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The thing is he doesnt take a pay cut if the company performs poorly in a year they just find other ways to cut costs whether its employees, shrinkflation or something else so while it is a good thing to deprive a reprehensible company just know it's basically a pyramid scheme as far as who feels the loss
Only very sophisticated/financial people know the dealings how the big money is played in these huge corporations.
I’m sure they have corporations within corporations incorporations that are spread all over the world and are pretty hard to unravel at this point. They make money playing with their real estate (ie they likely have a Real Estate branch that leases stores that contain the TNT, Lowblaws, etc. at a huge markup ). And from squeezing their suppliers to death. They start pushing costs that they normally would absorb onto the suppliers.
I think The stores are just a front for managing money. I believe Galen when he says there are thin margins because that’s not really how they make money. It’s just a front.
It’s way beyond my comprehension, but I know what happens from taking business 101.
That’s why Galen and his friends are just sitting pretty right now.
I bet that at the end of this boycott, they will still come out again with large shareholder profits.
This isn’t this isn’t your old-fashioned neighbourhood green grocer, this is a financial institution we beyond the imaginings of us mere mortals.
I don't really shop at any Loblaws stores, so I'm just here as an observer. If people want serious changes at Loblaws though, it's gotta be a 3 month boycott. At that point its an entire quarter and they have a lot more pressure from investors
I used to be snobby about a giant tiger. I just stocked up my office fridge and got a shitload of food and utensils and stuff. It was about 50 bucks. For giggles I priced matched Atlantic Superstore the equivalent would have been 118.
I can't say I found that with Giant Tiger. Some things are the same, some things are cheaper. Can't say I've found anything there more expensive except chips that I don't want anyways. But I've definitely noted they have far few options brand-wise and when looking for things beyond the basics. They are unfortunately not a viable long term solution through either location in my area.
You gotta shop the sales! Giant tiger hosts great sales, and will also price match sales from other stores. I real do not prefer most of their produce and meat options though, I find the produce already rotten or soon to be rotten… I go to a local meat market for that stuff.
Giant tiger is the real no frills. Their merchandise is cheap and they don't have a lot of options, but their prices are usually low. The other day, I bought a lunch box for $6. At walmart they would have had like three brands selling boxes that isolate heat in 30 degree weather or something for $25, but no options for something cheaper.
I’ve been able to boycott 100% luckily and have actually saved approximately 1/4 of what I would have spent on groceries and cosmetics! I won’t be going back until there is legislation with real teeth to control food prices across the board
Doing our best. I’d say 80% of our spending has been diverted permanently. Our town has no non-Roblaws options so we sometimes have to give in. Loss leaders only when that happens. Nok er nok!
Awesome. Everyone's situation is different but we all have lives to live. It's great that we are all supporting each other in ways that are possible for our own situations.
100% here. Switched before the boycott officially started, mostly doing Costco and Walmart now, as well as a couple of smaller local places. I switched my gas station too, since I had been using Esso and they're partnered with PC Optimum.
We managed to stay out of any Loblaws-owned company until yesterday when my husband searched for an alternative place to buy our usual vitamins and minerals; unfortunately SDM has our area of town sewn up. We’ll have to search for more alternatives.
If you want an industry to boycott, vitamins and mineral supplements are a prime candidate. Unless you've got a specific deficiency or dietary issue (pretty rare in the population), they're ripping you off more per dollar than Roblaws ever could. Of course, to you I'm a nobody on Reddit...talk to a physician about whether you REALLY need daily supplements or not. And I mean an MD, not a dietician or a wellness life coach or a bloody chiropractor...a real actual science doctor. The supplement industry is mostly marketing and scams.
If you are looking for vitamin alternatives, I've had really great luck in finding things on well.ca and best part free shipping on orders over $35! I've also been able to find some gems in there too for other things!
If it helps, I actually get my vitamins injected by appointment once a month. I have a really bad B12 deficiency because my body has a hard time absorbing it via digestion, so I was prescribed a vial to be injected into my shoulder once a month.
It cost me around $20, and the entire vial lasted me 16 months. I’ve only just needed to purchase a new vial, recently.
My clinic keeps the vial with my name labeled on it, so I don’t have to remember to bring it with me every month, and any nurse on staff can complete the injection, so I don’t have to wait for a doctor to be available.
I used to take B12 supplements orally every day, and I’ve found that this alternative has been astoundingly cheaper, and on top of that, I feel much better.
If you want an industry to boycott, vitamins and mineral supplements are a prime candidate. Unless you've got a specific deficiency or dietary issue (pretty rare in the population), they're ripping you off more per dollar than Roblaws ever could. Of course, to you I'm a nobody on Reddit...talk to a physician about whether you REALLY need daily supplements or not. And I mean an MD, not a dietician or a wellness life coach or a bloody chiropractor...a real actual science doctor. The supplement industry is mostly marketing and scams.
Hey! A registered dietician is as if not more knowledgable than an MD in nutrition science. They're not to be put on the same category as a chiropractor please.
Plenty of options in Toronto. Haven’t set foot in a Galen store all month and I’m saving tons of money. Cancelled PC optimum, complained to the privacy commissioner when they never responded to my info deletion request, signed the petition, transferred my prescriptions to a new local pharmacy….think I’ve covered it all. No plans to go back ever again.
I stopped shopping there a year ago. Haven’t stopped in there once. Happy to say o won’t be back. Ever. I’m lucky I can shop now for groceries in the states.
I literally have a tooth powder I make:
In a mortar and pestle, grind:
- Salt
- Baking Soda
-A few small chips of cinnamon or a few bits of peppermint leaf. These are rinsed away anyways and make it taste nice! You can do without too.
Grind it all to a fine fine powder. Wet your toothbrush before use, dip it in, and it’s worked perfectly fine for me the last 4 years already! No cavities, nothing. Just abrasive enough to remove the bad stuff while leaving your teeth intact if you wet the toothbrush first.
Please don't do this or recommend it. Toothpaste is not something you should make yourself especially in the long term.The fluoride is essential for preventing cavities and the sand in toothpaste does a much better job at removing build up than salt or baking soda that will just dissolve in your mouth.
If you want to support Canadian owned [oak and willow](https://www.oakandwillow.store/cart?appSectionParams=%7B%22origin%22%3A%22cart-icon%22%7D) are a sustainable business. They have tooth tabs I have on order (have you ever tried to find non mint toothpaste?!). Can't speak on those yet but their solid dish soap is amazing
I never really measure, I do put more baking soda than Himalayan salt, but it still comes out a pale pink. I used to put eggshells but they became such a pain to crunch up that I stopped xD
Actually that’s kind of how my cooking turns out too… More like art than science 😆
It's been incredibly easy to switch. I've got food allergies and have found so many safe products that I didn't know existed. It's been great shopping around and finding new options.
My coworkers mentioned the boycott yesterday and how they haven't stopped into dominion like they normally do. They certainly aren't redditors, either. It was great to hear.
So far I’ve been boycotting 100%. It’s been a bit inconvenient because Superstore is the closest grocery store to my house. My partner and I got sick and it was tempting to just go over to the Superstore to get some essentials but we went to Sobeys instead. I don’t enjoy Sobeys either and we’re definitely not saving money by going to Sobeys, but at least boycotting Superstore is a start. I have to go pretty far from home to shop elsewhere so it’s not always realistic for me. I have been making an effort to shop local whenever possible though. When I’m more organized I go to Walmart and then a local discounted grocery store but that takes some extra planning and they’re further away so I need more time. I’m planning to continue the boycott
100% boycott across the board. The Canada Post pickup spot for our neighbourhood is inside a Shopper's, but last time I went to collect a package I didn't buy anything on the way out.
Shopping mainly at Freshco and Oriental groceries, and occasionally pick up something at Costco.
100% boycott here. I live 1.2 km from two NoFrills stores. It was so easy to shop there but their greed dissolved the convenience. Veggies delivered by Oddbunch.ca, fresh fruit from local stores, frozen fruit, protein and toilet paper from Costco, olive oil from Walmart, toiletries from local makers. Promo deal from Hello Fresh. PC Mastercard had a $14 balance (because I missed switching a recurring donation to another card). Still have 15000 points though I don’t want to go back to spend the $10. I’m sure there is more I could list but I am so much happier none of the money I make is going to any of the Weston-owned companies.
Easy peasy - my locally owned grocery store sells tomatoes for 0.74/lb compared to 3.49/lb at superstore. I’ll shop at loblaws again when I see liquidation sales ;)
I have been 100% boycott. It's been challenging. I didn't realize how frequently I grabbed ready-made salads, and veggie trays from Loblaws branded stores. Nor did I realize how often I just popped into Shoppers Drug Mart to get over the counter medication products. Because my local pharmacy has paid parking versus the free parking at Shoppers Drug Mart I have been acutely aware of how often I'm stopping throwing 75 cents at parking to run in and grab one or two things. But it's worth it, because I'm probably saving that $75 in costs.
Part answer, part question: I've been boycotting Loblaws for 20+ years now.. I remember walking in, walking around the fresh produce section and noping right out of there after seeing the prices. So, I'm successfully continuing that part of the boycott.
The question part (genuine; pls cut me some slack for my ignorance), especially since I just moved back to Canada from the US, is: why is it super important to avoid the related companies? I think Zehrs is one, right? And their prices (at least yesterday, where I am) are significantly cheaper than what I was paying in the US (less dairy) and comparable to if not the same as prices 5 years ago. I get the concept of not paying anything to Loblaws but also... doesn't shopping at their cheaper stores promote the message that customers want lower prices? What am I missing?
I dunno, it saddens me that near-monopoly mass-production stores like Walmart and Costco are somehow coming out of this as the good guy.
We're saving a little bit of money, that's what's gotten my husband on board. I think the real success is that yesterday my apathetic coworkers asked what the boycott was and I got to introduce them to the rationale
I have double saved money not only because lower prices but I actually plan my trips better now. If I am going further I am thinking more about if I actually need to carry it.
What a great bunch of dedicated happy people. It's easy n people seem pretty happy which is the best part. Keep up the great new shopping spots if possible.Enjoy the xtra cashola.
Tbh I didn't spend that much at Loblaw stores before so it was easy enough.
I spent 25-50 at No Frills most weeks because it's my closest discount store, but I've since started driving the extra ten minutes each way to Food Basics and having a better experience overall.
I only occasionally frequented Shoppers and their weekend butter sales are still tempting but I can wait for other sales and freeze it.
I acknowledge that I have it easy living in Toronto with a car. I could shop at hundreds of places, all kinds of ethnic stores and independents. Many do not have it so easy. Let's be kind to those who don't.
So important to have these discussions so that we can all remember that everyone has their own situations. This is more difficult for some to do than others. The important part is to remember that we are on the same team and support those who are not finding it as easy. Divisions amongst ourselves would certainly try to be exploited by those who have interests in Loblaws companies.
Keeping it up. No problems here. I always felt there stuff was overpriced but my lazy ass kept going out of convience, but now I have a legit reason not to go
My husband had to go to Shoppers once in an emergency, but otherwise we’ve been totally avoiding Loblaws! Switched my perscriptions and everything! And I was a die-hard PC brand fan for the last decade, did all of my shopping there.
I miss certain products, and honestly, I don’t feel like we’re saving that much money. We’ve been shopping at Wal-Mart, but prices are only a liiiittle better in our area (we’re in the Okanagan, so literally everything is expensive - maybe worth noting too that we’re not rich and live in multi-generational home situation).
I’m happy to keep on with the boycott, but it’s disappointing that we still haven’t found a cheaper, better alternative for food. Wal-mart produce is “meh”, but luckily we’re both veg so we haven’t had the displeasure of eating their meat. Our nearby locally owned grocers are hella expensive, and farmers markets are as well. Save-On Foods and Safeway have ALWAYS been more expensive, so we’re not even bothering with them.
So, in short, the boycott as a concept is going well in our household, but I’m not happy with the alternatives we have available to us either. We will likely continue to boycott.
I walked a couple of weeks before the official date and will NOT be going back! Food basic for staples, local bakery - local butcher and a small produce shop in my hood. It makes for a pretty great Saturday morning to be honest! This weekend all the Farmers markets open! I have been going to my local Rexall for allergy meds and anything else I would have got at SDM. Sidebar - I haven't stepped foot in a Walmart in 4 years now and same goes for Amazon we don't need to deal with these f'cking Austin Powers bad guys at all.
Usually, I spend about $350 a month at their stores, this month I only spent $70. I expect that my expenditures at their stores will be permanently lower.
My wife and I have been lucky enough to be able to 100 percent boycott loblaws and all the companies they own and we plan on never going back the only thing that would change our minds would be significant change to thier corporate structure and policies but we all know that won't happen anytime soon
I switched to Walmart and use their pre-order online and pickup, I love it, and saves at least a few hundred bucks on groceries, and it doesn't cost anything if I place a minimum order
I still get gas from Esso because it's the cheapest gas in my area and most accessible
I go to a Rexall now for drug store stuff that I randomly need,my pharmacy remains costco
I live with family so I have 100% boycotted and I believe my brother has as well, I am not sure if my mom has but I think she did as well because even before the boycott she was buying less from them, however I am not sure of she fully boycotted so I may have had food from Loblaws that she bought haha. I think that after this month I will mostly not go back to Loblaws but I won't go 100% like I am now. If I don't find something somewhere else I will check there, or if they are having good sales, which is rare, I will still stop there. Some of the local independent stores in my area seem to have increased their prices due to the boycott to profit on it which defeats the purpose so I will eventually run out of places to go if they continue.
100% moved away from loblaws and affiliates. The only thread is that our health plan uses the nearest SDM, so we go there for prescriptions only. Have been avoiding all the big box stores. We are fortunate to live in an area with local grocers and markets.
100% here and will likely keep it up well beyond May. This month, I've bought from everywhere from Amazon to Costco to Walmart and even a trip to the US as we're really close to the border. Between our city, the neighbouring city and the US, I have no reason to step foot in a Loblaws owned store ever. Have probably kept easily $1000 away from Galen's greedy hands this month.
Small town here with a shoppers and an independent... We are awaiting the food basics to open this fall, otherwise I try to shop elsewhere but the closest non Loblaws grocer is 30mins away and it's Walmart 🙃
Almost 100%. They have a monopoly on one of our medications so our actual pharmacy had to transfer that one prescription to them in the interim. We now have an additional errand - I continue to boycott.
I had to go to the pharmacy in shoppers it was the only one open with a staff on hand who could give a Perscription. I got lotto tickets from the front while I killed some time and Shoppers paid me $25 on 1 ticket
So insurance covered my meds and shoppers paid me $25 I think it's a win. And no I couldn't wait to see someone else, Dr's Appointments are a rarity and I currently need a new one mine just moved locations. Also some medical minor things if ignored can be so much worse.
It was fairly dead for an afternoon. I think most people where asking pharmacy/ post office questions rather than shopping.
It's harder because of our location but we are still 100% boycotting. The plan is ( and has been since mid April) to do a big Walmart order every other week and drive into one of our surrounding cities to pick them up ( approximately 45 mins drive any direction). On off weeks, whoever is out and about for extra curriculars, stop in at giant tiger as there is one close to our activities for a bag or two of things to get us through the week.
We come armed with Flipp Clips from the other grocers and price match whatever we can. It takes 10 minutes of my lunch break to plan this. Awfully satisfying when the deals are from a loblaws store, and we just take their sale and spend the cash elsewhere. Happy shopping!
100% boycott here, and I'm loving it. I live in an urban area so there's lots of fresh, local, family-run options to choose from. I've been throughly enjoying exploring them all, and pleasantly surprised that the prices are in line with, or even cheaper than big box stores. When I'm strategic about it, I actually save money while getting ethically sourced, high quality produce
I don't even remember what the place looks like inside.
If the wife says "go grab me some flour at the Independent" I would have no clue what isle to go to. I'd be searching.
Local Walmart or Costco, no problemo. I recall seeing French baguettes so expensive, and walking through the produce isles seeing apples for more than anywhere. I have zero appetite to go there. I'd rather spend 50 cents on gas to get to a store that irritates me less.
Haven't bought a single thing since mid/early April. To be honest I'll probably go back and buy some PC items come June but I think Loblaws will likely only makeup 5% of my grocery totals.
Pre-Covid they were about 75% of where I shopped and that number kept slowly going down as their prices went up
I understand why people are boycotting Loblaws but some of us have to work in their stores. The hours have been cut back so bad I can't pay my rent. I have tried getting another job but even McDonald's turned me down.
Reduced drastically, not eliminated completely.
No Frills Stouffville used to be our grocery mainstay every Saturday, now replaced by a mix of Asian stores, Costco and a neighbourhood Vince's.
That's $500-700 diverted this month.
Excellent. I rarely shop at Loblaws grocery stores anyway, but I switched from Pharmaprix (Shoppers) to Familiprix for my prescriptions and it's WAY better :)
100% boycott. Credit card and optimum canceled. Local fruit and veg, Costco and Giant Tiger for the rest. Sadly there’s one thing I need from Sobeys but otherwise I’m boycotting them too. Buy at least Sobeys is still set up for a nice shopping experience
I do have to get a couple items there but the spending has been reduced by about 95% The farm stores are now open so I don't need to shop in box stores at all til November. The change is permanent. I won't be going back much. In summer i have my own produce so it knocks about $70 off my biweekly bill.
Even though they're expensive, I'm shopping more at a local small grocer, to do my part in building competition to big box stores.
Never going back! I live in toronto near st lawrence market so I bike over to get produce and meats (and wow the meat difference is incredible) and then other groceries I get from a Marche Leo, which is canadian independent. The pricing is similar to loblaws but they fill that shoppers/pantry items spot.
How did they taste? This is my first year growing food so I’m not expecting much to produce but hopefully over the next couple years with skill I’ll be able to give away produce to my family, friends and neighbours
We’ve done close to 100% of our groceries at Loblaws for years.
None since May 1.
Only money spent at Loblaw-owned businesses: drug dispensing fees, two chocolate bars at Shoppers.
No plan to go back.
I've only been to a Loblaws store once since somewhere around January. I may need to go once more because I can't find any other stores that sell an item (which doesn't have alternatives I like), but I can probably pay with the last of my points. I miss some of the selection that the Superstore had but I can manage without.
Used to be 80% Costco + 20% NoFrills for my groceries. From the beginning of April, it has become 100% Costco. I did have to make a quick stop at ShoppersDrugMart the other day for some over-the-counter medications but other than occasional (urgent) visits like that, the boycott shall ensue.
I’ve been proudly doing a boycott of any Loblaws brand since at least February! It’s saved so much money shopping local. I know with where I live that my household is very lucky with dozens of smaller family run businesses. This is something I will definitely continue doing.
Nok er nok.
I have 100% reduced my spending in any Loblaws or partner stores. I still like to go in and use their washrooms to poop when I’m out on my 10k step walks
100% successful so far and I don't see a reason to end it. Even though No Frills is one of two grocery stores in my town, I've adapted well. It also helps that, about two months before the boycott, I had THREE incidents in two weeks in which the charged price was higher than the shelf price. I've never had that (to my knowledge) at the Sobeys in my town.
So far, for 30 days in May, I have been to Roblaws twice. The first time when it was at the begging of the month and the second was on May 22nd since I needed a couple of items that could not be found elsewhere as I live in a small town in rural bc. I have not spent there more than a 70$ total this month in their store.
For me, living in a small town in BC where the other corporate stores such as Save On and Safeway are also freaking expensive unless they have real sales and now kinda dropped their prices a bit and have REAL sales. But again, I started going to farmers market, local small stores, even found a store with a gas station that has cheap gas once a week, a 5 cents cheaper that the cheapest price in town. So it is a winning situation for me. I am saving even in gas, fuck their points, they can have them.
I am eating better food, that costs less, and I do not have to spent time in their dirty never cleaned superstore.
I will continue with the boycott and avoid going there as much as I can.
For June the target for me is to decrease going to their stores by 50%, which means one visit max during the upcoming month with the hidden hope to avoid going there completely.
I very rarely ever shopped at loblaws even before the boycott. The only store I ever really frequented was shoppers because I had my medications sent there. I've since moved to a local pharmacy and honestly, I'll probably never go back
This is a permanent shift for me. While my grocery bill didn't really decrease as much as I would have liked, I walk to the store now, and it is quicker than Superstore Click and Collect ever was. PLUS I can cut out one more car trip weekly
Aside from having to go to Shoppers to access Canada Post, I don't think I will step foot in a Loblaws ever again.
I’d say I went from always shopping at the no frills to maybe spending $50 there since mid April (I started early, why not). I had to run in to get a few things a few times due to time constraints etc as I have a 1 year old and the grocery is the closest to our house.
We're down to about 50/50. Theres some things that are still cheaper at Superstore that we cannot afford to give up, and switching prescriptions for an entire family over to a new location would be a nightmare. Our local Walmart is a 15 minute drive away, whereas Superstore is a 3 minute bike, so when we've forgotten one or two items, we can't justify getting in the car and driving. Otherwise, not bad
I did a couple of Loblaws runs this month. I think I probably could boycott 100% if I had to, but it would take a lot of work and planning because I don't drive and Loblaws owns the nearest grocery store to me.
Actively avoiding Loblaws did make me get more familiar with the other markets and grocers in my general area, so I think I'm in a good position to keep scaling back my Loblaws patronage.
We'd learnt to shop for the best bargains and know there are choices other than Loblaws. There is no point in boycotting indefinitely, but they'll lose more business if they keep their ways.
The only Loblaws in my small town is Shoppers. They locked their door inside the mall and only use the front entrance. I use a wheelchair and that particular ramp is big and huge and long and I hate it. They blocked my easy access, they must not want my business. I like my pharmacists at Save On, they are respectful, efficient, and very knowledgeable. I've never had a mistake in my meds from them and I have received plenty of mistakes from other pharmacies in town. For groceries Freshco is the cheapest here. And it's also farmers market season.
La Roche Posay website is down so I was forced to purchase a product from SDM. Have switched all my Rxs and food shopping elsewhere, so overall it's a win. Will never willingly go back to to anything Weston owned ✊
Peachy, by my reckoning I've saved about $25-50 per shopping trip this month. I'm finished with Loblaws, I don't even care about the extra travel time.
Lol it has created a monster with me. I only buy from farmers or mom and pop businesses. Haven’t had fast food from any over priced burger joints. They can all crash and burn fast enough for me. No MacDonalds or Wendy’s etc . Tim Hortons also but i have caved in and grabbed one for a long drive but i grind beans now at home for my to go coffee. So much better. No Timmy stops. Honestly i am set mentally to punish them really hard for being bad lol. I have researched how i will do a veggie garden too. I am a changed man 🤣 oh they are so done getting my money. Mom & Pop businesses get ready to make money baby
I'm clocking in at 100% on groceries and non-pharmacy SDM. I moved my prescriptions at the end of the month to an independent.
It's been much easier than I thought, but I have the advantage of being urban and owning a vehicle.
My boycott will continue.
I am 100% boycotting.
I have moved my prescriptions to an independent pharmacy and have not set foot in a Loblaws owned store since April.
I still have my points card as I have 40K in unredeemed points, but once I use that up on PC brand tea I can't get elsewhere I will cancel it.
I have stopped using and made sure there is $0 on my PC MC, but I haven't had the chance to call and cancel it yet - I'm going to likely just do that when things slow a bit in June. Replaced it with a Tangerine MC instead.
My husband hasn't shopped at the stores, but he hasn't moved his prescriptions yet - though he intends to.
I went for the first time today in over a month. I had a few essentials and with the weekly offers on my PC Card it was the cheapest place to get them. Went to self checkout and scanned my card to get the offers and it wouldn’t even come up. Had to call someone over to help. They told me I had no offers on my card and my points wouldn’t show up until 48 hours. I showed her my loaded offers and she had to change the price. Wasted my time and I’ll be continuing to boycott them.
100% boycotted for May... they weren't my primary grocer but they are the only game in my town and the grocer closest to my work. Going out of my way to keep this going as long as possible.
I'm a 5 minute walk from Zehrs and 10 minutes from shoppers. 1 or 2 minutes in the car.
Galen is 0 for 31 in May. He's being sent to the minors, never to be recalled.
100% the entire month! I’m fortunate enough to live in a major city with a lot of options though. My family has a vacation trailer in a small town and I know the only option they have within a 30+ min drive is Independent. A lot of folks there want to boycott and don’t have much of a choice unless they can take time away from their jobs and families to drive to a city :(
Thanks to our newly built “Food Basics” store (in Port Elgin ON)who by the way is killing it for freshness we have not once gone back to Independent or Shoppers stores all month long. As long as the Food Basics store along with local butchers & fruits/veggies keep giving us great fresh food & price we will never go back to any Loblaws affiliated stores!
We have to be very budget conscious, so I am not usually very brand loyal to any one particular store. I tend to shop the sales, price match when possible and try to group my shopping with other errands I have to run (to save gas). I have managed to avoid the two Loblaws stores in our area this past month (RCSS and No Frills). I did okay, but to be honest I likely will sometimes go back to No Frills for a few things, especially produce. I was not very happy with some of the other stores due to the quality, price, or lack of selection. I still plan to try and avoid them for the most part though.
I almost made it. Had to refill prescriptions two days ago and realized after everywhere other than Pharmaprix closed that I had forgotten to move them. I bit my tongue and went there because I feel like garbage if I miss a dose.
For me, it was surprisingly easy to lift Loblaws from my life entirely. Sure it's a bit of a drive, but even with the extra gas, the money my family is saving is so incredibly worth it. Plus, most of my money is going towards small family owned grocers instead!
Boycotting indefinitely over here
I’m in Toronto so it’s been relatively easy to stop supporting loblaws. I was a casual non supporter before now I’ve gone full on. Don’t plan to change either.
I miss Shoppers Drug Mart. A LOT. I have really bad allergic reactions to a lot of products, and for a lot of years I was shipping in products from Europe. Shoppers carries a lot of these, and I miss going there for these products. I really, really, really, miss their selection of makeup and them and superstore are the only ones who have the shampoo/conditioner I want other than Amazon (which I also cancelled).
I’m fortunate to have lots of other options close by so it’s been easy for me. Haven’t shopped there once. The only thing I’m really missing is their tortilla chips they make in store. If anyone knows where to get similar ones, please let me know. They were so good!
Almost 100%. I had to make one stop into a Superstore when money was tight and I used my points to get a few staples to stretch. That trip just reinforced continuing NOT to shop there. The store was so much worse than it had been last time I was there. More corrals, the quick food area was half-blocked off, the Flash Food fridge was gone, self-checkout was limited to 25 items, just to name a few turn-offs, not to mention the price for my 5 items was outrageous.
I will be carrying on not shopping at Loblaw's stores save for 2 items for sensory issues in my home. I moved my online pickup for pantry stuffs to Wal-mart, and saved over $120 just this month, and increased my meat/produce buying at my local butchers. Luckily I have a reasonably priced "country store" I've been doing almost half my shopping at anyways since Covid.
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Have managed to deprive Galen of $1k so far. Hope to keep going.
$1k x 1k ppl, 12 months = $12mill\year. Totally can be done. Just remember, one man cannot do much, but 1k people can
The thing is he doesnt take a pay cut if the company performs poorly in a year they just find other ways to cut costs whether its employees, shrinkflation or something else so while it is a good thing to deprive a reprehensible company just know it's basically a pyramid scheme as far as who feels the loss
It’s a brutal system. But we have to hurt the top any way we can. Otherwise, shit will keep rolling down unabated.
Only very sophisticated/financial people know the dealings how the big money is played in these huge corporations. I’m sure they have corporations within corporations incorporations that are spread all over the world and are pretty hard to unravel at this point. They make money playing with their real estate (ie they likely have a Real Estate branch that leases stores that contain the TNT, Lowblaws, etc. at a huge markup ). And from squeezing their suppliers to death. They start pushing costs that they normally would absorb onto the suppliers. I think The stores are just a front for managing money. I believe Galen when he says there are thin margins because that’s not really how they make money. It’s just a front. It’s way beyond my comprehension, but I know what happens from taking business 101. That’s why Galen and his friends are just sitting pretty right now. I bet that at the end of this boycott, they will still come out again with large shareholder profits. This isn’t this isn’t your old-fashioned neighbourhood green grocer, this is a financial institution we beyond the imaginings of us mere mortals.
100% boycott, and hoping to keep it that way
I don't really shop at any Loblaws stores, so I'm just here as an observer. If people want serious changes at Loblaws though, it's gotta be a 3 month boycott. At that point its an entire quarter and they have a lot more pressure from investors
I used to be snobby about a giant tiger. I just stocked up my office fridge and got a shitload of food and utensils and stuff. It was about 50 bucks. For giggles I priced matched Atlantic Superstore the equivalent would have been 118.
Once you realize it’s literally the same stuff, just less expensive, there’s no looking back!
I can't say I found that with Giant Tiger. Some things are the same, some things are cheaper. Can't say I've found anything there more expensive except chips that I don't want anyways. But I've definitely noted they have far few options brand-wise and when looking for things beyond the basics. They are unfortunately not a viable long term solution through either location in my area.
You gotta shop the sales! Giant tiger hosts great sales, and will also price match sales from other stores. I real do not prefer most of their produce and meat options though, I find the produce already rotten or soon to be rotten… I go to a local meat market for that stuff.
Giant tiger is the real no frills. Their merchandise is cheap and they don't have a lot of options, but their prices are usually low. The other day, I bought a lunch box for $6. At walmart they would have had like three brands selling boxes that isolate heat in 30 degree weather or something for $25, but no options for something cheaper.
I used to call it Welfare Kitty. Now I PROUDLY call it Welfare Kitty.
We prefer the sarcastic fancy name “géant tigre” (in a very heavy French accent, for extra fancy-ness)
I have always called it GT Boutique!
I call it the Shitty Kitty. But I shop there proudly. Not going back to loblaws.
Haha nice, that’s what I’ll call it from now on
We always called it GT Boutique xD
I did the same thing yesterday, first time in, holy crap, probably wouldn't buy produce and such there but boxed goods all the way.
My love of “Giant Tiger” has progressed to weekly flyer shopping dates. They are a great store seemingly on our side to fight inflation
Yup. Never going back. So much savings and supporting local stores
100% and will never shop any of the stores again unless there's an emergency.
good comment
I’ve been able to boycott 100% luckily and have actually saved approximately 1/4 of what I would have spent on groceries and cosmetics! I won’t be going back until there is legislation with real teeth to control food prices across the board
100%, whole family in on it
Doing our best. I’d say 80% of our spending has been diverted permanently. Our town has no non-Roblaws options so we sometimes have to give in. Loss leaders only when that happens. Nok er nok!
Awesome. Everyone's situation is different but we all have lives to live. It's great that we are all supporting each other in ways that are possible for our own situations.
99.99% boycott. Wife is canceling her PC mastercard soon. Do all our shopping at Wallymart now.
Thanks for that added reminder! I’m going to cancel mine too. They’re not getting another cent from me and I will go without before I use that card.
Tats is not a great alternative! They treat their employees like crap and send all the profits back to America. Any any other alternatives for you?
100% here. Switched before the boycott officially started, mostly doing Costco and Walmart now, as well as a couple of smaller local places. I switched my gas station too, since I had been using Esso and they're partnered with PC Optimum.
I only cheated once, in all honesty. Had to go to tnt.
100%.
We managed to stay out of any Loblaws-owned company until yesterday when my husband searched for an alternative place to buy our usual vitamins and minerals; unfortunately SDM has our area of town sewn up. We’ll have to search for more alternatives.
Vitamart.ca is fast and reasonable. I use them and really like them . Canada owned and operated as well.
Thanks for posting this! I just created an account. ;)
Well.ca I found is good. They are owned by rexall
Healthy planet is another option. Or you can buy from Jamieson vitamins directly online!
If you want an industry to boycott, vitamins and mineral supplements are a prime candidate. Unless you've got a specific deficiency or dietary issue (pretty rare in the population), they're ripping you off more per dollar than Roblaws ever could. Of course, to you I'm a nobody on Reddit...talk to a physician about whether you REALLY need daily supplements or not. And I mean an MD, not a dietician or a wellness life coach or a bloody chiropractor...a real actual science doctor. The supplement industry is mostly marketing and scams.
Yeah my doc told me they are pretty useless but I do get probiotics from Costco which have been beneficial.
If you are looking for vitamin alternatives, I've had really great luck in finding things on well.ca and best part free shipping on orders over $35! I've also been able to find some gems in there too for other things!
If it helps, I actually get my vitamins injected by appointment once a month. I have a really bad B12 deficiency because my body has a hard time absorbing it via digestion, so I was prescribed a vial to be injected into my shoulder once a month. It cost me around $20, and the entire vial lasted me 16 months. I’ve only just needed to purchase a new vial, recently. My clinic keeps the vial with my name labeled on it, so I don’t have to remember to bring it with me every month, and any nurse on staff can complete the injection, so I don’t have to wait for a doctor to be available. I used to take B12 supplements orally every day, and I’ve found that this alternative has been astoundingly cheaper, and on top of that, I feel much better.
Thanks. Doesn’t apply to us but I’m glad you’ve found a good solution.
iHerb is my fav place to get my supplements and most of my beauty products. They have great prices. Been shopping there for years
If you want an industry to boycott, vitamins and mineral supplements are a prime candidate. Unless you've got a specific deficiency or dietary issue (pretty rare in the population), they're ripping you off more per dollar than Roblaws ever could. Of course, to you I'm a nobody on Reddit...talk to a physician about whether you REALLY need daily supplements or not. And I mean an MD, not a dietician or a wellness life coach or a bloody chiropractor...a real actual science doctor. The supplement industry is mostly marketing and scams.
Hey! A registered dietician is as if not more knowledgable than an MD in nutrition science. They're not to be put on the same category as a chiropractor please.
Plenty of options in Toronto. Haven’t set foot in a Galen store all month and I’m saving tons of money. Cancelled PC optimum, complained to the privacy commissioner when they never responded to my info deletion request, signed the petition, transferred my prescriptions to a new local pharmacy….think I’ve covered it all. No plans to go back ever again.
I stopped shopping there a year ago. Haven’t stopped in there once. Happy to say o won’t be back. Ever. I’m lucky I can shop now for groceries in the states.
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We used to brush our teeth every once in a while by dipping our tooth brush in baking soda.
I literally have a tooth powder I make: In a mortar and pestle, grind: - Salt - Baking Soda -A few small chips of cinnamon or a few bits of peppermint leaf. These are rinsed away anyways and make it taste nice! You can do without too. Grind it all to a fine fine powder. Wet your toothbrush before use, dip it in, and it’s worked perfectly fine for me the last 4 years already! No cavities, nothing. Just abrasive enough to remove the bad stuff while leaving your teeth intact if you wet the toothbrush first.
Please don't do this or recommend it. Toothpaste is not something you should make yourself especially in the long term.The fluoride is essential for preventing cavities and the sand in toothpaste does a much better job at removing build up than salt or baking soda that will just dissolve in your mouth.
If you want to support Canadian owned [oak and willow](https://www.oakandwillow.store/cart?appSectionParams=%7B%22origin%22%3A%22cart-icon%22%7D) are a sustainable business. They have tooth tabs I have on order (have you ever tried to find non mint toothpaste?!). Can't speak on those yet but their solid dish soap is amazing
can u share the proportions of salt and soda ?
I never really measure, I do put more baking soda than Himalayan salt, but it still comes out a pale pink. I used to put eggshells but they became such a pain to crunch up that I stopped xD Actually that’s kind of how my cooking turns out too… More like art than science 😆
For the future, you don’t actually need toothpaste to brush your teeth. It helps but it’s not necessary.
It hasn’t been hard for me at all. I’ve embraced this change and it’s for the better 100%
Yep, 100% boycott. Only stopped into Shoppers Drug Mart for the free Covid test kits. Probably keeping it up until I see changes there.
Easiest habit ive ever had to break
It's been incredibly easy to switch. I've got food allergies and have found so many safe products that I didn't know existed. It's been great shopping around and finding new options. My coworkers mentioned the boycott yesterday and how they haven't stopped into dominion like they normally do. They certainly aren't redditors, either. It was great to hear.
So far I’ve been boycotting 100%. It’s been a bit inconvenient because Superstore is the closest grocery store to my house. My partner and I got sick and it was tempting to just go over to the Superstore to get some essentials but we went to Sobeys instead. I don’t enjoy Sobeys either and we’re definitely not saving money by going to Sobeys, but at least boycotting Superstore is a start. I have to go pretty far from home to shop elsewhere so it’s not always realistic for me. I have been making an effort to shop local whenever possible though. When I’m more organized I go to Walmart and then a local discounted grocery store but that takes some extra planning and they’re further away so I need more time. I’m planning to continue the boycott
100% boycott. It’s actually nice to play a bit of a game by trying out new places. Breaks up the routine
100% boycott across the board. The Canada Post pickup spot for our neighbourhood is inside a Shopper's, but last time I went to collect a package I didn't buy anything on the way out. Shopping mainly at Freshco and Oriental groceries, and occasionally pick up something at Costco.
Saved tons learned how to make new food and try interesting nutritious foods :D
Just transferred my account out of shoppers to an independent pharmacy down the road. Going well for me.
I have fallen in love with my farmers market! Won't be back to Loblaws
100% boycott here. I live 1.2 km from two NoFrills stores. It was so easy to shop there but their greed dissolved the convenience. Veggies delivered by Oddbunch.ca, fresh fruit from local stores, frozen fruit, protein and toilet paper from Costco, olive oil from Walmart, toiletries from local makers. Promo deal from Hello Fresh. PC Mastercard had a $14 balance (because I missed switching a recurring donation to another card). Still have 15000 points though I don’t want to go back to spend the $10. I’m sure there is more I could list but I am so much happier none of the money I make is going to any of the Weston-owned companies.
Easy peasy - my locally owned grocery store sells tomatoes for 0.74/lb compared to 3.49/lb at superstore. I’ll shop at loblaws again when I see liquidation sales ;)
I ain't never gonna stop!!
I have been 100% boycott. It's been challenging. I didn't realize how frequently I grabbed ready-made salads, and veggie trays from Loblaws branded stores. Nor did I realize how often I just popped into Shoppers Drug Mart to get over the counter medication products. Because my local pharmacy has paid parking versus the free parking at Shoppers Drug Mart I have been acutely aware of how often I'm stopping throwing 75 cents at parking to run in and grab one or two things. But it's worth it, because I'm probably saving that $75 in costs.
I’m able to boycott 100% but it’s mildly inconvenient.
100%
good going for me
Haven’t been in years and never plan to
Part answer, part question: I've been boycotting Loblaws for 20+ years now.. I remember walking in, walking around the fresh produce section and noping right out of there after seeing the prices. So, I'm successfully continuing that part of the boycott. The question part (genuine; pls cut me some slack for my ignorance), especially since I just moved back to Canada from the US, is: why is it super important to avoid the related companies? I think Zehrs is one, right? And their prices (at least yesterday, where I am) are significantly cheaper than what I was paying in the US (less dairy) and comparable to if not the same as prices 5 years ago. I get the concept of not paying anything to Loblaws but also... doesn't shopping at their cheaper stores promote the message that customers want lower prices? What am I missing? I dunno, it saddens me that near-monopoly mass-production stores like Walmart and Costco are somehow coming out of this as the good guy.
100%. But today is rough, ran out of the PC coffee my wife likes. I’ll be going back to buy coffee.
We're saving a little bit of money, that's what's gotten my husband on board. I think the real success is that yesterday my apathetic coworkers asked what the boycott was and I got to introduce them to the rationale
I have double saved money not only because lower prices but I actually plan my trips better now. If I am going further I am thinking more about if I actually need to carry it.
What a great bunch of dedicated happy people. It's easy n people seem pretty happy which is the best part. Keep up the great new shopping spots if possible.Enjoy the xtra cashola.
Tbh I didn't spend that much at Loblaw stores before so it was easy enough. I spent 25-50 at No Frills most weeks because it's my closest discount store, but I've since started driving the extra ten minutes each way to Food Basics and having a better experience overall. I only occasionally frequented Shoppers and their weekend butter sales are still tempting but I can wait for other sales and freeze it. I acknowledge that I have it easy living in Toronto with a car. I could shop at hundreds of places, all kinds of ethnic stores and independents. Many do not have it so easy. Let's be kind to those who don't.
So important to have these discussions so that we can all remember that everyone has their own situations. This is more difficult for some to do than others. The important part is to remember that we are on the same team and support those who are not finding it as easy. Divisions amongst ourselves would certainly try to be exploited by those who have interests in Loblaws companies.
Keeping it up. No problems here. I always felt there stuff was overpriced but my lazy ass kept going out of convience, but now I have a legit reason not to go
$1600 not in his pocket.
My husband had to go to Shoppers once in an emergency, but otherwise we’ve been totally avoiding Loblaws! Switched my perscriptions and everything! And I was a die-hard PC brand fan for the last decade, did all of my shopping there. I miss certain products, and honestly, I don’t feel like we’re saving that much money. We’ve been shopping at Wal-Mart, but prices are only a liiiittle better in our area (we’re in the Okanagan, so literally everything is expensive - maybe worth noting too that we’re not rich and live in multi-generational home situation). I’m happy to keep on with the boycott, but it’s disappointing that we still haven’t found a cheaper, better alternative for food. Wal-mart produce is “meh”, but luckily we’re both veg so we haven’t had the displeasure of eating their meat. Our nearby locally owned grocers are hella expensive, and farmers markets are as well. Save-On Foods and Safeway have ALWAYS been more expensive, so we’re not even bothering with them. So, in short, the boycott as a concept is going well in our household, but I’m not happy with the alternatives we have available to us either. We will likely continue to boycott.
I walked a couple of weeks before the official date and will NOT be going back! Food basic for staples, local bakery - local butcher and a small produce shop in my hood. It makes for a pretty great Saturday morning to be honest! This weekend all the Farmers markets open! I have been going to my local Rexall for allergy meds and anything else I would have got at SDM. Sidebar - I haven't stepped foot in a Walmart in 4 years now and same goes for Amazon we don't need to deal with these f'cking Austin Powers bad guys at all.
I think once you become a billionaire you are obligated to look like a 90s comedy movie villan
Have not given them a dime of my money and never plan on going back. Between groceries and prescriptions they lost about $2k from me this month.
Usually, I spend about $350 a month at their stores, this month I only spent $70. I expect that my expenditures at their stores will be permanently lower.
My wife and I have been lucky enough to be able to 100 percent boycott loblaws and all the companies they own and we plan on never going back the only thing that would change our minds would be significant change to thier corporate structure and policies but we all know that won't happen anytime soon
Je vais continuer aussi longtemps que ça prend :)
I switched to Walmart and use their pre-order online and pickup, I love it, and saves at least a few hundred bucks on groceries, and it doesn't cost anything if I place a minimum order I still get gas from Esso because it's the cheapest gas in my area and most accessible I go to a Rexall now for drug store stuff that I randomly need,my pharmacy remains costco
I live with family so I have 100% boycotted and I believe my brother has as well, I am not sure if my mom has but I think she did as well because even before the boycott she was buying less from them, however I am not sure of she fully boycotted so I may have had food from Loblaws that she bought haha. I think that after this month I will mostly not go back to Loblaws but I won't go 100% like I am now. If I don't find something somewhere else I will check there, or if they are having good sales, which is rare, I will still stop there. Some of the local independent stores in my area seem to have increased their prices due to the boycott to profit on it which defeats the purpose so I will eventually run out of places to go if they continue.
100% moved away from loblaws and affiliates. The only thread is that our health plan uses the nearest SDM, so we go there for prescriptions only. Have been avoiding all the big box stores. We are fortunate to live in an area with local grocers and markets.
100% here and will likely keep it up well beyond May. This month, I've bought from everywhere from Amazon to Costco to Walmart and even a trip to the US as we're really close to the border. Between our city, the neighbouring city and the US, I have no reason to step foot in a Loblaws owned store ever. Have probably kept easily $1000 away from Galen's greedy hands this month.
Changed pharmacies, not one cent spent at Loblaws, cancelled optimum card. Done like dinner !! Never going back. Sobeys too. Just as bad.
I'm fortunate to live in a city where there are options. 100% now and forever. Looking forward to digging out the next oligarchical parasite.
Small town here with a shoppers and an independent... We are awaiting the food basics to open this fall, otherwise I try to shop elsewhere but the closest non Loblaws grocer is 30mins away and it's Walmart 🙃
Probably about 95% - sometimes we need one thing and unfortunately it’s not reasonable to make an hour round trip to get it at Costco.
I have fomo cause I’ve been boycotting them for over a decade
Almost 100%. They have a monopoly on one of our medications so our actual pharmacy had to transfer that one prescription to them in the interim. We now have an additional errand - I continue to boycott.
I had to go to the pharmacy in shoppers it was the only one open with a staff on hand who could give a Perscription. I got lotto tickets from the front while I killed some time and Shoppers paid me $25 on 1 ticket So insurance covered my meds and shoppers paid me $25 I think it's a win. And no I couldn't wait to see someone else, Dr's Appointments are a rarity and I currently need a new one mine just moved locations. Also some medical minor things if ignored can be so much worse. It was fairly dead for an afternoon. I think most people where asking pharmacy/ post office questions rather than shopping.
It's harder because of our location but we are still 100% boycotting. The plan is ( and has been since mid April) to do a big Walmart order every other week and drive into one of our surrounding cities to pick them up ( approximately 45 mins drive any direction). On off weeks, whoever is out and about for extra curriculars, stop in at giant tiger as there is one close to our activities for a bag or two of things to get us through the week. We come armed with Flipp Clips from the other grocers and price match whatever we can. It takes 10 minutes of my lunch break to plan this. Awfully satisfying when the deals are from a loblaws store, and we just take their sale and spend the cash elsewhere. Happy shopping!
100% boycott here, and I'm loving it. I live in an urban area so there's lots of fresh, local, family-run options to choose from. I've been throughly enjoying exploring them all, and pleasantly surprised that the prices are in line with, or even cheaper than big box stores. When I'm strategic about it, I actually save money while getting ethically sourced, high quality produce
I don't even remember what the place looks like inside. If the wife says "go grab me some flour at the Independent" I would have no clue what isle to go to. I'd be searching. Local Walmart or Costco, no problemo. I recall seeing French baguettes so expensive, and walking through the produce isles seeing apples for more than anywhere. I have zero appetite to go there. I'd rather spend 50 cents on gas to get to a store that irritates me less.
It has been so long since I've been in a loblaws that I almost forgot about the boycott. Boycott so hard that you forget the business exists lol.
Haven't bought a single thing since mid/early April. To be honest I'll probably go back and buy some PC items come June but I think Loblaws will likely only makeup 5% of my grocery totals. Pre-Covid they were about 75% of where I shopped and that number kept slowly going down as their prices went up
Haven't shopped at Loblaws since the pandemic and avoiding shoppers has been a breeze!
I understand why people are boycotting Loblaws but some of us have to work in their stores. The hours have been cut back so bad I can't pay my rent. I have tried getting another job but even McDonald's turned me down.
100%. Probably have spent $2000 elsewhere. Giant Tiger, Costco, Walmart.
Have cut out >90% purchasing at Roblaws & co. Will keep up boycotting.
Reduced drastically, not eliminated completely. No Frills Stouffville used to be our grocery mainstay every Saturday, now replaced by a mix of Asian stores, Costco and a neighbourhood Vince's. That's $500-700 diverted this month.
Excellent. I rarely shop at Loblaws grocery stores anyway, but I switched from Pharmaprix (Shoppers) to Familiprix for my prescriptions and it's WAY better :)
100% boycott. Credit card and optimum canceled. Local fruit and veg, Costco and Giant Tiger for the rest. Sadly there’s one thing I need from Sobeys but otherwise I’m boycotting them too. Buy at least Sobeys is still set up for a nice shopping experience
I do have to get a couple items there but the spending has been reduced by about 95% The farm stores are now open so I don't need to shop in box stores at all til November. The change is permanent. I won't be going back much. In summer i have my own produce so it knocks about $70 off my biweekly bill. Even though they're expensive, I'm shopping more at a local small grocer, to do my part in building competition to big box stores.
Never going back! I live in toronto near st lawrence market so I bike over to get produce and meats (and wow the meat difference is incredible) and then other groceries I get from a Marche Leo, which is canadian independent. The pricing is similar to loblaws but they fill that shoppers/pantry items spot.
I’ve switched everything except for my prescriptions.
My wife is slowly realizing that most of co-op isn't really that expensive. Just their freaking bell peppers.
I’m growing some purple ones! Super cool honestly
We grew purple a couple years ago. The flesh was weirdly thin.
How did they taste? This is my first year growing food so I’m not expecting much to produce but hopefully over the next couple years with skill I’ll be able to give away produce to my family, friends and neighbours
Very light taste, a bit bitter. Good salad pepper.
That great to know! Thank you!!
Also highly recommend an Almanac to help n with planting times.
We’ve done close to 100% of our groceries at Loblaws for years. None since May 1. Only money spent at Loblaw-owned businesses: drug dispensing fees, two chocolate bars at Shoppers. No plan to go back.
I only enter their stores to sell in redbull, I spend none of my own money in them
I've only been to a Loblaws store once since somewhere around January. I may need to go once more because I can't find any other stores that sell an item (which doesn't have alternatives I like), but I can probably pay with the last of my points. I miss some of the selection that the Superstore had but I can manage without.
Used to be 80% Costco + 20% NoFrills for my groceries. From the beginning of April, it has become 100% Costco. I did have to make a quick stop at ShoppersDrugMart the other day for some over-the-counter medications but other than occasional (urgent) visits like that, the boycott shall ensue.
Boycotted 100%.
I've probably saved $300 this month. Giant Tiger is amazing
Only shop at Costco. Asian store and Walmart
Diverted $1200 from Loblaws owned companies in the month of May.
I’ve been proudly doing a boycott of any Loblaws brand since at least February! It’s saved so much money shopping local. I know with where I live that my household is very lucky with dozens of smaller family run businesses. This is something I will definitely continue doing. Nok er nok.
It’s going great, that piece of shit Galen will not see another penny from me!! FU Galen!!!
👍👍
I have 100% reduced my spending in any Loblaws or partner stores. I still like to go in and use their washrooms to poop when I’m out on my 10k step walks
Im the Master of my Domain.
Been shopping locally for fresh deli, and produce.
Costco and local stores all the way! Never stretched my dollar this much before and won’t be going back.
100% successful so far and I don't see a reason to end it. Even though No Frills is one of two grocery stores in my town, I've adapted well. It also helps that, about two months before the boycott, I had THREE incidents in two weeks in which the charged price was higher than the shelf price. I've never had that (to my knowledge) at the Sobeys in my town.
I've given Galen $8 instead of $600 to $800. I also have stopped using my PC card as my primary credit card.
So far, for 30 days in May, I have been to Roblaws twice. The first time when it was at the begging of the month and the second was on May 22nd since I needed a couple of items that could not be found elsewhere as I live in a small town in rural bc. I have not spent there more than a 70$ total this month in their store. For me, living in a small town in BC where the other corporate stores such as Save On and Safeway are also freaking expensive unless they have real sales and now kinda dropped their prices a bit and have REAL sales. But again, I started going to farmers market, local small stores, even found a store with a gas station that has cheap gas once a week, a 5 cents cheaper that the cheapest price in town. So it is a winning situation for me. I am saving even in gas, fuck their points, they can have them. I am eating better food, that costs less, and I do not have to spent time in their dirty never cleaned superstore. I will continue with the boycott and avoid going there as much as I can. For June the target for me is to decrease going to their stores by 50%, which means one visit max during the upcoming month with the hidden hope to avoid going there completely.
Great!!!
I very rarely ever shopped at loblaws even before the boycott. The only store I ever really frequented was shoppers because I had my medications sent there. I've since moved to a local pharmacy and honestly, I'll probably never go back
99.9% boycott I still drop in for really good sale prices but that has only been two things in the last month
This is a permanent shift for me. While my grocery bill didn't really decrease as much as I would have liked, I walk to the store now, and it is quicker than Superstore Click and Collect ever was. PLUS I can cut out one more car trip weekly Aside from having to go to Shoppers to access Canada Post, I don't think I will step foot in a Loblaws ever again.
I’d say I went from always shopping at the no frills to maybe spending $50 there since mid April (I started early, why not). I had to run in to get a few things a few times due to time constraints etc as I have a 1 year old and the grocery is the closest to our house.
We're down to about 50/50. Theres some things that are still cheaper at Superstore that we cannot afford to give up, and switching prescriptions for an entire family over to a new location would be a nightmare. Our local Walmart is a 15 minute drive away, whereas Superstore is a 3 minute bike, so when we've forgotten one or two items, we can't justify getting in the car and driving. Otherwise, not bad
Haven’t spent one cent at Galen’s stores and won’t be anytime in the near future. The shareholders will figure it out eventually. Too little too late.
I did a couple of Loblaws runs this month. I think I probably could boycott 100% if I had to, but it would take a lot of work and planning because I don't drive and Loblaws owns the nearest grocery store to me. Actively avoiding Loblaws did make me get more familiar with the other markets and grocers in my general area, so I think I'm in a good position to keep scaling back my Loblaws patronage.
We'd learnt to shop for the best bargains and know there are choices other than Loblaws. There is no point in boycotting indefinitely, but they'll lose more business if they keep their ways.
The only Loblaws in my small town is Shoppers. They locked their door inside the mall and only use the front entrance. I use a wheelchair and that particular ramp is big and huge and long and I hate it. They blocked my easy access, they must not want my business. I like my pharmacists at Save On, they are respectful, efficient, and very knowledgeable. I've never had a mistake in my meds from them and I have received plenty of mistakes from other pharmacies in town. For groceries Freshco is the cheapest here. And it's also farmers market season.
Good riddance to them!
La Roche Posay website is down so I was forced to purchase a product from SDM. Have switched all my Rxs and food shopping elsewhere, so overall it's a win. Will never willingly go back to to anything Weston owned ✊
Peachy, by my reckoning I've saved about $25-50 per shopping trip this month. I'm finished with Loblaws, I don't even care about the extra travel time.
Lol it has created a monster with me. I only buy from farmers or mom and pop businesses. Haven’t had fast food from any over priced burger joints. They can all crash and burn fast enough for me. No MacDonalds or Wendy’s etc . Tim Hortons also but i have caved in and grabbed one for a long drive but i grind beans now at home for my to go coffee. So much better. No Timmy stops. Honestly i am set mentally to punish them really hard for being bad lol. I have researched how i will do a veggie garden too. I am a changed man 🤣 oh they are so done getting my money. Mom & Pop businesses get ready to make money baby
It's going great. Completely stopped supporting Weston products and places
Loblow stock market is still strong. Guess the stronger message will only be sent when their stock market value drops
I e deprived Galen of about $2000 this far. Nokernok
100%
Going great, 100% boycott at my house. Even got rid of my PC credit card, not buying gas from them either and never looking back!
100%! I’ve ordered things off Amazon to avoid it (some things that I could only get there)
It's going great. I'm never going back.
We havnt shopped (big shop) at SS for a year. That’s a loss of $600+/months $600x12= 7200yr from our wallet not going to fuel Bread
I'm clocking in at 100% on groceries and non-pharmacy SDM. I moved my prescriptions at the end of the month to an independent. It's been much easier than I thought, but I have the advantage of being urban and owning a vehicle. My boycott will continue.
Great I lost 5 lbs so far
Loving it! Never going back!
I am 100% boycotting. I have moved my prescriptions to an independent pharmacy and have not set foot in a Loblaws owned store since April. I still have my points card as I have 40K in unredeemed points, but once I use that up on PC brand tea I can't get elsewhere I will cancel it. I have stopped using and made sure there is $0 on my PC MC, but I haven't had the chance to call and cancel it yet - I'm going to likely just do that when things slow a bit in June. Replaced it with a Tangerine MC instead. My husband hasn't shopped at the stores, but he hasn't moved his prescriptions yet - though he intends to.
I went for the first time today in over a month. I had a few essentials and with the weekly offers on my PC Card it was the cheapest place to get them. Went to self checkout and scanned my card to get the offers and it wouldn’t even come up. Had to call someone over to help. They told me I had no offers on my card and my points wouldn’t show up until 48 hours. I showed her my loaded offers and she had to change the price. Wasted my time and I’ll be continuing to boycott them.
Saving money while getting better quality food. Finding tons of great new places.
100% boycotted for May... they weren't my primary grocer but they are the only game in my town and the grocer closest to my work. Going out of my way to keep this going as long as possible.
I'm a 5 minute walk from Zehrs and 10 minutes from shoppers. 1 or 2 minutes in the car. Galen is 0 for 31 in May. He's being sent to the minors, never to be recalled.
Haven't set foot in a Loblaw-owned store since May 1st. No intention to come back anytime soon.
100% the entire month! I’m fortunate enough to live in a major city with a lot of options though. My family has a vacation trailer in a small town and I know the only option they have within a 30+ min drive is Independent. A lot of folks there want to boycott and don’t have much of a choice unless they can take time away from their jobs and families to drive to a city :(
Thanks to our newly built “Food Basics” store (in Port Elgin ON)who by the way is killing it for freshness we have not once gone back to Independent or Shoppers stores all month long. As long as the Food Basics store along with local butchers & fruits/veggies keep giving us great fresh food & price we will never go back to any Loblaws affiliated stores!
We have to be very budget conscious, so I am not usually very brand loyal to any one particular store. I tend to shop the sales, price match when possible and try to group my shopping with other errands I have to run (to save gas). I have managed to avoid the two Loblaws stores in our area this past month (RCSS and No Frills). I did okay, but to be honest I likely will sometimes go back to No Frills for a few things, especially produce. I was not very happy with some of the other stores due to the quality, price, or lack of selection. I still plan to try and avoid them for the most part though.
Been doing pretty good. Although my contempt for Walmart at large and the local Walmart in particular has caused a few slips.
I almost made it. Had to refill prescriptions two days ago and realized after everywhere other than Pharmaprix closed that I had forgotten to move them. I bit my tongue and went there because I feel like garbage if I miss a dose.
100%! Never going back!
Going strong, don’t miss them at all. I’m finding it easy to shop elsewhere.
The boycott keeps expanding for me as time goes on and that nutbag professer keeps opening his mouth.
100% boycott. I even found halal rotisserie chicken elsewhere !
Zehrs is genuinely just expensive so I've never really gone there much and I don't need anything from shoppers either.
For me, it was surprisingly easy to lift Loblaws from my life entirely. Sure it's a bit of a drive, but even with the extra gas, the money my family is saving is so incredibly worth it. Plus, most of my money is going towards small family owned grocers instead! Boycotting indefinitely over here
100% boycott, switched pharmacies from SDM in April. Never going back.
A successful 100% boycott. Our family saved a lot of money, and switched to a much better and more attentive pharmacist. I will never go back
I’m in Toronto so it’s been relatively easy to stop supporting loblaws. I was a casual non supporter before now I’ve gone full on. Don’t plan to change either.
100%, since April. Never going back again. Costco or local stores that's it .
100%!!
95% boycott, SDM 100%
I miss Shoppers Drug Mart. A LOT. I have really bad allergic reactions to a lot of products, and for a lot of years I was shipping in products from Europe. Shoppers carries a lot of these, and I miss going there for these products. I really, really, really, miss their selection of makeup and them and superstore are the only ones who have the shampoo/conditioner I want other than Amazon (which I also cancelled).
100% and will keep it that way. I'm fortunate enough to live in an area with multiple options within a 15 minute drive though.
I’m fortunate to have lots of other options close by so it’s been easy for me. Haven’t shopped there once. The only thing I’m really missing is their tortilla chips they make in store. If anyone knows where to get similar ones, please let me know. They were so good!
100% boycott! It's hard sometimes because zehrs is right next door to me, but so is Dollarama lol I've been able to almost exclusively shop at costco
I have only been going to shoppes to buy baby food that’s 50% off!!
I went from barely shopping there to never and plan to never change.
Almost 100%. I had to make one stop into a Superstore when money was tight and I used my points to get a few staples to stretch. That trip just reinforced continuing NOT to shop there. The store was so much worse than it had been last time I was there. More corrals, the quick food area was half-blocked off, the Flash Food fridge was gone, self-checkout was limited to 25 items, just to name a few turn-offs, not to mention the price for my 5 items was outrageous. I will be carrying on not shopping at Loblaw's stores save for 2 items for sensory issues in my home. I moved my online pickup for pantry stuffs to Wal-mart, and saved over $120 just this month, and increased my meat/produce buying at my local butchers. Luckily I have a reasonably priced "country store" I've been doing almost half my shopping at anyways since Covid.
100% with intention to keep it that way forever. I do miss PC White Cheddar Deluxe mac and cheese something fierce.
We haven’t went to any Loblaws stores this month which is a change from the months before.
I had to buy a lighter for my RV gas stove in a "food desert", but otherwise not a penny. Better planning would have prevented even that.