Update:79 comments and zero response from Loblaws on about to expire product discount rollback at Real Canadian Superstores across Canada

Posted on by Laila

If there is one thing I have to shake my head at, it’s when a corporation can’t, or won’t take ownership of their decisions. Case in point, my recent post: https://lailayuile.com/2014/12/05/whos-the-scrooge-at-real-canadian-superstore/

Inundated with both comments and emails from readers right across the country who are feeling the pinch of the lost discount, I sent an inquiry off to Loblaws on Saturday December 6th.

I received a nameless reply on December 8th,indicating a response was forthcoming:

lopblaws responseNicely surprised, I waited. And waited.

Nothing. I have heard from two managers who’ve asked not to be named for obvious reasons, that it was a chain decision and that it’s impact will be unsold product.

In the grand scheme of things, Loblaws doesn’t have to be accountable to anyone but their shareholders – least of all, their customers. But the customers are speaking and they aren’t happy about this. And it’s pretty appalling when you see something like this, tweeted by a  fellow in Peterborough Ontario:

superstore

 

Seriously Loblaws? Sticking 30% stickers on top of the 50% ones? Talk about leaving a bad taste in your mouth…and it’s not the nearly expired product!

Merry Christmas, Mr. Weston. Your ads this holiday season tell customers to start a new tradition…and they might. How about shopping somewhere else?

25 thoughts on “Update:79 comments and zero response from Loblaws on about to expire product discount rollback at Real Canadian Superstores across Canada”

  1. Have a look at Galen’s net worth and that of his family. Now you know how they got that all and intend to keep it. I don’t know if Loblaws is “traded’. At one time that whole empire was “family controlled”. Perhaps his parents might like to know what their son is up to, but then the last time I checked if the parental units are still alive, they are in Florida at this time of year.

    At one time his Mommy was the Lt. Gov. of Ontario. I guess he still thinks they represent the crown and are responsible to no one.

    When people don’t have money and not to many choices it is easy to raise the prices and eliminate discounts. People don’t have much choice. Their market was always a “down scale” niche. Now they have moved into the “up scale” niche with their new “market”. If they are doing upscale, at lower prices than boutique grocery stores, someone has to pay to keep the profits up for the whole corporation. looks like Galen decided the economically disadvantaged could do that. Do not expect this to change. Like what alternative do people have. 30% off is better than full price to many.,

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Might not be earth shattering for many, but clearly the response to the first post spoke volumes.. and offered insight into how many people are making ends meet.

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  3. Real Canadian ‪#‎Superstore‬ Must be hurting More than the Poor People who rely on about to Expire Products sold for 50% discount…They now only give 30% and toss the expired stuff..(wondering if they make more on a write-off??) Many Seniors,Disabled and Working Poor relied on this discount to eat.. WASTING FOOD!! (Shared FB)

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    1. actually you raise an excellent point. it would be interesting to know for sure if tossed, spoiled food is a tax exemption? If it is then it makes more sense to toss the food then sell it for cost. If they “give it away” to a food bank, they usually can get a tax receipt, so from a corporate profit perspective, if they get to count it as a loss for tax purposes, it makes sense to throw food away. pay less taxes. Oh, don’t worry about the poor, they don’t count. remember mommy was the representative for the crown, back in the day , in Ontario. I do recall she didn’t want people to hate her because she was rich and good looking, oh and another thing, she used to say she had been not bee rich when she lived in Ireland. Oh, let the profits roll in.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Capitalist economics suggests that they are doing the right thing. If they discount product so that every day all the food is sold, they will corner the market and all the other stores will follow suit. But that will then become a race to the bottom with the first bankruptcies taking the pressure off and, finally, only the strongest is left standing to crank up all the prices in order to re-generate lost profits. Economically speaking, it is better to keep prices up and chuck what ever doesn’t sell. And make no mistake: there is nothing in the definition of economics, finance, business and profit that includes morality, humanity or kindness to others. That kind of thing is optional except for the obligatory marketing show of it at Xmas. Sadly, we all subscribe to this hypocrisy. Unions will inflict harm to others because ‘there is no other way’. Governments will do the same. And the rest of us justify our selfish actions by saying, “Hey! Not personal. Just business. Gotta make a buck, ya know!” The answer to all that is simple: “Be the change you want to see in the world” (M. Ghandi). Or, even more paradoxically, “the more you give, the more you get” (paraphrased from the bible). In other words: “Ain’t gonna happen!”

    Liked by 1 person

      1. It can get better. And the seniors can do it. All they have to do is organize a food co-op or assist a food bank to ‘expand’ into a co-op. Then they buy in bulk and be fair to each other. Get VanCity to fund the start-up. and recruit 50-60 part-time volunteer workers (retired food store guy as interim manager). Attach the ‘roamin’ kitchen’ and you have a poor-person-market-share food centre. Prob’ly get Jimmy Pattison to donate old coolers and crap.
        You don’t think there are enough ‘goody-foody’ types? You’d be wrong. Someone with charisma is the the magnet for all the pieces. That’s a leader. You have plenty of them. You ARE one.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Although I always promote and endorse shopping locally to support our local merchants, in this case, I am happy that you are able to shop where you can get the most for your money Peter. Sadly many seniors don’t have that option.

      Although… I wonder if there if local community and seniors centres would consider offering a cross border shopping run as an ongoing program? I know they do cross border day trips etc.

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      1. My point is not about how much we can save, but how much Canadians are gouged. Some have said it’s because of the cost of shipping. True to some extent, but driving to and from Bellingham costs only about $6 round trip. How could that amount to hundreds of dollars for 1 tv? Canadians deserve a better break than this. If shipping is a major cost, then why is the half price of gas not trickling down to the consumer? I believe because trickle down is a farce. Anyway, Merry Christmas to all!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Shame them by figuring out which day they toss the meat and stand at the dumpster with your cooler and collect the still good meat products before they hit the dumpster. I have watched the throwing away of meat and gone immediately after and collected perfectly good bacon, sausages, wieners and baloney. There was nothing wrong with any of it and it was free. Just make sure you cook it real well and it is very safe to eat.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. 30 is a smaller number than 50, but 50% off is a greater saving than 30% off, therefore Loblaw consumers should purchase the evidence of double stickers, and then suggest that they will be submitting it to Canada’s Competition Bureau….. Penalty: $10,000 maximum fine and/or imprisonment up to one year.

    Double Ticketing

    Section 54 of the Competition Act is a criminal provision. It prohibits the supply of a product at a price that exceeds the lowest of two or more prices clearly expressed in respect of the product.

    Any person who contravenes section 54, is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment up to one year on summary conviction.

    http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/00522.html

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Per the photo on the main article Laila, it used to be the law ( may still be ) that if an item is double stickered, the store must sell it for the lowest price that is showing.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. If an item is tagged with two prices, lowest price applies.
    If an item is tagged with two prices and scans incorrectly (i.e. at the 30% discount rather than the 50% discount), a voluntary regimen called the Scanner Price Accuracy Voluntary Code may come into play.
    More information on it here (and yes, Loblaw’s is a signatory to this voluntary code):
    http://www.retailcouncil.org/memberservices/consumerprograms/scanner-price-accuracy
    Basically, if an item scans incorrectly, and has a value of less than $10, the retailer should give it to the customer for free.
    If the item has a value of more than $10, the customer should get a credit of $10 on the item that was incorrectly scanned.
    Always pay attention when your items are being scanned; I have found that I run across a scanner error on my shopping at least once a week.
    If I notice it, I always bring up the scanning code of practice to the cashier and have always gotten the appropriate credit on my bill.
    If you look closely, on the wall/divider at the back of each till you will see a finely printed black & white copy of the scanning code of practice at retailers.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. After having read this article, I was in Stupid Store in Kamloops yesterday ( Dec. 18 ). I made a point of looking at all of the markdown shelves. There was not one sticker with a discount of higher than 25% off, anywhere to be seen. Also, if you buy hamburger to save money, be aware of the little sign in the meat dept. at Stupid Store that states that their hamburger contains previously frozen burger also. They mix it in with the fresh to save money I guess. Also , they don’t have to mark it down when it is close to expiry. You also have to pay attention to prices on their yellow pkgd offerings too. They and the Presidents Choice items are often the same price as the ” brand “, and quite often more. They are also back to the rotten habit of putting on a killer sale on an item, and requiring you to buy far more than you might need in order to get the sale price. I notice that those ” sales ” are more prevalent during welfare, and pension weeks.

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  14. Posting this here and at the original post: I just received an email from a reader stating that in her store, the 30% stickers on soon to be expired product are now replaced with 25% off stickers, further reducing the amount off from the original 50% .

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