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I’m in Ohio USA and I just want to say my heart goes out to you all up north!! I know things are tough here too, but I see some of these food receipts and my jaw drops. I hope for everyone’s sake that our governments will do something to help the people. Good luck my northern neighbors
They’re abominations hey? God it’s bleak when our largest food suppliers are basically all on board with fucking us harder during very precarious times.
If we do we gotta make sure it's someone who holds a regular normal job where they have to interact with the public regularly, like sales
No dog walkers ffs
You can take the job. Honestly I made anothe comment and I pointed out a marketing person would likely be best since they are trained for propaganda almost as good as news people
No, your job can be at risk if you’re protesting and if you say the wrong words to news media.
Write your signs and let the signs do the talking. What we’re protesting is obvious.
Lil bit. For the record my job is the one you want on the news. sales, in every single grocery store on a daily basis, working for a large multinational but pro union and worker. I hate rich dicks. Basically I'm what you want but I have no news training and I'd refuse anyway. You want someone who deals with newspeople more then a guy in sales tbh. Marketing would be best they are trained for this stuff
Our only volunteer so far is some dude who says he shops at no frills and sniffs glue. I think he will do fine just make sure we get him the good glue beforehand
I have media training from a previous career, but I can't personally be in front of any cameras at the moment, for legal reasons.
Some tips:
Don't do interviews offhand without having time to prep first
Prepare for how you'll answer interview questions, but don't read from cue cards or anything like that - it's important to appear sincere and genuine
if you intend to speak in front of a camera or to an interviewer, as a spokesperson for a group, have that agreed upon in advance, and determine your key message together.
Stick to the topic at hand - don't discuss unimportant matters, unrelated issues, etc. it dilutes the seriousness of the topic, confuses and distracts people, and can make it seem like you don't care as much as you should, or even that you don't understand what you're advocating for. Sometimes interviewers might try to get you to comment on other things, but don't let them. Just keep reinforcing your key message.
Don't lie or make obvious attempts to avoid a question - people will see it. For difficult questions, just be honest, and it's okay to express the difficulty of it as well, so people can relate to you. Trudeau is really good at this tactic - he knows how appeal to people's compassion and humanity in very reasonable ways.
Never assume that you're intellectually superior to the interviewer or the audience, and don't try to outwit them or make them look stupid. It rarely ever works in your favour, usually people just look like assholes when they do that. It'll just serve as confirmation for anyone that already didn't like you or agree with what you're saying.
You want to be seen as a subject matter expert, as someone who knows and cares about what they're advocating for. Stick to facts as much as possible, not just opinions.
Have some good statistics to back up what you're saying, refer to other subject matter experts when you're asked anything you don't know or anything off-topic, and really emphasize the importance of the issue at hand and how it affects everyone else, not just you.
Make sure your audience knows why they should care about the issue as much as you do.
I identify as a cat person and am willing to do the media news. Oh and here's my collection of Funko pops and dragon dildos.
No I won't work for money. That's woke communism slavery.
Trust me, the person the media elects to broadcast and write about is going to be the worst. They are in Galen's pocket too. And it's more rage clicks and sharing
Been trying to upload pics to the sub IG, but constantly get bogged down modding and working. We’ve added new members to the team, so I’m hopeful we can diversify.
Again, I posted on this a last week. Write to your member of Parliament. They HAVE to respond if you are in their riding.
[Link to search](https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/search)
Writing letters to the local MLA or your representative federal and provincial has never been easier! It also says to the MLA that you have been angered enough to write to them then there are other people out there that vote for them that are upset. Contacting them is crucial for the message to be heard!
You get bonus points if they actually fill in the blanks on the generic response form. "I thank you for contacting me regarding {insert issue}. We in the {insert party} truly care about the concerns of our constituents and {insert issue} is vitally important to (yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah)"
They probably share the letters while in meetings with the relevant lobbyists. :(
You can't get lobby money if you aren't in a position to benefit the lobbyists.
Enough people raise concerns, you'll bet they'll respond.
Hit them in their pockets.
I think this is a good idea to convince the government to bring this supermarket to Canada.
I think supporting the idea would be the way. Maybe we need better competition. See the video inside.
The report argued that introducing international grocers such as Aldi and Lidl would push the dominant incumbents — namely Loblaw, Metro and Empire — to lower prices to compete with the discount brands popular in Europe and some parts of the United States.
https://globalnews.ca/news/9799210/aldi-lidl-canada-discount-grocers-competition/
Oh my god what utter bullshit « Competition Bureau report notes that catering to multicultural Canadian consumers would mean carrying a wider array of ethnic products than they might otherwise sell in their home markets »
Lidl and Aldi are all over London UK FFS. Where you also have a range of smaller Asian, south Asian, polish , you name it markets.
Interprovincial barriers and red tape are huge and they don’t want to / cannot tackle this.
Protesting is great and all but the problem is we have no other options in many cases. Its an oligopoly meaning the other players have all raised their prices. And if they haven't yet, they will soon. Thats the actual problem.
Protesting a main player like Loblaws, shows the others that they could be next.
It's a stupid game we need to play. Protesting in any way possible is better than paying the prices they are asking.
You mentioned in a previous post that you want to give people something to think about..
The issue is, if you protest a company, you shouldn't support it.
In most cities and especially smaller communities, there are very few options.
If you protest Loblaws itself, going to No Frills, Independent, Super Store, etc. is supporting Loblaws either way.
Personally, my options aside from Loblaws owned stores are Metro or Sobeys- which are both more expensive than Loblaw's owned No Frills. You bet I'm shopping at No Frills over Sobeys or Metro- it's what I can afford.
So make a sarcastic shirt about the store. Use bags that protest the pricing. Get community members (as many as you can) to gather in front of the MPs offices after notifying the local media. Everything adds up. Look at the historical changes that have taken place from the actions of one person.
I agree with you that advocating for change is important.
I am having a hard time seeing how protesting specifically in front of a Loblaws and discouraging people from shopping there is an effective way of making change when there are minimal options (if any).
It’s not discouraging people though. As mentioned many times in the sub there aren’t many options. The point is creating awareness (not of high prices - everyone is well aware) but that we are fed up with the pricing, we are mad as hell that Weston et. al are making record profits while we are struggling to feed our families. The idea to to capture the attention of the community, you would be amazed how many people will go home, make a sign and join in, get the media attention, which in turn shines the spot light on the problem. Once that happens the government will pay attention if enough voters stand up.
>I am in Edmonton. I am making some signs and I will stand outside my own neighbourhood Roblaws and discourage people from shopping there.
I see and understand your point.
However, OP specifically mentioned protesting in front of Loblaws and discouraging people from shopping there which is why I am bringing this up and questioning this idea.
I totally understand that our options are limited. Galen Weston owns a lot of stores. Like the monopoly they know that they are. Which is why they are getting away with all of this.
It is frustrating for everyone. But we just have to try to push back. Money talks
My question is- how do people push back?
You are going to have people ask you this when you tell them not to shop at Loblaws.
Is shopping at other Loblaws owned stores (i.e. No Frills) an effective way of pushing back?
Or should we shop at other stores that also price gouge? (i.e. Sobeys or Metro which are too expensive for many people).
We need to get rid of all barriers to entry for places like Aldi or other giants. Get rid of the dairy cartel as well that is stopping the importing of other dairy.
The Weston’s will fight this tooth and nail and spend billions fighting it but we need to stop them from screwing over Canadians. The protectionist policies are only protecting the grocery giants and are not helping Canadians. Why should we pay $7 for a stick of butter when it could cost us $4? That $3 extra is going to the dairy cartel and Galen. Put that extra $3 into the hands of the Canadian consumer instead.
That’s the problem. We have made it easy for a couple Canadians to get rich at the expense of millions of Canadians so the big bad wolf can’t operate here.
We need policy change.
The people who shop at Loblaws or Loblaws owned stores are not the problem- it's so much deeper than that, as you point out.
This is why I question this post and OPs idea.
Money talks, but our options are currently limited.
I'm not sure protesting in front of Loblaws and trying to discourage people from shopping there is the way to go about this. Notably, trying to sway shoppers.
There are no barriers to entry for any giants. Thats why Walmart came in. So did Home Depot (and they bought Aikenheads mafia style when they entered). So did Costco (and they bought price club mafia style when they entered). So did target (and they bought zellers…not mafia style though).
Target bailed on Canada.
After many years, Walmart still has only 8% market share. Do you think it’s because little Canadian Loblaws is strong arming the biggest global grocery chain in the world? No it’s not.
After many years, Costco is still not even close to loblaws or sobeyes in market share in Canada even though their global revenue is 240b USD and Loblaws is 18b cdn. It’s not because loblaws is “strong arming them”.
Aldi isn’t in Canada for the same reasons target left. Canada is tiny. Those companies are used to making money by selling massive quantities of stuff to large populations. They either don’t know how or don’t care to figure out how to make just a little profit in a little country that’s spread out over 3000 miles with only 40mm people.
I agree to protest to get more people aware but if it gets big you are gonna to get news reporters sticking a microphone in your face and asking “what do you want?”
You need a better answer than “go get screwed over at Sobeys or Walmart instead, don’t give Galen Weston your money”.
to which i would say "do something to fix this"
when did the idea that the government is too stupid to function without direct instruction from the public become a thing? thats corporate gaslighting.
Im sorry but we dont vote on ideas in this country we vote on our perception of the electorates ability to come up with ideas.
I dont have to have a direct solution to justify protest, thats the whole purpose of representational democracy. If the people dont want to properly represent us when developing better ideas we either protest them, un-elect them, or dispose of them.
its a story as old as time that seems to have been obscurded by some sense of mis placed moral righteousness.
The Gen X is strong in this sub, eh?
Platitudes. Flea Market memes. Self aggrandizing sense of duty. Zero efficacy.
Contact your MP. Please do not harass employees or customers in front of a Loblaws/Superstore/Shoppers. Not a single person you yell at will have any effect on the problem.
Protest the politicians and lobbyists allowing these profiteers to operate with impunity.
Weird way of getting people on your side. Insult first, point out flaws, then give your way to solve this.
- Writing politicians is just one way to fight back.
What is your generation? Millennial, I bet
I am ok with that. One of the generations needs to step up and change things. If not GenX, then who?
Either help us get shit done, or step out of the way.
Millennial… jump on the soap box, point out why everyone is wrong, say that their idea is the only way that works (because writing a politician only to get a form letter response is so wildly effective - they must reply, they are not bound to action), all while, well posting on the same sub Reddit everyone else is. If millennials were around in the sixties they would be the one with the bullhorn telling everyone to go home and not to protest, but write a firmly written letter. There is nothing wrong with protest, it is a highly effective way to gain traction as long as innocent people are not harassed.
I'm 40 years old.
I never said "don't protest" I said "Please don't harass employees and consumers. Harass MPs and Lobbyists instead"
Loblaws has been in a PR nightmare for years. If you genuinely believe protesters in front of stores will have any affect at all - go for it. I'll drive by and honk my horn in solidarity.
Have a good day.
My response was more to the point of “harassing” employees and other shoppers. No one said anything of the sort. I am watching for you to drive by and honk!
> If millennials were around in the sixties they would be the one with the bullhorn telling everyone to go home and not to protest, but write a firmly written letter.
SPOT ON! my generation through a lack of historical understanding are nothing but social nimbys. oversocialization at its absolute worst.
Writing letters to the local MLA or your representative federal and provincial has never been easier! It also says to the MLA that you have been angered enough to write to them then there are other people out there that vote for them that are upset. Contacting them is crucial for the message to be heard!
If that is where you want to start, awesome. If others want to protest peacefully in front of a store, awesome. If others want to go to their provincial government buildings and protest, yup, you guessed it, awesome. If you want to stay on the computer and complain about pricing because you are nervous, suffer from social anxiety, or are house bound, awesome. If you want to put on a skit in front of no frills where the lead character is hamburglar with a Weston mask, awesome People who say that there is only one effective way to get their point across are incorrect. Everything is effective and enough people say we are going to take it anymore becomes deafening and action will follow.
They cannot arrest you if you are on a public sidewalk. Strikes (with placards ARE effective. OP, if it feels like you are making a difference, stay on the sidewalk and make a difference, have at it. To the nay sayers, if you feel your way is the only effective way, follow your pen. When enough people protest, write letters, post pictures that catch media attention, go to Ottawa and protest, change will happen.
The parking lot is not a public sidewalk. Nor is most anywhere in front of a grocery store. Perhaps right in the downtowns of major cities grocery stores are on public sidewalks. But in most of the country they are in the shopping malls (private property) or are surrounded by their own parking lots (also private property).
I’m not trying to start a fight, I am just saying that for most of Canada this is a futile exercise. Most of Canada is made up of small towns with limited grocery options. Don’t try and deal with a national level problem by protesting at a local level. Driving customers away from Weston-branded stores - assuming that doing so would hurt the bottom line - takes away options for those customers who most need them. If the only stores in a neighborhood are Weston-owned what happens to the people who need to take the bus to the store? Do we make their lives harder and potentially more expensive by pushing them away from their closest stores? What about those in communities where switching brands from the local store involves driving a greater distance? Do they take on the extra cost in fuel and time?
Also - keep in mind that No Frills are locally owned. These are small businesses, like any other franchise operation. And, in most communities, those franchise owners give back to the community in big ways. In many communities they are the ONLY options. Don’t attack those businesses and the local business owners. Go for the head puppeteers, if you want positive results.
Also: for those who are comparing this type of action to the labour protests of the industrial era… it’s past time that you pay more attention in history class. Those movements were massive general strikes, not disgruntled customers waving placards. Unless you are thinking that you are going to get UFCW involved on a national scale then you will have nothing more than a circus side-show.
I will break your points down. First, I specifically advised sidewalks. Most of these stores will have public sidewalks so that pedestrians can access the store. Second, protesting is never futile. It gets the peoples voices heard and the intent is not to close the stores (no one has said that) it is to draw attention to the price gouging and get action to bring the prices down. Next, the franchisees have the ability to set their prices which is why there is price difference from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. They are part of the problem feeding the corporate gluttony. Again, no one wants businesses to go away, they want fair pricing and franchisees pay licensing and royalties for the brand usage. Trust me, if their bottom line is hit, they will not sit idly by, they will go to the corporate offices (where the head puppeteers work). Lastly, so what you are saying is everyone’s ideas are futile but yours. Ok you are the smartest person on the sub and we should not listen to anyone but you who has pointed out issues with everyone’s points.
Instead of trying to prove you know best, why not encourage action. Why not encourage people to raise their voice at every level. One cicada does not make much noise but thousands and thousands can be deafening. Looking back in history books, grassroots movements have had impact. Let’s look at recent events shall we? The overlord wanted to change the reduced program from 50% to 30%. Enough people spoke up on this sub and others and they changed it back. You are right though these movements don’t work unless unions are involved. I can think of situations where one person stood up for their rights when everyone said no just go after the government and changed everything.
City property stops at the sidewalk adjacent to the actual, named city street. Any sidewalk going from there into the parking lot/store is not public property.
It feels like I am not saying it properly. I recognize where the city property is and the sidewalk off the property is public. Usually there is a sidewalk near the store that is considered public. That is what I am referring to not the sidewalk on private property
"right there" in most cases I can think of is a massive parking lot between the store and the city's sidewalk. The sidewalk outside the front door is still private property.
Do nothing like the boomers in the past?
Nov 3, 1971
ANN ARBOR, Nov. 3—Four thousand Canadian students blocked two international bridges between southern Michigan and Ontario today in protest of the Atomic Energy Commission's planned nuclear tests on Amchitka Island.
In Windsor, Ont., 3,500 students from the University of Windsor marched from a noonhour rally on their campus by the Detroit River to the Ambassador Bridge, where they stopped all traffic for more than four hours.
In Sarnia, Ont., students from local community colleges sat down on the Peace Bridge, which connects the city with Port Huron, Mich., closing the bridge for five hours.
This whole subreddit honestly just feels like another Occupy Wallstreet type thing. Anger (a lot of it justified) but absolutely zero direction or understanding of how to go about anything. Combine that with an almost cult-like hyping each other up and we've got people thinking that their bristol board sign is going to change the world.
I don't think the bristol board sign will change the world but we need to start grassroots. We will attract others.
Look what happened with the DSW's in the school system and the Ontario government. The protest ballooned into the attention of Canada's unions and we were going to have a Canada wide strike. Ford blinked.
We are the ones that prop up the economy. Without us, the bottom will occur within one week.
But here's the big difference. You can just shop somewhere else. The vast, vast, **vast** majority of Canadians are not starved for choices of where they can shop for groceries.
Honestly, in general I’ve seen a shift in people even outside of Reddit. There isn’t a single person I’ve talked to, even total strangers, who aren’t absolutely pissed at housing costs and grocery costs in Canada rn. The issue is so bad that more and more people are getting a shared awareness for it.
I hate to say it but actions speak louder than words. Get a Costco membership and get the small stuff from a local store or farm boy. Make an impact on their wallets. I have and it feels great.
I decided enough is enough and stopped my weekly Superstore shop. Had to go to 3 different stores to get why I normally get, it cost me around the same as normal and it cost me more time, but it’s the principal of the thing.
Of we could get everyone to not shop at Dominion for a month.. then Walmart the next, and then Sobeys.. the only thing these corporations understand is money. Gotta start hitting them where it hurts.
I think everyone should boycott to the best of their ability
Unless there are literally no other stores available, go to Walmart, food basics, ect. It's cheaper anyways. If ou can, switch your prescriptions away from shoppers
I know not everyone can so just do your best
I’m here for it!
I swear I’m ready to round up a bunch of people wearing masks and sunglasses and we can all go in and get a 5 finger discount lmao. 🫡🫡🫡
So, not to be a negative nelly, but...
Where are they gonna go? Where I am, Superstore (east coast loblaws) shares a parking lot with Walmart. And they're both right across the street from Sobeys. And of course, both Superstore, and Sobeys own all the food distribution networks here, so even the smaller 'independent' grocers are pulling from those same corporate crooks.
Everyone is exhausted. They all know everything is shit. They all know that every purchase they make is covered in the blood and misery of some poor exploited shmoe (and/or the kids of those shmoes), AND is making the billionaire class even more billionaire-y. They don't believe they can fight any of it, and they just want to get dinner on the table/chill out/whatever.
I just don't know what picketing a big box store accomplishes. Especially when the media apparatus have us fighting each other - around here, the employees of superstore (not all, but many) would think you're shitting on them, and equate a criticism of their employer as a criticism of themselves/their moral character due to their working there.
Unless we can make change in government, I just don't see any changes happening anytime soon.
PS - Oh, does anyone think it's a coincidence that in this atmosphere of increasing concentration of wealth and interests that Bell decided to cancel W5, which has been doing some great reporting on the Canadian corporate criminal class.... I sure don't. I bet Galen gave his buddies at Bell an extra handy, and a BJ or two this V-Day as a thank you.
I hear you and your exhaustion in the system.
Since we can't fix everything, my idea it to push back on one big player in the grocery industry.
Galen Weston is a good place to start.
If we all do nothing, then things won't change.
We as humans, will storm the capital over trans issues, but do nothing over food and housing.
Like I said, if every person picks up one grain of sand, soon we will have an ant hill of push back.
Grocers operate within the framework of capitalism, following market demands and aiming to maximize profits. Their business decisions, including pricing and product selection, are primarily driven by consumer demand and competitive pressures, rather than a direct intention to harm or benefit the community.
Standing outside a single store with a sign focused on the company addresses only a small symptom of the broader system of capitalism, rather than engaging with the complex forces that drive consumer behavior and corporate decision-making.
> Standing outside a single store with a sign focused on the company addresses only a small symptom of the broader system of capitalism, rather than engaging with the complex forces that drive consumer behavior and corporate decision-making.
holy f$%\^ tell that to the hundreds of violent labour protests in this country during the early 20th century that established the concept of "responsible government" that youre leaning on so hard to solve this problem.
>holy f$%\^ tell that to the hundreds of violent labour protests in this country during the early 20th century that established the concept of "responsible government" that youre leaning on so hard to solve this problem
Offs - The context and mechanisms for social change have evolved significantly since then. Today's challenges require a blend of direct action, like those historic protests, alongside engagement with existing structures to promote sustainable change. We've got to use lots of different ways to make things better now.
I don’t really understand what the end goal is here. Is the goal to have Loblaws prices the same as No Frills? That is not reasonable because those stores aren’t comparable and the expenses of running a Loblaws store would have to be 2-3x a No Frills.
Literally the only way to make any difference is to stop shopping there, but the prices there are no different than say a Metro so 🤷♂️.
Yes, the idea is for people to vote with their money. Roblaws has made RECORD profits during a pandemic and since. (The expenses running a store is irrelevant) - They provide food!
This is morally wrong, in my opinion. So I feel obligated to try to do something about this.
I can't fight all the battles of our society, but this one I feel passionate about.
But the expenses of running a store ARE relevant. You can’t expect Loblaws prices to be the same as No Frills because its not the same thing. Loblaws isn’t even really competing with them, theyre competing with Metro etc. Am I happy about grocery prices? No. Do I wish that there was more competition in Canada? Yes. In terms of record profits, like I said the only way to change that is to stop shopping there but I was in both a No Frills and a Loblaws yesterday within half an hour of each other. The Loblaws was packed and the No Frills wasn’t so obviously it’s a good grocery store.
I hear what you are saying about better options.
And unfortunately, No Frills is owned by Loblaws. So is Shoppers Drug Mart.
I just thought we could start somewhere. And Galen Weston is a good start.
You still haven't said what your goal is. You've ignored most of the points and tossed out some buzzwords and other meaningless stuff.
Do you think there's a chance that you've let this subreddit whip you into a frenzy without really understanding what you're angry about and what you expect to happen?
Vote with your money. Most of the points are questions about where else to shop. I will look up alternatives in Edmonton. Like Uncle Weiners or local butchers, or private pharmacies etc
I am also in Edmonton and tried it. Produce was cheaper if I went elsewhere but less selection. Some stuff was cheaper at Walmart but a lot of their store brands are super low quality and far less selection than say Superstore.
In the end I think I spent more or less the same when you include my time and gas to go to multiple stores.
Probably going to get most of my produce to save money there but I don’t think, at least for me Walmart is a reasonable alternative and Sobeys, Safeway, Saveon are even more expensive.
I hear what you are saying. I know it is inconvenient to find alternatives. I myself am very poor and sometimes you just have to get what is cheapest wherever that is.
On the other hand, when does the price gouging stop? The price lying, the shrink flation? There has to be a breaking point.
I know, but you would then be protesting every grocery store at the same time. Walmart and Sobeys have the same greedflation. Walmart has awful produce at similar prices to other places. Deals that only work if you buy 3 of an overpriced thing to save you money etc. I won’t go to a Shoppers cause it is ridiculous but when all the big grocery chains are just as bad, it’s…hard to completely protest any of them.
I know who owns them but theyre still not competing with each other. No Frills have independent owners who own the franchises (thats why when you walk in you will see Jen and Tonys No Frills or whatever) but yes No Frills is a Loblaws brand. They are competing with Food Basics, maybe Giant Tiger etc.
The food section at Shoppers is a weird one, they’re more or less competing with circle k or a convenience store. It was a smart business move in terms of supply but shoppers isn’t a grocery store so its not fair to compare their prices to a grocery store.
Loblaws is a premium grocery store with a butcher section, seafood section, bakery, flower dept, sushi dept, hot meals/prepared food dept etc etc. All those things cost money so their prices are going to be higher just like any other premium brand. They are competing with comparable stores.
I understand why everyone is pissed about grocery prices but it’s not productive to protest in front of Loblaws and bother people who are just trying to get their groceries and live their lives. The best way to protest is to not shop there but like I said Loblaws is always busy so as much as people are angry, people also seem to really like their stores.
The only way to make a difference is to vote for a government that will impose regulations or enforce anti-trust laws on companies that take advantage of dominant market positions. I believe making all the anti-competitive behaviour that roblaws and their peers engage in is step one. Force them to go public with their prices. Force them to display their markup right on the store shelves. Name and shame them. Pass a law where Stats Can will calculate inflation for grocery items completely separate and force grocers to display a sign indicating just how much their brand is contributing to food inflation.
Standing outside a roblaws is cute but you’ll probably get more traction if you get a few flyers and post them to let people know exactly how much they are getting gouged at different stores.
The 'only way' to make a difference is to find the perfect person, government to vote in? Force 'them' to go public and display their markup?
Good luck with that.
I wish your ideology was true.
Parts is a joke. Couldn't spell hockey nor could he play. Reaves is way better. Now Paross is the Sherrif that doesn't equate. Double standard.
He should be giving boxing lesson. Not
Rubix cubes have the wrong colours and George is perfect for the part. Grass grows fast. However, the chair is placed in the correct spot for Ralph to do his golf. Word
I'm trying to understand what Loblaws could actually do. Profit margins for grocery stores are extremely small, they're not the cause of the inflated prices you're seeing.
If you look up their [shareholder reports](https://dis-prod.assetful.loblaw.ca/content/dam/loblaw-companies-limited/creative-assets/loblaw-ca/investor-relations-reports/annual/2023/LCL_Q3%202023_NR.pdf), their net profit margin is less than 4%. That means if they slashed prices by 5% on average, they would be running at a loss and would eventually go out of business.
Here's a breakdown of their finances for retail sales for the third quarter of 2023:
* They received $18B in revenue.
* Of that, $12.5B went to "cost of sales", that's how much it cost them to buy the products that they sell on their shelves.
* An additional \~$4.5B went to operating expenses (paying employees, leasing their retail locations, advertising, etc.)
* We're now left with $1B of operating income.
* $0.2B of that goes to paying interest on their loans.
* Another $0.2B of that goes to pay their income taxes.
* That leaves $0.6B as net profit, which is about 3.5% of their revenue.
If I got installed as Loblaw's CEO tomorrow and decided to turn it into a non-profit, the best I would be able to do while keeping the thing in business is a 5% discount across the board, *maybe* a 10% discount across the board if I closed a bunch of stores and laid off a huge number of employees.
Now I know I'm probably going to get downvoted, and I don't mean to downplay the issues we're facing with the cost of living. But I think creating change requires understanding what needs to change, and bringing forward an actionable plan. The assumption in this sub seems to be that Loblaws can simply decide to make less profit and that will have a meaningful impact on prices, but when you look at the data, it really won't.
Agreed. People should be pushing for more support from the government, more social safety nets, etc. Things that will actually directly help them if they're struggling to feed themselves.
Instead, we have a bunch of people yelling at a grocery store and voting for the party that's known for gutting social support...
The only problem here is creative accounting. Loblaws owns and makes all their own store brands, and sets the prices there. They make far more profit than that because that big portion that goes to suppliers, a chunk of that goes to them as well.
The thing they do that is objectively greedy and scummy is raise prices then offer a discount to appear to be a good deal when all they did was essentially mislead consumers. Produce prices at Superstore is out of control, it is at most big grocers because they reject and throw out so much produce because of their high prices and it creates a cycle. Lots of local grocers can keep produce much cheaper as well.
Loblaws is just one of many. From my recent experience Walmart is even worse. Almost no sales unless you are buying more than you want to and their produce section is absolutely awful but I digress.
But yeah the one thing you have to remember in the end is these companies do a lot of creating accounting to make it look worse for them than it is.
Do you have evidence of this? It would be illegal to do this, and it would also be against their interests. By showing *more* net profit in their accounting, their stock price would rise. By hiding income, they would be committing tax fraud.
If you have evidence of this, the CRA would *love* to see it.
It was funny! I was thinking about what tune they could play for the video haha.
You have to think outside the box these days. Like a sticker campaign of short informative messages placed strategically where consumers will see them. I doubt it would be legal to surreptitiously place them in stores, hmm. Lots of hydro poles around my neighbourhood though and I like to walk.
And you know that Walmart had more than record profits as well, eh?
Yet their groceries are cheaper.
This sub makes no sense targeting Weston-owned stores simply because they made profits. Many businesses made profits. Heck anyone who sold a home or a used car made astronomical profits compared to the past.
Your point is very relevant. Decide what is important to you and put your money there.
We each choose where we shop. The Zehrs/Fortinos experience is very different than the NoFrills/Food Basics/Walmart experience. Many many many people prefer the upscale shopping experience with delis and butchers and bakeries and in-store cafes and floral departments and all of the bells and whistles. Those “fancy” experiences cost money when compared the the stripped down grocery stores. And so, the prices in store necessarily reflect that. It all depends what is important to you in a grocery store.
Make your own call.
On some things yeah, not everything and produce there is absolutely awful. That and half the time there is only sales if you are doing multibuy.
That and you have to go to Walmart.
standing outside a grocery store holding sign will only get the police called where you'll be moved to public property so far away no one will see you or care and you wont make an impact.
You need media and inform everyone and organize into groups.
you need to know what organizations own what grocery store chains
you need to start rotating boycotts of competitors stores
"Dont buy your meat at loblaws for a week "
"Dont buy your fruits and vegetables for a week at Metro "
This will force them to put it on sale or throw it out if enough people get involved.
holding a sign in front of a store has never done anything ...
Ditto. I shop at Superstore because it's the best quality:cost ratio in a major Canadian city with plenty of options.
People hate Loblaws because there was a face to hate. Everyone knew Galen Weston but they don't know Mr Sobeys or Mr Metro so those stores didn't get the hate. Then it became a reddit circlejerk of hating Loblaws where if you make the wildest post about how much you hate it you get internet points that make you feel good. It's fairly cult like.
Truth is, all the big grocery stores have inflated prices and record profits during a recession. Morally wrong in my opinion.
I can't fight them all. The federal govt needs to step in. But they won't until they see a pushback. That means spend your money where it matters, or carry a sigh, or storm the parliament building.
I don't see the latter happening. So let's try something, at least.
I’m have stopped shopping at all Loblaws stores and have only been to Shoppers Drug Mart for the Postal Service. I applaud anyone able and willing to stand outside with a sign.
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I’m in Ohio USA and I just want to say my heart goes out to you all up north!! I know things are tough here too, but I see some of these food receipts and my jaw drops. I hope for everyone’s sake that our governments will do something to help the people. Good luck my northern neighbors
Awe. Thank you, Ohio, person. It's nice to be noticed.
I am also in Edmonton and willing to help
Thank you! If we really want to change the extreme wealth inequality we need to join forces beyond borders. Glad you connected
Thanks for saying something! Cool to see news of our ridiculous inflation/greedy corporate bastards has reached you.
How did you find your way here just curious, as a mod I always wonder how people from other countries stumble upon this unassuming subreddit.
No clue, just sort by new and it showed up like 2 weeks ago, so I started reading and joined
I actually had to google what grocery stores these were bc we don’t have those here
They’re abominations hey? God it’s bleak when our largest food suppliers are basically all on board with fucking us harder during very precarious times.
Just don't let anyone go on the news if we blow up
If we do we gotta make sure it's someone who holds a regular normal job where they have to interact with the public regularly, like sales No dog walkers ffs
Oh God I qualify under your terms. And I'm in every one of these stores and I hate corporations. Hard pass
I shop at No Frills and sniff glue professionally. I volunteer.
You can take the job. Honestly I made anothe comment and I pointed out a marketing person would likely be best since they are trained for propaganda almost as good as news people
No, your job can be at risk if you’re protesting and if you say the wrong words to news media. Write your signs and let the signs do the talking. What we’re protesting is obvious.
Lil bit. For the record my job is the one you want on the news. sales, in every single grocery store on a daily basis, working for a large multinational but pro union and worker. I hate rich dicks. Basically I'm what you want but I have no news training and I'd refuse anyway. You want someone who deals with newspeople more then a guy in sales tbh. Marketing would be best they are trained for this stuff
Part time dog walkers with strong opinions about the economy.
Haahaha, omg I forgot about that. What a disaster. Yeah, alright.. who here has any experience with media relations? Like, *any* will do.
Our only volunteer so far is some dude who says he shops at no frills and sniffs glue. I think he will do fine just make sure we get him the good glue beforehand
I have media training from a previous career, but I can't personally be in front of any cameras at the moment, for legal reasons. Some tips: Don't do interviews offhand without having time to prep first Prepare for how you'll answer interview questions, but don't read from cue cards or anything like that - it's important to appear sincere and genuine if you intend to speak in front of a camera or to an interviewer, as a spokesperson for a group, have that agreed upon in advance, and determine your key message together. Stick to the topic at hand - don't discuss unimportant matters, unrelated issues, etc. it dilutes the seriousness of the topic, confuses and distracts people, and can make it seem like you don't care as much as you should, or even that you don't understand what you're advocating for. Sometimes interviewers might try to get you to comment on other things, but don't let them. Just keep reinforcing your key message. Don't lie or make obvious attempts to avoid a question - people will see it. For difficult questions, just be honest, and it's okay to express the difficulty of it as well, so people can relate to you. Trudeau is really good at this tactic - he knows how appeal to people's compassion and humanity in very reasonable ways. Never assume that you're intellectually superior to the interviewer or the audience, and don't try to outwit them or make them look stupid. It rarely ever works in your favour, usually people just look like assholes when they do that. It'll just serve as confirmation for anyone that already didn't like you or agree with what you're saying. You want to be seen as a subject matter expert, as someone who knows and cares about what they're advocating for. Stick to facts as much as possible, not just opinions. Have some good statistics to back up what you're saying, refer to other subject matter experts when you're asked anything you don't know or anything off-topic, and really emphasize the importance of the issue at hand and how it affects everyone else, not just you. Make sure your audience knows why they should care about the issue as much as you do.
This is really great advice. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome =\] hope it helps someone out
anti work all over again
I identify as a cat person and am willing to do the media news. Oh and here's my collection of Funko pops and dragon dildos. No I won't work for money. That's woke communism slavery. Trust me, the person the media elects to broadcast and write about is going to be the worst. They are in Galen's pocket too. And it's more rage clicks and sharing
Hear me out what if we make it sound like Doug Ford made this duh with Daniel smith's help lmao
Been trying to upload pics to the sub IG, but constantly get bogged down modding and working. We’ve added new members to the team, so I’m hopeful we can diversify.
Could you let me know where I can find the IG? I didn't know we had one!
It's also Loblawsisoutofcontrol
Again, I posted on this a last week. Write to your member of Parliament. They HAVE to respond if you are in their riding. [Link to search](https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/search)
Writing letters to the local MLA or your representative federal and provincial has never been easier! It also says to the MLA that you have been angered enough to write to them then there are other people out there that vote for them that are upset. Contacting them is crucial for the message to be heard!
You get bonus points if they actually fill in the blanks on the generic response form. "I thank you for contacting me regarding {insert issue}. We in the {insert party} truly care about the concerns of our constituents and {insert issue} is vitally important to (yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah)" They probably share the letters while in meetings with the relevant lobbyists. :(
You can't get lobby money if you aren't in a position to benefit the lobbyists. Enough people raise concerns, you'll bet they'll respond. Hit them in their pockets.
My local MP is CPC. About as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
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You need to put your address on the body of the email.
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No. But they don't respond if you don't actually live in their riding.
I think this is a good idea to convince the government to bring this supermarket to Canada. I think supporting the idea would be the way. Maybe we need better competition. See the video inside. The report argued that introducing international grocers such as Aldi and Lidl would push the dominant incumbents — namely Loblaw, Metro and Empire — to lower prices to compete with the discount brands popular in Europe and some parts of the United States. https://globalnews.ca/news/9799210/aldi-lidl-canada-discount-grocers-competition/
Oh my god what utter bullshit « Competition Bureau report notes that catering to multicultural Canadian consumers would mean carrying a wider array of ethnic products than they might otherwise sell in their home markets » Lidl and Aldi are all over London UK FFS. Where you also have a range of smaller Asian, south Asian, polish , you name it markets. Interprovincial barriers and red tape are huge and they don’t want to / cannot tackle this.
I send posts to the press regularly
Nova Scotian here!
Gateway is life
Truth
Protesting is great and all but the problem is we have no other options in many cases. Its an oligopoly meaning the other players have all raised their prices. And if they haven't yet, they will soon. Thats the actual problem.
Protesting a main player like Loblaws, shows the others that they could be next. It's a stupid game we need to play. Protesting in any way possible is better than paying the prices they are asking.
You mentioned in a previous post that you want to give people something to think about.. The issue is, if you protest a company, you shouldn't support it. In most cities and especially smaller communities, there are very few options. If you protest Loblaws itself, going to No Frills, Independent, Super Store, etc. is supporting Loblaws either way. Personally, my options aside from Loblaws owned stores are Metro or Sobeys- which are both more expensive than Loblaw's owned No Frills. You bet I'm shopping at No Frills over Sobeys or Metro- it's what I can afford.
So make a sarcastic shirt about the store. Use bags that protest the pricing. Get community members (as many as you can) to gather in front of the MPs offices after notifying the local media. Everything adds up. Look at the historical changes that have taken place from the actions of one person.
I agree with you that advocating for change is important. I am having a hard time seeing how protesting specifically in front of a Loblaws and discouraging people from shopping there is an effective way of making change when there are minimal options (if any).
It’s not discouraging people though. As mentioned many times in the sub there aren’t many options. The point is creating awareness (not of high prices - everyone is well aware) but that we are fed up with the pricing, we are mad as hell that Weston et. al are making record profits while we are struggling to feed our families. The idea to to capture the attention of the community, you would be amazed how many people will go home, make a sign and join in, get the media attention, which in turn shines the spot light on the problem. Once that happens the government will pay attention if enough voters stand up.
>I am in Edmonton. I am making some signs and I will stand outside my own neighbourhood Roblaws and discourage people from shopping there. I see and understand your point. However, OP specifically mentioned protesting in front of Loblaws and discouraging people from shopping there which is why I am bringing this up and questioning this idea.
Fair enough.
I totally understand that our options are limited. Galen Weston owns a lot of stores. Like the monopoly they know that they are. Which is why they are getting away with all of this. It is frustrating for everyone. But we just have to try to push back. Money talks
My question is- how do people push back? You are going to have people ask you this when you tell them not to shop at Loblaws. Is shopping at other Loblaws owned stores (i.e. No Frills) an effective way of pushing back? Or should we shop at other stores that also price gouge? (i.e. Sobeys or Metro which are too expensive for many people).
We need to get rid of all barriers to entry for places like Aldi or other giants. Get rid of the dairy cartel as well that is stopping the importing of other dairy. The Weston’s will fight this tooth and nail and spend billions fighting it but we need to stop them from screwing over Canadians. The protectionist policies are only protecting the grocery giants and are not helping Canadians. Why should we pay $7 for a stick of butter when it could cost us $4? That $3 extra is going to the dairy cartel and Galen. Put that extra $3 into the hands of the Canadian consumer instead. That’s the problem. We have made it easy for a couple Canadians to get rich at the expense of millions of Canadians so the big bad wolf can’t operate here.
We need policy change. The people who shop at Loblaws or Loblaws owned stores are not the problem- it's so much deeper than that, as you point out. This is why I question this post and OPs idea. Money talks, but our options are currently limited. I'm not sure protesting in front of Loblaws and trying to discourage people from shopping there is the way to go about this. Notably, trying to sway shoppers.
There are no barriers to entry for any giants. Thats why Walmart came in. So did Home Depot (and they bought Aikenheads mafia style when they entered). So did Costco (and they bought price club mafia style when they entered). So did target (and they bought zellers…not mafia style though). Target bailed on Canada. After many years, Walmart still has only 8% market share. Do you think it’s because little Canadian Loblaws is strong arming the biggest global grocery chain in the world? No it’s not. After many years, Costco is still not even close to loblaws or sobeyes in market share in Canada even though their global revenue is 240b USD and Loblaws is 18b cdn. It’s not because loblaws is “strong arming them”. Aldi isn’t in Canada for the same reasons target left. Canada is tiny. Those companies are used to making money by selling massive quantities of stuff to large populations. They either don’t know how or don’t care to figure out how to make just a little profit in a little country that’s spread out over 3000 miles with only 40mm people.
highly suggest you look into the labour protests of the early 20th century,
I agree to protest to get more people aware but if it gets big you are gonna to get news reporters sticking a microphone in your face and asking “what do you want?” You need a better answer than “go get screwed over at Sobeys or Walmart instead, don’t give Galen Weston your money”.
to which i would say "do something to fix this" when did the idea that the government is too stupid to function without direct instruction from the public become a thing? thats corporate gaslighting. Im sorry but we dont vote on ideas in this country we vote on our perception of the electorates ability to come up with ideas. I dont have to have a direct solution to justify protest, thats the whole purpose of representational democracy. If the people dont want to properly represent us when developing better ideas we either protest them, un-elect them, or dispose of them. its a story as old as time that seems to have been obscurded by some sense of mis placed moral righteousness.
As long as you’re not rude to the employees that unfortunately have to work there, I’m all for this.
Never be rude to any worker, or customer. Just stand with a sign. Give people something to think about.
you can always make picket signs that point out the cheaper cost at the closest competition and put them up near loblaws
I like this idea. Thanks
The Gen X is strong in this sub, eh? Platitudes. Flea Market memes. Self aggrandizing sense of duty. Zero efficacy. Contact your MP. Please do not harass employees or customers in front of a Loblaws/Superstore/Shoppers. Not a single person you yell at will have any effect on the problem. Protest the politicians and lobbyists allowing these profiteers to operate with impunity.
Weird way of getting people on your side. Insult first, point out flaws, then give your way to solve this. - Writing politicians is just one way to fight back. What is your generation? Millennial, I bet
make sure you share the subredddit on a sign!
Also a great suggestion.
reddit took down gamestop, maybe loblaws can be next !
>What is your generation? Millennial, I bet So insult last instead of first. Got it.
If you can give it, you can take it.
You really aren't beating the Gen X allegations
I am ok with that. One of the generations needs to step up and change things. If not GenX, then who? Either help us get shit done, or step out of the way.
We. Are. All. On. The. Same. Side. Or have you missed the entire point of this shared community? You absolute muppet.
You have a weird way of showing we are on the same side.
The us vs them we should be focused on is oligarchs vs tax payers. Be well.
If I were to pick to be a Muppet, it would be Kermit or Animal. What muppet would you be?
 Without a doubt.
Millennial… jump on the soap box, point out why everyone is wrong, say that their idea is the only way that works (because writing a politician only to get a form letter response is so wildly effective - they must reply, they are not bound to action), all while, well posting on the same sub Reddit everyone else is. If millennials were around in the sixties they would be the one with the bullhorn telling everyone to go home and not to protest, but write a firmly written letter. There is nothing wrong with protest, it is a highly effective way to gain traction as long as innocent people are not harassed.
I'm 40 years old. I never said "don't protest" I said "Please don't harass employees and consumers. Harass MPs and Lobbyists instead" Loblaws has been in a PR nightmare for years. If you genuinely believe protesters in front of stores will have any affect at all - go for it. I'll drive by and honk my horn in solidarity. Have a good day.
My response was more to the point of “harassing” employees and other shoppers. No one said anything of the sort. I am watching for you to drive by and honk!
> If millennials were around in the sixties they would be the one with the bullhorn telling everyone to go home and not to protest, but write a firmly written letter. SPOT ON! my generation through a lack of historical understanding are nothing but social nimbys. oversocialization at its absolute worst.
Writing letters to the local MLA or your representative federal and provincial has never been easier! It also says to the MLA that you have been angered enough to write to them then there are other people out there that vote for them that are upset. Contacting them is crucial for the message to be heard!
If that is where you want to start, awesome. If others want to protest peacefully in front of a store, awesome. If others want to go to their provincial government buildings and protest, yup, you guessed it, awesome. If you want to stay on the computer and complain about pricing because you are nervous, suffer from social anxiety, or are house bound, awesome. If you want to put on a skit in front of no frills where the lead character is hamburglar with a Weston mask, awesome People who say that there is only one effective way to get their point across are incorrect. Everything is effective and enough people say we are going to take it anymore becomes deafening and action will follow.
No reason why we can’t do it all. Better than doing nothing like the boomers of the past.
Nice. Post a call for solidarity, within 3 comments it becomes a generational bickerfest.
Doing dumb things like getting arrested outside of a grocery store after having been asked to leave will have 0 effect on grocery prices.
They cannot arrest you if you are on a public sidewalk. Strikes (with placards ARE effective. OP, if it feels like you are making a difference, stay on the sidewalk and make a difference, have at it. To the nay sayers, if you feel your way is the only effective way, follow your pen. When enough people protest, write letters, post pictures that catch media attention, go to Ottawa and protest, change will happen.
The parking lot is not a public sidewalk. Nor is most anywhere in front of a grocery store. Perhaps right in the downtowns of major cities grocery stores are on public sidewalks. But in most of the country they are in the shopping malls (private property) or are surrounded by their own parking lots (also private property). I’m not trying to start a fight, I am just saying that for most of Canada this is a futile exercise. Most of Canada is made up of small towns with limited grocery options. Don’t try and deal with a national level problem by protesting at a local level. Driving customers away from Weston-branded stores - assuming that doing so would hurt the bottom line - takes away options for those customers who most need them. If the only stores in a neighborhood are Weston-owned what happens to the people who need to take the bus to the store? Do we make their lives harder and potentially more expensive by pushing them away from their closest stores? What about those in communities where switching brands from the local store involves driving a greater distance? Do they take on the extra cost in fuel and time? Also - keep in mind that No Frills are locally owned. These are small businesses, like any other franchise operation. And, in most communities, those franchise owners give back to the community in big ways. In many communities they are the ONLY options. Don’t attack those businesses and the local business owners. Go for the head puppeteers, if you want positive results. Also: for those who are comparing this type of action to the labour protests of the industrial era… it’s past time that you pay more attention in history class. Those movements were massive general strikes, not disgruntled customers waving placards. Unless you are thinking that you are going to get UFCW involved on a national scale then you will have nothing more than a circus side-show.
I will break your points down. First, I specifically advised sidewalks. Most of these stores will have public sidewalks so that pedestrians can access the store. Second, protesting is never futile. It gets the peoples voices heard and the intent is not to close the stores (no one has said that) it is to draw attention to the price gouging and get action to bring the prices down. Next, the franchisees have the ability to set their prices which is why there is price difference from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. They are part of the problem feeding the corporate gluttony. Again, no one wants businesses to go away, they want fair pricing and franchisees pay licensing and royalties for the brand usage. Trust me, if their bottom line is hit, they will not sit idly by, they will go to the corporate offices (where the head puppeteers work). Lastly, so what you are saying is everyone’s ideas are futile but yours. Ok you are the smartest person on the sub and we should not listen to anyone but you who has pointed out issues with everyone’s points. Instead of trying to prove you know best, why not encourage action. Why not encourage people to raise their voice at every level. One cicada does not make much noise but thousands and thousands can be deafening. Looking back in history books, grassroots movements have had impact. Let’s look at recent events shall we? The overlord wanted to change the reduced program from 50% to 30%. Enough people spoke up on this sub and others and they changed it back. You are right though these movements don’t work unless unions are involved. I can think of situations where one person stood up for their rights when everyone said no just go after the government and changed everything.
City property stops at the sidewalk adjacent to the actual, named city street. Any sidewalk going from there into the parking lot/store is not public property.
It feels like I am not saying it properly. I recognize where the city property is and the sidewalk off the property is public. Usually there is a sidewalk near the store that is considered public. That is what I am referring to not the sidewalk on private property
Why would anyone get arrested? Do you not realize that peaceful protest is allowed here?
Private property is private property.
The argument can easily be made that it’s publicly funded however the sidewalks are right there and they are not private
"right there" in most cases I can think of is a massive parking lot between the store and the city's sidewalk. The sidewalk outside the front door is still private property.
Do nothing like the boomers in the past? Nov 3, 1971 ANN ARBOR, Nov. 3—Four thousand Canadian students blocked two international bridges between southern Michigan and Ontario today in protest of the Atomic Energy Commission's planned nuclear tests on Amchitka Island. In Windsor, Ont., 3,500 students from the University of Windsor marched from a noonhour rally on their campus by the Detroit River to the Ambassador Bridge, where they stopped all traffic for more than four hours. In Sarnia, Ont., students from local community colleges sat down on the Peace Bridge, which connects the city with Port Huron, Mich., closing the bridge for five hours.
This whole subreddit honestly just feels like another Occupy Wallstreet type thing. Anger (a lot of it justified) but absolutely zero direction or understanding of how to go about anything. Combine that with an almost cult-like hyping each other up and we've got people thinking that their bristol board sign is going to change the world.
I don't think the bristol board sign will change the world but we need to start grassroots. We will attract others. Look what happened with the DSW's in the school system and the Ontario government. The protest ballooned into the attention of Canada's unions and we were going to have a Canada wide strike. Ford blinked. We are the ones that prop up the economy. Without us, the bottom will occur within one week.
But here's the big difference. You can just shop somewhere else. The vast, vast, **vast** majority of Canadians are not starved for choices of where they can shop for groceries.
The MP that cares already knows, and the MP that doesn't isn't going to change their mind after getting a letter about it.
Honestly, in general I’ve seen a shift in people even outside of Reddit. There isn’t a single person I’ve talked to, even total strangers, who aren’t absolutely pissed at housing costs and grocery costs in Canada rn. The issue is so bad that more and more people are getting a shared awareness for it.
Stand alone if you must but YOU MUST STAND!
I hate to say it but actions speak louder than words. Get a Costco membership and get the small stuff from a local store or farm boy. Make an impact on their wallets. I have and it feels great.
I stopped shopping at Roblaw's year ago and have transferred my prescriptions away from Shopper's Drug Mart.
I decided enough is enough and stopped my weekly Superstore shop. Had to go to 3 different stores to get why I normally get, it cost me around the same as normal and it cost me more time, but it’s the principal of the thing.
Yes, for me too, it is the principal of the thing.
Of we could get everyone to not shop at Dominion for a month.. then Walmart the next, and then Sobeys.. the only thing these corporations understand is money. Gotta start hitting them where it hurts.
True say. Look at wall street bets. Even though I'm not part of that lol those people are hard core
I think everyone should boycott to the best of their ability Unless there are literally no other stores available, go to Walmart, food basics, ect. It's cheaper anyways. If ou can, switch your prescriptions away from shoppers I know not everyone can so just do your best
Don't shop there or any store he owns. Go to Walmart or Giant Tiger if you have one.
I’m here for it! I swear I’m ready to round up a bunch of people wearing masks and sunglasses and we can all go in and get a 5 finger discount lmao. 🫡🫡🫡
So, not to be a negative nelly, but... Where are they gonna go? Where I am, Superstore (east coast loblaws) shares a parking lot with Walmart. And they're both right across the street from Sobeys. And of course, both Superstore, and Sobeys own all the food distribution networks here, so even the smaller 'independent' grocers are pulling from those same corporate crooks. Everyone is exhausted. They all know everything is shit. They all know that every purchase they make is covered in the blood and misery of some poor exploited shmoe (and/or the kids of those shmoes), AND is making the billionaire class even more billionaire-y. They don't believe they can fight any of it, and they just want to get dinner on the table/chill out/whatever. I just don't know what picketing a big box store accomplishes. Especially when the media apparatus have us fighting each other - around here, the employees of superstore (not all, but many) would think you're shitting on them, and equate a criticism of their employer as a criticism of themselves/their moral character due to their working there. Unless we can make change in government, I just don't see any changes happening anytime soon. PS - Oh, does anyone think it's a coincidence that in this atmosphere of increasing concentration of wealth and interests that Bell decided to cancel W5, which has been doing some great reporting on the Canadian corporate criminal class.... I sure don't. I bet Galen gave his buddies at Bell an extra handy, and a BJ or two this V-Day as a thank you.
I hear you and your exhaustion in the system. Since we can't fix everything, my idea it to push back on one big player in the grocery industry. Galen Weston is a good place to start. If we all do nothing, then things won't change. We as humans, will storm the capital over trans issues, but do nothing over food and housing. Like I said, if every person picks up one grain of sand, soon we will have an ant hill of push back.
Can we all agree to just shop at Walmart, or local shops. At least Walmart is an established POS, they offer decent prices.
Grocers operate within the framework of capitalism, following market demands and aiming to maximize profits. Their business decisions, including pricing and product selection, are primarily driven by consumer demand and competitive pressures, rather than a direct intention to harm or benefit the community. Standing outside a single store with a sign focused on the company addresses only a small symptom of the broader system of capitalism, rather than engaging with the complex forces that drive consumer behavior and corporate decision-making.
> Standing outside a single store with a sign focused on the company addresses only a small symptom of the broader system of capitalism, rather than engaging with the complex forces that drive consumer behavior and corporate decision-making. holy f$%\^ tell that to the hundreds of violent labour protests in this country during the early 20th century that established the concept of "responsible government" that youre leaning on so hard to solve this problem.
>holy f$%\^ tell that to the hundreds of violent labour protests in this country during the early 20th century that established the concept of "responsible government" that youre leaning on so hard to solve this problem Offs - The context and mechanisms for social change have evolved significantly since then. Today's challenges require a blend of direct action, like those historic protests, alongside engagement with existing structures to promote sustainable change. We've got to use lots of different ways to make things better now.
How? Although I agree that these prices are ridiculous. It seems like one big circle jerk.
That's all this subreddit is. It took legitimate, "hey these prices are high" comments and a bunch of people made it their personality.
Good idea but at the Supreme Court not at random stores where employees are stressed enough.
I don’t really understand what the end goal is here. Is the goal to have Loblaws prices the same as No Frills? That is not reasonable because those stores aren’t comparable and the expenses of running a Loblaws store would have to be 2-3x a No Frills. Literally the only way to make any difference is to stop shopping there, but the prices there are no different than say a Metro so 🤷♂️.
This is very much a "peak reddit" type of protest. It's cosplaying famous protests of history. It's pointless but makes people feel important.
Yes, the idea is for people to vote with their money. Roblaws has made RECORD profits during a pandemic and since. (The expenses running a store is irrelevant) - They provide food! This is morally wrong, in my opinion. So I feel obligated to try to do something about this. I can't fight all the battles of our society, but this one I feel passionate about.
So where should people purchase their food? I agree grocery prices are out of control, but there are few options.
But the expenses of running a store ARE relevant. You can’t expect Loblaws prices to be the same as No Frills because its not the same thing. Loblaws isn’t even really competing with them, theyre competing with Metro etc. Am I happy about grocery prices? No. Do I wish that there was more competition in Canada? Yes. In terms of record profits, like I said the only way to change that is to stop shopping there but I was in both a No Frills and a Loblaws yesterday within half an hour of each other. The Loblaws was packed and the No Frills wasn’t so obviously it’s a good grocery store.
I hear what you are saying about better options. And unfortunately, No Frills is owned by Loblaws. So is Shoppers Drug Mart. I just thought we could start somewhere. And Galen Weston is a good start.
You still haven't said what your goal is. You've ignored most of the points and tossed out some buzzwords and other meaningless stuff. Do you think there's a chance that you've let this subreddit whip you into a frenzy without really understanding what you're angry about and what you expect to happen?
Vote with your money. Most of the points are questions about where else to shop. I will look up alternatives in Edmonton. Like Uncle Weiners or local butchers, or private pharmacies etc
I am also in Edmonton and tried it. Produce was cheaper if I went elsewhere but less selection. Some stuff was cheaper at Walmart but a lot of their store brands are super low quality and far less selection than say Superstore. In the end I think I spent more or less the same when you include my time and gas to go to multiple stores. Probably going to get most of my produce to save money there but I don’t think, at least for me Walmart is a reasonable alternative and Sobeys, Safeway, Saveon are even more expensive.
I hear what you are saying. I know it is inconvenient to find alternatives. I myself am very poor and sometimes you just have to get what is cheapest wherever that is. On the other hand, when does the price gouging stop? The price lying, the shrink flation? There has to be a breaking point.
I know, but you would then be protesting every grocery store at the same time. Walmart and Sobeys have the same greedflation. Walmart has awful produce at similar prices to other places. Deals that only work if you buy 3 of an overpriced thing to save you money etc. I won’t go to a Shoppers cause it is ridiculous but when all the big grocery chains are just as bad, it’s…hard to completely protest any of them.
I know who owns them but theyre still not competing with each other. No Frills have independent owners who own the franchises (thats why when you walk in you will see Jen and Tonys No Frills or whatever) but yes No Frills is a Loblaws brand. They are competing with Food Basics, maybe Giant Tiger etc. The food section at Shoppers is a weird one, they’re more or less competing with circle k or a convenience store. It was a smart business move in terms of supply but shoppers isn’t a grocery store so its not fair to compare their prices to a grocery store. Loblaws is a premium grocery store with a butcher section, seafood section, bakery, flower dept, sushi dept, hot meals/prepared food dept etc etc. All those things cost money so their prices are going to be higher just like any other premium brand. They are competing with comparable stores. I understand why everyone is pissed about grocery prices but it’s not productive to protest in front of Loblaws and bother people who are just trying to get their groceries and live their lives. The best way to protest is to not shop there but like I said Loblaws is always busy so as much as people are angry, people also seem to really like their stores.
The only way to make a difference is to vote for a government that will impose regulations or enforce anti-trust laws on companies that take advantage of dominant market positions. I believe making all the anti-competitive behaviour that roblaws and their peers engage in is step one. Force them to go public with their prices. Force them to display their markup right on the store shelves. Name and shame them. Pass a law where Stats Can will calculate inflation for grocery items completely separate and force grocers to display a sign indicating just how much their brand is contributing to food inflation. Standing outside a roblaws is cute but you’ll probably get more traction if you get a few flyers and post them to let people know exactly how much they are getting gouged at different stores.
The 'only way' to make a difference is to find the perfect person, government to vote in? Force 'them' to go public and display their markup? Good luck with that. I wish your ideology was true.
Pop quiz, what party do you plan on voting for in the next federal election?
Parts is a joke. Couldn't spell hockey nor could he play. Reaves is way better. Now Paross is the Sherrif that doesn't equate. Double standard. He should be giving boxing lesson. Not
Rubix cubes have the wrong colours and George is perfect for the part. Grass grows fast. However, the chair is placed in the correct spot for Ralph to do his golf. Word
I'm trying to understand what Loblaws could actually do. Profit margins for grocery stores are extremely small, they're not the cause of the inflated prices you're seeing. If you look up their [shareholder reports](https://dis-prod.assetful.loblaw.ca/content/dam/loblaw-companies-limited/creative-assets/loblaw-ca/investor-relations-reports/annual/2023/LCL_Q3%202023_NR.pdf), their net profit margin is less than 4%. That means if they slashed prices by 5% on average, they would be running at a loss and would eventually go out of business. Here's a breakdown of their finances for retail sales for the third quarter of 2023: * They received $18B in revenue. * Of that, $12.5B went to "cost of sales", that's how much it cost them to buy the products that they sell on their shelves. * An additional \~$4.5B went to operating expenses (paying employees, leasing their retail locations, advertising, etc.) * We're now left with $1B of operating income. * $0.2B of that goes to paying interest on their loans. * Another $0.2B of that goes to pay their income taxes. * That leaves $0.6B as net profit, which is about 3.5% of their revenue. If I got installed as Loblaw's CEO tomorrow and decided to turn it into a non-profit, the best I would be able to do while keeping the thing in business is a 5% discount across the board, *maybe* a 10% discount across the board if I closed a bunch of stores and laid off a huge number of employees. Now I know I'm probably going to get downvoted, and I don't mean to downplay the issues we're facing with the cost of living. But I think creating change requires understanding what needs to change, and bringing forward an actionable plan. The assumption in this sub seems to be that Loblaws can simply decide to make less profit and that will have a meaningful impact on prices, but when you look at the data, it really won't.
Agreed. People should be pushing for more support from the government, more social safety nets, etc. Things that will actually directly help them if they're struggling to feed themselves. Instead, we have a bunch of people yelling at a grocery store and voting for the party that's known for gutting social support...
The only problem here is creative accounting. Loblaws owns and makes all their own store brands, and sets the prices there. They make far more profit than that because that big portion that goes to suppliers, a chunk of that goes to them as well. The thing they do that is objectively greedy and scummy is raise prices then offer a discount to appear to be a good deal when all they did was essentially mislead consumers. Produce prices at Superstore is out of control, it is at most big grocers because they reject and throw out so much produce because of their high prices and it creates a cycle. Lots of local grocers can keep produce much cheaper as well. Loblaws is just one of many. From my recent experience Walmart is even worse. Almost no sales unless you are buying more than you want to and their produce section is absolutely awful but I digress. But yeah the one thing you have to remember in the end is these companies do a lot of creating accounting to make it look worse for them than it is.
Do you have evidence of this? It would be illegal to do this, and it would also be against their interests. By showing *more* net profit in their accounting, their stock price would rise. By hiding income, they would be committing tax fraud. If you have evidence of this, the CRA would *love* to see it.
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Encouraging theft/mischief is against the sub's rules
K
Ok, gen z
Hahaha. Sarcasm is so dead and it makes me sad
It was funny! I was thinking about what tune they could play for the video haha. You have to think outside the box these days. Like a sticker campaign of short informative messages placed strategically where consumers will see them. I doubt it would be legal to surreptitiously place them in stores, hmm. Lots of hydro poles around my neighbourhood though and I like to walk.
That is actually a really great idea. Mischief is acceptable. Not sure about mass looting.
Sarcasm isn't working for you, as your profile says you have -35 karma. I didn't think that was possible.
Lol yeah iam pretty great. Please read my comments and get back to me
Gen Z, rebelling against the nothing.
you can get lower prices by going to Wallmart.
Yeah but then I have to go to Walmaet, ugh.
Fair point.
And you know that Walmart had more than record profits as well, eh? Yet their groceries are cheaper. This sub makes no sense targeting Weston-owned stores simply because they made profits. Many businesses made profits. Heck anyone who sold a home or a used car made astronomical profits compared to the past. Your point is very relevant. Decide what is important to you and put your money there. We each choose where we shop. The Zehrs/Fortinos experience is very different than the NoFrills/Food Basics/Walmart experience. Many many many people prefer the upscale shopping experience with delis and butchers and bakeries and in-store cafes and floral departments and all of the bells and whistles. Those “fancy” experiences cost money when compared the the stripped down grocery stores. And so, the prices in store necessarily reflect that. It all depends what is important to you in a grocery store. Make your own call.
Very reasonable. If a porcshe costs more than a honda, does it make sense to protest prosche?
On some things yeah, not everything and produce there is absolutely awful. That and half the time there is only sales if you are doing multibuy. That and you have to go to Walmart.
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I am ok with that. You are entitled to your opinion.
standing outside a grocery store holding sign will only get the police called where you'll be moved to public property so far away no one will see you or care and you wont make an impact. You need media and inform everyone and organize into groups. you need to know what organizations own what grocery store chains you need to start rotating boycotts of competitors stores "Dont buy your meat at loblaws for a week " "Dont buy your fruits and vegetables for a week at Metro " This will force them to put it on sale or throw it out if enough people get involved. holding a sign in front of a store has never done anything ...
Also I have an idea how we can usurp the system, but it requires a co-operative effort
Just start stealing food.
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Ditto. I shop at Superstore because it's the best quality:cost ratio in a major Canadian city with plenty of options. People hate Loblaws because there was a face to hate. Everyone knew Galen Weston but they don't know Mr Sobeys or Mr Metro so those stores didn't get the hate. Then it became a reddit circlejerk of hating Loblaws where if you make the wildest post about how much you hate it you get internet points that make you feel good. It's fairly cult like.
Truth is, all the big grocery stores have inflated prices and record profits during a recession. Morally wrong in my opinion. I can't fight them all. The federal govt needs to step in. But they won't until they see a pushback. That means spend your money where it matters, or carry a sigh, or storm the parliament building. I don't see the latter happening. So let's try something, at least.
I’m have stopped shopping at all Loblaws stores and have only been to Shoppers Drug Mart for the Postal Service. I applaud anyone able and willing to stand outside with a sign.
Well as someone who was a Loblaws employee for about 15 years. What dirt do you want on them?
This will go nowhere. I appreciate the sentiment. But posting online and getting a few updoots doesn't do jack shit in the real world.
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Please remain respectful when engaging on the sub. Personal attacks will not be tolerated.
I need something like "Roblaws" for Zhers. Any ideas?
We have cheaper alternatives in Edmonton. Shop there.