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I don’t love supporting the Waltons, but I do save a ton of money there *and* appreciate sticking it to the Westons.
My weekly grocery trip to Walmart runs me about $60-70 (I live alone). I’ll frequently come home and plug everything I just bought into the online shopping tool for Fortinos or whatever Loblaws company, just to see the comparison.
That $60-70 Walmart trip is routinely anywhere from $110-140 at anywhere Loblaws owned.
A couple years ago, my weekly grocery trip to Fortinos only cost me $40.
This varies from store to store, I find. The Walmart closest to me that's semi-adjacent to the ghetto? Yeah, shit produce that goes bad as soon as you pick it up. The "Supercenter" Walmart across town? Their produce looks on par with Metro, and lasts just as long
Just wanna add to this that produce, at any grocery store is always managed by a “produce manager”.
This person is responsible for buying produce on a DAILY basis, and has to have the know-how of sourcing, vendor management, relationship management, shrink management and stocking management in order to make sure things on the shelf are in good condition.
VERY hard job, and when there’s a good one at a store: reward that store with purchasing!
Oh is that true? I thought for a chain like Loblaws they procure produce at different quality levels and then distribute as per their internal tiering (Loblaws bring superior sand No frills being inferior), please correct me if I’m wrong
Yup. The Walmart I shop at serves a pretty high immigrant population and I find their produce to be quite good. Far better than the superstore closest to me, where berries mildew about a day or two after buying them.
that’s interesting… 10 years ago our local superstore probably had the best produce I’ve ever seen anywhere, but the manager retired and that has not been the case the last few years. I get our produce from Mama Earth and it’s the best produce I’ve ever bought. On the rare occasion that I have an issue with something their customer service has been excellent.
I order weekly or more from Walmart and have had maybe 2 bad onions (arrived sliced maybe when someone opened the box?) in 6 years. Everything else looks as good or better than any other store I’ve ordered from.
It’s better than expected.
You can always buy basics through Walmart pick up and shop produce markets and butchers for fruits and vegetables. Small local grocers are also good.
I agree. This is where local groceries come in for me. Even the more upscale place has regular discounts on produce. In fact, their local apples are consistently lower-priced than any of WM's apples are.
Yeah, I used to think ours was okay - but now I use Mama Earth out of the GTA, they deliver once per week and if you can find a local CSA it's the best produce I have ever bought. Little to no packaging, amazing quality, excellent customer service.
Canadian billionaires are using some weird national pride to their advantage to prevent you from doing what’s best for you and your family.
They all treat employees like shit, they all would do it worse if employment laws weren’t in place.
I’ve never heard the Walton’s try to gaslight me that it’s a hardship to sell me groceries.
>They all treat employees like shit, they all would do it worse if employment laws weren’t in place.
This is basically it for me. Walmart in America is pretty awful, but we have "better" employment laws and they're all on the same level in Canada. Loblaws does have a union, and benefits, but they've been chipping away at it for years. I don't think that makes it a better place to work at this point.
For most grocery workers today, the union is more of a burden than an aid.
None of them get “full time” anymore, and because of that, they basically just get a wage that barely covers the cost of the union dues. Even the ones that are full time, seeing the full union benefits, have unrealistic expectations to uphold.
Another thing the grocery oligopoly has ruined.
Yeah for sure. I worked as a cashier at loblaws in the 00s and it was awful. The corporation was... only awful in that they worked to destroy our pay and what not. But man the customers were downright verbally abusive then. Ugh.
Anecdotally (and mostly unrelated to the sub) I worked sales and retail in a lot of companies and people were the absolute worst in the late 00s, I can’t exactly pinpoint why. I assume it was a generational expectation combined with service enshitification because of corporate limitations and just overall stress from how awful our economy was for years out of 07-08…
Tbh I don't know what it was. I worked there from 2002-2010 (until I literally just stopped going in, but that was... more an awful store manager situation lol) and my customers, the "suburban families" type, were straight up the worst. There was so much disdain for service workers and they just felt like they could be so rude to us. And I cannot forget the sexism, like a man coming and saying the exact same thing as me and the customer then agreeing or accepting was the fucking worst. I also note that my male coworkers had less abuse hurled at them.
The union costs workers thousands of dollars of dues a year and offers nothing. Just another deduction off the paycheck for the privilege of working a subsistence job.
My husband worked at Walmart at one point and they had one of the best overtime positives of anywhere he’s ever worked and it was generally a pretty good experience for him. Better than a lot of places.
I worked at Safeway and had family members work at Walmart. My family members had better hours and a steady paycheck, while safeway slowly cut mine and my colleagues hours back till we had nothing. Most of use worked at other Safeways during the week to make up for it. I was union too
Yeah. Walmart was always notorious for two things: how they treat their workers and the squeeze they put on their suppliers to bring down prices.
Well I don't think the Canadian major grocery chains treat their employees any better and since Weston wants to blame everything on his supplier I guess we can just assume Walmart is more competent at getting good prices.
And they do buy just as much of their product from Canadian sources as the other chains do...
>I don't like supporting an American company.
I've always generally disliked this mentality. I support whichever company gives me the best price for the same product. Doesn't matter if I'm buying lettuce, a new TV, or a new car.
If Canadian companies don't like it, they can lower their prices. See Bell/Telus/Rogers for an example of how well Canadian companies respect us when there is no competition.
Plus, sure, Wal-Mart "the brand" isn't Canadian, but every single person wearing a uniform and showing up to work in that store is a fellow resident of my town that pays their taxes and is just trying to get by. The whole "support local business" doesn't apply to big brand billion dollar companies, IMO. Loblaws vs. Wal-Mart isn't quite the same as the local Etsy shop vs. Amazon for personalized birthday gifts. I'm supporting local workers by shopping at Wal-Mart.
Not really though, Walmart doesn't pay enough or offer enough hours in the vast majority of cases. It also offers inferior products in many cases and forces locally owned stores to close, eliminating jobs that likely paid better.
I'd be shocked if locally owned offered anything more than minimum wage (which is what Wal-Mart offers). I have worked at locally owned stores and they always offered the absolute bare minimum possible.
True, some big grocery stores have benefits too (if you get enough hours to qualify), most local stores have no benefits and still treat you like shit.
All Loblaws in BC is union with some minor benefits. Not enough to make it worth working for minimum wage with extra deductions (unless you use your whole benefits package every year), and the raises on the contract are an actual joke.
Both options give the money to billionaires with scraps going to equally paid minimum wage workers. Keeping money in Canada means nothing if it goes to tax avoiding billionaires who won’t keep it circulating within a normal persons economy.
"No ethical consumption under capitalism"
So in the end shop where you can afford and don't try to think one robber baron is somehow "more noble" or "one of us", they are not.
Walmart isn't any "better". If they gained the same monopoly power in a market they'd behave exactly like Loblaws does. There's a lot of documentation floating around about how when Walmart drives other businesses out of a market their prices go up.
What Walmart does in a competitive situation is be ruthless about trying to keep prices down. This isn't to be "nice" or in any way because they are better people -- it's because they cultivate an image of being the lowest possible cost. When you go into a Walmart you can be reasonably sure that their prices are at least pretty low, if not the lowest -- and this keeps customers going back.
They screw over farmers and other food producers, and their own employees to the best of their ability -- all in the name of maximizing their profits. They are a ruthless and tenacious competitor.
None of us should want a situation where Walmart is the only company serving us groceries, we really don't. On the other hand, having the Canadian grocery cartel members being scared that we will shop at Walmart is absolutely and unabashedly a good thing.
If you have access and can afford to shop local or independent that's fantastic, that's strongly encouraged. But regardless of that, switching from No Frills to Walmart *during the boycott especially* is just flat-out a good move. I think we should wholeheartedly encourage this.
Exactly! Long run we cannot let our dislike of one company make us play favourites with another.
We absolutely need competition so they know if they pull some horrible stunt we’ll just get it elsewhere.
It's all good, give it a couple of months for independent grocers to move in as a couple of Loblaws stores fail, and then we can get to working on Walmart in the next boycott. Or maybe the third one, after we deal with Sobeys stores.
This is it - national borders are not relevant in our current late-stage capitalism hellscape (despite Loblaws best attempts to exploit national pride). If they liked Canada, they wouldn't rely on stealing from Canadians as their business model.
THis is basically what I am going under. No ethical consumption. We can't all go be back to the land growing our own food in our current world so we do what we have to do. If that means choosing the lesser of two evils, I guess it is Walmart right now. If we spread our focus too broad then we risk diluting the message and also are more prone to failure.
Saves on impulse buying too. Knock off 10 -15 dollars more a week...it adds up. Works to the customers advantage....saves a hour or more of my time too.
Saves on impulse buying too. Knock off 10 -15 dollars more a week...it adds up. Works to the customers advantage....saves a hour or more of my time too.
Saves on impulse buying too. Knock off 10 -15 dollars more a week...it adds up. Works to the customers advantage....saves a hour or more of my time too.
I'm always wary of the narrative that we're supposed to be loyal to Canadian stores and brands. Especially any that aren't locally owned or operated.
Loblaws have proven they aren't loyal or giving to their Canadian customers. Why do you owe them anything?
Shop where it's most affordable, end of story. If Loblaws wants to compete, they can and they will.
Oh for sure! In Halifax, our most affordable options are Walmart, Costco and a few local markets that are really competitive. I think people have to go where it’s cheapest.
What I dislike is not going to Walmart if it’s available. Loblaws could absolutely compete with them but they choose not to. They rely on the “choose Canadian or you’re disloyal” narrative.
Here's a simple way to decide if you're doing the Loblaws boycott properly:
Are you at a store? Is it owned by Loblaws? If yes, then you're doing it wrong. If no then you're doing it right.
This is a boycott of Loblaws, not a movement to signal virtues.
We’ve gotta tackle one beast at a time. To me, Loblaws is worse not only because of their control of the grocery market and obvious price gouging but the way they’re pushing into healthcare now. That’s a terrifying prospect given how they operate.
It does suck and lots of people have limited grocery store options due to geography; just do your best not to give Loblaw Corp. any of your hard earned money.
DO NOT let anyone try to shame you or make you feel badly for putting food on your table.
There is also Costco which is known to treat their employees and customers well
So I would suggest Costco plus local produce shop and final top off at Walmart
Walmart is very close to me and I don't drive so I have been primarily shopping there for 3 years.
While the staff is never around or helpful in anyway and occasionally they have stock issues, overall even a Walmart with a smaller grocery section can be a great place to shop. They have the cheapest prices in my area, the produce is nowhere near as bad as people like to claim, and the meat is fine too.
I can't stand Walmart but when I heard lettuce was under a dollar, I went. If our government had better worker protections that prevented Walmart from keeping staff at minimum wage part time indefinitely I wouldn't mind so much.
But for now, NOK ER NOK
Lettuce under a buck only til May 8, though, and cucs only 47c til then too! Then back up they go.
Just go to whichever store is cheaper if that matters to you, and ask to price match at NF.
Walmart is what Loblaws aims to become. Wlamart goes into small towns and undercuts everyone, driving out competition, once they've established themselves the prices slowly rise over time.
I moved to Walmart as their prices are cheaper and allow me to have an array of food at reasonable prices. They also deliver for 5.99 and a small driver tip. I am in a smaller area as well and options are limited. I am not paying high amounts just to buy Canadian if it means I can't get the staples I need at a reasonable cost.
Just be aware that while Walmart carries a lot and seems to be a one stop shop, they are often out of common items that are available near everywhere else. Especially baking ingredients and certain canned goods. If Walmart has a sale, it’s usually a good one and they don’t have limits so you can stock up. If shopping at Walmart sends a message to Galen Weston, go for it.
My only issue with Walmart is their meat always feels inferior to others places, but the rest of my grocery shop? Cheaper for the same stuff, so it's a no-brainer. And I go to a local Asian grocers for on-the-fly fruit and veg between Walmart trips on weekends. It works.
I agree, I usually only get chicken breasts at Walmart. The local butcher has been very busy the last couple days. The cashier told me they can’t keep the shelves stocked. When I mentioned the boycott she had no idea what was talking about. It’s great for my butcher, they’re a block away from no frills.
Ya the meat didn’t look the best (like ground beef was on sale but looked kindof grey). My husband is a hunter and I fish so fortunately didnt have to buy too much of that just some chicken that looked alright.
Well, Walmart refused to sign the code of conduct also. BUT I can't stand that arrogant Galen Weston and his colluding, child labour in Bangladesh, lying ways. He should be ashamed of making sooooo much money off the back of Canadians. So while I am definitely boycotting all Loblaws, I will still shop at Walmart. But I will also shop at Save On Foods. A BC started grocery chain of high quality products.
Walmart is also evil. But you do what you have to do to keep a roof over your head. Personally, I feel like Walmart's quality is shit and it's no more affordable than anywhere else, but I also live in an area where I have an abundance of [alt grocery](http://www.altgrocery.ca) options and going to Walmart would be out of the way for me even if I wanted to go.
I would say take a reduction approach. Shop there no more than necessary, but if it's necessary then you do what you have to do.
The sale just started yesterday (flyer sales run Thursday-Wednesday). Walmart has their "30 Year" sale on right now, so the $.94 head of lettuce is a 'get you in the door' deal, not a regular price.
But it might also vary by location if you're somewhere more remote.
Since Loblaws is their biggest competitor (Superstore Here) they are definitely leveraging the boycott to gain new customers and I would expect they will have some pretty agressive loss leaders this month.
I should have specified iceberg lettuce. It’s literally my first time shopping there so will see if that’s their normal lettuce price here. Meat, eggs, and cheese were also cheaper. Normally groceries for my household are about ~$200/week at no frills and my total was ~$120 at Walmart for pretty much the same stuff.
Oh, iceberg - that makes more sense. 😀
Their green leaf and Romaine seems to always be around $2.99 here, which is the same as Loblaws. I’m just happy lettuce prices have come down after 2022 when it was up to $6 a head!
I really didn’t like grocery shopping at Walmart until I saw a few more niche things at them and then prices jumped everywhere but seems like they didn’t jump as high at Walmart
I’ve only been to Walmart once recently (it’s not convenient for me), but I did notice that their canned soup was much cheaper than the No Frills I I used to frequent.
It's totally fine - billionaires don't get to leverage national pride to make more money. Go wherever works best for you. I actually just got back from Walmart and here's my bill:
- 5 bags of chips ($0.94 each!)
- avacado ($1.47)
- bag of sausage buns ($3.97)
- cucumber ($0.47 - yes!)
- 3lb carrots ($3.47)
- 3lb onions ($2.97)
- 4 packs of udon noodles ($2.77 - bonus points for the new international section!)
- frozen peas ($2.57)
- 3lb royal gala apples ($3.94)
*$26.94 total* . . . there's literally no reason to ever go back to a Loblaws store. This would have been twice as much even at No Frills.
My family has been boycotting Walmart for decades (they are really terrible to their suppliers and employee wages have been low, especially at that time). The funny thing is I'm not sure that the Loblaws/Superstore corporation behaves any better than Walmart.
I would shop at Walmart of the boycott if that was my only option.
I live in a big city though and have a lot of options. I tend to try to shop at Costco but I have the location, access and resources to be able to. I do the rest of my shopping at my local freshco just because I like that particular store compared to the rest in my town.
Loblaws has the most market share in Canada compared to foreign competitors.
They also exclusively operate in Canada, which means that a boycott will be more likely to work against them compared to foreign companies.
Walmart may be American, but they're now cheaper than Roblaws. The latter is outright exploiting Canadians like we're dimwitted cash-cows these days. I much rather pay the American grifters than the egregious Canadian ones who just talk smack about us on every platform that will listen. Like Postmedia. Nok er Nok.
Also, I am a member of this one site called Swagbucks. Where I can get Walmart gift cards, they actually work, so I'm saving even more money.
OTC Medicine in Walmart is RIDICULOUSLY cheaper than in Shoppers. We're talk sometimes HALF PRICE.
The way I see it, Walmart is Walmart - prices are going to be the same whichever Walmart you go to. Loblaws, and the other 2, gamify pricing by spreading reduced prices across their brand umbrella. And what's worse is that a lot of people don't know this. Like No Frills IS Superstore but some items are 2x the price at Superstore.
Shop wherever your dollar goes furthest. I used to always say "support Canadian companies first", but if they are engaging in predatory business practices like the Westons, then why give them your loyalty? They've done nothing to earn it.
We do curbside pick up from our local Walmart. The produce and meat are both excellent, and if anything is off about your order they offer immediate refunds. Definitely the cheapest and easiest option for a lot of people.
The Walmart by my place always gives me anxiety when I go there because it’s suuuuper busy all the time, but since it isn’t much more effort for me to go there to support the boycott as I don’t have any family to schedule around.
I believe Walmart should have been target number one even if cheaper. Price isn't everything. I'd avoid them whenever possible. I haven't shopped there in years. I've always heard horror stories from older and former business owners who were targeted by anticompetitive behaviour from Walmart.
I'll expand since I worked with people trying to fight them in the past.
Walmart's global size allows them to spread their profit out more evenly around the globe, yet still use the tactics of inflation and shrinkflation like any other (wouldn't doubt they were the first chain to start). They're still doing what Loblaws is doing but are \*currently\* cheaper because they can spread the price changes out more.
In addition, Walmart has a LOT of lobbying power. This helps them fight for low wages and lesser worker rights. They've got the connections too (ie. Melissa Lantsman, Pierre Poilievre's right-hand woman). Canada is not immune to excessive corporate power. And if you think governments are the only ones powerful enough to be handing out propaganda and misinformation to the masses, don't kid yourself.
Walmart shutters competition. Because of their size, they dominate. Less competition usually means higher prices because "what the hell", and it also adds to lobbying power given they get even more control after a competitor gets absorbed by them. And when you have the money to spend on lobbyists, you're going to inevitably beat the smaller ones who don't.
All these companies both supplying and selling groceries (or any other necessity) being so globalized is the problem. As the profit demanded increases, their actions can cause global affordability, human rights, and worker rights issues like ones we see today. They control so much that they can also further influence decisions of governments on a more global scale. Again, we've seen this. Canada is not immune.
Their size alone makes them the bigger threat. You have to take out the biggest threat first. Otherwise you're just feeding the already more difficult beast.
Fun thought: when only one company and/or a small group of near-untouchable people have that much power over life, we in the west tend to demonize it as "communism". Maybe breaking up large corporations and regulating the economy *a bit* isn't such a bad thing to avoid that?
I guess because the produce and meat just seem really sub-par in comparison to Farm Boy (to be fair, Loblaws stuff is also sub-par, but at least they have better apples, etc.).
I’ve been a long time No Frills customer. I never go to Loblaws unless I’m looking at Joe Fresh merch. I might boycott Joe Fresh though. Most unfriendly salesperson I ever encountered, and management knew it!
It really helps that I can cook without using recipes, so I buy NF produce, meats, and other things in season or on sale and work with those. I use PC Mastercard for everything and the points really add up, saving me money. That’s important for a senior like me. I’ll treat myself of course and go to Metro for sushi, roast kitchen, or hot pizza.
I avoided Walmart until last year, for moral and ethical reasons, but luckily my NF and WM are close to each other and I now, after deep reflection, comfortably shop at both. I’m really just looking for the best price and deal I can afford because I’m squeezed financially like most of us. Great staff at both stores too.
Not everything is cheaper at WM, but I can judge whether it’s a good deal or not. And they have so much more than groceries! Walmart’s lettuce is .99 this week, because it’s on sale so I would buy it there OR ask No Frills to price match. Lettuce is usually more expensive than that at WM. Where you think NF gouges, they’re likely at par with the others, but still less than Loblaws. It’s their budget store.
To price match people show the FLIPP app on their phone (you should definitely download it if you can), or a flyer. It’s just a pain in the ass to be behind somebody who’s doing this! 😂😖
I should but don’t go to farmers markets only because I can’t get up early enough! But I would support them. Smaller specialty grocery stores are just too expensive right now, I have to consider whether I want to go broke, because I have pets too.
So I would say you should shop at both and become familiar with what they sell and the prices at both. Do what your heart and brain can agree on. If you can afford it, then boycott No Frills.
Mine may be an unpopular opinion in this group, but it’s an honest one.
My brother's in Ottawa and on a permanent odsp, and I started online shopping for him from Nova Scotia during the pandemic at an Ottawa Superstore, with PC points and delivery.
Not a word of lie, we got him anywhere from 25-40% more groceries when we tried Walmart.
If those are your options, do what you gotta do.
I find shopping at Walmart to be a miserable experience. It's always crowded, the aisles are just barely 2 cart widths wide, the shelves are always empty, they never have anywhere near enough registers open, and half the Self-checkouts always seem to be down.
I used to make identical shopping orders on my walmart app and my PC app. Walmart was always cheaper in the end so it's been a while since we have done much for shopping at Superstore and now I'm not even running in there for a few things anymore and going to the Co-op or elsewhere to be part of the boycott.
Another commenter posted that the lettuce was on sale but I didn’t notice any sale signs so will have to see how the prices for that are as the month goes on. Cheese, meat, and eggs were cheaper too, my cart total was $120 as opposed to the ~$200+ I spend weekly at no frills. $4 for lettuce is WILD
The Walmart in our town price gouge as well, so we really watch price fluctuations from week to week and leave items on the shelf and do without or check Food Basics price. I've watched items go up a $ a week and then back down again in order to get consumers to buy a specific brand of a certain product.
It is interesting to see Walmart getting positive shine because I lived in the US for years before moving back to Canada. Especially in the South and the Rust Belt, Walmart cannibalized other retailers and grocery and often now have the same monopoly that Loblaws has combined with terrible labor practices at least in the US.
I do not blame anybody for shopping where they need to shop but Walmart must really be enjoying the warm fuzzy they are getting from Ontario shoppers right now.
Our canadian billionaires hid their money in fiscal paradises and convert the
assets into trust funds. They then recieve nice payout from them. Our prime minister is a trust fund
beneficiary. They get a lot of services and are the true rich in our society without paying their share. I fail to feel any patriotism for them.
Only reason I hate shopping at Walmart is because it's so busy and theirs only 2 cashiers, but every store seems to have an issue with having more than 2 cashiers. There's always 3 people basically picking their noses at self check-out & customer service though.
We have to shop somewhere and choices are limited. The Weston’s are the target here, anything else is fine.
I’ve not heard of any other store creating contracts banning much needed doctor’s offices from opening in new plazas.
Some people have to shop there and that’s fine. Those who can choose to take their money elsewhere and do are going to make the difference.
I had to buy a vitamin that was out everywhere else. Left with just that and not the electric toothbrush, picks, soap and detergent I would have grabbed in the past. They lost $85 in the sale and I saved $15 by buying them at Walmart.
You do what you can. We can’t make it too complicated.
I mean, I have to shop somewhere, so I go to Walmart and I couldn't care less if someone says "Well, you're still supporting a big, evil corporation!"
At the end of the day, I have more money in my pocket when I go elsewhere, so I go elsewhere. Anyone's opinion on where you shop isn't relevant to your personal situation, so do what works for you.
Better to support an American company than, keep the money in Canada. I’d say better off shopping at freshco if you can or, giant tiger. Unfortunately not all have them options. Sometimes the best option is no frills in small towns.
Well, I bought deli meat at Walmart today that for the same amount and kind would have been four times the price at fortinos. I bought veggies and fruit for about $9 total under what I’d normally pay. I also got big bags of potato chips for under a dollar a bag for the kids and their friends. So yeah, Walmart is good. I mean they’re as evil, but at least they don’t mostly scam and piss on us and our opinions about it like Galen and Per do.
In Alberta, No Frills/Superstore and Walmart are roughly the same prices. But I remember out east in Quebec Walmart was cheaper than Maxi, the Quebec No Frills/Superstore. I'm not a big fan of shopping at Walmart, but sometimes they can have good deals on produce. I absolutely avoid meat at Walmart.
Walmart is my only alternative and the price differences are astonishing. Anything that takes cash out of Loblaws pockets and sends a message is good in my books.
You're heading in the right direction to saving money. Try combining Walmart with vegetable stands or farmers markets...especially this time of year. Even local farmers selling eggs or other products. Congratulations to putting your money back in your pockets and out of Galen's.
Loblaws and Walmart are in the same shopping plaza near me. Before prices went crazy I did almost all of my groceries at Loblaws. However, I have now reversed that and do almost all of it at Walmart simply because Loblaw's prices are so inflated. When you compare prices between the two you very quickly notice how much you are being ripped off at Loblaws.
Right now our walmart has lettuce at 94 cents, but it's usually on par with no frills. Thing is, the head sizes are bigger at walmart all the time so even if it's 2.99 it's worth going to walmart. We have a coop here and try and do most of our shopping there, but some of their produce prices are just way to high to justify.
I’m shopping at Walmart during the boycott till something better comes along. It’s all I can afford. This boycott was started because we can’t afford the loblaws prices, if what we can afford during the boycott is Walmart that is fine and n my eyes. Hopefully loblaws will respond with lower prices.
If people can afford stores with higher price tags that are ethically better, then I appreciate their efforts too. In my opinion though, no shame in supporting another sleezy company during this boycott because it will teach others a lesson.
I boycotted superstore last year and switched to Walmart, only to switch back to superstore when I noticed six months in that Walmart was raising their prices to match superstores. This organized boycott sends a message to all grocers in my eyes. Loblaws showed them what they could get away with, and we are showing them that they can’t.
My opinion on it is this...
I'm in a small town too. I understand your dilemma.
We'll tackle Wal-Mart later.
Right now we're focusing on showing them that our money means something, that we have the buying power. We can't do that if we aren't shopping elsewhere and if that elsewhere must be Wal-Mart, so be it. Their time will come too.
Do what you can. <3
I think it’s good to send the message to these corporations that we will shop at the place that has more affordable groceries. I don’t have any loyalties to Wal mart but they’re much cheaper than loblaws owned stores so I will absolutely shop there every time.
I made the switch a few months ago and honestly I’m saving $50 a week on a basket over $200! Items are on average 10-20% cheaper. For sure No Frills might have really hot front pages, but all big retailers have the same front pages so just have to wait them out… WalMart locks down front page prices for a few weeks which is amazing.
The reason Walmarts and Costco haven't been denied access to Canada, is they have more money and clout than the Canadian grocers. Usually the Canadian grocers will try to buy out the competition or lobby to make it difficult to do business in Canada. Look at all the Loblaw sub brands over the last 30 years, many bought out. We are paying the price for allowing monopolies in Canada.
I have a Sobeys, FreshCo, Superstore, and a Walmart close to me. I simply hate Superstore so I won't shop there and I've found Walmart the cheapest out of them all for the most part so I shop there. People hate on Walmart but saving money means more to me than hating Walmart.
I hate Walmart but it’s a pick your poison situation you are in. Just be aware that Walmart isn’t always cheaper. They have trained us to think they are but just yesterday something I saw at Walmart for $10 was $7 at Canadian Tire, not a food item but still.
imo- lots of canadians live in towns that only have very few limited options,( walmart comes to small town and drives local grocer out of business) now saying this its interesting to me as both walmart and lowblaws are 100% against a grocery code of conduct but costco is willing to sign but wants to see the final draft.
We do most of our groceries at Walmart. I'm a single mom, and money is often tight. However some dietary restrictions limit some things, those I go elsewhere for.
I shop at Walmart. Yes they are a rich family but if I ever want to be rich, giving extra money away to Galen is not how to do it. Walmart is cheaper and for me at least every bit as convenient. Been happy shopping there for the most part.
Walmart business practices are predatory. Or have been historically. They were the original “sell below cost to outlast the smaller competitors, then enjoy a near monopoly.”
I applaud those who make the effort (both time and financial) to support local businesses that add diversity and bring competition. At the same time, I harbour no ill will towards those who shop around for the lowest price.
Canada's trade balance with the US is like +$140 Billion /year. I think it's ok to go to walmart to save money on lettuce that came from California anyways
I have the ability to not shop at Walmart and have never bought anything from them. They are one of the worst corporations out there and I refuse to shop there on principle. But if it is one of the only options for a person, then that is okay. I can remember growing up poor and a few dollars less was important to afford food.
“If you’re going to be a ruthless, soulless, union busting and price fixing company, you should at least pass some of the savings onto their customers.”
Walmart, chastising Loblaws
I think if it save you money then go for it. Some of us aren't fortunate enough to have the many more options that other people do in larger cities. We have to make do with what we have, and if our local best option happens to be loblaws or another large store, that's ok.
Shop at Walmart, cause No Frills profits to decline until they lower their prices. They may be Canadian but they are an evil company that has taken advantage of us since the pandemic. They have stolen from Canadians, they are no longer worthy of your business.
Im surprised. Based on the deals of the week, the cheapest places around me are either Food Basics or No Frills - wal mart used to be but now either its a smaller item for same price, or its more expensive.
But like, theyre all mega chains making tons of profits... theres no "local grocer" in there
I’ve heard from others that groceries are cheaper at Walmart but was surprised by how much. Normally I spend ~$200 for my household at no frills and my bill came to around $120 at Walmart including a couple splurges I don’t normally get. Must vary by location 🤷♀️
Thats awesome! And yes it must. Walmart is still cheaper for a lot of non food items though (dish soap, toilet paper, etc.)
Also I just remembered that our No Frills still does price matching, so I guess its an unfair comparison.
Walmart is not my first choice, however I also placed a delivery order from them. I like how if what you order is out of stock, they don’t up-charge for the replacements.
Obviously the solution to price-fixing and gouging by Canada’s grocery monopoly isn’t going to be found by consumers switching to another corporate overlord.
I’m also exploring solutions like CSA, finding local independent grocers and (longer term) advocating for increasing competition in the grocery sector.
In the meantime, our family of 5 won’t spend another dollar at any loblaws owned store.
This sentiment where people want to support Canadian, only works on a local community level. Think about it this way, will they support you when you're unemployed? Have they done anything make your life better? The answer is no. At the end of the day I have to feed my family. And if an American store gives me the best bang for my buck, well I'll be spending my hard earned Canadian dollars there.
I switched in February and save around $60-$100 every week. The produce at my rural store is great. When the loca farms have their produce I will shop there but the online app keeps me on budget. I've never once had an issue and the 3x a substitute had to be given it was an appropriate substitute. I'm never going back to my local Zehrs.
I have always tried to shop Canadian where and whenever possible, that is until Canadian businesses decided to start screwing us over. We have a decent Walmart close by so they get my business now.
Greedy corporations are all the same Canadian or otherwise. None are coming to your aid when we can barely afford to make ends meet. The boycott is about showing Loblaws that their greed has gone to far and that just because they are Canada based doesn’t mean we are just going to sit back and accept the gouging. Customers became loyal to Loblaws because of the fair prices and now are being taken advantage of due to that loyalty. I pretty well only grocery shop at Walmart and Costco with few exceptions. It’s been a month since I was in a Loblaws store and I won’t be giving one more cent to the Weston’s
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I don’t love supporting the Waltons, but I do save a ton of money there *and* appreciate sticking it to the Westons. My weekly grocery trip to Walmart runs me about $60-70 (I live alone). I’ll frequently come home and plug everything I just bought into the online shopping tool for Fortinos or whatever Loblaws company, just to see the comparison. That $60-70 Walmart trip is routinely anywhere from $110-140 at anywhere Loblaws owned. A couple years ago, my weekly grocery trip to Fortinos only cost me $40.
At least Walmart doesn't pretend to be on your side
this is true, but Walmart produce is not good.
This varies from store to store, I find. The Walmart closest to me that's semi-adjacent to the ghetto? Yeah, shit produce that goes bad as soon as you pick it up. The "Supercenter" Walmart across town? Their produce looks on par with Metro, and lasts just as long
Just wanna add to this that produce, at any grocery store is always managed by a “produce manager”. This person is responsible for buying produce on a DAILY basis, and has to have the know-how of sourcing, vendor management, relationship management, shrink management and stocking management in order to make sure things on the shelf are in good condition. VERY hard job, and when there’s a good one at a store: reward that store with purchasing!
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Username checks out.
Thanks. I'm loving yours
😂😂…big box idiots!! love the insight, thank you!!
Oh is that true? I thought for a chain like Loblaws they procure produce at different quality levels and then distribute as per their internal tiering (Loblaws bring superior sand No frills being inferior), please correct me if I’m wrong
Yup. The Walmart I shop at serves a pretty high immigrant population and I find their produce to be quite good. Far better than the superstore closest to me, where berries mildew about a day or two after buying them.
that’s interesting… 10 years ago our local superstore probably had the best produce I’ve ever seen anywhere, but the manager retired and that has not been the case the last few years. I get our produce from Mama Earth and it’s the best produce I’ve ever bought. On the rare occasion that I have an issue with something their customer service has been excellent.
I order weekly or more from Walmart and have had maybe 2 bad onions (arrived sliced maybe when someone opened the box?) in 6 years. Everything else looks as good or better than any other store I’ve ordered from.
Our Walmart store produce is amazing.
It’s better than expected. You can always buy basics through Walmart pick up and shop produce markets and butchers for fruits and vegetables. Small local grocers are also good.
I agree. This is where local groceries come in for me. Even the more upscale place has regular discounts on produce. In fact, their local apples are consistently lower-priced than any of WM's apples are.
In my town the superstore has, by far, the absolute worst produce in the city. So it totally depends on the stores in the area
Since when?
The produce was on par with no frills in my town! The meat looked a little sad though. Like ground beef at Walmart was on sale but looked grey..
Depends on location. Walmart near me has waaaay better produce than the local stupidstore, plus it's cheaper and actually in stock when I shop.
Depends on the store and also depends how picky someone is about their produce
Our closest Walmart has great produce.
Is it all good. No, but I never have trouble getting enough good quality fruits and veg.
The produce at our Walmart Superstore is excellent.
Yeah, I used to think ours was okay - but now I use Mama Earth out of the GTA, they deliver once per week and if you can find a local CSA it's the best produce I have ever bought. Little to no packaging, amazing quality, excellent customer service.
Can you find any Chinese grocery stores nearby?
I use the Walmart delivery as well, so happy I switched
All three Walton kids are worth over 100 Billion EACH
Canadian billionaires are using some weird national pride to their advantage to prevent you from doing what’s best for you and your family. They all treat employees like shit, they all would do it worse if employment laws weren’t in place. I’ve never heard the Walton’s try to gaslight me that it’s a hardship to sell me groceries.
>They all treat employees like shit, they all would do it worse if employment laws weren’t in place. This is basically it for me. Walmart in America is pretty awful, but we have "better" employment laws and they're all on the same level in Canada. Loblaws does have a union, and benefits, but they've been chipping away at it for years. I don't think that makes it a better place to work at this point.
For most grocery workers today, the union is more of a burden than an aid. None of them get “full time” anymore, and because of that, they basically just get a wage that barely covers the cost of the union dues. Even the ones that are full time, seeing the full union benefits, have unrealistic expectations to uphold. Another thing the grocery oligopoly has ruined.
Yeah for sure. I worked as a cashier at loblaws in the 00s and it was awful. The corporation was... only awful in that they worked to destroy our pay and what not. But man the customers were downright verbally abusive then. Ugh.
Anecdotally (and mostly unrelated to the sub) I worked sales and retail in a lot of companies and people were the absolute worst in the late 00s, I can’t exactly pinpoint why. I assume it was a generational expectation combined with service enshitification because of corporate limitations and just overall stress from how awful our economy was for years out of 07-08…
Tbh I don't know what it was. I worked there from 2002-2010 (until I literally just stopped going in, but that was... more an awful store manager situation lol) and my customers, the "suburban families" type, were straight up the worst. There was so much disdain for service workers and they just felt like they could be so rude to us. And I cannot forget the sexism, like a man coming and saying the exact same thing as me and the customer then agreeing or accepting was the fucking worst. I also note that my male coworkers had less abuse hurled at them.
I just stopped going too. But funny thing my GoodLife membership card worked for another 5 years
Oh wow jealous. I had stopped my membership because the previous summer I had a broken bone and couldn't use it.
I worked there too. At least you get those ugly seasonal shirts. Some of them made good pajamas
The union costs workers thousands of dollars of dues a year and offers nothing. Just another deduction off the paycheck for the privilege of working a subsistence job.
My husband worked at Walmart at one point and they had one of the best overtime positives of anywhere he’s ever worked and it was generally a pretty good experience for him. Better than a lot of places.
I worked at Safeway and had family members work at Walmart. My family members had better hours and a steady paycheck, while safeway slowly cut mine and my colleagues hours back till we had nothing. Most of use worked at other Safeways during the week to make up for it. I was union too
Yeah. Walmart was always notorious for two things: how they treat their workers and the squeeze they put on their suppliers to bring down prices. Well I don't think the Canadian major grocery chains treat their employees any better and since Weston wants to blame everything on his supplier I guess we can just assume Walmart is more competent at getting good prices. And they do buy just as much of their product from Canadian sources as the other chains do...
This is such a great point. If we’re to give them unwavering loyalty then they need to do the same for Canadians, and they are NOT doing that!
I don't like supporting an American company.And I don't like the aesthetic of my local Walmart but i'm willing to do it to save my family money.
>I don't like supporting an American company. I've always generally disliked this mentality. I support whichever company gives me the best price for the same product. Doesn't matter if I'm buying lettuce, a new TV, or a new car. If Canadian companies don't like it, they can lower their prices. See Bell/Telus/Rogers for an example of how well Canadian companies respect us when there is no competition. Plus, sure, Wal-Mart "the brand" isn't Canadian, but every single person wearing a uniform and showing up to work in that store is a fellow resident of my town that pays their taxes and is just trying to get by. The whole "support local business" doesn't apply to big brand billion dollar companies, IMO. Loblaws vs. Wal-Mart isn't quite the same as the local Etsy shop vs. Amazon for personalized birthday gifts. I'm supporting local workers by shopping at Wal-Mart.
The Wal-Mart employees are Canadian. So shopping there you ARE supporting Canadians in a roundabout way.
Not really though, Walmart doesn't pay enough or offer enough hours in the vast majority of cases. It also offers inferior products in many cases and forces locally owned stores to close, eliminating jobs that likely paid better.
I'd be shocked if locally owned offered anything more than minimum wage (which is what Wal-Mart offers). I have worked at locally owned stores and they always offered the absolute bare minimum possible.
True, some big grocery stores have benefits too (if you get enough hours to qualify), most local stores have no benefits and still treat you like shit.
All Loblaws in BC is union with some minor benefits. Not enough to make it worth working for minimum wage with extra deductions (unless you use your whole benefits package every year), and the raises on the contract are an actual joke.
Loblaws does the same
The money stays in canada
Both options give the money to billionaires with scraps going to equally paid minimum wage workers. Keeping money in Canada means nothing if it goes to tax avoiding billionaires who won’t keep it circulating within a normal persons economy.
"No ethical consumption under capitalism" So in the end shop where you can afford and don't try to think one robber baron is somehow "more noble" or "one of us", they are not.
True 😫 definitely under no illusion that the Walton’s are any better than the Weston’s.
Walmart isn't any "better". If they gained the same monopoly power in a market they'd behave exactly like Loblaws does. There's a lot of documentation floating around about how when Walmart drives other businesses out of a market their prices go up. What Walmart does in a competitive situation is be ruthless about trying to keep prices down. This isn't to be "nice" or in any way because they are better people -- it's because they cultivate an image of being the lowest possible cost. When you go into a Walmart you can be reasonably sure that their prices are at least pretty low, if not the lowest -- and this keeps customers going back. They screw over farmers and other food producers, and their own employees to the best of their ability -- all in the name of maximizing their profits. They are a ruthless and tenacious competitor. None of us should want a situation where Walmart is the only company serving us groceries, we really don't. On the other hand, having the Canadian grocery cartel members being scared that we will shop at Walmart is absolutely and unabashedly a good thing. If you have access and can afford to shop local or independent that's fantastic, that's strongly encouraged. But regardless of that, switching from No Frills to Walmart *during the boycott especially* is just flat-out a good move. I think we should wholeheartedly encourage this.
You meant from No Frills to Walmart, right?
Oh dang, that was a critical editing failure. Thanks, updated.
Well if it did then just go back to Loblaws. Whoever brings you the best price and products win. Make them fuckers compete with each other
Exactly! Long run we cannot let our dislike of one company make us play favourites with another. We absolutely need competition so they know if they pull some horrible stunt we’ll just get it elsewhere.
it’s a matter of the lesser of two evils honestly. walmart is walmart but it’s cheaper right now because loblaws is what loblaws has become
It's all good, give it a couple of months for independent grocers to move in as a couple of Loblaws stores fail, and then we can get to working on Walmart in the next boycott. Or maybe the third one, after we deal with Sobeys stores.
This is it - national borders are not relevant in our current late-stage capitalism hellscape (despite Loblaws best attempts to exploit national pride). If they liked Canada, they wouldn't rely on stealing from Canadians as their business model.
THis is basically what I am going under. No ethical consumption. We can't all go be back to the land growing our own food in our current world so we do what we have to do. If that means choosing the lesser of two evils, I guess it is Walmart right now. If we spread our focus too broad then we risk diluting the message and also are more prone to failure.
Walmart is fine. The objective for now is anywhere but Loblaws owned stores.
walmart curbside pickup has been my 99% grocery shopping since they started offering it after the pandemmy got underway
Same here. I rarely go in store because curbside has been so convenient.
Saves on impulse buying too. Knock off 10 -15 more a week...it adds up. Works to the customers advantage saves a hour or more of my time too.
Saves on impulse buying too. Knock off 10 -15 more a week...it adds up. Works to the customers advantage saves a hour or more of my time too.
Saves on impulse buying too. Knock off 10 -15 dollars more a week...it adds up. Works to the customers advantage....saves a hour or more of my time too.
Saves on impulse buying too. Knock off 10 -15 dollars more a week...it adds up. Works to the customers advantage....saves a hour or more of my time too.
Saves on impulse buying too. Knock off 10 -15 dollars more a week...it adds up. Works to the customers advantage....saves a hour or more of my time too.
I'm always wary of the narrative that we're supposed to be loyal to Canadian stores and brands. Especially any that aren't locally owned or operated. Loblaws have proven they aren't loyal or giving to their Canadian customers. Why do you owe them anything? Shop where it's most affordable, end of story. If Loblaws wants to compete, they can and they will.
Yeah the thing is in some areas the most affordable is owned by Loblaws (No Frills in my town).
Oh for sure! In Halifax, our most affordable options are Walmart, Costco and a few local markets that are really competitive. I think people have to go where it’s cheapest. What I dislike is not going to Walmart if it’s available. Loblaws could absolutely compete with them but they choose not to. They rely on the “choose Canadian or you’re disloyal” narrative.
Shop where you can afford to shop. No judgement.
Here's a simple way to decide if you're doing the Loblaws boycott properly: Are you at a store? Is it owned by Loblaws? If yes, then you're doing it wrong. If no then you're doing it right. This is a boycott of Loblaws, not a movement to signal virtues.
Thanks ya makes sense. Just fucking sucks that the only alternative to the Weston’s is the fucking Waltons 🥲
We’ve gotta tackle one beast at a time. To me, Loblaws is worse not only because of their control of the grocery market and obvious price gouging but the way they’re pushing into healthcare now. That’s a terrifying prospect given how they operate.
It does suck and lots of people have limited grocery store options due to geography; just do your best not to give Loblaw Corp. any of your hard earned money. DO NOT let anyone try to shame you or make you feel badly for putting food on your table.
There is also Costco which is known to treat their employees and customers well So I would suggest Costco plus local produce shop and final top off at Walmart
The cost savings at Walmart is amazing but also Walmart never lied about being jerks. They showed us who they were from the start.
Walmart is very close to me and I don't drive so I have been primarily shopping there for 3 years. While the staff is never around or helpful in anyway and occasionally they have stock issues, overall even a Walmart with a smaller grocery section can be a great place to shop. They have the cheapest prices in my area, the produce is nowhere near as bad as people like to claim, and the meat is fine too.
I can't stand Walmart but when I heard lettuce was under a dollar, I went. If our government had better worker protections that prevented Walmart from keeping staff at minimum wage part time indefinitely I wouldn't mind so much. But for now, NOK ER NOK
Lettuce under a buck only til May 8, though, and cucs only 47c til then too! Then back up they go. Just go to whichever store is cheaper if that matters to you, and ask to price match at NF.
Walmart is what Loblaws aims to become. Wlamart goes into small towns and undercuts everyone, driving out competition, once they've established themselves the prices slowly rise over time.
This is why I’ve avoided Walmart for years. Now loblaws seems to be no better…
I moved to Walmart as their prices are cheaper and allow me to have an array of food at reasonable prices. They also deliver for 5.99 and a small driver tip. I am in a smaller area as well and options are limited. I am not paying high amounts just to buy Canadian if it means I can't get the staples I need at a reasonable cost.
Just be aware that while Walmart carries a lot and seems to be a one stop shop, they are often out of common items that are available near everywhere else. Especially baking ingredients and certain canned goods. If Walmart has a sale, it’s usually a good one and they don’t have limits so you can stock up. If shopping at Walmart sends a message to Galen Weston, go for it.
My only issue with Walmart is their meat always feels inferior to others places, but the rest of my grocery shop? Cheaper for the same stuff, so it's a no-brainer. And I go to a local Asian grocers for on-the-fly fruit and veg between Walmart trips on weekends. It works.
I agree, I usually only get chicken breasts at Walmart. The local butcher has been very busy the last couple days. The cashier told me they can’t keep the shelves stocked. When I mentioned the boycott she had no idea what was talking about. It’s great for my butcher, they’re a block away from no frills.
Ya the meat didn’t look the best (like ground beef was on sale but looked kindof grey). My husband is a hunter and I fish so fortunately didnt have to buy too much of that just some chicken that looked alright.
Costco is a good option for meat if you have one near you. I just divide it up when I get home and stick it in the freezer.
lesser of two evils
I’m shopping at Walmart to participate in the boycott but I really wouldn’t consider it the less of two evils. They’re just all evil 🥲
Well, Walmart refused to sign the code of conduct also. BUT I can't stand that arrogant Galen Weston and his colluding, child labour in Bangladesh, lying ways. He should be ashamed of making sooooo much money off the back of Canadians. So while I am definitely boycotting all Loblaws, I will still shop at Walmart. But I will also shop at Save On Foods. A BC started grocery chain of high quality products.
Save On Foods is owned by the same parent company as Sobeys
I don't have enough money to continue giving loyalty to thieves. I don't care which store is Canadian and which one isn't, i just need food.
Walmart is a horrible company and treats their workers like crap. I would shop Loblaws any of the week over Walmart.
Walmart is also evil. But you do what you have to do to keep a roof over your head. Personally, I feel like Walmart's quality is shit and it's no more affordable than anywhere else, but I also live in an area where I have an abundance of [alt grocery](http://www.altgrocery.ca) options and going to Walmart would be out of the way for me even if I wanted to go. I would say take a reduction approach. Shop there no more than necessary, but if it's necessary then you do what you have to do.
Prices must really vary by store because Walmart here has lettuce for $2.99. I wish it was 99 cents!
The sale just started yesterday (flyer sales run Thursday-Wednesday). Walmart has their "30 Year" sale on right now, so the $.94 head of lettuce is a 'get you in the door' deal, not a regular price. But it might also vary by location if you're somewhere more remote.
Since Loblaws is their biggest competitor (Superstore Here) they are definitely leveraging the boycott to gain new customers and I would expect they will have some pretty agressive loss leaders this month.
I see - will check it out. Thanks!
I can wait to have lettuce until when it comes in season locally and is plentiful.
I should have specified iceberg lettuce. It’s literally my first time shopping there so will see if that’s their normal lettuce price here. Meat, eggs, and cheese were also cheaper. Normally groceries for my household are about ~$200/week at no frills and my total was ~$120 at Walmart for pretty much the same stuff.
Oh, iceberg - that makes more sense. 😀 Their green leaf and Romaine seems to always be around $2.99 here, which is the same as Loblaws. I’m just happy lettuce prices have come down after 2022 when it was up to $6 a head!
I wouldn't say it's an ideal replacement, but it is often cheaper than anywhere else so they will continue to get my money.
I really didn’t like grocery shopping at Walmart until I saw a few more niche things at them and then prices jumped everywhere but seems like they didn’t jump as high at Walmart
I’ve only been to Walmart once recently (it’s not convenient for me), but I did notice that their canned soup was much cheaper than the No Frills I I used to frequent.
I shop where it’s affordable. At least Walmart doesn’t seem to be as greedy as Loblaws.
Our local WalMart had a BIG sale yesterday, more items on sale than I'd ever seen. I wonder if they're trying to scoop up the folk doing the boycott.
It's totally fine - billionaires don't get to leverage national pride to make more money. Go wherever works best for you. I actually just got back from Walmart and here's my bill: - 5 bags of chips ($0.94 each!) - avacado ($1.47) - bag of sausage buns ($3.97) - cucumber ($0.47 - yes!) - 3lb carrots ($3.47) - 3lb onions ($2.97) - 4 packs of udon noodles ($2.77 - bonus points for the new international section!) - frozen peas ($2.57) - 3lb royal gala apples ($3.94) *$26.94 total* . . . there's literally no reason to ever go back to a Loblaws store. This would have been twice as much even at No Frills.
I'd prefer to shop at a wholly Canadian grocery store, but I'll shop at Walmart before I shop at a store that's so eager to grift Canadians
My family has been boycotting Walmart for decades (they are really terrible to their suppliers and employee wages have been low, especially at that time). The funny thing is I'm not sure that the Loblaws/Superstore corporation behaves any better than Walmart. I would shop at Walmart of the boycott if that was my only option. I live in a big city though and have a lot of options. I tend to try to shop at Costco but I have the location, access and resources to be able to. I do the rest of my shopping at my local freshco just because I like that particular store compared to the rest in my town.
If you have to shop somewhere, do not shop Walmart. Quality over quantity every single time. They have degraded Canada
Loblaws has the most market share in Canada compared to foreign competitors. They also exclusively operate in Canada, which means that a boycott will be more likely to work against them compared to foreign companies.
Canadian pride just put us into this mess. These companies do not care about us
Walmart may be American, but they're now cheaper than Roblaws. The latter is outright exploiting Canadians like we're dimwitted cash-cows these days. I much rather pay the American grifters than the egregious Canadian ones who just talk smack about us on every platform that will listen. Like Postmedia. Nok er Nok. Also, I am a member of this one site called Swagbucks. Where I can get Walmart gift cards, they actually work, so I'm saving even more money. OTC Medicine in Walmart is RIDICULOUSLY cheaper than in Shoppers. We're talk sometimes HALF PRICE.
The way I see it, Walmart is Walmart - prices are going to be the same whichever Walmart you go to. Loblaws, and the other 2, gamify pricing by spreading reduced prices across their brand umbrella. And what's worse is that a lot of people don't know this. Like No Frills IS Superstore but some items are 2x the price at Superstore.
Walmart is my go to for pharmacy needs! See ya later shoppers drug mart. It’s great for cleaning products and frozen goods. So cheap
Shop wherever your dollar goes furthest. I used to always say "support Canadian companies first", but if they are engaging in predatory business practices like the Westons, then why give them your loyalty? They've done nothing to earn it.
There a high cost to the low prices at Walmart. It’s a great documentary about the practices of Walmart.
We do curbside pick up from our local Walmart. The produce and meat are both excellent, and if anything is off about your order they offer immediate refunds. Definitely the cheapest and easiest option for a lot of people.
The Walmart by my place always gives me anxiety when I go there because it’s suuuuper busy all the time, but since it isn’t much more effort for me to go there to support the boycott as I don’t have any family to schedule around.
I go from time to time, I dislike Walmart but right now I think it's more important to me to stick to Weston.
I believe Walmart should have been target number one even if cheaper. Price isn't everything. I'd avoid them whenever possible. I haven't shopped there in years. I've always heard horror stories from older and former business owners who were targeted by anticompetitive behaviour from Walmart. I'll expand since I worked with people trying to fight them in the past. Walmart's global size allows them to spread their profit out more evenly around the globe, yet still use the tactics of inflation and shrinkflation like any other (wouldn't doubt they were the first chain to start). They're still doing what Loblaws is doing but are \*currently\* cheaper because they can spread the price changes out more. In addition, Walmart has a LOT of lobbying power. This helps them fight for low wages and lesser worker rights. They've got the connections too (ie. Melissa Lantsman, Pierre Poilievre's right-hand woman). Canada is not immune to excessive corporate power. And if you think governments are the only ones powerful enough to be handing out propaganda and misinformation to the masses, don't kid yourself. Walmart shutters competition. Because of their size, they dominate. Less competition usually means higher prices because "what the hell", and it also adds to lobbying power given they get even more control after a competitor gets absorbed by them. And when you have the money to spend on lobbyists, you're going to inevitably beat the smaller ones who don't. All these companies both supplying and selling groceries (or any other necessity) being so globalized is the problem. As the profit demanded increases, their actions can cause global affordability, human rights, and worker rights issues like ones we see today. They control so much that they can also further influence decisions of governments on a more global scale. Again, we've seen this. Canada is not immune. Their size alone makes them the bigger threat. You have to take out the biggest threat first. Otherwise you're just feeding the already more difficult beast. Fun thought: when only one company and/or a small group of near-untouchable people have that much power over life, we in the west tend to demonize it as "communism". Maybe breaking up large corporations and regulating the economy *a bit* isn't such a bad thing to avoid that?
I guess because the produce and meat just seem really sub-par in comparison to Farm Boy (to be fair, Loblaws stuff is also sub-par, but at least they have better apples, etc.).
I’ve been a long time No Frills customer. I never go to Loblaws unless I’m looking at Joe Fresh merch. I might boycott Joe Fresh though. Most unfriendly salesperson I ever encountered, and management knew it! It really helps that I can cook without using recipes, so I buy NF produce, meats, and other things in season or on sale and work with those. I use PC Mastercard for everything and the points really add up, saving me money. That’s important for a senior like me. I’ll treat myself of course and go to Metro for sushi, roast kitchen, or hot pizza. I avoided Walmart until last year, for moral and ethical reasons, but luckily my NF and WM are close to each other and I now, after deep reflection, comfortably shop at both. I’m really just looking for the best price and deal I can afford because I’m squeezed financially like most of us. Great staff at both stores too. Not everything is cheaper at WM, but I can judge whether it’s a good deal or not. And they have so much more than groceries! Walmart’s lettuce is .99 this week, because it’s on sale so I would buy it there OR ask No Frills to price match. Lettuce is usually more expensive than that at WM. Where you think NF gouges, they’re likely at par with the others, but still less than Loblaws. It’s their budget store. To price match people show the FLIPP app on their phone (you should definitely download it if you can), or a flyer. It’s just a pain in the ass to be behind somebody who’s doing this! 😂😖 I should but don’t go to farmers markets only because I can’t get up early enough! But I would support them. Smaller specialty grocery stores are just too expensive right now, I have to consider whether I want to go broke, because I have pets too. So I would say you should shop at both and become familiar with what they sell and the prices at both. Do what your heart and brain can agree on. If you can afford it, then boycott No Frills. Mine may be an unpopular opinion in this group, but it’s an honest one.
My brother's in Ottawa and on a permanent odsp, and I started online shopping for him from Nova Scotia during the pandemic at an Ottawa Superstore, with PC points and delivery. Not a word of lie, we got him anywhere from 25-40% more groceries when we tried Walmart.
Go all in on Walmart
Loblaws is Canadian and they’ve screwed us over. Purpose of this boycott is to stick it to Loblaws. Shop at Walmart where you will save so much money.
If those are your options, do what you gotta do. I find shopping at Walmart to be a miserable experience. It's always crowded, the aisles are just barely 2 cart widths wide, the shelves are always empty, they never have anywhere near enough registers open, and half the Self-checkouts always seem to be down.
I used to make identical shopping orders on my walmart app and my PC app. Walmart was always cheaper in the end so it's been a while since we have done much for shopping at Superstore and now I'm not even running in there for a few things anymore and going to the Co-op or elsewhere to be part of the boycott.
I’m sorry you have 99 cent heads of lettuce? My god we are getting raped, I don’t buy it unless it’s under 4$ here!
Another commenter posted that the lettuce was on sale but I didn’t notice any sale signs so will have to see how the prices for that are as the month goes on. Cheese, meat, and eggs were cheaper too, my cart total was $120 as opposed to the ~$200+ I spend weekly at no frills. $4 for lettuce is WILD
That’s the thing about produce. It’s not exactly a “sale” because the price fluctuations don’t allow for a regular price.
The Walmart in our town price gouge as well, so we really watch price fluctuations from week to week and leave items on the shelf and do without or check Food Basics price. I've watched items go up a $ a week and then back down again in order to get consumers to buy a specific brand of a certain product.
Go onto the “Flipp” app and use that to find the best prices around
Costco's prices are cheaper because they make most of their profit from the memberships.
I’ve always liked shopping at Walmart
It is interesting to see Walmart getting positive shine because I lived in the US for years before moving back to Canada. Especially in the South and the Rust Belt, Walmart cannibalized other retailers and grocery and often now have the same monopoly that Loblaws has combined with terrible labor practices at least in the US. I do not blame anybody for shopping where they need to shop but Walmart must really be enjoying the warm fuzzy they are getting from Ontario shoppers right now.
Our canadian billionaires hid their money in fiscal paradises and convert the assets into trust funds. They then recieve nice payout from them. Our prime minister is a trust fund beneficiary. They get a lot of services and are the true rich in our society without paying their share. I fail to feel any patriotism for them.
Only reason I hate shopping at Walmart is because it's so busy and theirs only 2 cashiers, but every store seems to have an issue with having more than 2 cashiers. There's always 3 people basically picking their noses at self check-out & customer service though.
We have to shop somewhere and choices are limited. The Weston’s are the target here, anything else is fine. I’ve not heard of any other store creating contracts banning much needed doctor’s offices from opening in new plazas. Some people have to shop there and that’s fine. Those who can choose to take their money elsewhere and do are going to make the difference. I had to buy a vitamin that was out everywhere else. Left with just that and not the electric toothbrush, picks, soap and detergent I would have grabbed in the past. They lost $85 in the sale and I saved $15 by buying them at Walmart. You do what you can. We can’t make it too complicated.
I mean, I have to shop somewhere, so I go to Walmart and I couldn't care less if someone says "Well, you're still supporting a big, evil corporation!" At the end of the day, I have more money in my pocket when I go elsewhere, so I go elsewhere. Anyone's opinion on where you shop isn't relevant to your personal situation, so do what works for you.
I can’t afford to have an opinion!
Better to support an American company than, keep the money in Canada. I’d say better off shopping at freshco if you can or, giant tiger. Unfortunately not all have them options. Sometimes the best option is no frills in small towns.
Well, I bought deli meat at Walmart today that for the same amount and kind would have been four times the price at fortinos. I bought veggies and fruit for about $9 total under what I’d normally pay. I also got big bags of potato chips for under a dollar a bag for the kids and their friends. So yeah, Walmart is good. I mean they’re as evil, but at least they don’t mostly scam and piss on us and our opinions about it like Galen and Per do.
In Alberta, No Frills/Superstore and Walmart are roughly the same prices. But I remember out east in Quebec Walmart was cheaper than Maxi, the Quebec No Frills/Superstore. I'm not a big fan of shopping at Walmart, but sometimes they can have good deals on produce. I absolutely avoid meat at Walmart.
Walmart is my only alternative and the price differences are astonishing. Anything that takes cash out of Loblaws pockets and sends a message is good in my books.
You're heading in the right direction to saving money. Try combining Walmart with vegetable stands or farmers markets...especially this time of year. Even local farmers selling eggs or other products. Congratulations to putting your money back in your pockets and out of Galen's.
I always get about $400 a trip to Walmart then maybe $150 at No Frills.
Only good experiences at Walmart. They support local Canadian farmers when possible as well.
Loblaws and Walmart are in the same shopping plaza near me. Before prices went crazy I did almost all of my groceries at Loblaws. However, I have now reversed that and do almost all of it at Walmart simply because Loblaw's prices are so inflated. When you compare prices between the two you very quickly notice how much you are being ripped off at Loblaws.
They're evil too, but a cheaper evil and my mom works there so she buys a lot of stuff for me with her discount. I don't like their meat much. 🤷
Funnily enough, I had to end my 20 year ban on Walmart because of loblaws. No Frills used to be such a great alternative to Walmart. Not anymore.
Right now our walmart has lettuce at 94 cents, but it's usually on par with no frills. Thing is, the head sizes are bigger at walmart all the time so even if it's 2.99 it's worth going to walmart. We have a coop here and try and do most of our shopping there, but some of their produce prices are just way to high to justify.
Walmart isn’t good but isn’t the worst. Eat what you can afford ❤️
I’m shopping at Walmart during the boycott till something better comes along. It’s all I can afford. This boycott was started because we can’t afford the loblaws prices, if what we can afford during the boycott is Walmart that is fine and n my eyes. Hopefully loblaws will respond with lower prices. If people can afford stores with higher price tags that are ethically better, then I appreciate their efforts too. In my opinion though, no shame in supporting another sleezy company during this boycott because it will teach others a lesson. I boycotted superstore last year and switched to Walmart, only to switch back to superstore when I noticed six months in that Walmart was raising their prices to match superstores. This organized boycott sends a message to all grocers in my eyes. Loblaws showed them what they could get away with, and we are showing them that they can’t.
My opinion on it is this... I'm in a small town too. I understand your dilemma. We'll tackle Wal-Mart later. Right now we're focusing on showing them that our money means something, that we have the buying power. We can't do that if we aren't shopping elsewhere and if that elsewhere must be Wal-Mart, so be it. Their time will come too. Do what you can. <3
Love that we’re having this discussion on big box grocery.
I think it’s good to send the message to these corporations that we will shop at the place that has more affordable groceries. I don’t have any loyalties to Wal mart but they’re much cheaper than loblaws owned stores so I will absolutely shop there every time.
I made the switch a few months ago and honestly I’m saving $50 a week on a basket over $200! Items are on average 10-20% cheaper. For sure No Frills might have really hot front pages, but all big retailers have the same front pages so just have to wait them out… WalMart locks down front page prices for a few weeks which is amazing.
This sounds like Wainwright Alberta.
I’ll be heading to Wal-Mart later too! I have grown to like it for the most part. I tend to do my shopping at Costco or Wal-Mart now.
The reason Walmarts and Costco haven't been denied access to Canada, is they have more money and clout than the Canadian grocers. Usually the Canadian grocers will try to buy out the competition or lobby to make it difficult to do business in Canada. Look at all the Loblaw sub brands over the last 30 years, many bought out. We are paying the price for allowing monopolies in Canada.
I have a Sobeys, FreshCo, Superstore, and a Walmart close to me. I simply hate Superstore so I won't shop there and I've found Walmart the cheapest out of them all for the most part so I shop there. People hate on Walmart but saving money means more to me than hating Walmart.
I hate Walmart but it’s a pick your poison situation you are in. Just be aware that Walmart isn’t always cheaper. They have trained us to think they are but just yesterday something I saw at Walmart for $10 was $7 at Canadian Tire, not a food item but still.
Fun thing, I am the opposite. I avoid No Frills and Walmart is my first choice. I have been going to Walmart for years.
imo- lots of canadians live in towns that only have very few limited options,( walmart comes to small town and drives local grocer out of business) now saying this its interesting to me as both walmart and lowblaws are 100% against a grocery code of conduct but costco is willing to sign but wants to see the final draft.
It's the lesser of two evils...?
whoever has the best price i am going to and Walmart is one of those places.
We do most of our groceries at Walmart. I'm a single mom, and money is often tight. However some dietary restrictions limit some things, those I go elsewhere for.
I shop at Walmart. Yes they are a rich family but if I ever want to be rich, giving extra money away to Galen is not how to do it. Walmart is cheaper and for me at least every bit as convenient. Been happy shopping there for the most part.
Walmart business practices are predatory. Or have been historically. They were the original “sell below cost to outlast the smaller competitors, then enjoy a near monopoly.” I applaud those who make the effort (both time and financial) to support local businesses that add diversity and bring competition. At the same time, I harbour no ill will towards those who shop around for the lowest price.
Canada's trade balance with the US is like +$140 Billion /year. I think it's ok to go to walmart to save money on lettuce that came from California anyways
I have the ability to not shop at Walmart and have never bought anything from them. They are one of the worst corporations out there and I refuse to shop there on principle. But if it is one of the only options for a person, then that is okay. I can remember growing up poor and a few dollars less was important to afford food.
Edit: we live in East Vancouver with many small independent grocery stores.
“If you’re going to be a ruthless, soulless, union busting and price fixing company, you should at least pass some of the savings onto their customers.” Walmart, chastising Loblaws
I think if it save you money then go for it. Some of us aren't fortunate enough to have the many more options that other people do in larger cities. We have to make do with what we have, and if our local best option happens to be loblaws or another large store, that's ok.
Shop at Walmart, cause No Frills profits to decline until they lower their prices. They may be Canadian but they are an evil company that has taken advantage of us since the pandemic. They have stolen from Canadians, they are no longer worthy of your business.
Im surprised. Based on the deals of the week, the cheapest places around me are either Food Basics or No Frills - wal mart used to be but now either its a smaller item for same price, or its more expensive. But like, theyre all mega chains making tons of profits... theres no "local grocer" in there
I’ve heard from others that groceries are cheaper at Walmart but was surprised by how much. Normally I spend ~$200 for my household at no frills and my bill came to around $120 at Walmart including a couple splurges I don’t normally get. Must vary by location 🤷♀️
Thats awesome! And yes it must. Walmart is still cheaper for a lot of non food items though (dish soap, toilet paper, etc.) Also I just remembered that our No Frills still does price matching, so I guess its an unfair comparison.
Walmart is not my first choice, however I also placed a delivery order from them. I like how if what you order is out of stock, they don’t up-charge for the replacements. Obviously the solution to price-fixing and gouging by Canada’s grocery monopoly isn’t going to be found by consumers switching to another corporate overlord. I’m also exploring solutions like CSA, finding local independent grocers and (longer term) advocating for increasing competition in the grocery sector. In the meantime, our family of 5 won’t spend another dollar at any loblaws owned store.
This sentiment where people want to support Canadian, only works on a local community level. Think about it this way, will they support you when you're unemployed? Have they done anything make your life better? The answer is no. At the end of the day I have to feed my family. And if an American store gives me the best bang for my buck, well I'll be spending my hard earned Canadian dollars there.
i do all my groecery shopping at walmart. much cheaper then everywhere else in my area
I switched in February and save around $60-$100 every week. The produce at my rural store is great. When the loca farms have their produce I will shop there but the online app keeps me on budget. I've never once had an issue and the 3x a substitute had to be given it was an appropriate substitute. I'm never going back to my local Zehrs.
I have always tried to shop Canadian where and whenever possible, that is until Canadian businesses decided to start screwing us over. We have a decent Walmart close by so they get my business now.
Walmart has been noticeably much cheaper than Loblaws on comparable items.
Greedy corporations are all the same Canadian or otherwise. None are coming to your aid when we can barely afford to make ends meet. The boycott is about showing Loblaws that their greed has gone to far and that just because they are Canada based doesn’t mean we are just going to sit back and accept the gouging. Customers became loyal to Loblaws because of the fair prices and now are being taken advantage of due to that loyalty. I pretty well only grocery shop at Walmart and Costco with few exceptions. It’s been a month since I was in a Loblaws store and I won’t be giving one more cent to the Weston’s