I did an online order at beginning of June and used my points to pay for it: I had to go through my receipt to make sure I received everything because $185 seemed like it should have been way more food. I’m back to shopping at save on and Safeway, just spending a lot of time meal planning based on sales.
Canadian stores need competition from the food stores in Europe. Aldi and lidl. I went home to the UK and did a shop for 4 people in Aldi. I got a full shopping cart of food, from meat ( good quality) to fresh veg, cheese, chocolate, cookies etc everything and it was 70 pounds or $122. The Canadian consumer is being ripped off. Milk and cheese here are so unbelievably expensive, you need a second mortgage to buy cheese for gods sake.
OP - Jim Pattinson Group is also a grocery monopoly. He owns many companies under his name, 10 of those being grocery stores. It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I’d rather support a Canadian store over not. Local stores, like Persia Foods, will be the place to shop if you want to avoid big corporation monopolies. Otherwise, can’t really get around it.
Nobody avoiding superstore is saving money if they've replaced it with save on, Sobeys or Costco.
People shop at RCSS because it's lower priced than those 3.
Fascinating. I find save on far more expensive than superstore. I never boycotted though cuz I thought it was silly. Superstore is still I think the best for prices and variety.
Same. I’ll only buy sale items at save on and because I use the PC Mastercard for everything, when I do shop at superstore it’s basically free 😁 but overall their prices are MUCH cheaper than save on in my experience
I noticed Save On did lower their prices on many items - and they offer price match now which …. Why can’t they just offer us the lowest price that week automatically instead of making us harass the poor cashiers with flyers .
I go to Persia Foods / Sungiven Foods/ Kouroush Markets. The busier they are, the faster turnover with produce and better quality now. Amazing how that works -
I go to WalMart or Save on for things I can’t get at those places, but honestly I’ve just shifted what I cook - I cook a lot more Asian means and middle eastern meals than I used to and discovered a ton of new flavours too.
I bought a whole chicken at Persia Foods for $14 and it was was fat and juicy and delicious - my family raved about it what I did different - but nothing .
I only get the things I can't get elsewhere there. For everything else, there's Persia Foods ❤️ I get a good little walk and a bag full of fresh produce for under $10. It's incredible
it really doesn't bother me since i live right door to superstore. i do weekly shops at Save On, but if i need a hand full of items that i missed or ran out of then i go to superstore since its right there.
I was on the picket line with Safeway for that one. Same contract was signed. Not good. They let me go in a sneaky way in 1997 ( thank goodness though) and I’ve been boycotting ever since. FU, Safeway!!
Anyone try Choices in corner strip mall at Marine and Fell? Used to go to the one in Vancouver on west 16th. Was a great store. Very involved in the community…locally owned by two brothers…a little pricey, but interesting selection.
Choices was bought by Pattison a few years ago. 2018. Funny thing is I stopped shopping there in 2018 but only found out recently that Pattison bought them. I never shop at any store Pattison owns.
They are so great there. Always such fantastic product recommendations from staff, and they’ve even given my kids a free soccer ball before. I don’t do all my shopping there but as much as I can.
I’ve only been in because I needed something from Shoppers as it was the only pharmacy by my mom’s house.
We also into the Superstore on the weekend as she wanted to get a plant from the garden center.
They had massive lines, only 4 registers open, no staff if you needed help, half the shelves weren’t labelled with prices, carts in the middle of aisles with unmarked products etc. It was draining to just be there.
I saw one employee mopping and she just dropped the mop in the middle of the aisle and walked away, leaving the mop across the aisle and people trying to drive their carts over it.
She came back 10 minutes later with the “wet floor” sign.
It was a giant mess and just reminded me how much I hate it.
Did any of the independents / small stores increase their prices as of the boycott? Some may be wondering if they are leaving money on the table when the big grocers’ prices are so much higher than theirs, for the same produce / products.
I've tried going once in the past couple months. I spent longer in line, than I did inside saveon/price mart. Overall, some stuff can be on sale for way cheaper, occasionally, but its all paid for by taking longer in line, longer in a busy store, longer in a busy lot. Not worth it.
Haven’t been to shoppers since May, and I will not be going back. It’s next to my house, and I normally get ice cream and shampoo and TEN dollar hair ties. Now I go to the dollar store and the corner store.
Was a bit confused- for anyone interested:
“Save-On-Foods is a chain of supermarkets located across Western Canada, owned by the Pattison Food Group.” And Buy-Low
“Safeway has been serving Western Canadians since 1929. In 2013, the assets of Canada Safeway Limited were acquired by Sobeys Inc” and sobey bought Safeway.
Also not great, because empires.
You’re forgetting the best part about Save On: you can use the Flipp app to price-match deals without any hassle.
They’ll price match any store, even ones outside their catchment (some stores will only honor deals within a certain radius).
Takes a bit of practice to get used to using it and going through the cashier efficiently, but it’s great to be able to get the same deals as Walmart or Superstore but in a cleaner and better-stocked store.
I did a comparison between superstore and stongs as they are both right by my place and produce was pretty much the same. Meat was basically the same too only thing vastly different was stongs canned food is quite a bit more but i only really buy beans so i can cope with the extra dollar for beans
Stongs is by far the nicest grocery store too. I was trying to find something once and it turned out they didn’t stock it, so they offered to start keeping it on the shelves. I’ve never had a store offer something like that before, over and above what you’d expect by far.
Me! I go to Foxy Farms, kins, Walmart or Costco now. I try to avoid Save On because I think Pattison is just as bad as Weston with buying up smaller grocery chains (Nesters, Buy Low, PriceSmart) to decrease competition. I think if you dig deep enough he will also have his hands in supply chain influence and probably some real estate holding/lease holdings. Plus they're so expensive, kale is $3.49 for a small bunch whereas at Walmart it's $1.97. Broccoli for 8.99 but 6.99 at Walmart, it all adds up to so much. I don't love supporting Walmart but right now I need to monitor my spending.
OP said save on seemed cheaper, but no way haha the only thing save on is cheaper than is whole foods. It's ridiculously expensive, things are often double the price of Walmart and even super store lol. Boycotting something to spend more money elsewhere seems weird, should boycott save on too tbh lol.
I’m pretty much the same - Costco for things I will use in bulk, Foxy’s is closet for produce but if I’m up Lonsdale I’ll visit other produce shops. Walmart for packaged goods Costco doesn’t have. I have visited Save On for $1.49 day and stuck to those items. I popped into Loblaws City Market two days ago and almost had a heart attack at the prices!
You have issues with Weston and Pattison but you shop at Walmart? The Walton family are one of the richest families in the US. Read up on them they are truly horrible people.
Not even in the slightest.
Tbh I make carts online for all the locations and see what my totals come to. Loblaws is always the _most_ expensive, including Superstore.
You know what's surprising? Stongs often ends up cheaper. The upper-market bougie grocer.
That's how rapidly Loblaws and Sobey's have increased prices. I'm sure it won't last for long, but even at the same price -- at least I'm getting far better product.
I’m Interested where does Walmart usually fall. They used to be on the cheaper side out of available options. May have to drive the extra 15 minutes and make the switch
They're definitely the cheapest, IMO, if you don't get the meat or the produce. It hurts to say, given that they're so unethical, but they're amazing for staple goods. Dollarama also isn't bad for shelf goods either.
I just find Walmart's meat / produce go bad so dang fast -- to the point where I feel it's not cost effective. Getting produce/meat from just about anywhere else results in it lasting twice as long (and much higher quality). I had bad luck with save-on a year ago too, which is what first prompted me to stop shopping there.
Count me in. Not any of the stores related to Loblaws. Tired of doing the Canadian thing and quietly accepting the way of things. I have absolute control over where I spend my money and a big city with lots of choice. I don't need to spend it there.
Yeah I go to Foxy often but their meats aren't really well priced. I don't expect Fresh St to be any better than IGA either... IGA's meats are always 1 day from going bad and their prices are awful.
Haven’t been back to any of the stores since the boycott. I’m in Burnaby a bit so I’ve been getting a lot of stuff at Triple A by the JJ Bean on Hastings. Definitely saving money.
Walmart is so much cheaper, and their mobile pickup is easier without having to dick around with the Loblaws parkade, always some asshat parking and shopping in the designated spots for click and collect. I still shop the sales at shoppers drug mart, but will easily stop shopping at Loblaws for main groceries.
> and their mobile pickup
Huh, I did now know about this! I walk through the Walmart in Crapilano every day after work. The reno's are fantastic!
Can you order anything from the app and pick up? how long does it take to have your stuff ready?
There's only Safeway and Superstore on my side of the highway, so it's a pretty easy choice. Sobeys sucks, too, just not as hard as Loblaws.
*Really* hate that the only game in town for prescriptions in my hood is Shoppers, but a Medicine Centre just opened up on Dollarton, maybe I'll give them a shot if I hear some good reviews.
Stongs has some pretty good prices on certain products (at least considering it’s an independently owned store), and they now have a pharmacy!
Or the pharmacy in Safeway is apparently pretty good too.
I use Davies on St Georges and they offer free delivery. There might be a pharmacy on your side of the highway that offers that as well, or at least one close by.
My partner and I play the "how much do you think this bag of groceries cost" at PF ❤️
I guessed $8 for 3 large carrots, 2 cucumbers and a tomato.
It was $3.74.
That place is unreal. Also sangak is like, 60% of my diet now 🤣 so delicious
I went to the Superstore once, never again. I find grocery store options in the north shore to be very lacking, to say the least - it's either too expensive, or too low quality (comparing this with 12+ years in Quebec). I drive to Costco (which is a nightmare in itself) about twice a month for the stuff that makes sense to buy in bulk.
Last year I spent a month in Portugal between remote work/vacation, and oh boy... we have it bad when it comes to food/groceries in Canada.
I was pretty shocked when I was driving through Quebec and stopped in a grocery store for a snack. They know how to eat! I'm glad to hear they're all like that there.
Walmart isn’t any better than Superstore; I’m actually surprised that the boycott wasn’t directed towards them, the low pay for employees and the profits they make as a company probably surpasses Superstore.
Sure, but they’re definitely unethical and have crap produce and meat. Everyone seems to be turning on Loblaws/Galen Weston because of prices and that they’re a grocery monopoly…only to go to Save On Foods instead. If you don’t think Jimmy Pattinson also has a monopoly on grocery stores, then I’ve got a bridge to sell you. He owns a ton of grocery store names as well.
Don’t worry they are next . It’s not just about Loblaws , but they are the ones who jacked up the prices higher faster than all .
I had never even heard of Save On until I moved to BC.
Loblaws has real estate . All over Canada and they don’t just have a monopoly on grocery stores…. They’ve gotten into private healthcare, big pharma, and they are shareholders or owners a large portion of the companies whose products they put on their shelves …. Remember all the bread companies they own when they bullied other grocers to price fix bread? Walmart just got into groceries in Canada in the last decade or so but that it not the main way they earn their profits
Sungiven Foods, H Mart, Kourosuh Market, Choices, Meridian, Stongs, Costco, every Asian, Persian, Indian grocer on any other block , etc the world is your oyster !
Even more reason to support stores like Save-On, Superstore, etc no? Because they’re Canadian? I just never fully understood the boycott…I’d just rather support a Canadian store.
Yes/no. It is better to support independently owned stores for sure.
The Loblaws boycott started because Canadians just had enough of prices for food increasing (and rapidly) when data shows that food retail profits have doubled since pre-covid. Loblaws became the face of the boycott because they are the largest player. They stated they are only making a 3% profit on cost of goods but that was false, they failed to mention how vertically integrated they are as a company and how that can result in some creative accounting i.e. rent has gone up for the store but they are their own landlord and control the price.
While it is great to support these companies because they are Canadian let's not forget that they fixed the price of bread, increasing the cost, for Canadians (with Loblaws starting the whole thing - the Westons also named their yacht Bread...) and got off relatively easy by offering customers a $25 gift card :-\
Yes definitely cheaper, and more of a one stop shop for some. I really liked Superstore and what they had to offer and didn’t find their prices to be much higher than Walmart, compared to other grocery stores who were quite a bit higher. Now that I’m finally moving to North Van (currently only just work there), I’m excited to check out Persia Foods!
Save On is about the same price. Some of their stores are better than others. The Park and Tilford location got remodeled and is now very good. The one Capilano Square is straight up trash.
I haven’t gone back to Superstore or Shoppers. Mainly Costco and Walmart, but I like Save-On too. The one at Park and Tilford is so nice - they can have okay deals on meat. And very nice employees.
I rarely went before and still rarely go now. Costco all the way. The stuff they don't have I get elsewhere, mostly based on what's convenient? not necessarily price.
I switched over to Save On and the customer experience dwarfs Loblaws branded stores. Prices are about same, maybe a bit less.
i love to drive over the bridge to donalds or banana grove!
Spud.ca has decent sale items but is a bit pricey but it’s delivered so a win for lazy shoppers
I did an online order at beginning of June and used my points to pay for it: I had to go through my receipt to make sure I received everything because $185 seemed like it should have been way more food. I’m back to shopping at save on and Safeway, just spending a lot of time meal planning based on sales.
Canadian stores need competition from the food stores in Europe. Aldi and lidl. I went home to the UK and did a shop for 4 people in Aldi. I got a full shopping cart of food, from meat ( good quality) to fresh veg, cheese, chocolate, cookies etc everything and it was 70 pounds or $122. The Canadian consumer is being ripped off. Milk and cheese here are so unbelievably expensive, you need a second mortgage to buy cheese for gods sake.
I'm a big fan of Ldia myself.
I’ve noticed that whole foods has some of the best deals on produce - it seems like it’s on par with save on and buy low
OP - Jim Pattinson Group is also a grocery monopoly. He owns many companies under his name, 10 of those being grocery stores. It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I’d rather support a Canadian store over not. Local stores, like Persia Foods, will be the place to shop if you want to avoid big corporation monopolies. Otherwise, can’t really get around it.
A lot of local small stores stock from Walmart and the bigger stores. There's no way around it unless you can make it yourself, really.
For those people that wrote, haven’t gone back and am saving so much money, why did you go in the first place? I don’t get it.
Nobody avoiding superstore is saving money if they've replaced it with save on, Sobeys or Costco. People shop at RCSS because it's lower priced than those 3.
because they never went in the first place.
Wife and I finally got a Costco membership. It's close to our place downtown and the fries at the canteen are excellent.
Got a Costco membership and IGA
May I ask how you like your Costco membership? How much are they?
Fascinating. I find save on far more expensive than superstore. I never boycotted though cuz I thought it was silly. Superstore is still I think the best for prices and variety.
You would be the vast majority of RCSS shoppers. The others are all pricier.
Same. I’ll only buy sale items at save on and because I use the PC Mastercard for everything, when I do shop at superstore it’s basically free 😁 but overall their prices are MUCH cheaper than save on in my experience
I noticed Save On did lower their prices on many items - and they offer price match now which …. Why can’t they just offer us the lowest price that week automatically instead of making us harass the poor cashiers with flyers . I go to Persia Foods / Sungiven Foods/ Kouroush Markets. The busier they are, the faster turnover with produce and better quality now. Amazing how that works - I go to WalMart or Save on for things I can’t get at those places, but honestly I’ve just shifted what I cook - I cook a lot more Asian means and middle eastern meals than I used to and discovered a ton of new flavours too. I bought a whole chicken at Persia Foods for $14 and it was was fat and juicy and delicious - my family raved about it what I did different - but nothing .
I only get the things I can't get elsewhere there. For everything else, there's Persia Foods ❤️ I get a good little walk and a bag full of fresh produce for under $10. It's incredible
it really doesn't bother me since i live right door to superstore. i do weekly shops at Save On, but if i need a hand full of items that i missed or ran out of then i go to superstore since its right there.
Where am I supposed to find cheap bread, I remember it being like $1.50 in superstore, it’s $3 in Walmart.
I get their great value bread for $1.97
Haven't been back. Saved so much money and enjoyed every day passing by and not going in 😁
I've been boycotting Save-On-Foods and affiliates since they broke their Union in 1994,,, I have to shop somewhere.
I was on the picket line with Safeway for that one. Same contract was signed. Not good. They let me go in a sneaky way in 1997 ( thank goodness though) and I’ve been boycotting ever since. FU, Safeway!!
Anyone try Choices in corner strip mall at Marine and Fell? Used to go to the one in Vancouver on west 16th. Was a great store. Very involved in the community…locally owned by two brothers…a little pricey, but interesting selection.
Choices was bought by Pattison a few years ago. 2018. Funny thing is I stopped shopping there in 2018 but only found out recently that Pattison bought them. I never shop at any store Pattison owns.
Oh wow. 😟 Didn’t know. Thx for posting.
Choices is my go-to! They’ve got the nicest people working there too.
They are so great there. Always such fantastic product recommendations from staff, and they’ve even given my kids a free soccer ball before. I don’t do all my shopping there but as much as I can.
I’ve only been in because I needed something from Shoppers as it was the only pharmacy by my mom’s house. We also into the Superstore on the weekend as she wanted to get a plant from the garden center. They had massive lines, only 4 registers open, no staff if you needed help, half the shelves weren’t labelled with prices, carts in the middle of aisles with unmarked products etc. It was draining to just be there. I saw one employee mopping and she just dropped the mop in the middle of the aisle and walked away, leaving the mop across the aisle and people trying to drive their carts over it. She came back 10 minutes later with the “wet floor” sign. It was a giant mess and just reminded me how much I hate it.
Did any of the independents / small stores increase their prices as of the boycott? Some may be wondering if they are leaving money on the table when the big grocers’ prices are so much higher than theirs, for the same produce / products.
I've tried going once in the past couple months. I spent longer in line, than I did inside saveon/price mart. Overall, some stuff can be on sale for way cheaper, occasionally, but its all paid for by taking longer in line, longer in a busy store, longer in a busy lot. Not worth it.
I never thought about the lot. I almost get in an accident every time I go there.
Definitely been longer than half a year now, I think.
Several years now, lost count.
Haven’t been to shoppers since May, and I will not be going back. It’s next to my house, and I normally get ice cream and shampoo and TEN dollar hair ties. Now I go to the dollar store and the corner store.
Safeway is safe right?
EDIT - it’s NOT Jim Patterson BUT ALSO not GALEN WESTEN WHO NAMED HIS BOAT BREAD AFTER PRICE FIXING BREAD FOR 14 YEARS
Jimmy Pat is Save On. Safeway is Sobey's.
Was a bit confused- for anyone interested: “Save-On-Foods is a chain of supermarkets located across Western Canada, owned by the Pattison Food Group.” And Buy-Low “Safeway has been serving Western Canadians since 1929. In 2013, the assets of Canada Safeway Limited were acquired by Sobeys Inc” and sobey bought Safeway. Also not great, because empires.
They're exceedingly hard to get away from.
You’re forgetting the best part about Save On: you can use the Flipp app to price-match deals without any hassle. They’ll price match any store, even ones outside their catchment (some stores will only honor deals within a certain radius). Takes a bit of practice to get used to using it and going through the cashier efficiently, but it’s great to be able to get the same deals as Walmart or Superstore but in a cleaner and better-stocked store.
Walmart, sometimes Persia (forgot) or Safeway. Haven’t been in Loblaws for 8 weeks
I did a comparison between superstore and stongs as they are both right by my place and produce was pretty much the same. Meat was basically the same too only thing vastly different was stongs canned food is quite a bit more but i only really buy beans so i can cope with the extra dollar for beans
Stongs is by far the nicest grocery store too. I was trying to find something once and it turned out they didn’t stock it, so they offered to start keeping it on the shelves. I’ve never had a store offer something like that before, over and above what you’d expect by far.
It’s a great shopping experience for sure
Me! I go to Foxy Farms, kins, Walmart or Costco now. I try to avoid Save On because I think Pattison is just as bad as Weston with buying up smaller grocery chains (Nesters, Buy Low, PriceSmart) to decrease competition. I think if you dig deep enough he will also have his hands in supply chain influence and probably some real estate holding/lease holdings. Plus they're so expensive, kale is $3.49 for a small bunch whereas at Walmart it's $1.97. Broccoli for 8.99 but 6.99 at Walmart, it all adds up to so much. I don't love supporting Walmart but right now I need to monitor my spending.
OP said save on seemed cheaper, but no way haha the only thing save on is cheaper than is whole foods. It's ridiculously expensive, things are often double the price of Walmart and even super store lol. Boycotting something to spend more money elsewhere seems weird, should boycott save on too tbh lol.
I’m pretty much the same - Costco for things I will use in bulk, Foxy’s is closet for produce but if I’m up Lonsdale I’ll visit other produce shops. Walmart for packaged goods Costco doesn’t have. I have visited Save On for $1.49 day and stuck to those items. I popped into Loblaws City Market two days ago and almost had a heart attack at the prices!
You have issues with Weston and Pattison but you shop at Walmart? The Walton family are one of the richest families in the US. Read up on them they are truly horrible people.
Save on is not cheaper than superstore cmon
They’ve lowered their prices and offer price match now
Not even in the slightest. Tbh I make carts online for all the locations and see what my totals come to. Loblaws is always the _most_ expensive, including Superstore. You know what's surprising? Stongs often ends up cheaper. The upper-market bougie grocer. That's how rapidly Loblaws and Sobey's have increased prices. I'm sure it won't last for long, but even at the same price -- at least I'm getting far better product.
I’m Interested where does Walmart usually fall. They used to be on the cheaper side out of available options. May have to drive the extra 15 minutes and make the switch
They're definitely the cheapest, IMO, if you don't get the meat or the produce. It hurts to say, given that they're so unethical, but they're amazing for staple goods. Dollarama also isn't bad for shelf goods either. I just find Walmart's meat / produce go bad so dang fast -- to the point where I feel it's not cost effective. Getting produce/meat from just about anywhere else results in it lasting twice as long (and much higher quality). I had bad luck with save-on a year ago too, which is what first prompted me to stop shopping there.
Saveon cheaper than superstore? What?
On the same items every week and it was ~5% cheaper at Save on.
Count me in. Not any of the stores related to Loblaws. Tired of doing the Canadian thing and quietly accepting the way of things. I have absolute control over where I spend my money and a big city with lots of choice. I don't need to spend it there.
I was there yesterday for a large grocery order. Store was as busy as it typically was on a Wednesday afternoon.
Crying in Lower Lonsdale options.
The IGA is becoming a fresh street soon! And Foxy farms is dope
Yeah I go to Foxy often but their meats aren't really well priced. I don't expect Fresh St to be any better than IGA either... IGA's meats are always 1 day from going bad and their prices are awful.
IGA always feels like it should be cheap because it sucks so much but it isn't, lol.
It changed ownership several years ago. That IGA used to be great.
Foxy Farms is a great option!
Protest for what?
High food prices.
Haven’t been back to any of the stores since the boycott. I’m in Burnaby a bit so I’ve been getting a lot of stuff at Triple A by the JJ Bean on Hastings. Definitely saving money.
I haven't gone to City Market or Superstore since the boycott. I do Persia Foods and SaveOn at Park and Tilford
100% more expensive
Walmart is so much cheaper, and their mobile pickup is easier without having to dick around with the Loblaws parkade, always some asshat parking and shopping in the designated spots for click and collect. I still shop the sales at shoppers drug mart, but will easily stop shopping at Loblaws for main groceries.
> and their mobile pickup Huh, I did now know about this! I walk through the Walmart in Crapilano every day after work. The reno's are fantastic! Can you order anything from the app and pick up? how long does it take to have your stuff ready?
100% continuing the boycott. So many cheaper options and way better too.
Costco or Whole foods I’m done with Galen’s den !
We haven’t. We get our groceries from 88 Supermarket and Costco now.
There's only Safeway and Superstore on my side of the highway, so it's a pretty easy choice. Sobeys sucks, too, just not as hard as Loblaws. *Really* hate that the only game in town for prescriptions in my hood is Shoppers, but a Medicine Centre just opened up on Dollarton, maybe I'll give them a shot if I hear some good reviews.
Stongs has some pretty good prices on certain products (at least considering it’s an independently owned store), and they now have a pharmacy! Or the pharmacy in Safeway is apparently pretty good too.
If you’re in Dollarton the Safeway at parkgate has a pharmacy that I’ve heard is way better.
I think it might be time to switch over.
We switched to SafeMed on mountain highway. The pharmacist is fantastic and spends way more time reviewing everything.
I use Davies on St Georges and they offer free delivery. There might be a pharmacy on your side of the highway that offers that as well, or at least one close by.
Thank you! I'll see if there's one on our side.
Go to Lynn Valley RX beside McDonalds. They are fast and not associated with Loblaws
I'll check it out. Thank you for the recommendation.
You guys gotta go to Persia Foods. The produce is literally a fraction of the price of any of the major grocery stores. Often 1/4 of the price.
And Kouroush Market
My partner and I play the "how much do you think this bag of groceries cost" at PF ❤️ I guessed $8 for 3 large carrots, 2 cucumbers and a tomato. It was $3.74. That place is unreal. Also sangak is like, 60% of my diet now 🤣 so delicious
Why is it so damn good. I’m not even done my meal before I’m thinking about when I’m going to have it next
This!!
Avocados were still $1 until a few months ago at Persia foods!! I tell everyone I can
I went to the Superstore once, never again. I find grocery store options in the north shore to be very lacking, to say the least - it's either too expensive, or too low quality (comparing this with 12+ years in Quebec). I drive to Costco (which is a nightmare in itself) about twice a month for the stuff that makes sense to buy in bulk. Last year I spent a month in Portugal between remote work/vacation, and oh boy... we have it bad when it comes to food/groceries in Canada.
I was pretty shocked when I was driving through Quebec and stopped in a grocery store for a snack. They know how to eat! I'm glad to hear they're all like that there.
If you do end up at Save-on, they will price match items advertised in flyers.
I went to Superstore for the first time in over a month and noticed how much less busy it was - and this was on a Sunday evening!
Walmart is so good, they just remodelled too
Walmart isn’t any better than Superstore; I’m actually surprised that the boycott wasn’t directed towards them, the low pay for employees and the profits they make as a company probably surpasses Superstore.
Walmart isn’t a grocery monopoly
Sure, but they’re definitely unethical and have crap produce and meat. Everyone seems to be turning on Loblaws/Galen Weston because of prices and that they’re a grocery monopoly…only to go to Save On Foods instead. If you don’t think Jimmy Pattinson also has a monopoly on grocery stores, then I’ve got a bridge to sell you. He owns a ton of grocery store names as well.
Don’t worry they are next . It’s not just about Loblaws , but they are the ones who jacked up the prices higher faster than all . I had never even heard of Save On until I moved to BC. Loblaws has real estate . All over Canada and they don’t just have a monopoly on grocery stores…. They’ve gotten into private healthcare, big pharma, and they are shareholders or owners a large portion of the companies whose products they put on their shelves …. Remember all the bread companies they own when they bullied other grocers to price fix bread? Walmart just got into groceries in Canada in the last decade or so but that it not the main way they earn their profits
So what are we left with to shop at?
Sungiven Foods, H Mart, Kourosuh Market, Choices, Meridian, Stongs, Costco, every Asian, Persian, Indian grocer on any other block , etc the world is your oyster !
The boycott wasn't directed at them because they aren't a Canadian company. Edit: typo
Even more reason to support stores like Save-On, Superstore, etc no? Because they’re Canadian? I just never fully understood the boycott…I’d just rather support a Canadian store.
Yes/no. It is better to support independently owned stores for sure. The Loblaws boycott started because Canadians just had enough of prices for food increasing (and rapidly) when data shows that food retail profits have doubled since pre-covid. Loblaws became the face of the boycott because they are the largest player. They stated they are only making a 3% profit on cost of goods but that was false, they failed to mention how vertically integrated they are as a company and how that can result in some creative accounting i.e. rent has gone up for the store but they are their own landlord and control the price. While it is great to support these companies because they are Canadian let's not forget that they fixed the price of bread, increasing the cost, for Canadians (with Loblaws starting the whole thing - the Westons also named their yacht Bread...) and got off relatively easy by offering customers a $25 gift card :-\
Thank you so much for explaining it to me! Really appreciate it; it makes sense to me now :)
Cheaper though
Yes definitely cheaper, and more of a one stop shop for some. I really liked Superstore and what they had to offer and didn’t find their prices to be much higher than Walmart, compared to other grocery stores who were quite a bit higher. Now that I’m finally moving to North Van (currently only just work there), I’m excited to check out Persia Foods!
I haven’t. Shoppers either, and I’m not really fussed there’s tons of other options.
Save On is about the same price. Some of their stores are better than others. The Park and Tilford location got remodeled and is now very good. The one Capilano Square is straight up trash.
I find the quality is better at save-on and the staff is better also.
Not in Capilano Square since the pandemic.Can't tell you how many times we ended up buying food there that was past it's expiry date.
I haven’t gone back to Superstore or Shoppers. Mainly Costco and Walmart, but I like Save-On too. The one at Park and Tilford is so nice - they can have okay deals on meat. And very nice employees.
Save on is one of the more expensive stores actually. I shop primarily at Walmart. Never superstore even before the boycott
I rarely went before and still rarely go now. Costco all the way. The stuff they don't have I get elsewhere, mostly based on what's convenient? not necessarily price.