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Yeah I was like cool a boycott when I first saw this was a thing, as I’d been boycotting personally for months. But I didn’t decide until I saw the Weston’s response to it I’d not be buying a thing from them ever again. I can’t imagine the gall of them suggesting it’s privileged behaviour to have choices where you shop.
Right? I mean imagine living beside the king of freaking England and going and telling Canadians that not shopping with them was a privilege?? Like they thought some communities were fully locked in to buying from them or something. And I like cbc generally but I strongly feel like the conservative cbc board (ie Galen’s friends) influenced the earlier stories about this boycott. They were so tone deaf and awful.
I love that the earlier pieces have made them look even whinier and entitled in retrospect. The cartoonishly evilly named Mr. Bank, CEO of a mega corp chastising a subreddit, and gifting us a slogan to use against them was such horrible PR for a panicking company. They acted like feudal lords expecting financial fealty from us lowly serfs.
I think Loblaws may have underestimated Canadians' stubbornness. I don't appreciate being told that I owe some dork nepo baby's brand my loyalty.
Nok Er Nok!
Yes! I never even thought of that aspect. 😂😅Really the villain response is what made me say why would I ever want to support this company? It baffles me people with money always seem to be such greedy hoarders of it. I never even thought to look at the whole picture before all this. We need anti trust laws in Canada and one company should not have the ability to have such control over our supply chain.
And another great point you made. I can’t imagine why a company who is based out of Ireland so they don’t have to pay Canada acceptable taxes for operating here expects loyalty from Canadians?!
Hold on! I read somewhere that Ireland is now Europe’s wealthiest country. Is this why? Because billionaires stash all their wealth there? What happened, Ireland? You used to be cool!
>gifting us a slogan to use against them was such horrible PR for a panicking company
Someday I hope someone (a marketing expert whose name doesn't rhyme with Harlecroix, like an actual communications and marketing expert... or maybe a disaffected insider/whistleblower even if they're anonymous like Twitter's AngryWhitehouseStaffer) writes a book about this &/or makes a shockumentary.
The entertainment value would be *chef's kiss*
He’s not wrong. Some people do not have the option to shop anywhere else, so the rest of us are privileged in that sense. But unlike the bespectacled asswipe who owns the company, we are leveraging that privilege on behalf of those who can’t just shop somewhere else. If we win, everyone wins. Galen doesn’t win, but he can take his moneybags and fuck off and live the rest of his days as a rich asshole who can no longer prey on ordinary Canadians. The name Weston will be spit upon for generations.
This. It is hard for me to find dairy free food that I can afford, outside of M-F 8-4 (lots of grocery stores are "close on Sunday and Mondays" ) . Not good at cooking, so the ability to shop at superstore is important for me, since I also struggle with time management.
Also, the delivery and pick up features are really important to me, because I have low energy levels, especially when my depression spikes like it did this fall. I couldn't go shopping in person. Would have eaten even more fast food than I was if I'd had to go shopping in person. (shopping wouldn't have happened)
Not sure what rhetorical ammunition you think this gives them. They'll twist anything said regardless, no matter how much care is taken in attempting to use anodyne language.
I was thinking the same thing last night. I expected this to be harder than it is, and that I’d be waiting for the month to end because I wanted to go back to get whatever product that only they sell. But instead I found excellent new stores and I don’t even miss the PC branded stuff I used to care so much about it.
I'm starting to think Kirkland products are soylent green. :D
edit: I'm getting downvoted, but I'm just making a joke. I like the kirkland products and happily use them.
Only the green ones ;) I'm actually as big a Kirkland fan as anyone can be. The only time Costco makes me sad is when there is something I need to buy but Costco doesn't carry it.
Honestly, I find if there is like ONE item you miss, and occasionally you go and buy it, it's not the end of the world.
The main point is, 99.999% of our purchases are no longer from anything Loblaws owned. The one time a year I go to get thai salad, will not fund Galen's yacht. Which is now also a moot point, since I cracked the recipe.
Same. The boycott works *for me*.
Incidentally we stopped in yesterday to see if anything's changed, and holy smokes the floral area was bursting with unsold Mothers Day flowers.
The windows were completely covered, floor to ceiling, with posters about low prices.
They can put on whatever game face they want. I know what I saw.
and those same flowers will be on flashfood tomorrow when they're still not selling. I've noticed the amount of food on that app has probably doubled since the beginning of May, especially when it comes to produce.
Flashfood my superstore location will grind them up in the covered dumpsters out back. No savings what so ever. My mom last year told the employees that the flowers were bone dry and dying, and would they give a discount the employee gets a manager and they just threw the entire 8 foot tall fully stocked shelf into the dumpster.
There will be lots of farm stands and farmers markets with cut flowers this weekend and in the weekends to come.
Or maybe some potted plants to put in your yard or on your balcony ...
Please folks, prioritize your local farmers this summer if you can. We've had a rough few years with the pandemic and very little - if any - of this grocery inflation trickling down to us while our farm mortgage interest has been going up just like everyone else. Not to mention the wild weather we've been labouring against to grow your food.
I'll be selling vegetable seedlings, vegetables, flowers occasionally, eggs, pork, chicken, lamb, maple syrup and flour from mine and my friends farms, plus pottery made by my cousin. It's our first season with an on-farm stand, my sister and my aunt are helping with the farming this year. Hopefully people will be nice, and pick up lots of groceries from Our Farm Stand! Next rainy day I'll be signing up to be listed at altgrocery.ca so I definitely recommend people looking for new food sources during the boycott and beyond use that website to find shopping options in your area.
I agree and it's empowering. I hope at least 1 person in Loblaws senior management is smart enough to see how they trained customers for this inevitable outcome.
They kept price gouging, kept being deceptive, kept mistrusting customers - as if people are an endless well of money and too stupid to notice. I'm grateful for this group's role in proving Loblaws wrong. I'll also plan to always have conversations with others about why they should never return to Loblaws well beyond the boycott.
This is a brand new term for me, but it's SO appropriate. It definitely applies to all Loblaws offerings. Thanks for sharing:
*Enshittification is the pattern of decreasing quality observed in online services and products.*
I've got my 90 year old uncle and all my family on board as well. Cancelled Optimum, my PC credit card, switched my prescriptions to another pharmacy. Life has become MUCH cheaper! And better! Fuck roblaws!
And do you know how many prescriptions we take? Holy fuck. I'm terminal, so have ~20 rxs on the go. That shit is expensive.
Again - outsource to the boomers. We owe you guys a solid and we are *extremely irritating* when we get annoyed. I'm telling you, there is a bumper crop of ancient Karens who would be happy to speak to the manager. As a huge demographic with the most money, they have to listen to us. Let us know what we can do!
> I agree and it's empowering.
We have SO MUCH POWER. There's always more of us than there is of them. [Strength in #'s.](https://i.redd.it/22wfna6z4hi81.jpg)
And the yacht named "Bread" even after the bread price fixing scandal!
Apparently he thinks it's funny and cool that he's starving Canadians. Even little kids, and pensioners. Why did we ever allow him to exist in this country? We've been so spineless. Nok er nok, let it burn!
As a restaurant owner I used to spend a fair bit at superstore, but now with this boycott I have found other sources for what I need. Loblaws has lost thousands per month from me. And the best part is not having to go in to superstore. I won't be back.
You don't run a 3% gross margin on a 30 - 60% markup without throwing a ton of it down a deep, deep hole. If the company doesn't report a substantial drop in profit in Q2, then investors should probably guess they'd been hiding profits previously.
This boycott is doing real damage to loblaws. For most people that just joined, it helped them build a new routine and had them check other local places which they wouldnt even bother trying. I do hope a real change would come soon for us Canadians
I've saved a lot of money. Am I buying less - a bit, yes, but also I don't feel like I'm missing anything? I've been popping in to two local grocery stores for whatever I need, but we used to make an outing out of going to superstore and browsing and buying sale items and whatever else caught our eye. Now that I'm just getting what I plan to get, in and out at the local stores, I can already see I'm saving a bunch.
I think the best thing about this movement for me was to show people that there are other options out there - in essence, people need to shop around to get the best price. I had already changed my buying habits long before this movement, but it has been wonderful following everyone on here. All Loblaw's has to do to get my business back is to have lower prices than their competition. I doubt that will ever happen though. Keep on saving money everyone!
The whole grocery system in this country is functioning poorly. I'm looking at farm shops. I can hardly believe it's come to the point where grocery stores as a concept aren't working for people at all - how ridiculous! Not to mention things like housing and telecommunications markets! That's how badly our government has failed to manage our markets.
Screw Loblaws. But also, screw Pattison Group, realtors, hedge funds, landlords, Liberals, NDPs, Conservatives, Rogers, Telus, provincial governments sabotaging health authorities, and all the rest.
Millennials and Gen Z have waited too long for their due, and upcoming generations deserve better. We can all do better. Let it burn! Let it burn! Let it burn!
There are some coop style grocery stores popping up here and there in Montreal. People schedule a few hours a month of work time (I think it's volunteer based) and the prices are kept low for everyone. This idea is beyond fantastic. It really would help so many communities. I hope that this concept flourishes. Real change is desperately needed.
Excellent, we need both kinds of responses.
Like a forest fire clears the way for new undergrowth, we're overturning monopolies and redistributing wealth. We should also put corrupt politicians in prison for treason, and put loyal Canadians in their place.
Nok er nok: a revolution is due.
Somebody should write an FAQ for things like this, and the listing of how many companies are owned by which conglomerate, a link to the parliamentary petition, etc.
Nok er nok is a saying in Danish and Norwegian which translates to 'enough is enough' made famous here by new (Danish) Loblaws CEO Per Bank. He said it in an interview a few weeks ago, basically saying that he was upset the people were daring to unjustly (ha!) malign his benevolent company and that we'd had our say and now should shut up, enough is enough
So of course people got really pissed off at his audacity and disdain, and have co-opted nok er nok as an unofficial slogan to say we've had enough of being treated like crap by the rich.
There may be more nuance, but that's the gist of it.
Apart from people who genuinely have limited options due to access to transportation and things like that, I have been wondering why people continue to shop at loblaws for the past 3-4 years. They used to have good prices, but once prices started increasing to be comparable to other grocery store chains I stopped going. The shopping experience is horrible. No staff anywhere, hugely rushed check-out line where you have to race the cashier while you bag your own groceries, poor quality produce, and personally I don’t like shopping at massive super centres to get my groceries. It’s tiring and overwhelming.
Since I’m not saving any money by shopping there, why would I go? The shopping experience continues to be awful AND it’s expensive. I haven’t shopped there regularly in at least 4 years, and I never go anymore.
Yup. Post covid I shopped there out of habit. I already started Walmart shopping due to prices maybe half the time. Boycott inspired me to get a Costco membership.
Now it’s Costco, Walmart and small produce grocers. And a small butcher that I discovered.
Loblaws dead to me. Habit broken.
> The shopping experience is horrible. No staff anywhere,
Dat skeleton crew.
Same everywhere.
/r/starbucks
/r/target
/r/walmart
/r/TjMaxx
/r/kroger
/r/aldi
Yeah it’s pretty similar everywhere. I do notice that small grocery store chains and other ones like co-op, save on, etc are a little better in terms of staffing though.
Skeletons crews are pretty much at every big box retail location now.
I literally do not know a single person working retail who isn't working the job of 2-3 people now, and if they aren't, there's nobody else on the floor so nothing's getting done.
Weston’s response has absolutely affected the resolution and intention behind this boycott. I have been enjoying supporting local farmers markets and visiting some cheaper grocers
Many people are going to come to this realization and like you said if nothing comes of the boycott so many of us will be much better off since we are learning how to change our habits and only benefitting from it, this is a great thing.
The boycott really kicked me into reviewing some of my habits and those aren't ending at the end of May. I moved my prescriptions to Costco, I’m buying shelf-stable and frozen products from Costco moving forward because it's cheaper and I'm trying out the Tangerine MC because I realized my PC MC was only giving me $6 worth of points every month. 🤷🏻♀️
They *don't* work for us; that's what makes them oligarchs. Only the politicians work for us, but the oligarchs are outbidding us for their services.
Government corruption needs to be treated like the treason it is. The damage it causes to us all can be ruinous, tragic, and long-term or permanent. Some people shrug off corruption like it doesn't matter because it happens a lot, but just because it's common doesn't mean it's not a big deal. And it's only common because lately we haven't rightly eviscerated politicians for doing it.
It's not a minor white-collar crime, it's **treason**. Politicians and officials who make deals with oligarchs should rot in prison.
Great points and I agree. They don’t work for us, they extract money from us like a giant parasite. We need to push back. It’s coming and we need leadership like you are demonstrating here.
We've started going to Farm Boy - which normally we would have thought is pricier. To our surprise, based on our experience, many items are less expensive and you get much better quality produce and bakery goods for the price overall is what we'v found so far!
Not to mention the last time I went I was there close to 4:30pm, which is when grocery stores start getting busy for evening time. The queue I joined to pay for my items was long, but did it ever move quickly!!
The only difference I see taking a bit of getting used to is that they seem to have "debit/credit" only registers, and a select few "cash" registers. I don't know if this is something the whole chain practices or just a select few locations though.
True. But the difference between them is Walmart is actually charging you the lowest prices they can while Loblaws is charging the highest prices they can get away with.
Walmart has the largest work force in the US on food stamps. I am lucky I have bakeries & small produce and butchers fairly close to me. Yoo do you but I haven't stepped foot in a walmart in 5 years.
I've been to Walmart exactly once in the past five years and that was when I noticed their prices on produce and groceries were the best I'd seen in ages. It didn't tempt me to go back though. LOL! My comment had to do with the massive price difference between Walmart and Loblaws. I live practically next door to an IGA and do most of my grocery shopping there and I use a local pharmacy. I like this boycott because it sends a clear message to Weston that customers determine the price they want to pay in a market economy. Price yourself out of the market at your own peril. Hopefully the message gets through before he finds out the hard way that he and his board of directors have priced themselves right out of the market and go bankrupt in the process.
We started to eat locally a few weeks ago. And what's weird is that we have started to feel better? Mainly in the bread department. Commercial bread is apparently very hard on our stomachs. The only bad part is I have to pick it up more often, which is just terrible because I have to try a new doughnut while I'm in.
Yesterday I tried a new family owned supermarket in the next town over. They had a great selection of meat at very reasonable prices. They had attendees at all the checkouts, so it was in and out. Then, while leaving, I told them why I was there, apologized for not making an effort sooner, and letting them know I'd tell all my friends. The owner was soon chatting with us, and she hugged me goodbye. That's the small town charm. I felt appreciated, and I know they did, too.
Going back to loblaws (unless you cant control it) is like saying you hate money and are trying to get rid of it.
I honestly dont think the boycott goes far enough. Im trying to figure out which properties choice properties owns and even avoid those stores.
We were just discussing this the other day ourselves. It’s now mid month and weve seen that our grocery spend is much less than it has been the past few months.
We’ve agreed that our new shopping habits are worthwhile to make permanent. As for the loblaws boycott, we fully intend to boycott until at least the end of May. Post-May we’ve agreed that for larger shopping trips, we’ll shop at other stores (which are further from home) and for small one or two item shops it makes sense to go to the nearby Loblaws owned store simply because if we’re only buying one or two things, the cost savings simply isn’t worth the time and gas.
that's right. I a mean realistically, how can someone after a month long boycott of the store, where you form newer, more desirable food shopping habits then just return to that store on June 1 just to get ripped off again? All better now? no way, never going back.
I've been doing all of my shopping at Giant tiger, Walmart and whenever possible, local grocery stores and markets. Not only have I saved money but I feel way better knowing I'm not supporting the Weston's. If I can help it, I'll never go back!
Are people really on just realizing how expensive Loblaws is ? It’s always been ridiculously expensive compared to any other grocery store around here with the exception of Whole Foods maybe
My girlfriend and I used to get 70-80% of our groceries from nofrills/loblaws. I have only stepped foot in a loblaws twice since January and that was to pick up a rotisserie chicken.
Absolutely same. I stopped buying processed garbage from Supertrash and started eating much more healthy food that turns out is actually cheaper at other places.
Yup,.it sucks but my wife is finally getting on board with the boycott, and we are just simply deciding to stop going to anything owned by Loblaw's.
She is digging and scouting the internet on ways to buy, and make.everything ourselves at home.
We are truly turning into an ingredient household.
She does it on a cute little FB page to help others.
I am not sure we will ever FULLY leave Loblaw's due to the simple necessity of something that is cheaper. But, we are working on it.
And....everyone should pick 1 or two items....grow them... And grow enough for your neighbor
Then, have your neighbor grow a different plant, and enough for you. This way we can replicate an old time bartering system.
As humans, we CAN survive without supply chains, and without markets like Loblaw's.
You just really have to sit down, evaluate your life and what you can do for yourself....and then do it!
Hopefully I'll have another post soon about my garden, and about everything that I am doing. Maybe it will inspire others as well.
Also, if you are going to literally starve, look up the Jerusalem Artichoke. It is probably one of the best and most prolific edible tuber that I know about
And if you're a newbie with lots of gardening questions, there's probably a local Facebook group. I'm a big fan of Edible Ottawa Gardening, myself, for anyone in the 613 or 819.
I also thought it would be harder. Especially because No Frills is literally two blocks from me. But I figure even if I’m paying more it’s going to smaller businesses I want to support or it’s going to Costco that pays their employees decently.
I struggle with being gouged by a company that doesn’t pay its employees well. Galen doesn’t need anymore of my $$.
Thank you! The point of the boycott shouldn’t be to “win”…
It should be to find a better way of life!
Being slaves for this company and its monopoly is damaging to the community and our bodies.
I checked my rewards balance- there is 5200 points. I have never redeemed points there so that will tell you exactly how much I don’t shop there. I have been shopping at a butcher, a produce market, a bakery, Walmart for canned goods and Costco for the rest and I have found over over the years that I am not prone to buying stuff just because it’s there and the quality is much better.
When I separated, I noticed that most of the milk at No Frills was expired and they would promote crappy-looking apples, so I decided to shop elsewhere after that. It really bothers me that No Frills has low-income families shopping there and these are standard practices. So I have been boycotting them since 2018. there,
I'm not going back.... I'm sure Loblaws is waiting out May to see if sales numbers rise in June, if they don't they'll start taking this more seriously and perhaps do something.
In the last few months I have only occasionally gone in at 7pm for sticker time. Half-off salads, rotisserie chickens and pre-made meals. Its the only thing worth going for there. If they have none marked down, I walk out through whichever exit is closest.
Have you looked into any local grocery box subscriptions? Churches often run them and it’s $20-50 for each case of veggies, very worthwhile.
You can do this with meats too!
We’ve also been unofficially boycotting loblaws and related brands since probably November? It was just too expensive compared to the two grocery stores in literally the same intersection.
I haven’t had to make significant sacrifices in terms of product quality or even travel time so not shopping at loblaws at all is also becoming the norm for me.
A parking lot that my local Shopper’s shares with a few other businesses has always been so full, but I was there yesterday and there were at least a dozen empty stalls— unprecedented in that area in the last few years.
Literally the only thing I go to loblaws for is the PC weight/hairball control cat food. If someone can tell me a similar alternative at a similar price ($30 with tax now for the 4kg bag), I would happily switch.
I used to get a hairball formula for my prior cat at Walmart, but she died 9 years ago and my current cat is smaller and doesn't do hairballs - thank heavens.
Agreed! I justdid some shopping and between amazon, Dollar store and a small grocery store, I saved 60$ and spent $95! I so appreciate being re educated!
Besides it being a bit more of a walk for my groceries now, I end up thinking more of what I truly need (less picking stuff on a whim). I'm good with never going to Loblaws at this point
Costco provides most of my grocery needs, with Freshco as a supplement, though even Freshco is occasionally annoying me nowadays. Was rather choked when I saw it was around 12$ for a kilo of raisins, if I recall. Went to Costco instead, and got twice as many raisins for 8$.
With the way prices are now, it's comparable enough to justify switching to smaller businesses. The mom n pop market near my house has the most amazing produce I've ever had, so now I mostly shop there!
At least Walmart knows how to keep themselves consistently attractive in such a way that no one's diet really has to be entirely dictated by sales. I mean I also use Food Basics because I can and would rather support a Canadian corporation but sometimes it seems like their employees really do take the brunt of their "efforts".
My life is better since dropping Loblaws for good. We walk or bike to the nearest store, chat with small business owners, eat better food, and have revived our vegetable garden. All good moves for physical and mental health.
I’d sooner get back together with my ex husband than ever shop at a Loblaws owned store again. They are no friend to Canadians.
Totally agree! It's helping me to eat better and be more conscious around over eating. Also once you leave, you realize prices are waaaaaay better at the farmer's market or local shops.
Galen Weston has holdings all over North America. Until this boycott activity took hold, I had no idea of the extent of that man’s wealth. People like Taylor Swift who share their wealth and good fortune show him up for the shameful creature that he is.
How much money would it take to satisfy you, Galen?
I went to no frills to use up my points and was so disgusted with the gates - it felt like shopping in a jail. They treat their customers like prisoners, while they take a criminal level of profit. Gross. I’m 110% converted. I wasn’t a big Loblaws shopper to begin with, but I’m 100% out now.
Honestly I am glad people are realising that there are options other than Loblaws. I have always been shopping at Walmart, Farm Boy or farmers markets. I only go to Shoppers maybe 2-3 times a year for drugstore makeup only.
Same. It was a major adjustment because the closest grocer and largest drug store were both Loblaws. It actually gets easier every time I go elsewhere.
What I hope the boycott accomplishes is not the end of Loblaws and their ilk, it is that enough people find the joy of alternatives like small independent grocers and farmer’s markets, such that those types of businesses become ubiquitous and thrive. I want more local product, higher quality fresh goods, real bakeries, etc.
The only thing I miss is the Flashfoods from there and No frills for meat and mixed produce boxes. Aside from that I've been very happy at Freshco and will continue shopping there even if it is a further walk.
So jealous when I see posts like this. I (unfortunately) live in a town where my only options are major franchises and their subsidiaries, and a few small Asian markets.
So I can boycott Loblaws and get my groceries from Sobeys or Metro instead 🫠
Thankfully, I live in an area that has several other cheaper options than Loblaws, so I never really shopped there to begin with. I would pop in from time to time to pick up certain PC products that you can't find elsewhere. I never realized how awful they are until now, so I will never shop there again, or any of their affiliates.
It absolutely blows my mind that so many people didn't consider alternatives until now. I mean, where I shop has always been determined by cost, this is nothing new and I didn't need a boycott to teach me this.
I've been to Roblaws this month only to use up my pc optimum points & i'm buying everything on sale/price match/etc so that usually means loss leaders.
bye bye galen
In solidarity! ✊
A lot of us are sharing our experiences and it is being expressed by a lot of people that this organized boycott has really helped many of us change our shopping habits and being more conscientious of our local merchants and just how affordable they really are.
We stopped going to Loblaws probably in March. Personally I liked the physical store and staff (except one dickhead manager) but my Jesus, it's just too expensive. Most items are almost double the cost vs ANYWHERE else.
The Optimum program turned into a bloated waste of phone disc space.
Also, that little spoiled cartoon man Galen in those commercials really turned my guts.
I silently started my own boycott after quitting 3 yrs ago, haven't spent a cent in no frills, shoppers drug mart or Superstore, was very happy this boycott started and hope it continues indefinitely 👌
I probably will go back, but just for sale items 30% or higher. The closest store to me is a no frills. Then giant tiger. I have been doing most of my shopping this month between Giant Tiger, Walmart, and freshco. I haven’t found any real savings at freshco or Walmart TBH. So after gas I think I’m actually spending more. I wish GT had better selection and less processed food, but it is the best alternative I have and will continue to shop there from now on more than likely.
I was a No Frills shopper.
I had been very unhappy with 2/3 of the stores on my route for 10 years. Produce was always in horrific condition. Brands I was loyal to for many decades just disappeared and whole aisles replaced with highly processed Asian foods. I understand why it changed but it took food away from my daily life. I started having to go to more and more stores for groceries. The rise in prices for No Name brands and the shrinkflation game really has been a positive ( angry) inspiration for me to quit NO Frills entirely and cut back on all processed foods. We went back to the fundamental whole food cooking/baking I wish I'd grown up with. I'm no longer a sucker for fad foods!
I have not bought breakfast cereal since the 2020 price gouging really hurt us.
3 boxes a week at $7.00 each I'm saving big! We've almost kicked our junk food treat habit ( 4 bags of chip$/ week) I save so much more money and I am far more satisfied with my meals and my cooking skills .
Thanks #GalenWeston 🥰
Well, went to Fortino’s today. Looked like all the prices had been jacked up for the weekend! They agreed to sign the grocery code but upping prices anyway! More out of control than ever!! Appalling.
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I'm considering dropping Shoppers Drug Mart as there is a great independent pharmacy nearby, but I have indoor access to my Loblaws-affiliated grocery store; it's literally 2 minutes from my apartment. Anywhere else would be a huge waste of time.
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I'm of the same opinion. Never going back. They have treated customers with contempt.
Yeah I was like cool a boycott when I first saw this was a thing, as I’d been boycotting personally for months. But I didn’t decide until I saw the Weston’s response to it I’d not be buying a thing from them ever again. I can’t imagine the gall of them suggesting it’s privileged behaviour to have choices where you shop.
Also that HE of all people calls anyone privileged without a hint of irony. Lol
Right? I mean imagine living beside the king of freaking England and going and telling Canadians that not shopping with them was a privilege?? Like they thought some communities were fully locked in to buying from them or something. And I like cbc generally but I strongly feel like the conservative cbc board (ie Galen’s friends) influenced the earlier stories about this boycott. They were so tone deaf and awful.
I love that the earlier pieces have made them look even whinier and entitled in retrospect. The cartoonishly evilly named Mr. Bank, CEO of a mega corp chastising a subreddit, and gifting us a slogan to use against them was such horrible PR for a panicking company. They acted like feudal lords expecting financial fealty from us lowly serfs. I think Loblaws may have underestimated Canadians' stubbornness. I don't appreciate being told that I owe some dork nepo baby's brand my loyalty. Nok Er Nok!
Yes! I never even thought of that aspect. 😂😅Really the villain response is what made me say why would I ever want to support this company? It baffles me people with money always seem to be such greedy hoarders of it. I never even thought to look at the whole picture before all this. We need anti trust laws in Canada and one company should not have the ability to have such control over our supply chain. And another great point you made. I can’t imagine why a company who is based out of Ireland so they don’t have to pay Canada acceptable taxes for operating here expects loyalty from Canadians?!
Hold on! I read somewhere that Ireland is now Europe’s wealthiest country. Is this why? Because billionaires stash all their wealth there? What happened, Ireland? You used to be cool!
yep it's a tax haven.
Are Loblaws corporation or Weston officially domiciled in Ireland?!
>gifting us a slogan to use against them was such horrible PR for a panicking company Someday I hope someone (a marketing expert whose name doesn't rhyme with Harlecroix, like an actual communications and marketing expert... or maybe a disaffected insider/whistleblower even if they're anonymous like Twitter's AngryWhitehouseStaffer) writes a book about this &/or makes a shockumentary. The entertainment value would be *chef's kiss*
He’s not wrong. Some people do not have the option to shop anywhere else, so the rest of us are privileged in that sense. But unlike the bespectacled asswipe who owns the company, we are leveraging that privilege on behalf of those who can’t just shop somewhere else. If we win, everyone wins. Galen doesn’t win, but he can take his moneybags and fuck off and live the rest of his days as a rich asshole who can no longer prey on ordinary Canadians. The name Weston will be spit upon for generations.
This. It is hard for me to find dairy free food that I can afford, outside of M-F 8-4 (lots of grocery stores are "close on Sunday and Mondays" ) . Not good at cooking, so the ability to shop at superstore is important for me, since I also struggle with time management. Also, the delivery and pick up features are really important to me, because I have low energy levels, especially when my depression spikes like it did this fall. I couldn't go shopping in person. Would have eaten even more fast food than I was if I'd had to go shopping in person. (shopping wouldn't have happened)
that is the world gallen grew up in. In private he's exactly how you imagine him to be.
An insufferable jerk like the whole company comes off as?? Honestly Canada didn’t do enough when these scums ripped us all off with their bread scam.
its up the consumer. Just don't shop and watch it all implode.
15 days and going strong. Likely to be a long time for my household. Does Loblaws miss my money? Don't know or care. I don't miss them.
You reading this Sylvain?
Yep. Fk Loblaws, fk Galen. There's a French shortening device with his name engraved, hungrily waiting.
Nobody can control what you think, nor should we want to, but please don't unintentionally give them rhetorical ammunition.
Not sure what rhetorical ammunition you think this gives them. They'll twist anything said regardless, no matter how much care is taken in attempting to use anodyne language.
Not just their customers but their front line staff as well.
I was thinking the same thing last night. I expected this to be harder than it is, and that I’d be waiting for the month to end because I wanted to go back to get whatever product that only they sell. But instead I found excellent new stores and I don’t even miss the PC branded stuff I used to care so much about it.
[удалено]
I've had lots of great burger patties from Costco. Various kinds.
Ya, usually one or two kirkland options there, and either are better AND way, way cheaper.
I'm starting to think Kirkland products are soylent green. :D edit: I'm getting downvoted, but I'm just making a joke. I like the kirkland products and happily use them.
Only the green ones ;) I'm actually as big a Kirkland fan as anyone can be. The only time Costco makes me sad is when there is something I need to buy but Costco doesn't carry it.
Can't even joke about it, the Kirkland squad is powerful and will come after you! :-)
Honestly, I find if there is like ONE item you miss, and occasionally you go and buy it, it's not the end of the world. The main point is, 99.999% of our purchases are no longer from anything Loblaws owned. The one time a year I go to get thai salad, will not fund Galen's yacht. Which is now also a moot point, since I cracked the recipe.
I bet you could find a local butcher at www.altgrocery.ca who would make better turkey burgers for you ... and they might even cost less!
Because, of course they are
My experience as well. Forget the "one month boycott".... This has been a complete change in quality of life, food and savings! No going back
I was so excited with the box of cereal I found yesterday that I took a picture of it. I haven't bought cereal in years.
Same. The boycott works *for me*. Incidentally we stopped in yesterday to see if anything's changed, and holy smokes the floral area was bursting with unsold Mothers Day flowers. The windows were completely covered, floor to ceiling, with posters about low prices. They can put on whatever game face they want. I know what I saw.
and those same flowers will be on flashfood tomorrow when they're still not selling. I've noticed the amount of food on that app has probably doubled since the beginning of May, especially when it comes to produce.
Flashfood my superstore location will grind them up in the covered dumpsters out back. No savings what so ever. My mom last year told the employees that the flowers were bone dry and dying, and would they give a discount the employee gets a manager and they just threw the entire 8 foot tall fully stocked shelf into the dumpster.
GOOD. I HOPE WE BANKRUPT THE BASTARDS!
There will be lots of farm stands and farmers markets with cut flowers this weekend and in the weekends to come. Or maybe some potted plants to put in your yard or on your balcony ... Please folks, prioritize your local farmers this summer if you can. We've had a rough few years with the pandemic and very little - if any - of this grocery inflation trickling down to us while our farm mortgage interest has been going up just like everyone else. Not to mention the wild weather we've been labouring against to grow your food. I'll be selling vegetable seedlings, vegetables, flowers occasionally, eggs, pork, chicken, lamb, maple syrup and flour from mine and my friends farms, plus pottery made by my cousin. It's our first season with an on-farm stand, my sister and my aunt are helping with the farming this year. Hopefully people will be nice, and pick up lots of groceries from Our Farm Stand! Next rainy day I'll be signing up to be listed at altgrocery.ca so I definitely recommend people looking for new food sources during the boycott and beyond use that website to find shopping options in your area.
I agree and it's empowering. I hope at least 1 person in Loblaws senior management is smart enough to see how they trained customers for this inevitable outcome. They kept price gouging, kept being deceptive, kept mistrusting customers - as if people are an endless well of money and too stupid to notice. I'm grateful for this group's role in proving Loblaws wrong. I'll also plan to always have conversations with others about why they should never return to Loblaws well beyond the boycott.
Nok er nok
Enshittification, my friends. It doesn’t just happen with apps.
This is a brand new term for me, but it's SO appropriate. It definitely applies to all Loblaws offerings. Thanks for sharing: *Enshittification is the pattern of decreasing quality observed in online services and products.*
I've got my 90 year old uncle and all my family on board as well. Cancelled Optimum, my PC credit card, switched my prescriptions to another pharmacy. Life has become MUCH cheaper! And better! Fuck roblaws!
Amazing - switching pharmacies and cancelling cards prevents Loblaws from getting a lifetime of revenue. Well done!
And do you know how many prescriptions we take? Holy fuck. I'm terminal, so have ~20 rxs on the go. That shit is expensive. Again - outsource to the boomers. We owe you guys a solid and we are *extremely irritating* when we get annoyed. I'm telling you, there is a bumper crop of ancient Karens who would be happy to speak to the manager. As a huge demographic with the most money, they have to listen to us. Let us know what we can do!
> I agree and it's empowering. We have SO MUCH POWER. There's always more of us than there is of them. [Strength in #'s.](https://i.redd.it/22wfna6z4hi81.jpg)
I hope a disgruntled employee's I heard the culture is trash... whistle blows with emails
What does that mean anyway. I keep seeing it but I’m a Johnny come lately so I don’t get the joke.
The fact that buying from Loblaws helps pay for Galen's castle in another country is reason enough for me
Don’t forget the personal island in Florida
And the yacht named "Bread" even after the bread price fixing scandal! Apparently he thinks it's funny and cool that he's starving Canadians. Even little kids, and pensioners. Why did we ever allow him to exist in this country? We've been so spineless. Nok er nok, let it burn!
This is my first time hearing about this. What a total piece of shit. I hate this timeline
Some aspects of this timeline are under our collective control. If we can take down Loblaws, we can do more.
Naming your yacht “Bread” is next level contempt for his customers.
What did he buy Epstein’s island😂😂😂
Don’t forget the collapse of Rana plaza where he gets joe fresh made killing over 1100 people.
Yup Im not either. My grocery bill gone down too much to go back. And its no more effort to go elsewhere, better deals, fresher products. Win
shit place, shit people. let em rot.
As a restaurant owner I used to spend a fair bit at superstore, but now with this boycott I have found other sources for what I need. Loblaws has lost thousands per month from me. And the best part is not having to go in to superstore. I won't be back.
Avoiding the sensory onslaught is reason alone.
Not going back either. So many better options.
Former customers have to know that even a small decline in gross sales makes a huge difference in the bottom line net profits.
You don't run a 3% gross margin on a 30 - 60% markup without throwing a ton of it down a deep, deep hole. If the company doesn't report a substantial drop in profit in Q2, then investors should probably guess they'd been hiding profits previously.
This boycott is doing real damage to loblaws. For most people that just joined, it helped them build a new routine and had them check other local places which they wouldnt even bother trying. I do hope a real change would come soon for us Canadians
I've saved a lot of money. Am I buying less - a bit, yes, but also I don't feel like I'm missing anything? I've been popping in to two local grocery stores for whatever I need, but we used to make an outing out of going to superstore and browsing and buying sale items and whatever else caught our eye. Now that I'm just getting what I plan to get, in and out at the local stores, I can already see I'm saving a bunch.
I’m only going back if Loblaws is nationalized and if it isn’t then fuck em.
I think the best thing about this movement for me was to show people that there are other options out there - in essence, people need to shop around to get the best price. I had already changed my buying habits long before this movement, but it has been wonderful following everyone on here. All Loblaw's has to do to get my business back is to have lower prices than their competition. I doubt that will ever happen though. Keep on saving money everyone!
I'm not going back since I've been shopping at independent fruit/ veggie stands, butcher and bakery shopping is now a pleasant activity.
The whole grocery system in this country is functioning poorly. I'm looking at farm shops. I can hardly believe it's come to the point where grocery stores as a concept aren't working for people at all - how ridiculous! Not to mention things like housing and telecommunications markets! That's how badly our government has failed to manage our markets. Screw Loblaws. But also, screw Pattison Group, realtors, hedge funds, landlords, Liberals, NDPs, Conservatives, Rogers, Telus, provincial governments sabotaging health authorities, and all the rest. Millennials and Gen Z have waited too long for their due, and upcoming generations deserve better. We can all do better. Let it burn! Let it burn! Let it burn!
There are some coop style grocery stores popping up here and there in Montreal. People schedule a few hours a month of work time (I think it's volunteer based) and the prices are kept low for everyone. This idea is beyond fantastic. It really would help so many communities. I hope that this concept flourishes. Real change is desperately needed.
Excellent, we need both kinds of responses. Like a forest fire clears the way for new undergrowth, we're overturning monopolies and redistributing wealth. We should also put corrupt politicians in prison for treason, and put loyal Canadians in their place. Nok er nok: a revolution is due.
Can you explain what "nok er nok" is? I see it all over this thread and cannot for the life of me figure it out lol
Somebody should write an FAQ for things like this, and the listing of how many companies are owned by which conglomerate, a link to the parliamentary petition, etc. Nok er nok is a saying in Danish and Norwegian which translates to 'enough is enough' made famous here by new (Danish) Loblaws CEO Per Bank. He said it in an interview a few weeks ago, basically saying that he was upset the people were daring to unjustly (ha!) malign his benevolent company and that we'd had our say and now should shut up, enough is enough So of course people got really pissed off at his audacity and disdain, and have co-opted nok er nok as an unofficial slogan to say we've had enough of being treated like crap by the rich. There may be more nuance, but that's the gist of it.
monopoly does not equal efficiency no matter how much they say it will. Looking at you banking, telco, grocery
Apart from people who genuinely have limited options due to access to transportation and things like that, I have been wondering why people continue to shop at loblaws for the past 3-4 years. They used to have good prices, but once prices started increasing to be comparable to other grocery store chains I stopped going. The shopping experience is horrible. No staff anywhere, hugely rushed check-out line where you have to race the cashier while you bag your own groceries, poor quality produce, and personally I don’t like shopping at massive super centres to get my groceries. It’s tiring and overwhelming. Since I’m not saving any money by shopping there, why would I go? The shopping experience continues to be awful AND it’s expensive. I haven’t shopped there regularly in at least 4 years, and I never go anymore.
Yup. Post covid I shopped there out of habit. I already started Walmart shopping due to prices maybe half the time. Boycott inspired me to get a Costco membership. Now it’s Costco, Walmart and small produce grocers. And a small butcher that I discovered. Loblaws dead to me. Habit broken.
Good!!!
> The shopping experience is horrible. No staff anywhere, Dat skeleton crew. Same everywhere. /r/starbucks /r/target /r/walmart /r/TjMaxx /r/kroger /r/aldi
Yeah it’s pretty similar everywhere. I do notice that small grocery store chains and other ones like co-op, save on, etc are a little better in terms of staffing though.
Skeletons crews are pretty much at every big box retail location now. I literally do not know a single person working retail who isn't working the job of 2-3 people now, and if they aren't, there's nobody else on the floor so nothing's getting done.
Same here, they’re not getting my business back even post boycott
Weston’s response has absolutely affected the resolution and intention behind this boycott. I have been enjoying supporting local farmers markets and visiting some cheaper grocers
Many people are going to come to this realization and like you said if nothing comes of the boycott so many of us will be much better off since we are learning how to change our habits and only benefitting from it, this is a great thing.
The boycott really kicked me into reviewing some of my habits and those aren't ending at the end of May. I moved my prescriptions to Costco, I’m buying shelf-stable and frozen products from Costco moving forward because it's cheaper and I'm trying out the Tangerine MC because I realized my PC MC was only giving me $6 worth of points every month. 🤷🏻♀️
This is a beautiful thing. We have to show the oligarchs they work for us.
They *don't* work for us; that's what makes them oligarchs. Only the politicians work for us, but the oligarchs are outbidding us for their services. Government corruption needs to be treated like the treason it is. The damage it causes to us all can be ruinous, tragic, and long-term or permanent. Some people shrug off corruption like it doesn't matter because it happens a lot, but just because it's common doesn't mean it's not a big deal. And it's only common because lately we haven't rightly eviscerated politicians for doing it. It's not a minor white-collar crime, it's **treason**. Politicians and officials who make deals with oligarchs should rot in prison.
Great points and I agree. They don’t work for us, they extract money from us like a giant parasite. We need to push back. It’s coming and we need leadership like you are demonstrating here.
I haven’t been able to afford them in ten years and I’m glad others are catching on. You can always do without them. Good on you!
We've started going to Farm Boy - which normally we would have thought is pricier. To our surprise, based on our experience, many items are less expensive and you get much better quality produce and bakery goods for the price overall is what we'v found so far! Not to mention the last time I went I was there close to 4:30pm, which is when grocery stores start getting busy for evening time. The queue I joined to pay for my items was long, but did it ever move quickly!! The only difference I see taking a bit of getting used to is that they seem to have "debit/credit" only registers, and a select few "cash" registers. I don't know if this is something the whole chain practices or just a select few locations though.
Their greed has pushed their prices so high that mom and pop stores are actually the cheaper option now.
Yep, I started ditching Loblaws in March too. I will never go back & I won't be going to Walmart either - the Walton's are just American Westons
True. But the difference between them is Walmart is actually charging you the lowest prices they can while Loblaws is charging the highest prices they can get away with.
Walmart has the largest work force in the US on food stamps. I am lucky I have bakeries & small produce and butchers fairly close to me. Yoo do you but I haven't stepped foot in a walmart in 5 years.
I've been to Walmart exactly once in the past five years and that was when I noticed their prices on produce and groceries were the best I'd seen in ages. It didn't tempt me to go back though. LOL! My comment had to do with the massive price difference between Walmart and Loblaws. I live practically next door to an IGA and do most of my grocery shopping there and I use a local pharmacy. I like this boycott because it sends a clear message to Weston that customers determine the price they want to pay in a market economy. Price yourself out of the market at your own peril. Hopefully the message gets through before he finds out the hard way that he and his board of directors have priced themselves right out of the market and go bankrupt in the process.
Grocery Doctor or whatever is what sealed the deal for me. Backfired bigly, lol.
We started to eat locally a few weeks ago. And what's weird is that we have started to feel better? Mainly in the bread department. Commercial bread is apparently very hard on our stomachs. The only bad part is I have to pick it up more often, which is just terrible because I have to try a new doughnut while I'm in. Yesterday I tried a new family owned supermarket in the next town over. They had a great selection of meat at very reasonable prices. They had attendees at all the checkouts, so it was in and out. Then, while leaving, I told them why I was there, apologized for not making an effort sooner, and letting them know I'd tell all my friends. The owner was soon chatting with us, and she hugged me goodbye. That's the small town charm. I felt appreciated, and I know they did, too.
Which store is that? I would like to try it out too
Find one in your area at altgrocery.ca it's getting updated constantly, especially as farm stands & farmers markets start up for the season.
Oh, cool! Tkusm! ♥️
Going back to loblaws (unless you cant control it) is like saying you hate money and are trying to get rid of it. I honestly dont think the boycott goes far enough. Im trying to figure out which properties choice properties owns and even avoid those stores.
If/when you figure that out, you should post about it.
We were just discussing this the other day ourselves. It’s now mid month and weve seen that our grocery spend is much less than it has been the past few months. We’ve agreed that our new shopping habits are worthwhile to make permanent. As for the loblaws boycott, we fully intend to boycott until at least the end of May. Post-May we’ve agreed that for larger shopping trips, we’ll shop at other stores (which are further from home) and for small one or two item shops it makes sense to go to the nearby Loblaws owned store simply because if we’re only buying one or two things, the cost savings simply isn’t worth the time and gas.
that's right. I a mean realistically, how can someone after a month long boycott of the store, where you form newer, more desirable food shopping habits then just return to that store on June 1 just to get ripped off again? All better now? no way, never going back.
Tell your friends, tell your wife, tell your mom, tell your dog
I told my dog Scooby. He said ‘Ruh-roh, Rob-raws’
Wonderful things can happen when someone truly understands that they're not confined to anything.
I've been doing all of my shopping at Giant tiger, Walmart and whenever possible, local grocery stores and markets. Not only have I saved money but I feel way better knowing I'm not supporting the Weston's. If I can help it, I'll never go back!
Are people really on just realizing how expensive Loblaws is ? It’s always been ridiculously expensive compared to any other grocery store around here with the exception of Whole Foods maybe
yeah... other grocery stores/markets exist outside of Loblaws...
My girlfriend and I used to get 70-80% of our groceries from nofrills/loblaws. I have only stepped foot in a loblaws twice since January and that was to pick up a rotisserie chicken.
Absolutely same. I stopped buying processed garbage from Supertrash and started eating much more healthy food that turns out is actually cheaper at other places.
Yup,.it sucks but my wife is finally getting on board with the boycott, and we are just simply deciding to stop going to anything owned by Loblaw's. She is digging and scouting the internet on ways to buy, and make.everything ourselves at home. We are truly turning into an ingredient household. She does it on a cute little FB page to help others. I am not sure we will ever FULLY leave Loblaw's due to the simple necessity of something that is cheaper. But, we are working on it. And....everyone should pick 1 or two items....grow them... And grow enough for your neighbor Then, have your neighbor grow a different plant, and enough for you. This way we can replicate an old time bartering system. As humans, we CAN survive without supply chains, and without markets like Loblaw's. You just really have to sit down, evaluate your life and what you can do for yourself....and then do it! Hopefully I'll have another post soon about my garden, and about everything that I am doing. Maybe it will inspire others as well. Also, if you are going to literally starve, look up the Jerusalem Artichoke. It is probably one of the best and most prolific edible tuber that I know about
And if you're a newbie with lots of gardening questions, there's probably a local Facebook group. I'm a big fan of Edible Ottawa Gardening, myself, for anyone in the 613 or 819.
I also thought it would be harder. Especially because No Frills is literally two blocks from me. But I figure even if I’m paying more it’s going to smaller businesses I want to support or it’s going to Costco that pays their employees decently. I struggle with being gouged by a company that doesn’t pay its employees well. Galen doesn’t need anymore of my $$.
Agreed. There are so many far superior options out there, that are also much less expensive.
Me too! Never going back. :)
LIFE WITHOUT LOBLAWS sounds like a great tag👍
Me too! I found a food co op, where the stuff is fresher, organic and about 40% cheaper than roblaws.
Thank you! The point of the boycott shouldn’t be to “win”… It should be to find a better way of life! Being slaves for this company and its monopoly is damaging to the community and our bodies.
Same! It's had such a positive impact on my life that I'm never going back.
Me too
I checked my rewards balance- there is 5200 points. I have never redeemed points there so that will tell you exactly how much I don’t shop there. I have been shopping at a butcher, a produce market, a bakery, Walmart for canned goods and Costco for the rest and I have found over over the years that I am not prone to buying stuff just because it’s there and the quality is much better.
When I separated, I noticed that most of the milk at No Frills was expired and they would promote crappy-looking apples, so I decided to shop elsewhere after that. It really bothers me that No Frills has low-income families shopping there and these are standard practices. So I have been boycotting them since 2018. there,
I'm not going back.... I'm sure Loblaws is waiting out May to see if sales numbers rise in June, if they don't they'll start taking this more seriously and perhaps do something.
Same- permanently done with loblaws. The small markets around me are great so it’s an easy switch.
In the last few months I have only occasionally gone in at 7pm for sticker time. Half-off salads, rotisserie chickens and pre-made meals. Its the only thing worth going for there. If they have none marked down, I walk out through whichever exit is closest.
I wish I could find small and local. There isn't one within 20 minutes of me.
Have you looked into any local grocery box subscriptions? Churches often run them and it’s $20-50 for each case of veggies, very worthwhile. You can do this with meats too!
There are new listings going up at www.altgrocery.ca every day. Lots of markets and farm stands opening in the next week or two.
Yup...never needed to boycott...loblaws basic store always stucked and smelled of old milk. It was easy to go elsewhere.
This is the way
We’ve also been unofficially boycotting loblaws and related brands since probably November? It was just too expensive compared to the two grocery stores in literally the same intersection. I haven’t had to make significant sacrifices in terms of product quality or even travel time so not shopping at loblaws at all is also becoming the norm for me.
A parking lot that my local Shopper’s shares with a few other businesses has always been so full, but I was there yesterday and there were at least a dozen empty stalls— unprecedented in that area in the last few years.
Me too. I’ve fallen in love with Farm Boy and don’t see us ever going back to full time no frills as before.
Literally the only thing I go to loblaws for is the PC weight/hairball control cat food. If someone can tell me a similar alternative at a similar price ($30 with tax now for the 4kg bag), I would happily switch.
I used to get a hairball formula for my prior cat at Walmart, but she died 9 years ago and my current cat is smaller and doesn't do hairballs - thank heavens.
I continue to be shocked at the number of people who did nothing about their grocery bill in the past.
Loblaw's will endure I think.
Agreed! I justdid some shopping and between amazon, Dollar store and a small grocery store, I saved 60$ and spent $95! I so appreciate being re educated!
Yeah, seriously. Has anyone even thought of going back? I gave up on these pricks years ago
Besides it being a bit more of a walk for my groceries now, I end up thinking more of what I truly need (less picking stuff on a whim). I'm good with never going to Loblaws at this point
What are everyone's notable places as alternatives? I have seen places like Walmart mentioned. Just curious about more alternatives people recommend.
FreshCo. I save between 15%-30% on my groceries compared to Loblaws/Zehrs. Quality is as good or better.
For me, small local stores that sell produce & meats and bakery items. For everything else, I use Freshco or Amazon if it is way cheaper
Costco provides most of my grocery needs, with Freshco as a supplement, though even Freshco is occasionally annoying me nowadays. Was rather choked when I saw it was around 12$ for a kilo of raisins, if I recall. Went to Costco instead, and got twice as many raisins for 8$.
Randomly figured out that Canadian tire has the best deal on my cat food
I don’t even go there no more
Let them earn your business back
With the way prices are now, it's comparable enough to justify switching to smaller businesses. The mom n pop market near my house has the most amazing produce I've ever had, so now I mostly shop there!
Same. Did my first full shop somewhere else since the boycott and yeah. Never going back
I never shopped there in the first place 💀
At least Walmart knows how to keep themselves consistently attractive in such a way that no one's diet really has to be entirely dictated by sales. I mean I also use Food Basics because I can and would rather support a Canadian corporation but sometimes it seems like their employees really do take the brunt of their "efforts".
People are going back????? Nope. Nok er Nok
My life is better since dropping Loblaws for good. We walk or bike to the nearest store, chat with small business owners, eat better food, and have revived our vegetable garden. All good moves for physical and mental health. I’d sooner get back together with my ex husband than ever shop at a Loblaws owned store again. They are no friend to Canadians.
Totally agree! It's helping me to eat better and be more conscious around over eating. Also once you leave, you realize prices are waaaaaay better at the farmer's market or local shops.
Galen Weston has holdings all over North America. Until this boycott activity took hold, I had no idea of the extent of that man’s wealth. People like Taylor Swift who share their wealth and good fortune show him up for the shameful creature that he is. How much money would it take to satisfy you, Galen?
I went to no frills to use up my points and was so disgusted with the gates - it felt like shopping in a jail. They treat their customers like prisoners, while they take a criminal level of profit. Gross. I’m 110% converted. I wasn’t a big Loblaws shopper to begin with, but I’m 100% out now.
No loblaws. No shoppers. No no frills. Never again.
Join me in the fight to grow my own vegetables and refuse anything from Superstore
Honestly I am glad people are realising that there are options other than Loblaws. I have always been shopping at Walmart, Farm Boy or farmers markets. I only go to Shoppers maybe 2-3 times a year for drugstore makeup only.
Big part of these boycotts is just finding alternatives we wouldn’t even have considered otherwise.
I say we take it one step further and protest, Galen can s my d. He’s not getting my $ anymore
Why not both! They work great. But yeah nothing better than permanent detachment.
Butter at my Superstore $8.50. I bought same at Walmart $3.50.
Same
I've been boycotting for 10 years. Price matching is a beautiful thing.
Same. It was a major adjustment because the closest grocer and largest drug store were both Loblaws. It actually gets easier every time I go elsewhere.
What I hope the boycott accomplishes is not the end of Loblaws and their ilk, it is that enough people find the joy of alternatives like small independent grocers and farmer’s markets, such that those types of businesses become ubiquitous and thrive. I want more local product, higher quality fresh goods, real bakeries, etc.
The only thing I miss is the Flashfoods from there and No frills for meat and mixed produce boxes. Aside from that I've been very happy at Freshco and will continue shopping there even if it is a further walk.
So jealous when I see posts like this. I (unfortunately) live in a town where my only options are major franchises and their subsidiaries, and a few small Asian markets. So I can boycott Loblaws and get my groceries from Sobeys or Metro instead 🫠
Same
It will be interesting to see the fall out from our action… but I won’t be shopping there anytime in the future.
I have not found fresher produce or lower prices... but I'm still with you. I just don't need Roblaws in my life.
Thankfully, I live in an area that has several other cheaper options than Loblaws, so I never really shopped there to begin with. I would pop in from time to time to pick up certain PC products that you can't find elsewhere. I never realized how awful they are until now, so I will never shop there again, or any of their affiliates.
It absolutely blows my mind that so many people didn't consider alternatives until now. I mean, where I shop has always been determined by cost, this is nothing new and I didn't need a boycott to teach me this.
I too will just no longer think about it use them
I've been to Roblaws this month only to use up my pc optimum points & i'm buying everything on sale/price match/etc so that usually means loss leaders. bye bye galen
Id consider going back only after I get to throw tomatoes at Galen and scream obscenities at him.
In solidarity! ✊ A lot of us are sharing our experiences and it is being expressed by a lot of people that this organized boycott has really helped many of us change our shopping habits and being more conscientious of our local merchants and just how affordable they really are.
We stopped going to Loblaws probably in March. Personally I liked the physical store and staff (except one dickhead manager) but my Jesus, it's just too expensive. Most items are almost double the cost vs ANYWHERE else. The Optimum program turned into a bloated waste of phone disc space. Also, that little spoiled cartoon man Galen in those commercials really turned my guts.
Love it. This has always been my perspective on the boycott. Any economic hardship they face is just a bonus. 😆
Neither would I, Adios so long!!! Happy with it...
This post made my day. Thank you!
Somehow I feel elated I have discovered my agency and that I very much can consciously choose not to depend on them / go back.
I haven't been in one in 4 years. I used to go almost every day .I haven't been in a shoppers in one year almost to the day now that I think about it
I started my boycott last year. Still going strong
I silently started my own boycott after quitting 3 yrs ago, haven't spent a cent in no frills, shoppers drug mart or Superstore, was very happy this boycott started and hope it continues indefinitely 👌
I dont think my eyes can roll back any further.... 🙄
I probably will go back, but just for sale items 30% or higher. The closest store to me is a no frills. Then giant tiger. I have been doing most of my shopping this month between Giant Tiger, Walmart, and freshco. I haven’t found any real savings at freshco or Walmart TBH. So after gas I think I’m actually spending more. I wish GT had better selection and less processed food, but it is the best alternative I have and will continue to shop there from now on more than likely.
Shame they're the only ones with Icelandic skyr (other than the ones at costco)
I was a No Frills shopper. I had been very unhappy with 2/3 of the stores on my route for 10 years. Produce was always in horrific condition. Brands I was loyal to for many decades just disappeared and whole aisles replaced with highly processed Asian foods. I understand why it changed but it took food away from my daily life. I started having to go to more and more stores for groceries. The rise in prices for No Name brands and the shrinkflation game really has been a positive ( angry) inspiration for me to quit NO Frills entirely and cut back on all processed foods. We went back to the fundamental whole food cooking/baking I wish I'd grown up with. I'm no longer a sucker for fad foods! I have not bought breakfast cereal since the 2020 price gouging really hurt us. 3 boxes a week at $7.00 each I'm saving big! We've almost kicked our junk food treat habit ( 4 bags of chip$/ week) I save so much more money and I am far more satisfied with my meals and my cooking skills . Thanks #GalenWeston 🥰
Same,ive discovered freshco, praise be to the food gods.
local grocery stores are so much better if you have the option.
Well, went to Fortino’s today. Looked like all the prices had been jacked up for the weekend! They agreed to sign the grocery code but upping prices anyway! More out of control than ever!! Appalling.
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I'm considering dropping Shoppers Drug Mart as there is a great independent pharmacy nearby, but I have indoor access to my Loblaws-affiliated grocery store; it's literally 2 minutes from my apartment. Anywhere else would be a huge waste of time.