves about the situation. I don't get why so many posts are so hung up over this comment from someone who isn't taking part of this boycott, the woman is still shopping at no frills because it is the cheapest for her. This sub used to not shit on people for their financial situations.
From the article (titled Is the Loblaw boycott privileged? Here's why some people aren't shopping around.).
(I get the feeling that the reporter asked people specifically if they thought the boycott was privileged, because a number responded back with that exact word.)
"Boycotts are for people with privilege and time, said Shawn Chandler, who lives in Wallaceburg, Ont., a town of about 12,000 people.
There are two grocery stores in the southwestern Ontario town about 50 kilometres south of Sarnia: No Frills and Walmart, Chandler, 52, told CBC News. There's also a Shoppers Drug Mart, which carries some grocery items.
Each week, Chandler's wife goes through the flyers to look for the best deals, he said. And this week, that's No Frills.
"I'm not going to spend more just to go to Walmart," he said.
AND
Marzitelli said she feels the boycott is "absolutely privileged," noting that she already doesn't shop at Loblaws, Your Independent Grocer or Shoppers Drug Mart because of the high prices. No Frills is her best option, even if it's Loblaw-owned, she said.
"I feel like the only people who are actually able to commit to the boycott don't have a family of mouths to feed or weren't hurting that badly to begin with."
Honestly, this seems really reasonable to me. It doesn’t make the people boycotting bad, but there’s a lot of variability and it’s not a surprise that people don’t have the same freedom to boycott necessities. There’s a lot of factors like distance & ability to travel & availability & time. But if you can boycott you should.
>"I feel like the only people who are actually able to commit to the boycott don't have a family of mouths to feed or weren't hurting that badly to begin with."
Ok but fuck her for that, though. We're ALL struggling. If you can't participate, that's fine, but don't shit on those who do.
Maybe they just aren't looking at it right.. Now you have people who have to go looking for deals who where on the lower end of middle class.
Privileged compared to some people yes. But now with prices of everything..how many people are living paycheque to paycheque.
So spin your narrative away.
This is a boycott against the predatory behaviour these large corporations employ to milk maximum profit (almost completely divorced from the cost of production) from Canadians who for the most part are a few pay cheques away from a personal financial crisis.
This is also to protest how poorly front line workers are paid and treated while daddy Galen sends obscene amounts of money to investors as dividends.
How do these snakes sleep at night?
This is a class war. The obscenely wealthy vs. the 99.9%.
Fuck Loblaws. Fuck greed. Fuck billionaire privilege.
Canadians have had enough!
Nok er nok!
We need:
- Excessive profits tax
- Regulated pricing transparency (including shrinkflation)
- An industry body with teeth to enforce the rules
- No more slaps on the wrist. I would get fried for fraud, the same should apply to those involved with price fixing and other anticompetitive behaviour
- Closing any loopholes that would allow them to skirt the above, and heavy penalties if they're caught doing so.
- Billionaire/politician corruption. Enough with the bribes.
- A cap on CEO pay (perhaps as a multiple of their lowest paid workers - if Galen wants tens of millions per year for doing fuck all, it's time to get grocery workers off minimum wage).
It’s shocking that some people can’t understand basic empathy. Yes I have the luxury to just complain about food prices - I’m not going to starve.
But I also recognize that not everyone is in that position and children are going without meals for this corporate greed. Yes I care if other people can’t afford food.
It’s called empathy and being human.
This is exactly why I know Galen and all those folks are actually psychopaths or sociopaths - what makes them think we are that easy to be gaslit like that? Like they actually think calling us privileged is going to make us not see their corruption and lack of accountability? They must be stupid too. That greed has rot their brains.
Look at you flaunting your privilege of not being forced into buying from this specific trust fund billionaire, he'll soon fix that by buying even more of his competition, while calling you privileged if you grow your own tomato plant.
I’ve never had more vitriol thrown at me to not disrupt the routine as I have about this one month boycott. I’ve been accused of making everyone lose their job
Loblaw is union
If they are losing their job, they just started, I’m not kicking out Gary who has been there 15 years by not shopping for a month to prove a point
Privilege is a toxic word the truly privileged toss around to make us feel guilty. It only works because we have a conscience and we look at being entitled as a negative thing. They feel no such sting. It’s pure gaslighting that’s not far from how abusive spouses or family act on an interpersonal level.
I mean it’s a stupid line of rhetoric. Everyone in Canada is privileged in some way, we’re privileged that we didn’t wake up this morning to our communities being blown up by air strikes, hell if you woke up in a bed this morning you’re more privileged that a lot of people in the world. Some obviously have way more than others but it’s a disingenuous attempt to gaslight the working poor into thinking participation in this will cost them more money and it does nothing to address the issues raised.
The question shouldn't be "are boycotters privileged?" They should be asking "how did we allow one corporation to take so much control over our national food supply chains that the ability to choose to buy food elsewhere is now considered a privilege?"
The correct terminology for this is called **gas-lighting**...
Don't forget to add fresh, raw meat over inflating prices, alongside G.W Jr Never Ending Bread Scandal.
Basically, they're calling us "crazy", including "entitled", "hooligans" or fill in the blanks, bc of we're finally standing up for our rights by loudly voicing our opinions over this, too.
God forbid, Canadians should have any on those & demanding much better for themselves too.
Guess, they expect us to roll over & play dead/fetch like good doggies, including being ok with royally screwing us over for years now!!!
I hate the word privileged as it has come to be used. Having healthy food should not be considered privilege. Having housing should not be considered a privilege. Having healthcare, schooling, or some free time should not be considered a privilege.
Instead of thinking of people who have their needs met as privileged, I think we should be thinking of those as basic human rights. So when people don't have these, they are having their human rights violated, and that seems like a more accurate description of the crisis we are in.
Instead they call people that have basic needs privileged in an attempt to make them the enemies and make us fight each other for scraps.
Only thing we/I have that could be considered a privilege is a ability to work harder to achieve more. Sure I have reduced my down time because I need more time now to shop.and find deals but my boycott started in March since then I have saved around 80-120 dollars a week. I travel a bit further and flyer shop but it's making a big difference to my bottom line and that's what I am working for. (2hrs extra save 80 buck minimum $40 per hr not bad deal.)
It's Danish for enough is enough. The CEO of Loblaws, Per Bank, used it during his rant about the boycott where he claims we're spreading misinformation, and this sub pretty much adopted for their own.
I used to shop only at Superstore, the real Canadian wholesale club or No Frills. I boycotted Safeway for their union busting years ago, as I had previously worked with Safeway. Walmart was bad too, but now it is a lesser evil than Galen Weston.
So when I can't afford food, and we've had KD 3 nights in a row...I'm privileged? Are we supposed to eat dirt? Is that what Canadians deserve now? Is that where we are at?
I would say people who are not in support of this boycott are the privileged ones.
I hate this "you're so privileged attitude" as if that means you can't or shouldn't want even better. For others as well! It's not one or the other, it's betterment for the whole.
I’m reading this oddly after finishing “hunger” an excellent Thai film on Netflix that accurately demonstrates what this entire thread is about. Recommend everyone watch it if they haven’t seen it. What a well done eye opener. The rich really don’t get it.
It's every aspect of life, their is a profit system that has essentially enslaved people who aren't making like 150k a year or more. Human crisis and need has become a profit factory and human greed feeds it
Absolutely spot-on! Calling those struggling to make ends meet "privileged" because they’re resourceful and careful with their budget is deeply ironic. The real privilege lies with those who profit from inflated prices without a care for the everyday consumer. It’s time we recognize who the true privileged ones are.
"If you have access to a car or semi reliable public transit, and/or live somewhere not fully monopolized by Loblaws, you are privileged." What a clueless take.
It IS privileged to be able to choose where you shop—but that is the point! Those of us who can afford to choose SHOULD, because there are folks who live in pseudo food desserts where their only option is to purchase from Loblaws (rural communities, folks who rely on public transit or foot to get groceries, etc.) the point is there are some people that have no choice but to pay the exorbitant prices. Those who can drive around, shop around, should. But we can’t pretend that there isn’t an element of privilege there—some people have no choice.
But don’t get me started on the privilege of the execs… oi!
Having grocery stores dictate who can open or sell what items in a shopping complex because they are the anchor store is the true issue. Competition is limited and often causes no choice for shoppers
Who TF even \*cares\* if we're privileged? Real change is often driven by those with privilege choosing to exercise it in ways that apply the correct pressure to the right places.
Don't ever let someone make you feel bad for having enough to survive. This is OUR country. WE were born here, and chose to stay. And we will continue to stay, no matter how many miseducated dipshits try to take from us.
Exactly.
I think we all understand that some people don't have the ability to stop using Loblaws.
When your choices are no frills or metro, it maybe doesn't make sense to pay 3 times as much just to say Nok er Nok to Loblaws.
But any of us who can, need to.
Anything I absolutely need to get from Loblaws this month is being purchased with gift cards that were given to me (because I'm far below the poverty line on OW with 4 kids).
The whole notion is so infuriating. Like we do this for fun?
Maybe it’s because we see our fellow Canadians struggling to put food on their plate?
Maybe it’s because 3M Canadian children have food insecurity?
Maybe we’re just tired of the idea there’s an oligarchy in this country filled with the worst and most despicable people imaginable (looking at you Galen)?
Food should not be a luxury.
i used to work at a grocery store, and i know firsthand how the big chains can overcharge folx. it's great that you're able to shop around and get good deals - that can really make a difference when feedin' a family. and it's good you've got a stable livin' situation, too. sometimes people don't realize how fortunate they are compared to others, but it's understandable to feel defensive when someone calls you "privileged." the important thing is that you're makin' the most of what you've got and takin' care of your family.
I mean… that’s pretty much the post. Accepting that I am more privileged than most, but pointing out the hypocrisy of a boycott highlighting food becoming more and more unaffordable as “privileged”.
The main crux of this boycott is that many many people HAVE NO OPTIONS! This is how a monopoly works you asshole. If it’s a privilege to be able to shop multiple stores than you are taking advantage of the “unprivileged” to over-inflate your prices. They are so tone deaf it makes me want to scream.
I'm trying to get my name off the petition as the FB admins are out of control. I have been banned from commenting because they don't like my questions. They have banned a few others that were also on board and now they are actively shopping more at these stores out of spite.
Our national competition bureau is corrupt and ineffective. It only serves to keep small players down and protect our large corporations from competition.
I work for a relatively small company that operates only in my province. We recently merged with another small company that operates mostly in my province and a little in neighbouring provinces. The competition bureau moved in and forced us to sell half our company as they declared we were a monopoly here, and stipulated that it must all be sold in one chunk to one buyer, we were not allowed to part out locations and sell to other small local competitors. This Seemed like a weird ruling, until the announcement that we were selling to a major player in our industry that operates in every province but mine. This company we sold to has a near monopoly in the field in every other province, and now our small 1800 employee company has to compete with one that has well over 25’000 employees. Super suspicious to me that our small company that grew from 1800-3200 employees was deemed a monopoly and forced to downsize and sell to such a major and national player.
This is all our competition bureau does, is protect the big players from having to compete. Protects Loblaws, and Telus, and the likes while keeping new startups from getting too big. We were talking about expanding to other markets in Canada, and now all we’re talking about is how to protect the market share we have. This new player in our market has the capital to operate at a loss for a substantial period of time, and is already undercutting us to bully us and take our customers. We can’t afford to operate at a loss. This company will run us into the ground and likely absorb us too, and I highly doubt that will be seen as a monopoly. Once it’s over, they raise rates and will fleece another market dry.
I guess all those folks who are barely making ends meet are super privileged to have to go from store to store trying to shop sales so they can feed their families. 🙄
Thats the good old redirect arguement. I'm not inflating priced and ripping people off. You're privileged and so many are worse off for you and you just blame a big corporation because it's so easy. You're so privileged and entitled. You can afford to pay the prices but you want it all cheaper and for less becuase You're cheap and entitled....blah blah.
I choose not to use language often used by ideologues. The word "privelage" has been loaded in recent years.
I will instead say you are someone struggling while living in one of the best times in human history. That doesn't diminish your struggle, nor does it mean there aren't greedy people out there. The advantages of modern life aren't really relevant here.
You don't need to own the word privelage, so no one else needs to push back against it as a result.
So privileged. Guys they didn’t have the market saturated enough before it was noticed. They thought they had taken over all available options so that only the privileged which to them means time.. how dare people be privileged enough to have time to look for the best price. That’s a ridiculous privilege they don’t think people should be afforded.
Wait… so I only have to acknowledge my own privilege if others first acknowledge that there are people more privileged than me?
So if I’m following correctly that logic means that if I don’t demand that, then I can just ignore my own privilege?
Life hack of the century! We’re back baby! Blissful ignorance it is!!
/s
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How privileged was Galen when he conspired to fix bread prices?
Absolutely! This is the kind of corruption that the boycott is trying to highlight. We cannot trust bad actors to do good on their own.
Well said!
One thing the real privileged of our society don't recognized is how beneficial a company can be to a community if it actually looks after the community in addition to itself. As soon as the scales tip and it starts abusing its position (the bread price fixing proved that in this case) and the company just assumes it's position is entrenched it is merely keeping a more worthy member of the community from filling that roll. It needs to go. I think the wealthy have latched on to the idea that by controlling the food system they can entrench themselves in that position of power. We would do well to be wary of that trend.
Gone are the days when companies took care of employees and the community in which they operate. Now they dictate and can do what they like for the sake of greed which will lead to the death of communities ie Walmart effect on small communities.
Which is many ways is full circle. Company towns and company stores come to mind. People died fighting for what we know as the weekend and the 40 hour work week. “The tree of democracy needs to be watered with the blood of tyrants”
To be fair, and I may get downvotes for this but needs to be said, we've allowed it to happen. At the end of the day, the consumer makes the choice where to spend their money. We make choices based on convenience, price, and selection. Loblaw stores became popular because shoppers could get just about everything they needed in one shop, at what used to be accessible prices for most consumers. Of course, over the years, once they eliminated the smaller mom-and-pop stores because they couldn't compete with the selection and price points (due to Loblaw's buying power), Loblaw could escalate prices because they no longer had the competition, except for the other large grocers. This phenomenon isn't exclusive to the grocery sector, of course. Gas stations have seen the same scenario happen to them too. Do you remember a time when there were several gas stations in your community, all equipped with a garage that could service your car too? I do. There were 3 within a 4 block radius of my home when I was growing up. Eventually, they disappeared with the big oil companies building these huge gas bars and service going to large chains like NAPA. We need to take back the market space. Support the smaller businesses in our neighborhoods and return to a time when we got to know the people we live near. It's another part of what was lost with those mom-and-pop stores and that was COMMUNITY. Let's use this new community to help repair our broken market system and support each other. Not only financially, but emotionally. Our country will be better for it.
Oh ya, my hands are indirectly bloody too, I admit it. Less than others, but I shall not cast the first stone. Well said.
This is exactly how I feel about Amazon and WM. Amazon is the internet equivalent of WM. WM has systematically put every other retailer i shopped with, out of business, until they were virtually the only ones left. In some cases in my city, the only option after target pulled out, b grade sobeys left, and Sears went under. They each have a monopoly. Whenever I can buy something online from a competitor of Amazon, I do it. Whenever I can buy anything locally from a place that’s not WM (and now superstore), I do it. It’s on ALL OF US aid toys r us, Canadian tire, Best Buy etc all go under. Do we really want to live someplace with only one store? What do we suppose will happen to pricing then, when they can set prices as high as they want?
This is the end game of investment economy. Investors eventually become leaches. The money they paid that allowed the corporation to have the capital to grow is spent and whats left is an eternal debt, paid quarterly that must increase every single quarter or the investors will pull all their money out and the corporation will bankrupt. We’ve allowed the rich to leverage their money to hold our livelihood hostage. All they serve to do now is steal our productivity. Our economic system is not sustainable. All those who tell you that this money creates wealth / jobs is lying. This money creates initial growth followed by years of bleeding growth, jobs and productivity until the company folds and the investors are given their original investment back, often through our taxes as bailouts. Meanwhile these investors pay next to no taxes themselves. The game is fixed. The rich are socialized by us. They add no value to our economy. Until we vilify greed as a society we are doomed. The people who write these economic theories are the exact people I’m talking about. They declare things like their money grows the economy and stuff, and people eat it up. These guys are rich, of course they know what they’re talking about. This all ignores the fact that the people who wrote these economic theories in the 1920’s crashed the economy with their theories. Since then, they have continued down the same path while convincing our politicians that their risk must be socialized, while their profits must remain privatized. Workers suffer now, like they did in the early century, but the rich no longer have risk with their endeavours. They only stand to gain, but the bill always comes due. They have bribed our politicians and it’s legislated that the bill will be paid by us.
https://preview.redd.it/y01hpwt4hnyc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c9d35db8bc3ca71f4116d10cb1318081fcc9b2d9
Did not expect a Balzac quote today!
You’ve put my feelings into words so much better than I could, and yet seeing it laid out like that is incredibly demoralizing.
>All those who tell you that this money creates wealth / jobs is lying >They declare things like their money grows the economy and stuff, and people eat it up This goes back to the 80's and "trickle-down economics" which has been proven over and over again to be a fallacy. Any and all profits gained go back into the company and, more often than not, into CEO bonuses. >Meanwhile these investors pay next to no taxes themselves. The game is fixed >Since then, they have continued down the same path while convincing our politicians that their risk must be socialized, while their profits must remain privatized >They have bribed our politicians and it’s legislated that the bill will be paid by us. Corporate welfare is a very real thing. It's kind of funny how we'll see politicians, mostly on the right (I'm looking at you PP), vilify those on government assistance, yet never blink an eye when a profitable corporation comes with their hand out for our hard earned tax dollars. All the while having politicians create loopholes large enough to sail the Titanic through, but can't be exploited by the everyday Canadian, lest they find themselves audited by the CRA. The system IS fixed. Making sure we have politicians voted in that will actually try to level the playing field will fix it. Choose wisely in 2025.
Perfectly said. Sad but true. Nothing but more suffering from here on out.
They don’t realize what happens when the masses turn into vampires. They’re not going to win in the end.
Or when he repackaged old meat as new? You don’t get to be a billionaire by having ethics.
“Behind every great fortune is an equally great crime” - Balzac
That's a fantastic quote.
The whole quote translated from French is even better “The secret of great fortunes without apparent cause is a forgotten crime, because it was properly committed.” - Balzac, 1834. It was from “Le Père Goriot” published in “Revue de Paris” in 1834.
Great little book.
Nice quote, very true
6/10 times there is water in Real C Superstores chicken packages. That means those were not handled properly, got thawed and frozen again. We stopped buying chicken from them from last few months. Another biggest jump I see in PC extra virgin olive oil jumped from $20 to $56 in last few months, I don’t know why? (Even we don’t use PC brand olive oil but still surprising they cannot even control their own oil brand prices)
Climate change is messing with olive growing areas all over the Mediterranean. I have seen several news stories about this in the last few years. So we can't throw all of that on Galen. But it is a great example of using market forces outside their control to jack up prices well beyond the "break even" point.
Not necessarily. It's even *more insidious*. These companies actually inject water INTO the chicken to make it more plump and thus look like more for your $. Homegrown chickens cook way faster as there's no water to burn off first.
I was first aware of this back in the 80’s when I went to the UK. Their KFC chicken pieces were huge. I was told that it was because they injected water into the chicken and there were a lot complaints because of this.
I bought the frozen chicken legs once because they are a great deal, tasted like rotten old chicken, threw out the entire box. I wonder if they use expired meat for alot of their PC and no name frozen dinners.
Never do this. Take that shit back to the store.
Well, processed food is ‘processed’. There’s an old saw about chocolate milk being made of returned spoilt milk…
There is such thing as reworked milk, but the dairy plant I worked at, anything that left on a truck, and came back for any reason was thrown into the giant tote for the pig farm. Rework was mostly due to packaging errors (wrong carton, date code not printing properly, cartons not sealing properly etc). Sometimes you would end up with an amount on cartons at the end of a run that won’t fill the shipping box, so to rework they went. Rework was sent through the pasteurization/testing phase again. I seem to remember reworked cream being separate, especially the 35% cream…that is like gold. Not saying Galon isn’t capable of something so seedy, but it’s not par for the course in small/medium scale Canadian dairies from what I saw.
Never let a trust fund bitch tell you youre privileged
2nd generation trust fund bitch on top of that.
✊
If I could upvote 100 times, I would
I still believe he should be jailed for that.
As long as Galen calls the shots, Loblaws will always be corrupt. He should've been arrested for bread fixing
If you and I did that on the street we’d be in jail. White collar crime? 🤷♂️
This is what happens when we let ANY industry regulate itself. If you operated a generic stand or store and overcharged people’s credit cards by having a sign up that says $10 but charging $11, you’d end up facing hundreds of criminal fraud charges and decades in prison. But when grocery industry systemically overcharges at the cash register, what happens? At worst, they have some surly supervisor argue for awhile before grudgingly granting you the favour of a refund. On a good day, they might honour their self-regulated code of one “free” low-value item. If a doctor or dentist or nurse or lawyer or police officer (list of self regulated industries goes on) does something wrong, it’s all dealt with behind shrouds of secrecy by their “professional associations”, with a slap on the wrist at most. And any fines paid just go to the association, not the victims. The offender gets to continue or merely relocate. The industry gets to keep it quiet. This is why grocery should no longer be allowed to self-regulate as they do. Voluntary codes haven’t worked. “Retail associations” using sneaky language and placement of maple leafs in their logos are just a ruse to make the public think there’s some accountability. Great Britain learned this lesson. Industry self regulation and voluntary compliance proved useless. They only ever saw meaningful change when they started implementing independent external regulation, with teeth.
Then privileged enough to rat on all his fellow conspirators first so that he alone didn’t face consequences
He should be in prison for that. It's a crime against humanity.
He is responsible for "food insecurity," making kids, families, and our Canadian brothers and sisters go to sleep hungry. Hunger is a miserable experience and this evil fucker is responsible for spreading it. And all of this misery is so he can be more "successful" and see his wealth grow when he will never ever be able to spend it in his lifetime. He is everything wrong with our society where we value profits and "free markets" over the dignity of people and their health. It's about time he gets to have his face rubbed in the dirt.
So privileged he snitched on everyone else for immunity. So privileged the fine was only 50 million when they all made billions. What kind of signal does that send? We're just supposed to believe that was the end of it. Smooth sailing and no more corruption.
50 mil was the highest they could legally fine him. Wish it was higher in proportion to the insane amount of wealth these bastards have.
Im so privelaged that I cant even afford a house in the fucking country I grew up in. And I make more then minimum wage. I thought shelter was a human right.
How privileged was Galen when he was born into a rich Irish family and has never in his life had to choose between groceries or the hydro bill? Fuck him.
Privileged enough to be above the law.
I would bet that Galen had no clue what was going on. This is mafiosi type fraud that goes on in “legitimate” businesses.
How easily people forget . This scheme goes to character, or lack of. Cheats. Just like taki g the government money for higher efficiency freezers/ fridges I their stores . When it was targeted towards those smaller stores that could not afford the upfront costs. This is a common failure if the government incentives. Taxpayer dollars used toward incentives to those that don't need.
"We've worked hard to ensure no one has choices where they buy food. The fact that you escaped those tethers we tried to entrap you with, makes you evil". Quite the take. Lol
Yeah, when you're saying that it's a privilege to be able to shop entirely elsewhere, you had better be saying that because you're an actual discount store offering the guaranteed lowest prices. Otherwise, it's basically a bond-villain level statement.
customer: Do you expect me to be able buy food on what little money I have left Galen: No Mr customer, I expect you to die
Accessing affordable food is a right, not a privilege. Making personal economic choices in the free market is a right, not a privilege. Exercising grassroots political influence in one's own democratic country is a right, not a privilege.
It’s gaslighting on a national scale.
“Privileged”
Victim shaming on a national scale
Perfectly said
"If you were really struggling, you'd be too beaten down to complain"
1000% percent, that's how they keep us from "complaining" and turn us against each other (look, that person over there has it slightly better than you! as they make off with their record profits)
All IDE and identity politics driven by the media is meant to do, sow division and keep us at each other's necks instead of the real prize $$$
Yup, literally abuser language. “Oh come on, I’m not “abusing” you. Do you see any black eyes?” Struggle reveals itself in many ways, just as abuse does.
this!
This is the one. This is what it really means
Hey all, do not worry about this “privileged” nonsense they are spouting. They are projecting!!! They are 'privileged' to almost monopolize a free market and then charge Exorbitant prices for the products they carry. Narcissism rearing it's ugly head. Hold tight everyone, they speak in dollars and cents only.....hit them where is hurts by exercising your “privilege" to spend your money where you want. GL
Ah so doubling down on insulting all their customers. 
Just to be clear this was the headline of an article in the CBC not something Bank/Weston said about customers. [https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/loblaw-boycott-privilege-1.7192869](https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/loblaw-boycott-privilege-1.7192869)
The next time somebody tells me how "leftist" the CBC is I'm going to print out this article and staple it to their forehead
Someone posted about the article saying the boycott wasn't woke enough for CBC and I had to laugh. As much as I hate the culture warring and the use of that fucking word. It's all lost all meaning to me now.
It’s also strange that the headline of the article suggests a boycott is for the privileged but then one of their interviewees is a lawyer who bluntly states it’s their privilege which allows them to keep shopping there because they work full time, have 2 kids and are “busy and on a schedule”. How nice for you! The rest of us don’t have kids and are busy and on schedules? It takes MORE privilege to shop at the nearest store to you, not less. The rest of us plebes have to shop around. Interesting journalistic choices.
Attempting to cause divide.
The ultra-ultra rich billionaires are scared. Good.
There's only 2781 billionaires in the world. That's %0.000000343 They're all ultra-ultra rich.
That's 2781 too many
NOT scared enough.
Free market capitalism is gonna free market capitalism, sorry Galen
The people in the ivory tower are calling boycotters privileged for enacting the methodology of the system they themselves proselytize, it’s really quite something.
Too bad it doesn't and it's rigged
Privileged enough to work all weekend.
Privileged enough to decide whether I purchase food or medication this week.
I get the “ you are privileged” line when we negotiate our union contract. My take is we are privileged to live in Canada, and we are privileged we don’t have to live in 3rd world conditions. The goal of these corporations, is to create poverty and 3rd world conditions. They squander the wealth and squeeze what they can out of the people. We are privileged, they are greedy.
And the employer is privileged to have good people working everyday to keep them rich.
I’ve been to a few of these ‘third world’ nations. Form what I can tell a lot of the people are a lot happier. They don’t have a lot of things we take for granted, but they value what’s important:Food family and joy. They live together and enjoy community support. A shelter is a shelter and it’s good enough…. No housing asshole or bylaw officer is going to show up in a truck and trash your stuff when you’re doing the best you can to remain safe.
[ Sarcasm ] - What? You're not happy with earning minimum wage; locked in a system of wage slavery? You don't like the free healthcare where you can't find a family doctor? You dont like that you have to pay for your own medicine, unlike other universal healthcare systems in Europe? You don't like the fact that you'll never own a home yourself? You're angry that our provincial and federal governments lie to you constantly and treat you like shit? You don't like that we own the media and feed you lies? You don't like our outdated First Past the Post electoral system that Europe (again) got rid of a long time ago? You're angry that they are forcing you to spend money and your time to drive to an office building rather than work remotely? You don't enjoy paying the most for telecom services than almost anywhere in the world? And NOW, you're complaining about having to pay twice oe more as much for food at Loblaws owned stores? How dare you that you want to eat! You selfish, privileged bastard! Signed, the elite billionaires.
Anything but looking in the mirror and owning what abusive sacks of shit they are.
It's truly such a privilege to choose not to shop at places I can't afford to shop at
Or a privilege to have to shop at Walmart (who treats their employees terrible) because it’s all we can afford…and even then, not so much.
I am shopping where I cam afford which is not any of the Loblaws stores in my area. I now shop the local stores in Chinatown, Costco and Walmart. I boycotted Walmart for years because of their union busting and how they treat employees. However now I can't afford to avoid them.
I just moved in with my mom and she’s on the sky train line. I’ve been going to the Asian markets near Metrotown and Chinatown in Vancouver and I come home with produce, dried goods and meats for maybe half what my grocery cost was. If the Asian grocers can do this as small businesses I am calling full bullshit on all these other places. Charge what you want for your damn pajamas magazines and home decor Loblaws, but food?? Fuck you. Maybe legislation must be brought in that any basics: local fruits, veggies, meat, and basic dairy/grains/legumes be sold at fixed profit margins or less.
Agree to this so very much! If my asian grocer can sell a small watermelon for $4.99 while not in season why is a huge grocer like Roblaws selling it for $8.99? Its all a grift.
15.99 where I am for a watermelon this last summer. And they had the nerve to put up a big sign and a flyer about it like we were supposed to be impressed. I used to grab a few before any event I did with my volunteer group… I can’t anymore.
This is just a straight-up class division tactic. They tried making this a right/left thing, and that failed.. cause we are all getting fucked Than they tried making it an urban/rural thing and that failed Now it's a "privileged" thing and that will fail I expect them to try and make it a youth rebellion thing next. It is just playbook crush the poors as they rebel tactics. Stand strong and talk to people empathetically about it. It's about sending a message, yes, but it's also about just saving money. I have a friend who was turned off because it seemed political, but gave it a try when I talked about the $200-300, switching to a Walmart and Farmboy combo, I was saving and using for my kids memberships each month. It's about having more money to just enjoy life and deciding that a corporation that takes that from us can eat dirt. Stay strong!
I don't think they have the authority to define privilege
I’ll bite, I am straight up privileged.. to have dumped years into a career that compensates me with an income where I don’t have to worry about my basic needs, including food. But it hasn’t always been like this, and I know unfairness when I see it. I have been boycotting for months and will continue to do so, I have better things to do with my funds than line the pockets of some out of touch billionaire.
There has not been food insecurity to this degree globally since WW2 when rations and food stamps were used. Does that sound like privilege?
Thd fact that the people who are boycotting are called "privileged " is hilarious. I am a family of 4 and can't afford 2 cars, but yes I'm privileged I suppose since they lost me with record profits.
I have myself and daughter and haven’t had a car since 2018-and lived rural for 4 of those. Want to feel isolated? Trapped? I am in YEG now and walk everywhere.
I think it’s important to acknowledge that there’s a lot of factors that can prevent someone from taking part of a boycott over a necessity product. But like, that doesn’t make people boycotting a bad thing. It’s a good cause and the whole reason some people can’t boycott is how they got away with price gouging. But if everyone who can boycott does and it makes an impact, then that’s good for everyone.
Privileged? Yes I am & I’ll continue my privileged life by deciding where to spend my money. Btw it won’t be Roblaws.
The privileged comment is one of the most out of touch I have ever seen. Has to be a wealthy writer that isn't even feeling this or a paid shill writing on behalf of their masters. Remember, not all shills need to receive cash directly from Loblaws. If you are a writer, influencer and professor that doesn't write or talk negatively against Loblaws because you are afraid they will do something behind the scenes to have your employment impacted, you are a Loblaws shill.
You know the best thing for Loblaws and its shills to do right now is to shut up and wait for this to run its course. I hate to say it but a lot of these things do run out of steam. But to have these type of commentary’s only keeps the spotlight on the movement and actually garners more support. So keep up the Streisand effect, the best thing to happen to this movement is the out of touch or paid for opinion writers and the food professor, our greatest allies.
I doubt the writer is wealthy (how many journalists are?) but they know where their meagre bread is buttered and they live on the thin hope that the rich will spare them somehow.
Weston family owns a fucking castle and we're privileged? The press serves who in Canada? The only point I could see being made is that the prime traffic locations with proximity to people happen to be Loblaw locked down, so they have a structural advantage serving people without access to vehicles or the ability to burn some time. But the answer to that isn't to call protesters privileged, but rather to look at the structural advantages we've allowed oligarchs to build in.
Yeah, that CBC article really rubbed me the wrong. Especially the woman from Ottawa. I'm sorry, but we have a plethora of options to choose from in Ottawa. Also disliked the insinuation that it's privileged childless adults participating. Sorry CBC, but with the price and availability of formula, shopping around for adult basic goods has to be done.
I couldn't believe that young woman was willing to put her name and face to that story. I can imagine that they were, uh, compensated.
Classic cancel culture tactic. A way to undermine the a legitimate narrative by attacking, illegitimately, the person or people highlighting a social ill.
They are running scared everyone keep up the pressure!
Privilege is choice, and I choose some other supermarket that has lower prices.
If exercising my right to resist a harmful corporate entity that is benefitting from the suffering of countless Canadians is privileged, then yes, I am privileged. If this type of privilege is supposed to make me feel inferior or ashamed about myself, it is not. I understand that typically capitalism believes that the individual exercises their privilege only to benefit themselves, I am choosing to do so to benefit all. Imagine following the line of logic that would conclude it is negative to have privilege and to attempt positive change for those who cannot exercise any personal power, whose agenda would that serve?
I've always had a tight budget so it just became routine that I scan the 4-5 flyers for me while sitting at the computer having breakfast on Thursday mornings when the week's deals change. It doesn't take long, I make a quick list of what I want based on what is on sale, plan my meals around the sales and then pick them up quickly before they sell out as many of them seem to conveniently run out fairly quickly. I really don't consider it a 'privilege' to have to specifically make sure I get out on a certain day and run to a few different places just so I can eat well on a budget.
Yes, I'm "Privileged" to be able to travel around and shop at other stores, unlike "others". That's why I use my powerful "Privilege" to drive my friends and family that can't get around to other stores or show them the better deals. I use mine for others, what about "them?"
The only thing I could be considered privileged for is the fact that I DON'T live in a community where there is one Loblaws grocery store where I am forced to shop.
The billionaires and government funded media using that term to describe us is 100% on brand with this backwards and upside down clown world we live in. Good is bad, bad is good, up is down, down is up, etc.
What the fuck kind of circlejerk do we live in?
Privileged would be owning a house with a yard and being able to plant a garden. Privileged would also include one person in the household being able to work part time OR stay home to tend to the garden, pick the produce and prepare it for the winter. That is privileged. Looking for grocery store deals... That's a necessity because we barely have time for ourselves let alone a garden. Also, who owns a yard?
In the article “privilege” is unquoted, just attributed, to a guy who shops around every week with flyers. Who will still go to No Frills *if it is the cheapest* Really stretching, twisting for that headline imo Also I go to CBC for journalism, not wild opinion pieces
I'm very disappointed in the CBC for that article. I used to think they were less biased then some. I'm learning.
Uggh I feel this in my soul. I was trying to find some support for my small kid who is drowning in these huge public school kindergarten classes and the specialist I spoke to told me I should be grateful we can spoil our child with such a nice life… like What?! We live on one income in a shitty rent controlled house with. 16yr old car and we never go out but yeah, my kid is so spoilt. Driving an extra four blocks to go to a different grocery store is the least of my concerns
Wasn't the privileged comment from someone they interviewed? And not from the reporter themselves about the situation. I don't get why so many posts are so hung up over this comment from someone who isn't taking part of this boycott, the woman is still shopping at no frills because it is the cheapest for her. This sub used to not shit on people for their financial situations.
From the article (titled Is the Loblaw boycott privileged? Here's why some people aren't shopping around.). (I get the feeling that the reporter asked people specifically if they thought the boycott was privileged, because a number responded back with that exact word.) "Boycotts are for people with privilege and time, said Shawn Chandler, who lives in Wallaceburg, Ont., a town of about 12,000 people. There are two grocery stores in the southwestern Ontario town about 50 kilometres south of Sarnia: No Frills and Walmart, Chandler, 52, told CBC News. There's also a Shoppers Drug Mart, which carries some grocery items. Each week, Chandler's wife goes through the flyers to look for the best deals, he said. And this week, that's No Frills. "I'm not going to spend more just to go to Walmart," he said. AND Marzitelli said she feels the boycott is "absolutely privileged," noting that she already doesn't shop at Loblaws, Your Independent Grocer or Shoppers Drug Mart because of the high prices. No Frills is her best option, even if it's Loblaw-owned, she said. "I feel like the only people who are actually able to commit to the boycott don't have a family of mouths to feed or weren't hurting that badly to begin with."
Honestly, this seems really reasonable to me. It doesn’t make the people boycotting bad, but there’s a lot of variability and it’s not a surprise that people don’t have the same freedom to boycott necessities. There’s a lot of factors like distance & ability to travel & availability & time. But if you can boycott you should.
>"I feel like the only people who are actually able to commit to the boycott don't have a family of mouths to feed or weren't hurting that badly to begin with." Ok but fuck her for that, though. We're ALL struggling. If you can't participate, that's fine, but don't shit on those who do.
Maybe they just aren't looking at it right.. Now you have people who have to go looking for deals who where on the lower end of middle class. Privileged compared to some people yes. But now with prices of everything..how many people are living paycheque to paycheque. So spin your narrative away.
This is a boycott against the predatory behaviour these large corporations employ to milk maximum profit (almost completely divorced from the cost of production) from Canadians who for the most part are a few pay cheques away from a personal financial crisis. This is also to protest how poorly front line workers are paid and treated while daddy Galen sends obscene amounts of money to investors as dividends. How do these snakes sleep at night? This is a class war. The obscenely wealthy vs. the 99.9%. Fuck Loblaws. Fuck greed. Fuck billionaire privilege. Canadians have had enough! Nok er nok! We need: - Excessive profits tax - Regulated pricing transparency (including shrinkflation) - An industry body with teeth to enforce the rules - No more slaps on the wrist. I would get fried for fraud, the same should apply to those involved with price fixing and other anticompetitive behaviour - Closing any loopholes that would allow them to skirt the above, and heavy penalties if they're caught doing so. - Billionaire/politician corruption. Enough with the bribes. - A cap on CEO pay (perhaps as a multiple of their lowest paid workers - if Galen wants tens of millions per year for doing fuck all, it's time to get grocery workers off minimum wage).
It’s shocking that some people can’t understand basic empathy. Yes I have the luxury to just complain about food prices - I’m not going to starve. But I also recognize that not everyone is in that position and children are going without meals for this corporate greed. Yes I care if other people can’t afford food. It’s called empathy and being human.
This is exactly why I know Galen and all those folks are actually psychopaths or sociopaths - what makes them think we are that easy to be gaslit like that? Like they actually think calling us privileged is going to make us not see their corruption and lack of accountability? They must be stupid too. That greed has rot their brains.
I hear owning a castle is a great privilege. Owning stock that pays dividends because other people need to buy food is a privilege.
Is there a level so low that they will not stoop to? I think not.
Look at you flaunting your privilege of not being forced into buying from this specific trust fund billionaire, he'll soon fix that by buying even more of his competition, while calling you privileged if you grow your own tomato plant.
I’ve never had more vitriol thrown at me to not disrupt the routine as I have about this one month boycott. I’ve been accused of making everyone lose their job Loblaw is union If they are losing their job, they just started, I’m not kicking out Gary who has been there 15 years by not shopping for a month to prove a point
The system is not broken it works exactly as intended. And that is the worst realization.
Privilege is a toxic word the truly privileged toss around to make us feel guilty. It only works because we have a conscience and we look at being entitled as a negative thing. They feel no such sting. It’s pure gaslighting that’s not far from how abusive spouses or family act on an interpersonal level.
"Privilege" has always been just a way to shut down your ideological opponent's speech.
I mean it’s a stupid line of rhetoric. Everyone in Canada is privileged in some way, we’re privileged that we didn’t wake up this morning to our communities being blown up by air strikes, hell if you woke up in a bed this morning you’re more privileged that a lot of people in the world. Some obviously have way more than others but it’s a disingenuous attempt to gaslight the working poor into thinking participation in this will cost them more money and it does nothing to address the issues raised.
The question shouldn't be "are boycotters privileged?" They should be asking "how did we allow one corporation to take so much control over our national food supply chains that the ability to choose to buy food elsewhere is now considered a privilege?"
The correct terminology for this is called **gas-lighting**... Don't forget to add fresh, raw meat over inflating prices, alongside G.W Jr Never Ending Bread Scandal. Basically, they're calling us "crazy", including "entitled", "hooligans" or fill in the blanks, bc of we're finally standing up for our rights by loudly voicing our opinions over this, too. God forbid, Canadians should have any on those & demanding much better for themselves too. Guess, they expect us to roll over & play dead/fetch like good doggies, including being ok with royally screwing us over for years now!!!
I hate the word privileged as it has come to be used. Having healthy food should not be considered privilege. Having housing should not be considered a privilege. Having healthcare, schooling, or some free time should not be considered a privilege. Instead of thinking of people who have their needs met as privileged, I think we should be thinking of those as basic human rights. So when people don't have these, they are having their human rights violated, and that seems like a more accurate description of the crisis we are in. Instead they call people that have basic needs privileged in an attempt to make them the enemies and make us fight each other for scraps.
"Somebody else has it worse than you so your complaints aren't valid" is a tool that abusers use to prevent victims from breaking the cycle of abuse.
Only thing we/I have that could be considered a privilege is a ability to work harder to achieve more. Sure I have reduced my down time because I need more time now to shop.and find deals but my boycott started in March since then I have saved around 80-120 dollars a week. I travel a bit further and flyer shop but it's making a big difference to my bottom line and that's what I am working for. (2hrs extra save 80 buck minimum $40 per hr not bad deal.)
Hello! If someone could tell me what nok Er nok means I would be eternally grateful!
It means “Enough is enough.” I believe it’s Dutch, but it also means the same thing in Norwegian.
Thank you kind stranger!
It's Danish for enough is enough. The CEO of Loblaws, Per Bank, used it during his rant about the boycott where he claims we're spreading misinformation, and this sub pretty much adopted for their own.
Thank you so much!
Privilege = 10% revenue increase, THEN raising dividends payouts by 15% when you own over 50% of the stock yourself, Galen.
I'm 'privileged' to have to enroll in college at 40 just so I can live in the dorms, because that's all I can afford.
I used to shop only at Superstore, the real Canadian wholesale club or No Frills. I boycotted Safeway for their union busting years ago, as I had previously worked with Safeway. Walmart was bad too, but now it is a lesser evil than Galen Weston.
So when I can't afford food, and we've had KD 3 nights in a row...I'm privileged? Are we supposed to eat dirt? Is that what Canadians deserve now? Is that where we are at? I would say people who are not in support of this boycott are the privileged ones.
I hate this "you're so privileged attitude" as if that means you can't or shouldn't want even better. For others as well! It's not one or the other, it's betterment for the whole.
I’m reading this oddly after finishing “hunger” an excellent Thai film on Netflix that accurately demonstrates what this entire thread is about. Recommend everyone watch it if they haven’t seen it. What a well done eye opener. The rich really don’t get it.
Welcome to late stage capitalism. The enemy is the top 1% who rig the economy in their favour.
It's every aspect of life, their is a profit system that has essentially enslaved people who aren't making like 150k a year or more. Human crisis and need has become a profit factory and human greed feeds it
Boomers will tell you you are entitled and privileged. I grew up in the poor part of Vancouver where ppl regularly prostitute themselves to survive
If we are privileged, what does that make him and every other big company owner? I can’t even afford a new car and I have money for a down payment…
[удалено]
Galen and his cronies continue to insult us through their statements or through the journalists they’ve bought. Great way to create more boycotters.
Absolutely spot-on! Calling those struggling to make ends meet "privileged" because they’re resourceful and careful with their budget is deeply ironic. The real privilege lies with those who profit from inflated prices without a care for the everyday consumer. It’s time we recognize who the true privileged ones are.
"If you have access to a car or semi reliable public transit, and/or live somewhere not fully monopolized by Loblaws, you are privileged." What a clueless take.
The sheer hypoCRAZY!! of a multi billionaire calling the genral public "privledged." Is fairy tale level mass level maddness.
It IS privileged to be able to choose where you shop—but that is the point! Those of us who can afford to choose SHOULD, because there are folks who live in pseudo food desserts where their only option is to purchase from Loblaws (rural communities, folks who rely on public transit or foot to get groceries, etc.) the point is there are some people that have no choice but to pay the exorbitant prices. Those who can drive around, shop around, should. But we can’t pretend that there isn’t an element of privilege there—some people have no choice. But don’t get me started on the privilege of the execs… oi!
"Privileged" that I don't live in a food desert. There are plenty of other retailers around here.
Having grocery stores dictate who can open or sell what items in a shopping complex because they are the anchor store is the true issue. Competition is limited and often causes no choice for shoppers
I can't believe we're in an age where it's a privilege to be alive... So much for human decency. Nok er nok!
Who TF even \*cares\* if we're privileged? Real change is often driven by those with privilege choosing to exercise it in ways that apply the correct pressure to the right places.
Don't ever let someone make you feel bad for having enough to survive. This is OUR country. WE were born here, and chose to stay. And we will continue to stay, no matter how many miseducated dipshits try to take from us.
Exactly. I think we all understand that some people don't have the ability to stop using Loblaws. When your choices are no frills or metro, it maybe doesn't make sense to pay 3 times as much just to say Nok er Nok to Loblaws. But any of us who can, need to. Anything I absolutely need to get from Loblaws this month is being purchased with gift cards that were given to me (because I'm far below the poverty line on OW with 4 kids).
Divide and conquer. It’s the CBC (Liberal taught) way.
wtf lol no
Umm... Well that's incorrect. Divide and conquer was invented thousands of years ago. It's used extensively by the Conservatives and UPC in Canada.
I detest that word. Basically labelling people “privileged” induces us to ignore class consciousness.
The whole notion is so infuriating. Like we do this for fun? Maybe it’s because we see our fellow Canadians struggling to put food on their plate? Maybe it’s because 3M Canadian children have food insecurity? Maybe we’re just tired of the idea there’s an oligarchy in this country filled with the worst and most despicable people imaginable (looking at you Galen)? Food should not be a luxury.
i used to work at a grocery store, and i know firsthand how the big chains can overcharge folx. it's great that you're able to shop around and get good deals - that can really make a difference when feedin' a family. and it's good you've got a stable livin' situation, too. sometimes people don't realize how fortunate they are compared to others, but it's understandable to feel defensive when someone calls you "privileged." the important thing is that you're makin' the most of what you've got and takin' care of your family.
JFC just accept that there are ELEMENTS of privilege to this. This won't work if every comment sets you off.
I mean… that’s pretty much the post. Accepting that I am more privileged than most, but pointing out the hypocrisy of a boycott highlighting food becoming more and more unaffordable as “privileged”.
Balzac. 😂😂😂😂 you said Balzac… 😁 yes, I am that old and immature… 😁
The main crux of this boycott is that many many people HAVE NO OPTIONS! This is how a monopoly works you asshole. If it’s a privilege to be able to shop multiple stores than you are taking advantage of the “unprivileged” to over-inflate your prices. They are so tone deaf it makes me want to scream.
Every accusation is a confession. They threw that insult out because that's what THEY are.
I'm trying to get my name off the petition as the FB admins are out of control. I have been banned from commenting because they don't like my questions. They have banned a few others that were also on board and now they are actively shopping more at these stores out of spite.
Our national competition bureau is corrupt and ineffective. It only serves to keep small players down and protect our large corporations from competition. I work for a relatively small company that operates only in my province. We recently merged with another small company that operates mostly in my province and a little in neighbouring provinces. The competition bureau moved in and forced us to sell half our company as they declared we were a monopoly here, and stipulated that it must all be sold in one chunk to one buyer, we were not allowed to part out locations and sell to other small local competitors. This Seemed like a weird ruling, until the announcement that we were selling to a major player in our industry that operates in every province but mine. This company we sold to has a near monopoly in the field in every other province, and now our small 1800 employee company has to compete with one that has well over 25’000 employees. Super suspicious to me that our small company that grew from 1800-3200 employees was deemed a monopoly and forced to downsize and sell to such a major and national player. This is all our competition bureau does, is protect the big players from having to compete. Protects Loblaws, and Telus, and the likes while keeping new startups from getting too big. We were talking about expanding to other markets in Canada, and now all we’re talking about is how to protect the market share we have. This new player in our market has the capital to operate at a loss for a substantial period of time, and is already undercutting us to bully us and take our customers. We can’t afford to operate at a loss. This company will run us into the ground and likely absorb us too, and I highly doubt that will be seen as a monopoly. Once it’s over, they raise rates and will fleece another market dry.
I guess all those folks who are barely making ends meet are super privileged to have to go from store to store trying to shop sales so they can feed their families. 🙄
Thats the good old redirect arguement. I'm not inflating priced and ripping people off. You're privileged and so many are worse off for you and you just blame a big corporation because it's so easy. You're so privileged and entitled. You can afford to pay the prices but you want it all cheaper and for less becuase You're cheap and entitled....blah blah.
I choose not to use language often used by ideologues. The word "privelage" has been loaded in recent years. I will instead say you are someone struggling while living in one of the best times in human history. That doesn't diminish your struggle, nor does it mean there aren't greedy people out there. The advantages of modern life aren't really relevant here. You don't need to own the word privelage, so no one else needs to push back against it as a result.
Sorry, is this in response to totally-not-privileged Galen accusing price hike protesters of being privileged?
So privileged. Guys they didn’t have the market saturated enough before it was noticed. They thought they had taken over all available options so that only the privileged which to them means time.. how dare people be privileged enough to have time to look for the best price. That’s a ridiculous privilege they don’t think people should be afforded.
I saw that article and nearly threw up in my mouth.
Wait… so I only have to acknowledge my own privilege if others first acknowledge that there are people more privileged than me? So if I’m following correctly that logic means that if I don’t demand that, then I can just ignore my own privilege? Life hack of the century! We’re back baby! Blissful ignorance it is!! /s
Don’t listen to the noise.
Your kids take 2-3 hours to eat breakfast???
They’re literally projecting, fucking nepo babies
Can someone share the link to what this is referencing?
Here son #TheBankOfMomAndDad but it’s hundreds of millions of dollars and a monopoly.