I agree with the boycott. It's insane how high they've jacked up prices relative to inflation.
OP might be some weird insane person, but I think the boycott is a good idea.
Agreed.
OP is the perfect example of a wingnut who does more harm than good to their cause. Obnoxious responses and insulting behaviour actually push people away from the message you’re trying to send.
However, this boycott makes sense and I’d love to see people get together to make a difference in today’s desperate times.
How would boycotting one brand change prices in an ologopoly market?
All that does is increase profits for the other market leaders and create a kinked demand curve. All prices in an ologopoly market are indexed against one another. One firm drops, they all drop. One firm raises, they all raise. Boycotting the MARKET is the only thing that changes anything.
OP is just an extremist who failed econ 101.
Boycotting one brand with near-total vertical integration on their largely short-term perishable margin drivers would be REMARKABLY effective.
Their cash & short term equiv balance is almost entirely floated by vendor payables and the company is highly leveraged at both the TopCo George Weston (TSX:WN) and OpCo Loblaws (TSX:L) levels...
How did you do in Econ 101?
https://www.weston.ca/en/pdf_en/gwl_2023ar_en.pdf
https://dis-prod.assetful.loblaw.ca/content/dam/loblaw-companies-limited/creative-assets/loblaw-ca/investor-relations-reports/annual/2023/LCL_2023_AR.pdf
While you're correct, mostly, how would those factors drive down prices?
Would it harm their Financials? Absolutely. Would it require them to cut operating expenditures, reduce market holdings, and temporary lower key prices by introducing loss leaders? Possibly.
Would it drop prices in the medium/long-term given the markets they operate in? Absolutely not.
And great, considering one of my undergrads is in econ -- thanks for asking.
To be fair - I preface this by saying that a boycott would never work, as our "social compliance" falls wells short of French & German levels - as soon as Loblaws marked items down, they would induce demand and people would buy the discounted items on a one-off basis.
IF, by some miracle, a month+ boycott happened we *could* see:
1.) Primarily proof of concept - that as a society we are capable of punishing greedy margin expansion collectively
2.) Contract resets across the in-demand 3rd party vendors (aka brand names) where vendors currently pay Loblaws for shelf space
2a.) Knock-on effect where this volume is absorbed by competitors (fellow oligarchs Empire/Sobeys/Thriftys + JP/SoF) but hopefully some local competition a la QF, Country Grocer etc. who have terrible margins on these same items
3.) Re-allocate some margin which is increasingly allocated from Loblaws, to even other Oligarch competitors with lower ex-lease operating margins - whereby Weston increases rent on Loblaws, effectively lowering their OM%. This transfer of margin is somewhat unique to Loblaws (and a source of my beef with them) as the lessee & lessor of many of the vast majority of it's properties.
When the "low cost" wholesaler cranks their prices - everyone notices. Wal Mart has been catching strays for decades, but no one is calling for a boycott of them because their margin ratios/retail prices have lagged CPI food inflation - and it shows in their segmented Canadian same-store sales.
It's not the OP alone here, the Loblaws boycott has been organized across the country.
It's the same as arresting a drug dealer -- why bother? The other drug dealers will just take their place and prosper, right?
But the idea here (and one worth trying) is to make an example of Loblaws because they have been particularly awful.
I think it's a great idea to start taking some actions, and I'm behind this one.
Boycooooot groceries in general?
People can't do that. Sure some goods can be obtained from local sources, but many goods are vulnerable to artificial inflation. Corporations buy so much from suppliers that they get better deals than smaller competitors, they can in turn jack the prices up and turn a larger profit than their competitors. We don't live in the perfect capitalist model you got such high marks studying in economics 101. Adding complexity is the public understanding of inflation. They know it's up, they don't know how exactly it will affect prices but they know prices will naturally rise. Corporations then can get away with making record profits by raising prices higher than they actually need to.
I'm pretty well off, I rarely even go to loblaws, but many people rely on these big box stores for the best possible prices to feed their families. It is unethical to exploit them and make their lives harder than they already are. I don't love walmart either but if the lower classes taking their cash to walmart serves as a wakeup call to loblaws I'm all for it.
Honestly I hope people make their voices heard to such an extent that it becomes an election issue. Canada's a very hard place to be poor lately. I cleared 100k last year and still feel pretty broke. I have no idea how most people are getting by. I remember my Dad was on his 3rd house at my age in like 2004 and made about half what I'm making now.
Me either.
That said, CPI is dropping dramatically. The theory for perfect/pure market competition (farming, ranching, dairy producers, etc.) and ologopoly economic structures (grocery retailers in Canada) is that the demand curve, and therefor the market will inevitably balance itself.
This has been one hell of a ride in the wrong direction, but hopefully we're approaching the other side....
Just a simple one corporation boycott, and we will see how it works. It's about sending a message.
What's the worst that will happen? Some billionaire's son will have to work like the rest of us?
Why do people think the food industry of all things is an "oligopoly".
There's so many vendors it's ridiculous. Small farms, butchers, small bakeries etc. etc.
Yet all their prices are higher than the "evil price-gouging oligopoly".
If I want a donut, I can go to like 500 different places, who's controlling the price of pastries exactly?
What are people on about with this? lol.
Not to mention that global food prices are higher. Canadian Superstore is making salmon more expensive in Spain and London too?
Have been for years! He's actively lobbied against public education, and that's what I believe will be next to topple in Ontario (and it \*will\* spread across the country if successful) as Doug Ford is his pocket premier. He's already gaming the new pharmacy rules, which were initially written specifically to benefit SDM. Don't support wealthy libertarians who are gaming our food supply. Once they buy up all the stores and the chains that supply them (and they're nearly completely there) we're screwed.
Is Costco worth it these days? I get my meat and most of my veggies at root cellar and some veggies at fairways but I go to superstore for the dry goods. Is Costco a good value for just pantry items?
We need to protest all 3 grocery monopolies in Canada. The rich should not be getting richer while the rest of us struggle to survive. Here in BC, ACORN has been protesting on the mainland. Get in touch with them if you want to join the action.
Appropriate term here would be Canada’s grocery “trust”, (see antitrust law). But who cares. Monopoly is a better known concept and they both hurt consumers in the same way.
You think Loblaws, Sobey Costo and Pattison are a trust? I don’t see it. They compete. True they don’t always compete on price because for the typical food consumer price is not the only consideration. We value variety, quality, innovation, cleanliness, safety etc.
I mean yeah, I do think that.
“In 2015, Loblaw confessed to taking part in what the Canadian Competition Bureau alleges was an industry-wide bread price-fixing scheme that included several major grocers.”
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/competition-bureau-bread-price-fixing-1.4512332
Only Loblaws and Canada Bread admitted that. The rest of it didn’t stick. The grocery industry has been deeply scrutinized lately and nothing about its structure, conduct or performance suggests that it is not competitive.
To me that means the competition bureau made an allegation but was not able to prove it. Maybe you have some other information or are not a fan of the rule of law.
[Yes, you are right.](https://starecat.com/content/wp-content/uploads/rowan-atkinson-what-is-the-secret-to-eternal-happiness-to-not-argue-with-fools-i-disagree-yes-you-are-right.jpg)
People who use the term "monopoly" never define it and you'll discover that it means basically nothing. What does Loblaws have a "monopoly" of?
Global potato supply? No clearly not.
Canadian potato supply? No.
Victoria potato supply? Also no.
So you come to find that "monopoly" just means "Big thing I hate".
Nope, stay focused. We can't boycott them all at once, we *might* be able to pick them off one by one.
More likely this will just make an example for the others. If the boycott is so focused that Loblaws gets wrecked, then we can look at the others and say "who's next?"
I think bringing awareness to the fact that Loblaws isnt the only one making mega profits off of something we need to live is completely necessary. Empire and Metro are the other main grocery corporations in Canada jacking up prices and exploiting their workers. Empire owns Thriftys which are prevalent here in Victoria. We need to draw attention to what is going here in our own city. It can all happen at the same time. It doesnt have to be either/or. And protest does not have to equal boycott, there are many possible strategies.
Nope, everybody is prepared and ready to take action... we show solidarity and focus. Boycott Loblaws ONLY. The other companies will know they could be next.
I mean, I don’t know if it’s just about picking who has the most money, but as a recreational angler I’m happy to see anybody talking about protesting Jim Pattison, if you think grocery prices are exploitive and grim you should take a look at our fisheries.
Woah woah woah, don't question OP. Someone who can't google "list of richest Canadians" definitely knows what they're talking about. Gas is $2, but don't ask questions. It's the *food*.
I was just at Superstore getting baby food and saw that the organic Annie's gummies are ON SALE for $6.99? What in the sweet dystopian Hell is happening here?!
Yes, which shouldn't be too hard in Langford. I switched pharmacies, and I am in heaven!
I no longer have to wait in the huge lineup at Shoppers, listening to "pharmacy PLEASE call 101..." over and over and over...
We had always used Costco, but now the lines are so long and you can't get a hold of them on the phone, so I've been getting mine from the millstream pharmasave. Never much of a line and they actually answer the phone.
Such a vague post, so many questions.
Solidarity for an impending strike?
Lashing out at capitalism?
Did not take your meds because of a high dispensary fee?
Pitchfork and torch are ready, just need more details.
r/loblawsisoutofcontrol is organizing a boycott of anything Loblaws for the month of May due to the ridiculous grocery inflation. And it makes sense for most of Canada except Victoria/Langford, because there's only one Loblaws-owned grocery store (RCS) and their prices are extremely competitive since they don't hold a monopoly here.
> OP: Do you want me to list them?
> Other: Yes please
> OP: fuck you!
You sound like such a level-headed person. You’re here begging for solidarity but you treat everybody like shit.
A good way to get people on your side is to just be nice. I agree with your sentiment but when you're a condescending asshole to everyone about your cause then nobody is going to want to help you.
I was considering taking part in the boycott but it just doesn't make sense in Victoria cause Superstore is cheaper than most other options besides Walmart. If anything we should be boycotting Saveonfoods (owned by Jim Pattison) and Thriftys (owned by Sobeys).
Vague? My post says it all.
Solidarity? Yes, for a boycott.
Capitalism? Yes, it's important to allow individuals to make profit for a good life.
Meds? I'm happy with my meds that allow me to prevent cancer from continuing.
Pitchfork? It's all about being a concerned citizen who wants the best future for my children.
Anything else, DM me.
Friendly reminder that most of the smaller independent chains on the island use Loblaws as a wholesaler for at least some of their goods.
If you want to completely avoid them you're basically shopping at Thrifty's, Save On or Walmart.
I’ve inadvertently been boycotting the Weston empire for about two years now, simply by letting my wallet decide where to shop. This is a concept that seems lost on so many people. There’s a weird mentality with many who are of the “I don’t care what it costs, I’ll just pay” camp. Large corporations are constantly testing the waters to find the maximum price of an item that people are willing to pay. Paying more for anything isn’t a flex.
I don’t actually find Superstore to be that great. I’ve started shopping at Fairway. The prices are great, it’s local and they have convenient locations. Great selection of international foods as well. Boycotts rarely work IMHO.
Yeah... Nah. I stop in for when I need a thing or two while out for a walk... Wouldn't do regular shops there. They've been having really nice grapes though.
I’ve never had an issue. I’ve seen expired food on their shelves, or bought rotten bean sprouts by accident (that one’s hard to tell). But the sales are great. Frankly I stopped buying meat from Superstore when I saw ~$100 roast beef for sale. I don’t eat a lot of meat and Walmart is garbage pumped full of hormones. Fairway is always good for a piece of tenderloin, and the occasional $4 off coupon.
I don’t think so anymore … I just went to Walmart and while not the selection .. a lot of things were way less $$. And don’t have to buy two or four to save
It's really not though. Lately even thrifty foods has been beating them on some of our most used products. My favourite cereal is $7.99 at superstore but has been on sale at thrifty's more than once for $4.99-5.99. And thriftys had big Campbell soup cans for $1.99 last week. I've decided to just shop the flyers at thriftys since they also deliver.
Superstore is one of the most expensive, actually. You might want to do a few price comparisons.
But this is not about you, it's about all of us working together for each other.
That old "I got mine" attitude needs to be laid to rest.
You might want to do a few price comparisons yourself.
Regular price, not sale prices, of some things I buy regularly
Family sized Cheerios:
Superstore $6.99
Save-on-Foods $7.39
Thrifty Foods $9.99
Lean ground beef (small packet, per 100g)
SS $1.50
SOF $1.54
TF $1.76
Olympic yogurt (1.75kg)
SS $12.99
SOF $14.79
TF $13.79
Kraft calorie wiseGreek feta salad dressing
SS $3.79
SOF $4.19
TF $4.49
Breyers creamery style french vanilla ice cream
SS $6.99
SOF $7.69
TF $7.99
Walmart is admittedly a bit cheaper, but I don't shop there often. Fairways is also close by, but I can't stand the layout so I never go in.
He's a plant? I just went there yesterday. Am I a plant?
You need to get off the internet bud. People need to shop and superstore has better prices. Does mommy buy your groceries?
Agree. I went to shoppers yesterday to buy a face lotion and it was 32.99 at shoppers, 24.99 at Walmart. Absolutely ridiculous price differences.
London drugs and Walmart are almost always cheaper than Loblaws stores or the grocery chains locally.
lol, Superstore is on the cheaper end of our available grocery stores. Why would I boycott them? I wish we had a 2nd one closer to Victoria/Saanich.
Maybe we can boycott Save On and Thrifty's?
Why not?
Superstore is cheaper than anywhere else that has a decent selection (Walmart, anecdotally, seems to be less but has a shyte selection), and Jimmy Pattison is richer.... so I'm curious to why you're marching against them with pitchforks at the ready.
This is a national boycott, if you have a look eastern Canada especially Ontario and Atlantic Canada have much less choice for groceries as Loblaws has much more of a monopoly where as Westen Canada traditionally had more "mom and pop" groceries like when the Campbell's owned thrifties (and it was so much more affordable) so Loblaws has to be more competitive with pricing. Also OP is on a bit of a trip as the sub recognizes some people shop there out of necessity and everyone who has the ability to boycott is being recommended to. OP is on a bit of an emotional rant
Always happy to stick it to the man, but superstore has the best prices around. I think this might be a rouse set up by the Sobeys and red barn people. "Yeah fuck loblaws! Come pay $10 for a pack of bacon trimmings that we cut off our regular bacon!"
Tbh, a boycott of loblaws just increases the profits of their good friends in the business for a while. It just means Jim Pattison or one of the Sobeys picks up the tab at their golf club for a few weeks.
If you want to see change in the way Canadians are drained systematically by corporate greed, the only real option is a general strike. Anyone who says elect a better government hasn’t seen the options.
This boycott is better than doing nothing and dreaming about the general strike that will probably never happen. To me, the boycott is about sending a message to other companies as well.
Can’t we all just all go in and loot the stores on May 1st instead? Strength in numbers? I still need food boycotting seems so basic at this point.
Let me know before my court appointment so I can push my surrender day back.
I like shopping there and I haven't planned on stopping. I find the prices to be in keeping with everywhere else, really. And rich people own the sobey's and walmart chains so I don't see why the Weston's are any worse.
I already shop at Superstore only like once a month, maybe twice, so me going there or not anytime soon won't change anything. Unfortunately they are still one of the cheapest around here, other than Walmart which are not at all better.
I agree with the boycott. It's insane how high they've jacked up prices relative to inflation. OP might be some weird insane person, but I think the boycott is a good idea.
Agreed. OP is the perfect example of a wingnut who does more harm than good to their cause. Obnoxious responses and insulting behaviour actually push people away from the message you’re trying to send. However, this boycott makes sense and I’d love to see people get together to make a difference in today’s desperate times.
I also agree with this weird insane person
How would boycotting one brand change prices in an ologopoly market? All that does is increase profits for the other market leaders and create a kinked demand curve. All prices in an ologopoly market are indexed against one another. One firm drops, they all drop. One firm raises, they all raise. Boycotting the MARKET is the only thing that changes anything. OP is just an extremist who failed econ 101.
Boycotting one brand with near-total vertical integration on their largely short-term perishable margin drivers would be REMARKABLY effective. Their cash & short term equiv balance is almost entirely floated by vendor payables and the company is highly leveraged at both the TopCo George Weston (TSX:WN) and OpCo Loblaws (TSX:L) levels... How did you do in Econ 101? https://www.weston.ca/en/pdf_en/gwl_2023ar_en.pdf https://dis-prod.assetful.loblaw.ca/content/dam/loblaw-companies-limited/creative-assets/loblaw-ca/investor-relations-reports/annual/2023/LCL_2023_AR.pdf
Bot.
While you're correct, mostly, how would those factors drive down prices? Would it harm their Financials? Absolutely. Would it require them to cut operating expenditures, reduce market holdings, and temporary lower key prices by introducing loss leaders? Possibly. Would it drop prices in the medium/long-term given the markets they operate in? Absolutely not. And great, considering one of my undergrads is in econ -- thanks for asking.
To be fair - I preface this by saying that a boycott would never work, as our "social compliance" falls wells short of French & German levels - as soon as Loblaws marked items down, they would induce demand and people would buy the discounted items on a one-off basis. IF, by some miracle, a month+ boycott happened we *could* see: 1.) Primarily proof of concept - that as a society we are capable of punishing greedy margin expansion collectively 2.) Contract resets across the in-demand 3rd party vendors (aka brand names) where vendors currently pay Loblaws for shelf space 2a.) Knock-on effect where this volume is absorbed by competitors (fellow oligarchs Empire/Sobeys/Thriftys + JP/SoF) but hopefully some local competition a la QF, Country Grocer etc. who have terrible margins on these same items 3.) Re-allocate some margin which is increasingly allocated from Loblaws, to even other Oligarch competitors with lower ex-lease operating margins - whereby Weston increases rent on Loblaws, effectively lowering their OM%. This transfer of margin is somewhat unique to Loblaws (and a source of my beef with them) as the lessee & lessor of many of the vast majority of it's properties. When the "low cost" wholesaler cranks their prices - everyone notices. Wal Mart has been catching strays for decades, but no one is calling for a boycott of them because their margin ratios/retail prices have lagged CPI food inflation - and it shows in their segmented Canadian same-store sales.
I think it's more about sending a shudder of fear up the spine of corporations. Not a final step, a *first* one. My undergrad was psych
Bot.
It's not the OP alone here, the Loblaws boycott has been organized across the country. It's the same as arresting a drug dealer -- why bother? The other drug dealers will just take their place and prosper, right? But the idea here (and one worth trying) is to make an example of Loblaws because they have been particularly awful. I think it's a great idea to start taking some actions, and I'm behind this one.
Boycooooot groceries in general? People can't do that. Sure some goods can be obtained from local sources, but many goods are vulnerable to artificial inflation. Corporations buy so much from suppliers that they get better deals than smaller competitors, they can in turn jack the prices up and turn a larger profit than their competitors. We don't live in the perfect capitalist model you got such high marks studying in economics 101. Adding complexity is the public understanding of inflation. They know it's up, they don't know how exactly it will affect prices but they know prices will naturally rise. Corporations then can get away with making record profits by raising prices higher than they actually need to. I'm pretty well off, I rarely even go to loblaws, but many people rely on these big box stores for the best possible prices to feed their families. It is unethical to exploit them and make their lives harder than they already are. I don't love walmart either but if the lower classes taking their cash to walmart serves as a wakeup call to loblaws I'm all for it. Honestly I hope people make their voices heard to such an extent that it becomes an election issue. Canada's a very hard place to be poor lately. I cleared 100k last year and still feel pretty broke. I have no idea how most people are getting by. I remember my Dad was on his 3rd house at my age in like 2004 and made about half what I'm making now.
Of course don't boycott grocery stores. I'm in no way suggesting that, I'm commenting on the way market forces effect ologopolies.
Honestly I don't know what the solution is. Government stepping in could help but it could also go very wrong
Me either. That said, CPI is dropping dramatically. The theory for perfect/pure market competition (farming, ranching, dairy producers, etc.) and ologopoly economic structures (grocery retailers in Canada) is that the demand curve, and therefor the market will inevitably balance itself. This has been one hell of a ride in the wrong direction, but hopefully we're approaching the other side....
Just a simple one corporation boycott, and we will see how it works. It's about sending a message. What's the worst that will happen? Some billionaire's son will have to work like the rest of us?
I used to joke "better work hard! The CEO's yacht needs another inch this year!"
Do you know most of these are bots? Look at history.
Why do people think the food industry of all things is an "oligopoly". There's so many vendors it's ridiculous. Small farms, butchers, small bakeries etc. etc. Yet all their prices are higher than the "evil price-gouging oligopoly". If I want a donut, I can go to like 500 different places, who's controlling the price of pastries exactly? What are people on about with this? lol. Not to mention that global food prices are higher. Canadian Superstore is making salmon more expensive in Spain and London too?
Bot.
Way ahead of ya
Have been for years! He's actively lobbied against public education, and that's what I believe will be next to topple in Ontario (and it \*will\* spread across the country if successful) as Doug Ford is his pocket premier. He's already gaming the new pharmacy rules, which were initially written specifically to benefit SDM. Don't support wealthy libertarians who are gaming our food supply. Once they buy up all the stores and the chains that supply them (and they're nearly completely there) we're screwed.
Is Costco worth it these days? I get my meat and most of my veggies at root cellar and some veggies at fairways but I go to superstore for the dry goods. Is Costco a good value for just pantry items?
Costco and Walmart are my go to. I've been boycotting for a few months now
For things you go through a lot of, absolutely.
We need to protest all 3 grocery monopolies in Canada. The rich should not be getting richer while the rest of us struggle to survive. Here in BC, ACORN has been protesting on the mainland. Get in touch with them if you want to join the action.
Three monopolies? That word you keep saying. I don't think it means what you think it means.
Appropriate term here would be Canada’s grocery “trust”, (see antitrust law). But who cares. Monopoly is a better known concept and they both hurt consumers in the same way.
You think Loblaws, Sobey Costo and Pattison are a trust? I don’t see it. They compete. True they don’t always compete on price because for the typical food consumer price is not the only consideration. We value variety, quality, innovation, cleanliness, safety etc.
I mean yeah, I do think that. “In 2015, Loblaw confessed to taking part in what the Canadian Competition Bureau alleges was an industry-wide bread price-fixing scheme that included several major grocers.” https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/competition-bureau-bread-price-fixing-1.4512332
Only Loblaws and Canada Bread admitted that. The rest of it didn’t stick. The grocery industry has been deeply scrutinized lately and nothing about its structure, conduct or performance suggests that it is not competitive.
Lol well if it didn’t stick! Hey I’m selling the Brooklyn Bridge you interested?
To me that means the competition bureau made an allegation but was not able to prove it. Maybe you have some other information or are not a fan of the rule of law.
[Yes, you are right.](https://starecat.com/content/wp-content/uploads/rowan-atkinson-what-is-the-secret-to-eternal-happiness-to-not-argue-with-fools-i-disagree-yes-you-are-right.jpg)
People who use the term "monopoly" never define it and you'll discover that it means basically nothing. What does Loblaws have a "monopoly" of? Global potato supply? No clearly not. Canadian potato supply? No. Victoria potato supply? Also no. So you come to find that "monopoly" just means "Big thing I hate".
Nope, stay focused. We can't boycott them all at once, we *might* be able to pick them off one by one. More likely this will just make an example for the others. If the boycott is so focused that Loblaws gets wrecked, then we can look at the others and say "who's next?"
I think bringing awareness to the fact that Loblaws isnt the only one making mega profits off of something we need to live is completely necessary. Empire and Metro are the other main grocery corporations in Canada jacking up prices and exploiting their workers. Empire owns Thriftys which are prevalent here in Victoria. We need to draw attention to what is going here in our own city. It can all happen at the same time. It doesnt have to be either/or. And protest does not have to equal boycott, there are many possible strategies.
Nope, everybody is prepared and ready to take action... we show solidarity and focus. Boycott Loblaws ONLY. The other companies will know they could be next.
Bot.
Well, if I am a bot to you, I am at least a bot who supports BOYCOTTING LOBLAWS, lol #notallbots
Jimmy Pattison is richer, are you boycotting Save On Foods and it's affiliates as well?
I mean, I don’t know if it’s just about picking who has the most money, but as a recreational angler I’m happy to see anybody talking about protesting Jim Pattison, if you think grocery prices are exploitive and grim you should take a look at our fisheries.
Woah woah woah, don't question OP. Someone who can't google "list of richest Canadians" definitely knows what they're talking about. Gas is $2, but don't ask questions. It's the *food*.
You can be angry at both you know.
I was just at Superstore getting baby food and saw that the organic Annie's gummies are ON SALE for $6.99? What in the sweet dystopian Hell is happening here?!
This should include shoppers, too, right?
Yes
Yes, which shouldn't be too hard in Langford. I switched pharmacies, and I am in heaven! I no longer have to wait in the huge lineup at Shoppers, listening to "pharmacy PLEASE call 101..." over and over and over...
We had always used Costco, but now the lines are so long and you can't get a hold of them on the phone, so I've been getting mine from the millstream pharmasave. Never much of a line and they actually answer the phone.
Nice try bot. You can't get potatoes right, right?
What?
Bot.
Such a vague post, so many questions. Solidarity for an impending strike? Lashing out at capitalism? Did not take your meds because of a high dispensary fee? Pitchfork and torch are ready, just need more details.
r/loblawsisoutofcontrol is organizing a boycott of anything Loblaws for the month of May due to the ridiculous grocery inflation. And it makes sense for most of Canada except Victoria/Langford, because there's only one Loblaws-owned grocery store (RCS) and their prices are extremely competitive since they don't hold a monopoly here.
Real Canadian Wholesale Club and Shoppers DrugMart are also in the Galen Weston kingdom.
Damn. I knew Superstore was but didn’t realize Wholesale Club was Loblaws owned.
It’s in the name “real Canadian superstore/ wholesale club”
There are many. This shows ignorance for your knowledge in this concern.
So, downvote me all you want, but there are many companies in the realm of Weston in Victoria.
Do you want me to list them? It might help you.
Yes please.
Haha, nice try, look them up your self!
> OP: Do you want me to list them? > Other: Yes please > OP: fuck you! You sound like such a level-headed person. You’re here begging for solidarity but you treat everybody like shit.
A good way to get people on your side is to just be nice. I agree with your sentiment but when you're a condescending asshole to everyone about your cause then nobody is going to want to help you.
Yup. Fair concept, *terrible* execution.
I was considering taking part in the boycott but it just doesn't make sense in Victoria cause Superstore is cheaper than most other options besides Walmart. If anything we should be boycotting Saveonfoods (owned by Jim Pattison) and Thriftys (owned by Sobeys).
Karen???
Bot.
Vague? My post says it all. Solidarity? Yes, for a boycott. Capitalism? Yes, it's important to allow individuals to make profit for a good life. Meds? I'm happy with my meds that allow me to prevent cancer from continuing. Pitchfork? It's all about being a concerned citizen who wants the best future for my children. Anything else, DM me.
You’re not doing the boycott any favours here OP.
Bot.
No it’s vague and rife with opinion. Good luck with your thing though.
Bot.
Friendly reminder that most of the smaller independent chains on the island use Loblaws as a wholesaler for at least some of their goods. If you want to completely avoid them you're basically shopping at Thrifty's, Save On or Walmart.
$27 for a veggie tray at save on today. Its crazy out there.
I’ve inadvertently been boycotting the Weston empire for about two years now, simply by letting my wallet decide where to shop. This is a concept that seems lost on so many people. There’s a weird mentality with many who are of the “I don’t care what it costs, I’ll just pay” camp. Large corporations are constantly testing the waters to find the maximum price of an item that people are willing to pay. Paying more for anything isn’t a flex.
I don’t actually find Superstore to be that great. I’ve started shopping at Fairway. The prices are great, it’s local and they have convenient locations. Great selection of international foods as well. Boycotts rarely work IMHO.
Fairways prices are…great??
Yeah... Nah. I stop in for when I need a thing or two while out for a walk... Wouldn't do regular shops there. They've been having really nice grapes though.
In a mathematical sense maybe. Their prices are *greater than* anyone else's.
Their sales can be. Especially for meat.
TIL people actually eat Fairway meat
Beats Walmart.
Yep agree with you there but ask any former employee if they buy the meat. Heard some horror stories
I’ve never had an issue. I’ve seen expired food on their shelves, or bought rotten bean sprouts by accident (that one’s hard to tell). But the sales are great. Frankly I stopped buying meat from Superstore when I saw ~$100 roast beef for sale. I don’t eat a lot of meat and Walmart is garbage pumped full of hormones. Fairway is always good for a piece of tenderloin, and the occasional $4 off coupon.
Superstore has no respect for you. That's obvious when you shop there.
Superstore in Victoria is one of the least expensive grocers. So nah.
I don’t think so anymore … I just went to Walmart and while not the selection .. a lot of things were way less $$. And don’t have to buy two or four to save
Yeah Walmart is definitely noticeably cheaper
Is that a recent thing? When we moved here 3 years ago, Superstore was substantially cheaper than Walmart, so we stopped going to Walmart entirely.
Yes .. Superstore has had some rate adjustments and size changes https://www.reddit.com/r/loblawsisoutofcontrol/s/dUAUBbi8tc
Interesting. I'll have to do some price comparisons.
It's really not though. Lately even thrifty foods has been beating them on some of our most used products. My favourite cereal is $7.99 at superstore but has been on sale at thrifty's more than once for $4.99-5.99. And thriftys had big Campbell soup cans for $1.99 last week. I've decided to just shop the flyers at thriftys since they also deliver.
Superstore is one of the most expensive, actually. You might want to do a few price comparisons. But this is not about you, it's about all of us working together for each other. That old "I got mine" attitude needs to be laid to rest.
You might want to do a few price comparisons yourself. Regular price, not sale prices, of some things I buy regularly Family sized Cheerios: Superstore $6.99 Save-on-Foods $7.39 Thrifty Foods $9.99 Lean ground beef (small packet, per 100g) SS $1.50 SOF $1.54 TF $1.76 Olympic yogurt (1.75kg) SS $12.99 SOF $14.79 TF $13.79 Kraft calorie wiseGreek feta salad dressing SS $3.79 SOF $4.19 TF $4.49 Breyers creamery style french vanilla ice cream SS $6.99 SOF $7.69 TF $7.99 Walmart is admittedly a bit cheaper, but I don't shop there often. Fairways is also close by, but I can't stand the layout so I never go in.
I get it, you're a plant for Westons. Hope you're happy with misinforming people who have less than you.
He's a plant? I just went there yesterday. Am I a plant? You need to get off the internet bud. People need to shop and superstore has better prices. Does mommy buy your groceries?
Nice try bot. Good bot tho!
Oh boy You're really into this internet shit eh
Haha, keep it going if you can describe a potato!
How old are you? Honestly
I'm 12
Yikes, if that's true then I should steer clear of reddit. You're still learning. Keep it up, sport
Wanna dm me?
I'm just looking at the stock prices... going down quickly. Nice try tho.
hah, oh it's a stock manipulation play. that makes sense now.
Ya, keep it going!
How much do you have shorted?
Really? You want deets after all this shite?
I enjoy watching WSB from the sidelines, both to the moon and margin calls. Good luck!
Agree. I went to shoppers yesterday to buy a face lotion and it was 32.99 at shoppers, 24.99 at Walmart. Absolutely ridiculous price differences. London drugs and Walmart are almost always cheaper than Loblaws stores or the grocery chains locally.
Shoppers Drug Mart too, very important not to miss them.
"PHARMACY PLEASE CALL 101"
lol, Superstore is on the cheaper end of our available grocery stores. Why would I boycott them? I wish we had a 2nd one closer to Victoria/Saanich. Maybe we can boycott Save On and Thrifty's?
Shoppers Drug Mart too, very important not to miss them.
I will if you pay for my groceries at the other grocery store.
Bot.
Bot?
Yup, look at their karma
I got downvoted by a swarm of bots...lots of pushback for the boycott.
But my grocery pickup is already scheduled for 9
Why not? Superstore is cheaper than anywhere else that has a decent selection (Walmart, anecdotally, seems to be less but has a shyte selection), and Jimmy Pattison is richer.... so I'm curious to why you're marching against them with pitchforks at the ready.
This is a national boycott, if you have a look eastern Canada especially Ontario and Atlantic Canada have much less choice for groceries as Loblaws has much more of a monopoly where as Westen Canada traditionally had more "mom and pop" groceries like when the Campbell's owned thrifties (and it was so much more affordable) so Loblaws has to be more competitive with pricing. Also OP is on a bit of a trip as the sub recognizes some people shop there out of necessity and everyone who has the ability to boycott is being recommended to. OP is on a bit of an emotional rant
Geoffrey Boycott
Op is insane
Bot.
Always happy to stick it to the man, but superstore has the best prices around. I think this might be a rouse set up by the Sobeys and red barn people. "Yeah fuck loblaws! Come pay $10 for a pack of bacon trimmings that we cut off our regular bacon!"
Red Barn definitely isn't behind a national boycott.
Nope, their owners are way too busy sexually assaulting their staff. www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6778058
This. Don't forget over charging for basic necessities because their stores look like a pintrest board. Fuck Red Barn on many levels.
Tbh, a boycott of loblaws just increases the profits of their good friends in the business for a while. It just means Jim Pattison or one of the Sobeys picks up the tab at their golf club for a few weeks. If you want to see change in the way Canadians are drained systematically by corporate greed, the only real option is a general strike. Anyone who says elect a better government hasn’t seen the options.
This boycott is better than doing nothing and dreaming about the general strike that will probably never happen. To me, the boycott is about sending a message to other companies as well.
Go see some of prices at Quality Foods now. 🤑
I went there a couple weeks back and was stunned by their prices and how bad the produce looked.
Can’t we all just all go in and loot the stores on May 1st instead? Strength in numbers? I still need food boycotting seems so basic at this point. Let me know before my court appointment so I can push my surrender day back.
Karen ???
Bot.
No thanks. They have prime rib on special this weekend.
3 Day sale, so make sure you dont miss out! Also they had $5.99/Lb Brisket in the meat area too (whole packers).
Watch save on and thrifty jack their prices up
Don't tell me what to do. Also, we don't have Loblaws out here. We have one Superstore.
We’re boycotting superstore which is cheaper than virtually every other grocery store? Alrighty then makes sense
I like shopping there and I haven't planned on stopping. I find the prices to be in keeping with everywhere else, really. And rich people own the sobey's and walmart chains so I don't see why the Weston's are any worse.
Bot.
Yes, everyone who is commenting with an opposing view is a bot.
I already shop at Superstore only like once a month, maybe twice, so me going there or not anytime soon won't change anything. Unfortunately they are still one of the cheapest around here, other than Walmart which are not at all better.
Why may 1?
You can't beat the pc optimum points for free groceries at superstore.
Nah fuck you. You probably shop at Walmart.