For the next month, thousands of shoppers from across the country plan to get their groceries anywhere other than Loblaws-owned stores (which include the Superstore, No Frills, and Shoppers Drug Mart). The move is an attempt to get the box chain to lower its prices, as frustration grows over the high price of food.
The idea started as an online push on Reddit and has gained over 60,000 members.
While the true number of people participating in the boycott isn’t known, the page is filled with shoppers claiming they won’t be visiting Loblaws stores any time soon. Support for the idea appears to be growing each day.
“I’m all for it,” says June Melanson, who was just finishing some shopping.
“If people can’t afford the stuff they have to do something right? So if they are all coming together, especially as a collective, you know it’s got to make some kind of change.”
“I certainly will be looking at maybe if I can get my groceries at other places to support it,” says Brenda Keenan.
“Just so Loblaws gets the message that how can Giant Tiger charge $1.47 for celery and they want $5.97.”
Fellow shopper Andrew Finlay is supportive of the idea, but isn’t sure the boycott will be effective.
“I mean its great in theory,” says Finlay.
“Their executives seem to be paid pretty well, and I don’t think they care what the average person thinks.”
Daniel Cullen is the owner of Dans Country Market in Saint John. Since word of the boycott began, he says more shoppers have come through his door.
“Every week we are busier,” says Cullen.
He says most customers come to his store first to get what they can, before heading to the bigger box stores to fill any gaps in their basket. He doesn’t understand why the big box stores are charging the prices they are.
“They have bigger buying power,” says Cullen.
“I am just the little guy but I am still selling chicken seven, eight dollars a kilogram less then what they are selling it for, the same chicken from the same plant.”
Dalhousie University Agri-Food Analytics lab director Sylvain Charlebois says Loblaws is partially to blame for the high prices, but consumers’ anger should be directed elsewhere.
“It’s not about the consumer in the store, it’s about the supply chain,” says Charlebois.
“The supply chain bullying happening between Loblaw, Walmart, and suppliers, that is really the problem, and it needs to be fixed.”
“As a business, we are acutely aware of the fact that we have to win our customers’ business each and every day. The last few years have been tough for Canadians, and we continue to do what we can to combat inflation at our stores,” said Dave Bauer, director of media relations for Loblaws, in a statement to CTV News Atlantic.
“Customers are noticing, with more visiting in our stores and many commenting in the same Reddit groups, that they’re getting real value at our stores, often the best across the industry. That won’t change – we’re going to keep working hard to deliver on our commitment to value and to rebuild the trust grocers have enjoyed for more than 100 years.”
TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. says it has signed a deal that will result in the creation of its first eyewear collection.
The deal announced on Thursday by the Toronto-based luxury apparel company comes in the form of an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear Inc.
The terms and value of the agreement were not disclosed, but Marchon produces eyewear for brands including Lacoste, Nike, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Longchamp and Zeiss.
Marchon plans to roll out both sunglasses and optical wear under the Canada Goose name next spring, starting in North America.
Canada Goose says the eyewear will be sold through optical retailers, department stores, Canada Goose shops and its website.
Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss told The Canadian Press in August that he envisioned his company eventually expanding into eyewear and luggage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Almost seven years since news broke of an alleged conspiracy to fix the price of packaged bread across Canada, the saga isn’t over: the Competition Bureau continues to investigate the companies that may have been involved, and two class-action lawsuits continue to work their way through the courts.
Here’s a timeline of key events in the bread price-fixing case.
Oct. 31, 2017: The Competition Bureau says it’s investigating allegations of bread price-fixing and that it was granted search warrants in the case. Several grocers confirm they are co-operating in the probe.
Dec. 19, 2017: Loblaw and George Weston say they participated in an “industry-wide price-fixing arrangement” to raise the price of packaged bread. The companies say they have been co-operating in the Competition Bureau’s investigation since March 2015, when they self-reported to the bureau upon discovering anti-competitive behaviour, and are receiving immunity from prosecution. They announce they are offering $25 gift cards to customers amid the ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing.
Jan. 31, 2018: In court documents, the Competition Bureau says at least $1.50 was added to the price of a loaf of bread between about 2001 and 2016.
Dec. 20, 2019: A class-action lawsuit in a Quebec court against multiple grocers and food companies is certified against a number of companies allegedly involved in bread price-fixing, including Loblaw, George Weston, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Canada Bread and Giant Tiger (which have all denied involvement, except for Loblaw and George Weston, which later settled with the plaintiffs).
Dec. 31, 2021: A class-action lawsuit in an Ontario court covering all Canadian residents except those in Quebec who bought packaged bread from a company named in the suit is certified against roughly the same group of companies.
June 21, 2023: Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. is fined $50 million after pleading guilty to four counts of price-fixing under the Competition Act as part of the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation.
Oct. 25 2023: Canada Bread files a statement of defence in the Ontario class action denying participating in the alleged conspiracy and saying any anti-competitive behaviour it participated in was at the direction and to the benefit of its then-majority owner Maple Leaf Foods, which is not a defendant in the case (neither is its current owner Grupo Bimbo). Maple Leaf calls Canada Bread’s accusations “baseless.”
Dec. 20, 2023: Metro files new documents in the Ontario class action accusing Loblaw and its parent company George Weston of conspiring to implicate it in the alleged scheme, denying involvement. Sobeys has made a similar claim. The two companies deny the allegations.
July 25, 2024: Loblaw and George Weston say they agreed to pay a combined $500 million to settle both the Ontario and Quebec class-action lawsuits. Loblaw’s share of the settlement includes a $96-million credit for the gift cards it gave out years earlier.
Sept. 12, 2024: Canada Bread files new documents in Ontario court as part of the class action, claiming Maple Leaf used it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged scheme. Maple Leaf was a majority shareholder of Canada Bread until 2014, and the company claims it’s liable for any price-fixing activity. Maple Leaf refutes the claims.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:MFI, TSX:MRU, TSX:EMP.A, TSX:WN)
TORONTO – TD Bank Group, which is mired in a money laundering scandal in the U.S., says chief executive Bharat Masrani will retire next year.
Masrani, who will retire officially on April 10, 2025, says the bank’s, “anti-money laundering challenges,” took place on his watch and he takes full responsibility.
The bank named Raymond Chun, TD’s group head, Canadian personal banking, as his successor.
As part of a transition plan, Chun will become chief operating officer on Nov. 1 before taking over the top job when Masrani steps down at the bank’s annual meeting next year.
TD also announced that Riaz Ahmed, group head, wholesale banking and president and CEO of TD Securities, will retire at the end of January 2025.
TD has taken billions in charges related to ongoing U.S. investigations into the failure of its anti-money laundering program.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
