Loblaws Boycott

[Perspektiv]

I think you would have to be a billionaire at this point in Canada, not to feel the major financial pinch that gas gripped our pocketbooks.

An activist online has floated the idea of boycotting Loblaws and the chain of other businesses that it operates, like No Frills to name one, unless their demands are met.

The demands? Lowering their price points 15%, among others such as removing eligibility for membership for some of their members only discount programs.

I have even seen "Steal from Loblaws day" stickers, but the latter likely won't grow as viral as the prior.

Will you be participating in this? 

Your thoughts?

[Michael Hardner]

My interest is always primarily in the public sphere. 

 

I see problems with it such as...

Are we going to now enact social change only through social media and consumer boycotts? 

Is that the only way forward, in terms of collective action now? 

What are governments going to do? 

Will the algorithms allow us to boycott their very advertisers? 

I don't have a strong sense of whether this will succeed, and I don't have a moral stake in the proceedings... Except that I think the cost of living is too high for common folk.

[Perspektiv]

3 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Are we going to now enact social change only through social media and consumer boycotts?

Probably is the most effective way for people who didn't have a voice before to bring a business to its knees.

It doesn't come however, without its unintended consequences. 

3 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Is that the only way forward, in terms of collective action now? 

I truly hope not.

3 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Will the algorithms allow us to boycott their very advertisers? 

The targeted businesses are strictly under the Lowland umbrella.

People in this movement feel corporate greed is behind their rising costs of buying basics at the grocery store.

3 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Except that I think the cost of living is too high for common folk.

How does one fix this?

I don't have an answer to that question, but my instincts would point me to looking at the root cause of the issue.

I don't think its corporate greed.

I have had no choice but to increase my prices over 20% since 2020. All my competitors have followed suit. 

Has nothing to do with greed.

Hiring staff now costs a lot more.

Restaurant owners as an example have to pay way more to attract youth who are now far more demanding.

Boycotting them means well, but would instead of bullying a restaurant in lowering their prices, would force them to lay off staff.

[ExFlyer]

Being purely practical, knowing the cost of just gas in my car and gas for my house and electricity for my home and that has all increased dramatically, I can only see that all those expenses are also applicable to Loblaws and all their subsidiaries.

All the cumulative costs from the growers, producers , truckers, delivery people warehousing folks have all incurred those additional costs.

As always, before this present time, increases are always passed on to the end user.

Pissed off? For sure but, surprised? No. Loblaws is a company and all public companies are in it to make money. They are not food banks or charities.

We shop weekly and see what people are buying and to me, it does not look like people are being frugal at all. 

[CdnFox]

5 hours ago, Perspektiv said:

I think you would have to be a billionaire at this point in Canada, not to feel the major financial pinch that gas gripped our pocketbooks.

An activist online has floated the idea of boycotting Loblaws and the chain of other businesses that it operates, like No Frills to name one, unless their demands are met.

The demands? Lowering their price points 15%, among others such as removing eligibility for membership for some of their members only discount programs.

I have even seen "Steal from Loblaws day" stickers, but the latter likely won't grow as viral as the prior.

Will you be participating in this? 

Your thoughts?

I have to say - i don't understand this even a little bit.

I find save on foods expensive as well.  So i stopped shopping there a ways back.  I shop somewhere else.

why the hell are these people still going there in the first place if it's expensive? I mean - back in the day safeway got to be more expensive than save on and great canadian so i stopped shopping there.  

I wasn't mad - i didn't protest or make demands, i just went somewhere else. That's how the market works.

This is Stupid- if there's somewhere cheaper go there! You don't need a 'movement' or a 'boycott', just go!  And if there ISN'T somewhere cheaper then maybe there's a reason for that!

FFS - why is this even a discussion? What am i missing here?

[herbie]

Be from western Canada where SaveOn is the big grocer, but goes completely unnoticed and unaccountable to Ottawa.
The one I posted the $33 a dozen gluten free hot dog buns? Where we drive 60 km to the Independent or 160 to a Superstore just to have a Loblaw choice. No. not gonna boycott, they're too far away. Have to stick with the $8.49 for 4 day old fritters or 6 donuts. And the flyers where they have only empty shelving where the featured goods are supposed to be and managers that call you stupid or ignorant if you expect otherwise.

[Perspektiv]

3 hours ago, CdnFox said:

why the hell are these people still going there in the first place if it's expensive?

Same reason they would feel boycotting them would lower food prices across Canada. 

It starts likely at childhood, with parents petrified to tell them no. Then going into the adult world, feeling anyone actually cares about how they feel inside.

They don't get their demands met, they literally become full grown adults, having tantrums.

4 hours ago, CdnFox said:

This is Stupid- if there's somewhere cheaper go there!

You're asking people who think emotionally, to think logically. 

Let them get gouged and disappointed at their prices not sticking. Two birds, one stone.

[CdnFox]

1 hour ago, herbie said:

Be from western Canada where SaveOn is the big grocer, but goes completely unnoticed and unaccountable to Ottawa.

There are other options in every corner of the land. If there's a loblaws store nearby there's going to be one of the others nearby too.  Not to mention costco. If you'r trying to say you're FORCED to go to loblaws  in the lower mainland  i'll call you a liar right now. FFS - BURNS LAKE has a loblaw's and a sobeys store.

Quote

Where we drive 60 km to the Independent or 160 to a Superstore just to have a Loblaw choice.

If you're in the lower mainland where you say you are, then you have other choices about the same distance or less. Period.

And Why the hell would a grocery store be 'accountable' to ottawa??? If you don't like their prices - GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. 

1 hour ago, herbie said:

Have to stick with the $8.49 for 4 day old fritters or 6 donuts

well then that's your choice - but it's not loblaw's fault.  Should they shut the store down so you don't have to be exposed to such piracy? Geezuz.

 

[CdnFox]

14 minutes ago, Perspektiv said:

Same reason they would feel boycotting them would lower food prices across Canada. 

It starts likely at childhood, with parents petrified to tell them no. Then going into the adult world, feeling anyone actually cares about how they feel inside.

That has the ring of truth to it.

Quote

 

They don't get their demands met, they literally become full grown adults, having tantrums.

You're asking people who think emotionally, to think logically. 

 

I'd be satisfied if they thought at all. JUST _ GO _ SOMEWHERE _ ELSE!

 

 

[Legato]

Case in point. Was at Metro just browsing for some decent lamb, spotted a so called offer, two tins of tomato soup for $3.00. Same brand on same day $0.98 per can at Walmart. They wanted $42.00 for a small leg of lamb, on offer 20% off.

[CdnFox]

4 minutes ago, Legato said:

Case in point. Was at Metro just browsing for some decent lamb, spotted a so called offer, two tins of tomato soup for $3.00. Same brand on same day $0.98 per can at Walmart. They wanted $42.00 for a small leg of lamb, on offer 20% off.

Yeah. Save on USED to be the cheaper store but in recent years they've gotten more expensive than the other ones by a very measurable amount.

So i go to the other ones  

[herbie]

I'd suggest remedial reading classes Foxy. As per usual you've read and replied to hundreds of posts I've made over the years indicating I live in N central BC, yet claim I said I live in Vancouver so I'm the liar.
Plus, pulling shit out of your ass once again your BS claim of a Loblaws and Sobey's in Burns Lake points out your usual no effort whatsoever to look up anything before you post. There's a Wholesale Club that is owned by Loblaws and a SaveOn. There is only 1 branded Sobeys in BC and that's in Invermere.

And no one, anywhere, including me alluded to anyone being forced to shop at Loblaws. Pulled that our of your ass too. You also entirely missed the point that "BCs very own food people" are everywhere in Western Canada and now the Territories and were entirely unnoticed by Parliament. Like they don't exist, aren't important enough.

I've met dyslexic, autistic kids with better reading comprehension.

But sticking to the subject of the thread, I'm not going to boycott them if they have better prices than someone else. I seldom go to the big Stupidstore anyways. WalMart and Costco are far better. The nearby Co-Op grocery has better fruit, veggies and meat.

[CdnFox]

3 hours ago, herbie said:

I'd suggest remedial reading classes Foxy. As per usual you've read and replied to hundreds of posts I've made over the years indicating I live in N central BC, yet claim I said I live in Vancouver so I'm the liar.

Fraser valley actually    So you're the liar.
 

Quote

Plus, pulling shit out of your ass once again your BS claim of a Loblaws and Sobey's in Burns Lake points out your usual no effort whatsoever to look up anything before you post. There's a Wholesale Club that is owned by Loblaws and a SaveOn. There is only 1 branded Sobeys in BC and that's in Invermere.

Mey- fair point I did think the club was owned by sobeys and it isn't.  So you were right there. Which brings our score to 43,207 to 1 in my favour

 

Quote

And no one, anywhere, including me alluded to anyone being forced to shop at Loblaws.

Sigh.  You certainly did.

43,208

 

[Perspektiv]

On 4/30/2024 at 4:26 PM, herbie said:

But sticking to the subject of the thread, I'm not going to boycott them if they have better prices than someone else.

I think the boycott is more to put pressure on Loblaws to do something but really more to simply send them as powerful a message as possible. 

Loblaws clearly won't drop their pants unless sales dictate they have no choice.

If they don't, best believe someone is getting cut. It certainly won't be at the top. Bet heavy it won't be security guards at select stores.

They will continue to make money and will cut the excess fat where needed.

[ExFlyer]

1 hour ago, Perspektiv said:

I think the boycott is more to put pressure on Loblaws to do something but really more to simply send them as powerful a message as possible. 

Loblaws clearly won't drop their pants unless sales dictate they have no choice.

If they don't, best believe someone is getting cut. It certainly won't be at the top. Bet heavy it won't be security guards at select stores.

They will continue to make money and will cut the excess fat where needed.

I find it interesting they people are actually believing the increase in prices is because of the grocery stores.

We buy almost all our product on the open market from November to August and it is almost all imported from other places in the world.

The cost of production there has gone up. too. The transportation has gone up, the warehousing has gone up as well.

Then we need to get it here. Shipping has gone up. Trucking has gone up. Labour costs have gone up 25+% alone. Then the dreaded carbon tax which affects every aspect of the supply chain not just for imported products but for locally grown stuff too.

Then, we blame Loblaws??

Give your heads a shake folks. i see proponents of this boycott on TV and wonder if they actually understand anything except that it costs them more for groceries, not why or how. Blame the end seller??

[CdnFox]

46 minutes ago, ExFlyer said:

I find it interesting they people are actually believing the increase in prices is because of the grocery stores.

We buy almost all our product on the open market from November to August and it is almost all imported from other places in the world.

The cost of production there has gone up. too. The transportation has gone up, the warehousing has gone up as well.

Then we need to get it here. Shipping has gone up. Trucking has gone up. Labour costs have gone up 25+% alone. Then the dreaded carbon tax which affects every aspect of the supply chain not just for imported products but for locally grown stuff too.

Then, we blame Loblaws??

Give your heads a shake folks. i see proponents of this boycott on TV and wonder if they actually understand anything except that it costs them more for groceries, not why or how. Blame the end seller??

The other thing that has to be acknowledged is that we're bringing in 1,000,000 new mouths to feed every year. That puts a significant strain on the demand for product.  Just like housing, those people are being brought in with NO plan or thought from the feds about where the food to feed them will come from, and that drives prices up.  As if you can just add a million people to the 40 million we have and there will be zero impact on food availability or prices.

[herbie]

Kind of similar to past gas boycotts. you can't boycott them all because you can't do without food or gas, so pick one. Loblaws happens to be the biggest.

We used to shop there more, the kids preferred Peasant's Choice brand over the Welfare Family brand at SaveOn.

Groan!!! How budget, Dad. We want real Old Dutch chips!

[Aristides]

One of the problems with these huge corps is the control they have over suppliers, and that includes outfits like Walmart. The answer is the same as always, more competition, although I'm not sure how you would go about that.

[eyeball]

59 minutes ago, Aristides said:

One of the problems with these huge corps is the control they have over suppliers, and that includes outfits like Walmart.

The issue of supplier control is even more insidious. The Westons own BC Packers and Clover brand canned salmon. Supplier control of salmon also requires assistance from DFO.

The name Weston has been synonymous with corruption out here on the coast for decades.

The boycott should encompass Ottawa and withholding taxes.

Burn everything to the ground.

[ExFlyer]

On 5/2/2024 at 4:41 PM, Aristides said:

One of the problems with these huge corps is the control they have over suppliers, and that includes outfits like Walmart. The answer is the same as always, more competition, although I'm not sure how you would go about that.

So, you are saying the "huge corps" demanding lower prices from suppliers so they can sell cheaper to the public is wrong?

Who and why are you protesting??

[herbie]

5 hours ago, ExFlyer said:

Who and why are you protesting??

Probably thinking of WalMart's influence in that regard. I don't really think Loblaws packs anywhere near that amount of influence.

But it does hurt smaller grocers. I'm sure Loblaws gets a better price from suppliers buying 100,000 cases of "X" than SuperValu or IGA does buying 10,000 cases at a time. Or for that matter the only grocer in Cornhole Sask. gets buying 10 cases.

[ExFlyer]

16 minutes ago, herbie said:

Probably thinking of WalMart's influence in that regard. I don't really think Loblaws packs anywhere near that amount of influence.

But it does hurt smaller grocers. I'm sure Loblaws gets a better price from suppliers buying 100,000 cases of "X" than SuperValu or IGA does buying 10,000 cases at a time. Or for that matter the only grocer in Cornhole Sask. gets buying 10 cases.

So, I ask again, by protesting Loblaws (or even Walmart), "you are saying the "huge corps" demanding lower prices from suppliers so they can sell cheaper to the public is wrong? "?

You cannot have it both ways. Protest for cheaper prices and then being upset at corporations demanding lower prices from suppliers to pass on to retail customers.

As for "smaller grocers", well, are you insinuating this has not been an issue for them for decades? Yet they survive.

[herbie]

It's da system, Bro.

Yan only tweak it a pinch at at a time. You're talking to someone who'd popover the border and buy Western Family cheese for $3.99/ 2 lb block and Fraser Valley butter for 69¢ lb. System's always been f*cked up.

But as I say, you wanna tax the rich, start with the actually rich. Even the kid slinging burgers knows $250,000 isn't a lot of money, definitely not "rich"  anymore (snickers thinking of Dr Evil scene)

[CdnFox]

30 minutes ago, herbie said:

It's da system, Bro.

Yan only tweak it a pinch at at a time. You're talking to someone who'd popover the border and buy Western Family cheese for $3.99/ 2 lb block and Fraser Valley butter for 69¢ lb. System's always been f*cked up.

But as I say, you wanna tax the rich, start with the actually rich. Even the kid slinging burgers knows $250,000 isn't a lot of money, definitely not "rich"  anymore (snickers thinking of Dr Evil scene)

First off - did you not JUST say you lived in the north central interior?  You don't "pop over da border".  Unless you were lying again that is.  Maybe it's because you use your credit card?  

Second that's due to supply management - brought in by the first trudeau.  It's got NOTHING to do with the grocery stores. I'm sure the grocery stores would love to be able to sell american butter and eggs etc  - it's not their fault that we can't.

And by the way - i love that the guy who's all 'pro union' is mad that he can't buy things at the cheapest price   If we ban unions then i'm sure prices will be able to go down here for all KINDS of things  

And if you start taxing the rich - suddenly you have a lot fewer rich around. And then you have a lot more poor.  And you don't get jobs from poor people.

 

[Perspektiv]

On 5/2/2024 at 10:03 AM, ExFlyer said:

I find it interesting they people are actually believing the increase in prices is because of the grocery stores.

There is no logic to someone thinking like this. Its no logic, strictly emotional. Price high at Loblaws, then Loblaws at fault. 

Price high at gas pump, then the poor clerk gets reamed out for "randomly" putting his or her prices up, like they are paid to do otherwise.

Looking for the source of the issue and seeing if solutions are possible, would explode such a person's head.

Easier to just shame the easiest and largest target.

On 5/2/2024 at 10:03 AM, ExFlyer said:

Then, we blame Loblaws??

Easier if the issue has a face, like Lowblaws CEO, or Trudeau.

Having to delve deeper, is hard.