Month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned grocery brands and stores begins - The Globe and Mail | Canada News Media
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Month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned grocery brands and stores begins – The Globe and Mail

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Customers enter enter a Loblaws store in Toronto’s east end on May 1. A quick-growing month-long boycott movement has begun against the grocery giant for the month of May, as shoppers express frustrations with high food prices.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail

A boycott targeting Loblaw is gaining momentum, with what could be thousands of Canadian shoppers taking their money for groceries elsewhere this month.

What led to the Loblaw Boycott?

Calls for the Loblaw boycott emerged after a Reddit group created to give people a place to complain about Loblaw and other grocers gained thousands of followers.

The page, r/loblawsisoutofcontrol, has grown to more than 63,000 members since being started in October, 2023.

While there’s no way of knowing how many will participate in the boycott, the page is full of posts from people who say they plan to, or have already started.

An unaffiliated online petition calling for an investigation into Loblaw Co. for pandemic profiteering and greedflation has garnered more than 100,000 signatures since its creation in early February. Its creator, Haruun Ali of Edmonton encouraged signers to participate in the boycott. Joe Badali, a commenter on the petition said “The exorbitant profit being made by Weston at the expense of struggling Canadians is outrageous.”

What are the boycott’s aims?

The primary aim is to have a financial impact on Loblaw, the biggest of the Canadian grocers, said Emily Johnson, a mental health and addictions worker in Milton, Ont., and one of the boycott’s organizers. “We don’t want to struggle any more.”

She also hopes the boycott educates people and gets the attention of government.

The demands laid out on the subreddit are:

  • Immediate 15-per-cent price reduction
  • Signing the grocery code of conduct (which is in the last stages in development and aims to enhance “transparency, predictability and fair dealing” to make Canada’s food chain more resilient.)
  • No further retailer-led price increases for 2024
  • Increased cost transparency, and clearly identifying items that are subject to “shrinkflation”
  • A commitment to affordable pricing – price caps on essential goods
  • A commitment to end price gouging, with prices quickly reflective of current economic conditions (ie: when inflation and food inflation cools, prices should cool to go with that)

Further demands for elected officials include:

  • Make a commitment to increasing choice and healthy competition within the grocery industry
  • Implement price caps across the Big 5 grocers
  • Legislate Loblaw and Walmart to sign the grocer’s code of conduct
  • Recognize affordable food as a basic human right, and take steps to protect said right

If we’re angry about high prices, why do we let the investment industry get off easy?

Which stores are included in the boycott?

A nonexhaustive list of stores and brands being included by some in the boycott:

  • President’s Choice
  • No Name
  • PC Express
  • Joe Fresh
  • Loblaws
  • Zehrs
  • T&T
  • Atlantic Superstore
  • Wholesale Club
  • PC Financial
  • Pharmaprix
  • Independent
  • Maxi
  • Shoppers Drug Mart
  • Real Canadian Superstore
  • Fortinos
  • Valu-mart
  • No Frills
  • Quo Beauty
  • Specialty Health Network by Shoppers
  • PC Optimum
  • Extra Foods
  • Theodore & Pringle Optical
  • Life Brand
  • The Health Clinic by Shoppers
  • Beauty Boutique by Shoppers
  • Dominion

How has Loblaw responded to the planned boycott?

Loblaw Cos. Ltd. chief executive officer Per Bank says the company is paying attention to customers and sees them trying to mitigate inflation by seeking out sales, buying more private-label products and shopping at discount stores.

The grocer is responding to these shifting behaviours through new promotions and expanding its discount footprint, he said in an interview.

Loblaw has to keep looking for ways to provide value to keep people coming back, he said: “We don’t have a contract with our customers. They can choose to shop elsewhere tomorrow, if they don’t like the offer that we’re giving.”

Bank says he takes customer complaints personally, and if customers aren’t happy, “that’s something I want to fix.” He added that if one customer really dislikes Loblaw, “that’s one too many.”

Where are people planning to shop instead?

A website called altgrocery.ca has crowdsourced recommendations for alternative places to shop. The site is described as a place to help Canadians find “alternative grocery stores, pharmacies, and farmers’ markets across Canada, away from the Big 5 grocers.” The Big 5 grocers are Loblaw, Sobeys, Metro, Walmart and Costco.

What are Loblaw’s latest earnings?

On a conference call on May, 1 to discuss Loblaw’s first-quarter results, CEO Per Bank said customers were “voting with their feet,” as Loblaw reported a 9.8-per-cent increase in profit in the period from Jan. 1 to March 31, and raised its quarterly dividend paid to shareholders by 15 per cent.

With reports from The Canadian Press

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What Difference Will You Make to an Employer?

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18 hours ago

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October 21, 2024

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Ex-Employer (Job)

It’s common knowledge that companies don’t hire the most qualified candidates. Employers hire the person they believe will deliver the best value in exchange for their payroll cost.

Since most job seekers know the above, I’m surprised that so few mention their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Most job seekers list their education, skills, and experience without substantiating them and expect employers to determine whether they can benefit their company; hence, most resumes and LinkedIn profiles are just a list of opinions—borderline platitudes—that are meaningless and, therefore, have no value. Job seekers need to better explain, along with providing evidence, how they’ll contribute to an employer’s success.

Employers don’t hire opinions (read: talk is cheap); they hire results.

You’re not offering anything tangible when you claim:

 

  • I’m a great communicator.
  • I’m detail oriented.
  • I’m a team player.

 

Tangible:

 

  • “At Global Dynamics, I held quarterly town hall meetings with my 22 sales reps, highlighting our accomplishments, identifying opportunity areas, and recognizing outstanding performers.”
  • “For eight years, I managed Vandelay Industries IT department, overseeing a staff of 18 and a 12-million-dollar budget while coordinating cross-specialty projects. My strong attention to detail is why I never exceeded budget.”
  • “While working at Cyberdyne Systems, I was part of the customer service team, consisting of nine of us, striving to improve our response time. Through collaboration and sharing of best practices, we reduced our average response time from 48 to 12 business hours, resulting in a 35% improvement in customer feedback ratings.”

 

These examples of tangible answers provide employers with what they most want to hear from candidates but rarely do; what value the candidate will bring to the company. Typically, job seekers present their skills, experience, and unsubstantiated opinions and expect recruiters and employers to figure out their value, which is a lazy practice.

Getting hired isn’t based on “I have an MBA in Marketing and Sales,” “I’ve been a web designer for over 15 years,” “I’m young, beautiful and energetic,” blah, blah, blah. Likewise, being rejected isn’t based on “I’m overqualified,” “I’m too old,” “I don’t have enough education,” blah, blah, blah. Getting hired depends entirely on showing employers that you can add value and substance to their company; that you’ll serve a purpose.

When you articulate a solid value offer, the “blah, blah, blah” doesn’t matter. Job seekers focus too much on the “blah, blah, blah,” and when not hired, they say, “It’s not me, it’s…” The biggest mistake I see job seekers make is focusing on the “blah, blah, blah”—their experience and education—believing this is what interests employers. Hiring managers are more interested in whether you can solve the problems the position exists to solve than in your education and experience.

 

Not impressive: Education

Impressive: A track record of achieving tangible results.

 

You aren’t who you say you are; you are what you do.

 

If you want to be somebody who works hard, you have to actually work hard. If you want to be somebody who goes to the gym, you actually have to go to the gym. If you want to be a good friend, spouse, or colleague, you have to actually be a good friend, spouse, or colleague. Actions build reputations, not words.

The biggest challenge job seekers face today is differentiating themselves. To stand out and be memorable, don’t be like most job seekers, someone who’s all talk and no action. Any recruiter or hiring manager will tell you that the job market is heavily populated with job seekers who talk themselves up, talk a “good game” about everything they can “supposedly” do, drop names, etc., but have nothing to show for it.

More than ever, employers want to hear candidates offer a value proposition summarizing what value they bring. If you’re looking for a low-hanging fruit method to differentiate yourself, do what job seekers hardly ever do and make a hard-to-ignore value proposition.

  1. Increase sales: “Based on my experience managing Regina and Saskatoon for PharmaKorp, I’m confident that I can increase BioGen’s sales by no less than 25% in Winnipeg and the surrounding area by the end of 2025.”
  2. Reduce cost: “During my 12 years as Taco Town’s head of purchasing, I renegotiated contracts with key suppliers, resulting in 15% cost savings, saving the company over $450,000 annually. I know I can do the same for The Pasta House.”
  3. Increase customer satisfaction:“During my time at Globex Corporation, I established a systematic feedback mechanism that enabled customers to share their experiences. This led to targeted improvements, increasing our Net Promoter Score by 15 points. I can increase Dunder Mifflin’s net promoter score.”
  4. Save time: “As Zap Delivery’s dispatcher, I implemented advanced routing software that analyzed traffic patterns, reducing average delivery times by 20%. My implementation of this software at Froggy’s Delivery can reduce your delivery times by at least 20%, if not more.”

 

If you want to achieve job search success as soon as possible, structure your job search with a single thread that’s evident and consistent throughout your résumé, LinkedIn profile, cover letters and especially during interviews; clearly convey what difference you’ll make to the employer.

_____________________________________________________________________

 

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

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Netflix’s subscriber growth slows as gains from password-sharing crackdown subside

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5 days ago

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October 17, 2024

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Netflix on Thursday reported that its subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer, a sign the huge gains from the video-streaming service’s crackdown on freeloading viewers is tapering off.

The 5.1 million subscribers that Netflix added during the July-September period represented a 42% decline from the total gained during the same time last year. Even so, the company’s revenue and profit rose at a faster pace than analysts had projected, according to FactSet Research.

Netflix ended September with 282.7 million worldwide subscribers — far more than any other streaming service.

The Los Gatos, California, company earned $2.36 billion, or $5.40 per share, a 41% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 15% from a year ago to $9.82 billion. Netflix management predicted the company’s revenue will rise at the same 15% year-over-year pace during the October-December period, slightly than better than analysts have been expecting.

The strong financial performance in the past quarter coupled with the upbeat forecast eclipsed any worries about slowing subscriber growth. Netflix’s stock price surged nearly 4% in extended trading after the numbers came out, building upon a more than 40% increase in the company’s shares so far this year.

The past quarter’s subscriber gains were the lowest posted in any three-month period since the beginning of last year. That drop-off indicates Netflix is shifting to a new phase after reaping the benefits from a ban on the once-rampant practice of sharing account passwords that enabled an estimated 100 million people watch its popular service without paying for it.

The crackdown, triggered by a rare loss of subscribers coming out of the pandemic in 2022, helped Netflix add 57 million subscribers from June 2022 through this June — an average of more than 7 million per quarter, while many of its industry rivals have been struggling as households curbed their discretionary spending.

Netflix’s gains also were propelled by a low-priced version of its service that included commercials for the first time in its history. The company still is only getting a small fraction of its revenue from the 2-year-old advertising push, but Netflix is intensifying its focus on that segment of its business to help boost its profits.

In a letter to shareholder, Netflix reiterated previous cautionary notes about its expansion into advertising, though the low-priced option including commercials has become its fastest growing segment.

“We have much more work to do improving our offering for advertisers, which will be a priority over the next few years,” Netflix management wrote in the letter.

As part of its evolution, Netflix has been increasingly supplementing its lineup of scripted TV series and movies with live programming, such as a Labor Day spectacle featuring renowned glutton Joey Chestnut setting a world record for gorging on hot dogs in a showdown with his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi.

Netflix will be trying to attract more viewer during the current quarter with a Nov. 15 fight pitting former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson against Jake Paul, a YouTube sensation turned boxer, and two National Football League games on Christmas Day.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store

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October 17, 2024

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