Different prices for the same private label snack food at two Loblaw-owned stores have caused a stir online, with some customers accusing the company of “price gouging” and others points out why one store is more expensive than the other.
The products in question are No Name Regular Ripple Cut Chips and PC Kettle Corn, which can be found on the shelves of Superstores and Shoppers Drug Mart.
No Name and President’s Choice are both house brands in select Loblaw stores.
One eagle-eyed shopper snapped a photo of chips priced at $1.49 at Superstore. At Shoppers Drug Mart, I noticed that the chips were expensive at $2.79, but now they are on sale for $1.99.
Blatant price gouging between own stores. I’m not even hiding it.
byu/Danno_999 inLow brosis out of control
At the superstore, Kettle corn is $3.79 But at Shoppers it’s $4.79.
“Can someone please explain to me why prices for the same No Name and PC brand products vary so much between stores? They own them and control the prices!” ” I wrote.Lob roast is out of control” subreddit group.
Some people on the post criticized the prices, while others highlighted the differences between Superstore and Shoppers Drug Mart.
“Their own house brand. But it’s the ‘suppliers’ who are raising the prices…” one commenter wrote sarcastically.
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“Yes. Gouging has reached its climax. If we boycott them, we can put them back in line,” said another.
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“Shoppers get ripped off all the time. Everything there is guaranteed to be at a ridiculous price. Sales mean nothing,” another Redditor pointed out.
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Many other commenters pointed out that Shoppers is not a grocery store and therefore may have set prices for its items.
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“Shoppers is not a no-frills service. The drugstore has never pretended to have the price point of a discount grocer. More expensive real estate, different brands,” one source said.
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“Shoppers Drug Mart is a convenience store. Your answer is there,” another wrote.
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“Don’t like the price? Don’t buy it,” one person suggested.
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Shoppers Drug Mart has become known as the most expensive item in Loblaw’s arsenal, with pricing for pharmaceuticals, first aid supplies, personal care products, and more than competitors or other stores from the same parent company. It’s getting expensive.
The drugstore has recently come under fire for selling everyday items such as hair ties, makeup remover pads and hairbrushes at “exorbitant” prices.
In response to the price difference in snacks, Loblaw told Daily Hive that it offers “a variety of options to best fit our customers’ needs.”
“This includes a full-service grocery store, convenient pharmacy locations with extended hours, and the least expensive option, no-frills or maxi,” a Loblaw representative said. .
“Prices vary from store to store, and so do operating costs. That said, we are committed to ensuring that all of our customers receive the same benefits through our extremely popular PC Optimum program, which handed out over $1 billion in points and specific deals last year alone. We continue to work as hard as we can to make sure you have access to the best value possible in our stores and promotions.”
In response to Canadian shoppers’ frustrations with Loblaws, a member of the Reddit community called “Loblaws Out of Control” ordered all of the company’s stores, including No Frills, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Real Canadian Superstores They are planning a boycott in May.
The rapidly growing group, which boasts more than 40,000 members, said it was specifically targeting the boycott of Loblaw, which has become the face of Canada’s cost of living crisis.
With files from Becky Robertson
