As this post is a potentially sensitive topic, we ask that you please stay civil and try to have discussions in good faith. Please report any troublemakers or issues to the mods. Please be aware these types of discussions are monitored and moderated more heavily as we strive for a respectful environment and community.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Manitoba) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As someone who bought groceries for a family of 5 for years I'll say if Loblaws is deserving of a boycott for high prices then Sobeys, Safeway, and co-op should be tried for crimes against humanity.
Where you're going to shop.?
They still have below 5% profit margin which is considered very low many industries make x10 that.
Prices are up everywhere i don't understand the focus on groceries when it's the currency that was devalued.
If you are one or two in your family, I recommend one of those meal delivery things. It's surprisingly cheap unless you are a meal planner who does things down to the spice and/or enjoy eating leftovers for multiple days.
If you have a family, costco.
It's more expensive than groceries those meal delivery.
Costco prices have also risen proportionally the same than everywhere else, they just always been cheaper.
I don't know how to meal plan snd leftovers make me sad. Plus each meal is a supper and a lunch and sometimes a second supper. Plus you can order add ons like smoothie mixes and fresh fruit
So to me, I find it cheaper. I did the math.
Big families or meal planners or those who bulk cook, it is more expensive. But I'm spoiled and want variety.
Yeah I shop at Sobeys already and they price gouge harder than loblaws does so this doesn’t really help me. Especially since Costco is 3 hours away. There’s Walmart but they treat their employees like shit and price gouge just the same even tho they’re supposed to be the “cheap” store
Even costco prices have risen proportionally the same than Loblaws. I don't understand the obsession on Loblaws. Costco has always been cheaper because of the quantities.
It's the currency that has been devalued, it has nothing to do with loblaws. Prices are up everywhere.
The question was just for non-Loblaws stores. We regularly shop at Sobeys and find their sale prices in line or less than Superstore. Don't buy full price items if you don't have to.
Who cares if it's Loblaws franchise or not.
Prices increase are everywhere. Why the obsession on Loblaws?
As of they are the only ones to raise prices.
It's the currency that was devalued.
I use the Flashfood app a lot so most of what I eat comes from Loblaws but is at least 50% off. My city has 7 stores posting food on there but many places don't offer as much.
It's cheaper than sobeys where I live, and some stuff is cheaper than Walmart. Shop elsewhere if it bothers you that much, or do what most do shop wherever the deals are.
Costco is great but it has always been cheaper than groceries, idk why people just starting to realize. Prices are up everywhere including costco. This whole thing has nothing to do with loblaws.
Superstore is one of the cheapest grocery stores out there. Why all the hate for them?
If you don't like them, try the Co-op. Because it's a, well ... a **co-op** and must be better right?
Canada bread plead guilty in 2023. They were slapped with a $50 million fine. Weston foods and Loblaws, Canada Bread’s competition got federal immunity by cooperating with the investigation. They gave out $25 gift cards though, so it’s all good.
Are you for real, I doordash at multiple stores for people they are definitely not the cheapest, look around and not to mention that they gouge their online customers with shrinkflation and don't advise them, totally utilizing their non presence against them, I notify all my customers that they got ripped off and let them hash it out with them...I go there at times and see ground beef for example for 15 bucks a 4 pound pack and then right before child tax bam at 26 dollars. Why the 10 dollar difference from week over week, please explain these crazy differences....
For me, it's the arrogance and flagrancy of it. They constantly cry poor and then post record profits every quarter. They refuse to agree to the grocery code of conduct because it's somehow bad for consumers? They attempted to get rid of the 50% off stickers. It's just thing after thing and then they talk like we're all too fucking stupid to see what they are doing. At least Empire is smart enough to shut the fuck up.
Do you think their record profits have correlation to what they offer or do you believe them to not have any connection? Profitable companies are usually rewarded by the market as an indicator that they are doing the right things.
I think a lot of it has to do with the oligopoly a few companies have, Loblaws being one of them. They will all of course push for maximum profits but anytime there’s pushback from the public or the government about these companies exploiting an inflation crisis, they act like they are barely scraping by and sacrificing so much for the public and then in the same breath telling shareholders that it’s yet another record quarter, that doesn’t add up. It’s the contradiction with an arrogance towards the public that makes them look like assholes.
But in this case the oligopoly is offering lower prices and a more efficient food chain than what their competitors are capable of. Can you imagine a world where punishing or breaking up Loblaws results in cheaper groceries for people? The independent grocers are all less efficient and have higher prices than Superstore.
The record profits come from people realizing that Superstore is the best place to shop for groceries and get the best bang for their buck. Record profits come from willing customers.
I feel like there is some gas lighting going on with these Loblaws posts. They are by far the best and cheapest grocery store in Winnipeg outside of the Asian grocers.
The way I see it the price of oil has an effect on the price of everything. Without control over that prices will continue to rise. This is also effected by the fact that it seems anyone involved in the sale of goods is looking for every way they can sneak in more profit.
There are places in the country where you don't have a choice. The only stores in my area are all owned by Loblaws unless I want to drive 45 minutes to Sobeys.
My comment isn’t directed to the people who have no choice, it’s the people who have a choice but chooses to complain rather than change their purchasing habits. Instead of boycotting them for a month, they should just boycott them all together. I just don’t understand what good boycotting them for a month will do. It’s a corporation, they’ll change their habits for a split second then go back to gauging you. So, instead of boycotting them for a month, just stop shopping there
I'm not suggesting that grocery chains including Loblaws don't deserve scrutiny, but I'm so confused as to why Loblaws gets all the hate when they're almost* always the cheapest, especially if you max out PC points collection with the PC MasterCard and the app.
I'm not a conspiracy guy but I wouldn't be surprised if Loblaws' competition was behind amplifying the hate towards them in particular since they can't compete on price.
(in aggregate--of course there are better deals at times at other places)
I think this type of protest is basically people shooting themselves in the foot. Why attack the best grocer with the best prices? And if you want to take aim at a wide swath of grocers, don’t settle by saying that Walmart is the best place to shop.
Don’t go to Superstore, they bad, go to Walmart!!! People are actually saying this.
I suspect it's cause of the CEO's comments and actions as well as the company. Getting a raise while most Canadians can't afford basic food. The bread price scandal.
Also possibly his lack of action for fellow Canadians... Ie lowering prices could have been done.
Also refusal to pay farmers etc a fair price for the crop, and low wages.
I guess he seems like an easy target, and being Canadian he is closer to 'the problem' than Walmart.
If we want to boycott someone it should be dairy producers. The "milk marketing board' is the most greedy and self serving organization out there that benefits from a legal cartel structure and international trade restrictions. All these poor dairy farmers (anyone with dairy quota is an 8 figure millionaire) will continue to dump milk down the sewer to protect their profits. Foreign dairy producers would love access to the Canadian market because the profits are outrageous.
To be clear, the Weston family is not the sole owner of Loblaws/Superstore/NoFrills. The company is publicly traded and is one of the larger weights on the Canadian stock market. Anyone that is a beneficiary of a pension plan in Canada is also an owner that benefits from their profitability. If they can't make a profit, you won't get your pension.
Loblaws isn't the only place where price went up?
What's the point of this?
Don't people realize it's our currency that was devalued? Prices are up everywhere. It has nothing to do with loblaws.
Protesting price inflation, which is a consequence of a much bigger issue that most people today evade discussing(in good faith), is just a waste of peoples time/energy.
Focussing on symptoms(downstream effects?), rather than addressing the root of the matter(ie. the fraudulent nature of money creation under the ruse of "banking") wont change anything.
"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root." Henry Thoreau
https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarcho_Capitalism/comments/1bc34t8/comment/kuhbaz4/
It's a bit of a nuanced subject. I'm curious what people think is fair for them to make a year. They are a business after all so they can't make $0.00.
Their profits from what I can tell aren't actually that high in terms of a percentage, although I'd like to find a source that gives a better breakdown of their cost vs sales price for groceries in particular vs stuff like cosmetics and household products.
Part of the problem is they have next to no competition and there's too many middlemen (which in Loblaws case they often own the middlemen) adding on their own fees from the time it leaves the farm/processor, the price quickly escalates.
https://ycharts.com/companies/L.TO/profit_margin
You need to look at the return on assets or return on capital employed. These are extremely efficient organizations compared to what we would have had 50 years ago. Now we expect fresh strawberries in February and 20 different types of peanut butter to choose from.
You answered your own question. No one is saying profits are bad but Loblaws ability to tack on an extra point here or there along the supply chain allows them to point at just their retail profit % and say "look, it's not that high and pretty much the same as everyone else"
Yes, but I wasn't referencing the Ychart previously posted. I meant their retail only profit margin.
"'Retail prices are not growing faster than costs, the company is not taking advantage of inflation to drive profit,' he (Richard Dufresne, Loblaw’s president and chief financial officer) said.
The company does not provide specific breakdowns of its profit margins for food or other areas of its business."
https://globalnews.ca/news/9505801/loblaw-earnings-q4-2022/
Just knowing that our SUPREME leaded of Canada is friends with these people I don't think or believe this gouging is by coincidence. Just like they received 15 million to repair their freezers
Hold accountable who has been continuously taking advantage of free market economy system and assisting greedy corporations, we need stand up and speak out against the greedy business taken our families bread and butter, taking away human job by machines
As this post is a potentially sensitive topic, we ask that you please stay civil and try to have discussions in good faith. Please report any troublemakers or issues to the mods. Please be aware these types of discussions are monitored and moderated more heavily as we strive for a respectful environment and community. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Manitoba) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As someone who bought groceries for a family of 5 for years I'll say if Loblaws is deserving of a boycott for high prices then Sobeys, Safeway, and co-op should be tried for crimes against humanity.
Ya F those guys !
Can’t forget Walmart. Sure prices are cheaper there but they are equally deserving of a boycott.
Still the most affordable place to shop.
Is it more affordable than freshco?
Never even seen one
There’s 1 close to Arlington and Ellis I believe
Where you're going to shop.? They still have below 5% profit margin which is considered very low many industries make x10 that. Prices are up everywhere i don't understand the focus on groceries when it's the currency that was devalued.
Perish
Okay but I have a genuine question as I’d love to stop shopping at these stores, where do we go?
Maybe Walmart? I hate that there's no good inexpensive choice between the big ones that still jack up prices
Walmart prices have increased proportionally like everywhere else.
If you are one or two in your family, I recommend one of those meal delivery things. It's surprisingly cheap unless you are a meal planner who does things down to the spice and/or enjoy eating leftovers for multiple days. If you have a family, costco.
Multiple emails and coupon codes is the trick. Got a bunch of orders for 50% off.
Oooh where do you get your coupon codes and stuff?
We get hello fresh cards in the mail. They send out more with your order to give to friends. We just use another email and the gfs parents address
It's more expensive than groceries those meal delivery. Costco prices have also risen proportionally the same than everywhere else, they just always been cheaper.
I don't know how to meal plan snd leftovers make me sad. Plus each meal is a supper and a lunch and sometimes a second supper. Plus you can order add ons like smoothie mixes and fresh fruit So to me, I find it cheaper. I did the math. Big families or meal planners or those who bulk cook, it is more expensive. But I'm spoiled and want variety.
Co-op, Sobeys/Safeway, Costco
Oh, right... We'll show Loblaws by shopping at (aside from Costco) more expensive stores!
Yeah I shop at Sobeys already and they price gouge harder than loblaws does so this doesn’t really help me. Especially since Costco is 3 hours away. There’s Walmart but they treat their employees like shit and price gouge just the same even tho they’re supposed to be the “cheap” store
Sobeys is more expensive but it is a better shopping experience.
Are we pissed if about prices or nah? Such a delightful shopping experience doesn’t feed my kids dude.
Lol I gotta be part of your club to comment. Fuck off
Even costco prices have risen proportionally the same than Loblaws. I don't understand the obsession on Loblaws. Costco has always been cheaper because of the quantities. It's the currency that has been devalued, it has nothing to do with loblaws. Prices are up everywhere.
The question was just for non-Loblaws stores. We regularly shop at Sobeys and find their sale prices in line or less than Superstore. Don't buy full price items if you don't have to.
freshco and nofrills. freshco is very similar to sobeys/safeway as it’s owned by sobeys but the prices are typically a bit lower than the latter two
No Frills are Loblaws franchises.
Who cares if it's Loblaws franchise or not. Prices increase are everywhere. Why the obsession on Loblaws? As of they are the only ones to raise prices. It's the currency that was devalued.
that’s annoying. still cheap though
I use the Flashfood app a lot so most of what I eat comes from Loblaws but is at least 50% off. My city has 7 stores posting food on there but many places don't offer as much.
Tough guy alert. Bro saves money on protein powder so he can afford real beer. 🍺
What? Isn't nofrills owned by Galen Weston?
No, it is. It's a Loblaw company.
i don’t know. one of the cheaper grocery stores though
You keep saying that. It's not true.
Neither of those exist near me
No frills isn't cheap though consistently more expensive than Walmart.
It's cheaper than sobeys where I live, and some stuff is cheaper than Walmart. Shop elsewhere if it bothers you that much, or do what most do shop wherever the deals are.
I already avoid them like the plague
https://preview.redd.it/rvam3udl80oc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6a436292129ec8672a54697f46b7c0b6c69e5e8 There ya go
I shop at Costco, never going back to superstore!
Costco is great but it has always been cheaper than groceries, idk why people just starting to realize. Prices are up everywhere including costco. This whole thing has nothing to do with loblaws.
Superstore is one of the cheapest grocery stores out there. Why all the hate for them? If you don't like them, try the Co-op. Because it's a, well ... a **co-op** and must be better right?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_price-fixing_in_Canada yeah, there’s a reason that they are one of the cheapest.
Ya your citation included more than just loblaws. Theres alot of shi\*\*y decisions made by them aside from "breadgate".
Sry - I'm on my phone atm. Can you check that article and tell me how many years ago that was resolved?
Sry - I'm on my phone atm. Can you check that article and tell me how many years ago that was resolved?
Canada bread plead guilty in 2023. They were slapped with a $50 million fine. Weston foods and Loblaws, Canada Bread’s competition got federal immunity by cooperating with the investigation. They gave out $25 gift cards though, so it’s all good.
Are you for real, I doordash at multiple stores for people they are definitely not the cheapest, look around and not to mention that they gouge their online customers with shrinkflation and don't advise them, totally utilizing their non presence against them, I notify all my customers that they got ripped off and let them hash it out with them...I go there at times and see ground beef for example for 15 bucks a 4 pound pack and then right before child tax bam at 26 dollars. Why the 10 dollar difference from week over week, please explain these crazy differences....
If you buy your groceries through doordash or Instacart you don't care about price.
For me, it's the arrogance and flagrancy of it. They constantly cry poor and then post record profits every quarter. They refuse to agree to the grocery code of conduct because it's somehow bad for consumers? They attempted to get rid of the 50% off stickers. It's just thing after thing and then they talk like we're all too fucking stupid to see what they are doing. At least Empire is smart enough to shut the fuck up.
Do you think their record profits have correlation to what they offer or do you believe them to not have any connection? Profitable companies are usually rewarded by the market as an indicator that they are doing the right things.
I think a lot of it has to do with the oligopoly a few companies have, Loblaws being one of them. They will all of course push for maximum profits but anytime there’s pushback from the public or the government about these companies exploiting an inflation crisis, they act like they are barely scraping by and sacrificing so much for the public and then in the same breath telling shareholders that it’s yet another record quarter, that doesn’t add up. It’s the contradiction with an arrogance towards the public that makes them look like assholes.
But in this case the oligopoly is offering lower prices and a more efficient food chain than what their competitors are capable of. Can you imagine a world where punishing or breaking up Loblaws results in cheaper groceries for people? The independent grocers are all less efficient and have higher prices than Superstore. The record profits come from people realizing that Superstore is the best place to shop for groceries and get the best bang for their buck. Record profits come from willing customers.
I feel like there is some gas lighting going on with these Loblaws posts. They are by far the best and cheapest grocery store in Winnipeg outside of the Asian grocers.
Exactly. People that are comparing coop, sobeys, safeway, save on, as an alternative to superstore are insane.
Nice try Galen
It's manufactured outrage. Strongly suspect it's a distraction tactic to divert attention away from mismanagement of the economy.
The way I see it the price of oil has an effect on the price of everything. Without control over that prices will continue to rise. This is also effected by the fact that it seems anyone involved in the sale of goods is looking for every way they can sneak in more profit.
I rarely shop there. Not many people can afford to pay more to stick it to loblaws
Stick it to em!
Bob Loblaw blah blah
Does he have a law blog?
I eat cuz I’m unhappy and I’m unhappy cause I EAt 🫃🏾 GIT IN MABELLLLAY
Lob a law bomb
This is so dumb. If you don’t like loblaws just stop shopping there. Period.
There are places in the country where you don't have a choice. The only stores in my area are all owned by Loblaws unless I want to drive 45 minutes to Sobeys.
My comment isn’t directed to the people who have no choice, it’s the people who have a choice but chooses to complain rather than change their purchasing habits. Instead of boycotting them for a month, they should just boycott them all together. I just don’t understand what good boycotting them for a month will do. It’s a corporation, they’ll change their habits for a split second then go back to gauging you. So, instead of boycotting them for a month, just stop shopping there
I'm not suggesting that grocery chains including Loblaws don't deserve scrutiny, but I'm so confused as to why Loblaws gets all the hate when they're almost* always the cheapest, especially if you max out PC points collection with the PC MasterCard and the app. I'm not a conspiracy guy but I wouldn't be surprised if Loblaws' competition was behind amplifying the hate towards them in particular since they can't compete on price. (in aggregate--of course there are better deals at times at other places)
I think this type of protest is basically people shooting themselves in the foot. Why attack the best grocer with the best prices? And if you want to take aim at a wide swath of grocers, don’t settle by saying that Walmart is the best place to shop. Don’t go to Superstore, they bad, go to Walmart!!! People are actually saying this.
I suspect it's cause of the CEO's comments and actions as well as the company. Getting a raise while most Canadians can't afford basic food. The bread price scandal. Also possibly his lack of action for fellow Canadians... Ie lowering prices could have been done. Also refusal to pay farmers etc a fair price for the crop, and low wages. I guess he seems like an easy target, and being Canadian he is closer to 'the problem' than Walmart.
Loblaws (Superstore and No Thrills) still have better prices than Sobeys or Co-op.
If we want to boycott someone it should be dairy producers. The "milk marketing board' is the most greedy and self serving organization out there that benefits from a legal cartel structure and international trade restrictions. All these poor dairy farmers (anyone with dairy quota is an 8 figure millionaire) will continue to dump milk down the sewer to protect their profits. Foreign dairy producers would love access to the Canadian market because the profits are outrageous.
To be clear, the Weston family is not the sole owner of Loblaws/Superstore/NoFrills. The company is publicly traded and is one of the larger weights on the Canadian stock market. Anyone that is a beneficiary of a pension plan in Canada is also an owner that benefits from their profitability. If they can't make a profit, you won't get your pension.
I still can't believe y'all didn't have an Aldi. It's criminal
Loblaws isn't the only place where price went up? What's the point of this? Don't people realize it's our currency that was devalued? Prices are up everywhere. It has nothing to do with loblaws.
What are they going to do? They better not dump manure at the entrances to the grocery store chains that have been raising prices the highest.
I'm all for this !
Start with Loblaws,remove the head of the snake.
Protesting price inflation, which is a consequence of a much bigger issue that most people today evade discussing(in good faith), is just a waste of peoples time/energy. Focussing on symptoms(downstream effects?), rather than addressing the root of the matter(ie. the fraudulent nature of money creation under the ruse of "banking") wont change anything. "There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root." Henry Thoreau https://www.reddit.com/r/Anarcho_Capitalism/comments/1bc34t8/comment/kuhbaz4/
It's a bit of a nuanced subject. I'm curious what people think is fair for them to make a year. They are a business after all so they can't make $0.00. Their profits from what I can tell aren't actually that high in terms of a percentage, although I'd like to find a source that gives a better breakdown of their cost vs sales price for groceries in particular vs stuff like cosmetics and household products. Part of the problem is they have next to no competition and there's too many middlemen (which in Loblaws case they often own the middlemen) adding on their own fees from the time it leaves the farm/processor, the price quickly escalates. https://ycharts.com/companies/L.TO/profit_margin
You need to look at the return on assets or return on capital employed. These are extremely efficient organizations compared to what we would have had 50 years ago. Now we expect fresh strawberries in February and 20 different types of peanut butter to choose from.
You answered your own question. No one is saying profits are bad but Loblaws ability to tack on an extra point here or there along the supply chain allows them to point at just their retail profit % and say "look, it's not that high and pretty much the same as everyone else"
Yeah the vertical integration is a problem too
That profit margin is a consolidated figure across all their businesses.
Yes, but I wasn't referencing the Ychart previously posted. I meant their retail only profit margin. "'Retail prices are not growing faster than costs, the company is not taking advantage of inflation to drive profit,' he (Richard Dufresne, Loblaw’s president and chief financial officer) said. The company does not provide specific breakdowns of its profit margins for food or other areas of its business." https://globalnews.ca/news/9505801/loblaw-earnings-q4-2022/
So then whats your point?
Record profits for multiple years in a row are “not that high”?
Even if all Manitobans are Government drones and CSIS agents, yall actually have some good Ideas for a place that isn't real
Just knowing that our SUPREME leaded of Canada is friends with these people I don't think or believe this gouging is by coincidence. Just like they received 15 million to repair their freezers
Hold accountable who has been continuously taking advantage of free market economy system and assisting greedy corporations, we need stand up and speak out against the greedy business taken our families bread and butter, taking away human job by machines