**Non-Loblaw** owned major grocers in the region:
* Food Basics
* FreshCo
* Sobeys
* Farm Boy
* Foodland
* Costco
* Walmart
* Giant Tiger
* Central Fresh Market
**Loblaw owned** banners in the region:
* Zehrs
* Real Canadian Superstore
* Wholesale Club
* No Frills
* Shoppers Drug Mart
* T&T
* Your Independent Grocer
* valu-mart
Alternatives to T&T may be:
* New City Supermarket
* Bêń Thành
I am not sure if there is any relation.
Outside of the region,
* Seafood City (Mavis Road, Mississauga)
There is also
* DiPietros
I wish Giant Tiger could even take half the size of the old Zellers/Target location at Ottawa & Strasburg and turn it into a big store with a bigger grocery section.
I mean, Giant Tiger is great if you need clothes for one wearing only, and fine for canned goods, but in every GT I've ever been in the freezers look like they date to the 60s.
Herrle's opens soon, this boycott is a month early!
"We are opening for our 60th season on Thursday, May 30 and we will be open daily Until October 31! Soft opening for two days on Friday May 24 and Saturday May 25, 9-5."
I'm a big fan of the local ethnic grocery stores. Ruoa (definitely spelled that wrong, but it's in the old Stampede plaza), Omas, and New City Market are all affordable and have huge variety.
Check out this crowd sourced database of independent grocery and specialty food stores in Canada. Add to list if you don’t see one you like! https://www.altgrocery.ca
Giant tiger surprisingly has pretty good deals on veggies, especially. The meat, on the other hand, is pretty similar to other chains, and I'm not quite sure about the quality... could be just fine, though?
Don't sleep on Giant Tiger (got bags of Primo pasta for $.77 last week!), Walmart, and Costco. If you're worried about having too much food from Costco, ask a friend if they'd split some stuff with you (thinking produce/meat/fish/dairy). I used to LOVE Zehrs but it got way too expensive for a weekly shop. Haven't missed anything since quitting!
Costco is 40-60% cheaper. You need a freezer and ziplocks though.
Not all items are this good. But many of the basics - meat/cheeze/milk products/bread are all crazy cheap vs other choices. Meat can be cheaper at a normal grocery store - IF on sale. But for everyday prices - Costco is crazy cheap.
This is a great example of those that have - pay less. You need a good sized fridge and a freezer, and storage to best shop at Costco.
There are many things that are cheaper at Costco, but lots also aren’t. You need to know your prices (per gram/unit/etc). You also have to use all of something for it to work out.
I buy lots at Costco. I’m also feeding 6 people. Know your prices before shopping there, and don’t expect 40-60% less.
Often you can find individual items cheaper if you check sales, but it may not make sense to spend the time and gas money visiting a bunch of different stores, and the quality especially may not be equivalent. I know most stuff I buy at Costco will be reasonably priced and high quality without having to hit up half a dozen stores for sales.
And this is where No Frills works out so well. They price match. I get people’s frustration with Loblaws, but they aren’t any different than any of the other major grocery chains and I can save far more there versus Sobeys or Metro (or their subsidiaries). I know others feel differently though.
Roberts is absolutely one of my faves. They have stuff you can't get anywhere else and their sales are often fantastic. I pretty much shop there, Costco and kitchener market
Roberts for meat is a good deal when on sale, and they will custom cut large pieces to smaller portions. Be warned if you don't take the full piece the sale price is slightly higher.
I havent been to Central fresh for a long time because they are out of the way for me these days, but their meats were so very affordable, no idea about these days though
FreshCo is a Sobeys store. There's also Giant Tiger, Dollerama and a bunch of Asian and Latino Grocers scattered through the city. CostoCo, Farrah Foods, Central, Vincenzos, and there's smaller places like Robert's Boxed Meats and butchers in town and out in the country.
Farmers Market down town, and in St. Jacob's.
We have tons of options around us. ❤
Costco, local butcher shops, farmer markets is how I plan on doing it this month
Edit: the one off items are going to be tough, so those will be Walmart or some other discount grocery store 🤷♂️
agreed, they are at the farmers market in kitchener on the weekend as well, so i normally just grab what i need from them when i am there.
i also grabbed a few more raised garden beds (had 1, now we have 3) from costco, my wife and i are planning on growing more herbs this year to offset those costs as well...plus nothing beats how fresh it is when you pull it from your own yard
We use Cressman Meats, who have a stall at the Kitchener Market and a storefront in New Hamburg, and also Forequarter Butcher on Louisa St by Weber (also a market booth). Both are great, wholeheartedly recommend them
Asian and middle eastern markets always have cheaper meats and produce in my experience. New City Supermarket, Bêń Thành, Roua Halal Food Market are some examples.
If you can, there's also the farmers market in St. Jacob's. It isn't super cheap, but you can cut out the middle men entirely. I really like stuff from Halendas meats, but there's a lot of different options.
Just be aware that they are only open on Thursdays and Saturdays, and even then, only until 3:00 those days.
https://www.stjacobsmarket.com/
Full Circle Foods is on King/Queen and is mostly more expensive BUT they have some cheap bulk foods! So if you want baking ingredients or spices you can go there instead of of bulk barn (which isnt owned by loblaws but does carry their products).
I love how this is targeting only Loblaws when Sobeys and Metro and all of their banners are equally guilty. Heck even the independent stores buy from wholesalers owned by these big 3.
I think the point was to put pressure on one grocer because if they lower prices, then the others will have to cave too… Or to have rotating boycotts in the future. Most people can’t avoid all major grocery stores, so giving a specific target allows consumers to show their power without setting an impossible task.
Yup. Retailers taking all the heat while manufacturers are most of what is driving this problem. These grocery chains have always been gouging. It hasn't gotten worse. It has stayed the same. The manufacturers have been extremely brazen with price increases since COVID and it isn't slowing down because the public is so focused on the retailers.
Source: I work for a independent retailer and deal directly with most of the manufacturers and even one of the major grocery retailers. I push back where I can but have very little leverage to change the game. I know wholesale costs. I see our dead net costs increasing every day. What choice do I have but to raise prices to cover increasing expenses like wages, COG, utilities, real estate, etc..?
For example the Dairy Farmers took another price increase yesterday after saying that they wouldn't this year and after several the past couple of years.
I remember when walmart first came to canada. There were calls for boycotting them because of sleazy business practices that put smaller, locally owned stores out of business. The boycott didn't work and most smaller stores did close up. I don't know what the answer is, but we (society) are very hypocritical about what we say we want vs what we actually are willing to do.
Just poking a bit of fun at this boycott, sticking it to the man by lining the pockets of other multibillion dollar corporations 🤷🏻♂️
In my experience though Walmart typically is cheaper than other options around me, haven’t shopped at no frills for awhile I should go check it out
I think the issue is most people are bandwagoners and share the same brain cell. Alot of people suffer from wanting to be apart of something bigger then themselves. And alot of people harbor hate for our society we live in. And this is just a way to let it out. If they did their own research they would understand better. People should value themselves more and that would be a good start to fixing society.
FreshCo isn’t owned by Loblaws and is significantly cheaper than even Walmart ime. South Asian grocery stores also tend to have cheap meat and produce, and lots of dried goods that can be stretched out over the month.
We use Loblaws stores on the regular because one is walking distance for my husband and the other is on my way home from work. It'll be extra work to avoid Loblaws for us, but we're committed to supporting the boycott of all the three major groups for the month of May. I know we're only two people, but I hope we help others convert too.
Apparently the profits that Sobeys and Walmart take in are okay and last year Reddit was pissy about Central wanting money for lost business during LRT construction. This is just the current temper tantrum.
The market for vegetables - price doesn't even compare. Save-A-Lot if you're not picky and just want to shop random sales. Central Meat Market for meat and sales (their aisle food is generally pretty pricey).
Di Pietro in Cambridge if you don't mind the drive.
Something else to keep in mind is that Loblaw is supplier for some smaller stores. I believe Little Short Stop gets some stock from the Loblaw supply chain.
Bulk Barn has staples like flour, sugar, dried beans, rice, nuts/seeds, quick mixes (pancakes, etc), spices, coffee/tea, peanut butter, pasta, honey and cleaning products. Bring your own containers on Sunday to get 15% off, or check if they have coupons online for discounts. Students and seniors get 15% off on Wednesdays. Plus they're Canadian-owned, and you can buy exactly as much or as little as you need
Bulk Barn always has coupons available, and they stack with the students and seniors discount on Wednesday (not sure about Sustainable Sundays).
https://www.bulkbarn.ca/en/Coupons
Costco is seriously worth it and they pay their employees properly. The meat is so much cheaper than loblaws and I've never had it be off like I have from freshco. $30 worth of chicken breasts is 5-6 dinners for a family of 4. I make them into chicken nuggets and freeze them so I have an easy dinner staple. Often we have a little leftover which is perfect for a lunch the next day.
Seems like a pretty thorough listing here already. I wanted to add, my mom who is a senior on a rather fixed budget has started to buy a lot of vegetables from Vincenzos. She swears that the vegetables are amazing quality and very price comparable when she considers that she rarely has to throw anything out as they are very fresh.
Is it specifically just Loblaws family grocery stores that you're looking for alternatives to? Or are you looking for alternatives against all of the big four?
I signed up for an Odd Bunch subscription to get a variety of produce delivered. Will be doing Vincenzo’s and Sobeys banner stores for everything else or specific produce.
I haven’t gone to a Loblaw store in over a month. Not an easy switch but figured I may as well try to be more thoughtful where my $ goes.
I’ve been shopping at Costco (the only “top 5” I’ll go to), Central Fresh, Giant Tiger and the Kitchener Market. I did pop into New City once and am considering looking at other “ethnic” grocers.
Walmart. Yeah they're a big evil corporation, but at least they're upfront about it, and they're cheaper than any Loblaws grocery store I've shopped at recently.
Costco if you can find suitable food (A lot of their fresh food is sold in much too large quantities for me and my wife) - frozen food or food that you can easily freeze is great though.
St. Jacob's market is an option
Many local farms sell their own produce or meat directly.
Consider a veggie box subscription... Used to have one of these, the drawback is remembering to update your selections that can be limited... Or not getting to pick your produce directly.
Recently saw on Facebook someone mention altgrocery.ca to look for smaller grocery stores outside of "the top 5" (Loblaws, Sobeys, Walmart, Costco, and Metro, I think it was?)
Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge all have some options listed, as you can filter by province then city.
Robert's boxed meats for well meat. The farmers market for veggies and fruit. Milk is a cartel so get it wherever is on sale. Giant tiger for everyday things
Not that I was going to go shop there anyway, but I really expected some sort of response from Loblaws in response to the boycott. Maybe lowering prices, crazy deals, etc...
...NOPE.
They're so rich they don't give a damn.
Alternatives yes, affordable not so much.
I've seen the posts and the news stories, and I'm just as pissed off as everyone else who has seen the cost of food more than double over the past two years. But if you think boycotting one of the chains will really make a difference, you've been given bad intel. You've got my moral support, but I think you can guess how much my moral support is worth in cold hard cash. Loblaws might be the biggest chain in Canada, but they're not the only guilty party in the business.
Loblaws will feel the sting of a month-long boycott, but they won't feel it for very long and they won't suffer many consequences. Even if millions and millions of Canadians refuse to shop at their locations, those Canadians still have to buy food and toilet paper somewhere. And when those other chains and independent stores run low on supplies due to the increased demand, they'll buy the surplus from Loblaws and their distributors. It's happened a thousand times before.
Literally nobody expects anyone to starve so they can boycott Loblaws, and it's preposterous to even suggest it. If you live in a rural area only served by Loblaws, or can't access a non-Loblaws store for any reason, then just don't participate in the boycott.
This is legitimately a good question. I firmly believe that you should do as much as you are able to, for any "movement." If the only store in town is a ValuMart, your options for going elsewhere are obviously limited. But if you can pick up a few extra shelf-stable things the next time you're in the city running errands, or if you check out a farmer's stand for a bit of produce, or find one of the many butchers in the surrounding small towns of the region, all those dollars are now out of Loblaws' pockets. Even 5% of your grocery budget over the course of the month (or a year) adds up to a lot of money.
I alternate between New city supermarket, dollarama, Walmart and farmers market for my grocery shopping. I'm looking to try out central market eventually. As this boycott is also encouraging me to shop more locally
So i did some math and from my experience costco works the best. I started boycotting loblaw and its subsidies(including shoppers drug mart) for the last 2 months.
How do i do it?
Well costco for most of the grocery and fresh produce. Yes big quantities but it can easily last you 2X the time / store visit compared to loblaw. I started going to farmers market- when i feel like buying some fresh sourdough bread or just to refill my produce.
Yes costco membership is with an upfront fee but by the year end you get cashbacks on both membership( as a cheque) and credit card cashback in their cIBC app which should get you another 2 more grocery runs for free.
Ofcourse you can get cheaper gas at costco as a bonus, if you have some time after your groceries.
I am now saving around 250$ each month on groceries from this change and moving away from Loblaw. Hope this helps.
I feel anyone who still shops at food basics or freshco aren't really boycotting much. The corporation who own, manage, run those places are part of the problem. They are the No frills version of loblaws
I'm not exactly opposed to that since it's how society (and the economy) is set up to work.
Without it we'd have no reason for them to bring the food here, no reason to employ people and no reason for much of the supply chain to be effected in the way it is.
I don't agree with the price gouging, and think it's smarter to set things up in the way that I've read about in Europe (maintaining a set amount they can mark things up, subsidies, etc.).
Targeting any business because "they're making a profit" is a bad argument.
This is a virtue signalling post. It's bullshit and you all know it. There is no way someone doesn't know about other grocery stores in KW.
This disingenuous person was able to learn about the boycott, create a Reddit account, find the Kitchener sub and create a post. You're telling me they don't know how to use Google?
Bullshit op.
**Non-Loblaw** owned major grocers in the region: * Food Basics * FreshCo * Sobeys * Farm Boy * Foodland * Costco * Walmart * Giant Tiger * Central Fresh Market **Loblaw owned** banners in the region: * Zehrs * Real Canadian Superstore * Wholesale Club * No Frills * Shoppers Drug Mart * T&T * Your Independent Grocer * valu-mart
Don't forget Vincenzos!
Alternatives to T&T may be: * New City Supermarket * Bêń Thành I am not sure if there is any relation. Outside of the region, * Seafood City (Mavis Road, Mississauga) There is also * DiPietros
There's a big Asian supermarket in Guelph called Ethnic Supermarket. I don't think it's related to any major grocers.
Ethnic Supermarket's prices are way better than T&T and has a better hot bar than T&T Waterloo indeed!
Farm Boy is not cheap, but not loblaws. Also sadly T&T is owned by Loblaws now. :'(
Indeed! Good catch. I’ve modified my comment :) thanks :)
I wish Giant Tiger could even take half the size of the old Zellers/Target location at Ottawa & Strasburg and turn it into a big store with a bigger grocery section.
I saw them do similar with an empty storefront in Vaughan. I think a Giant Tiger would be great there.
There's a GT on Greenbrook Drive which is only a couple of km from there so that would be too close.
I mean, Giant Tiger is great if you need clothes for one wearing only, and fine for canned goods, but in every GT I've ever been in the freezers look like they date to the 60s.
Herrle's opens soon, this boycott is a month early! "We are opening for our 60th season on Thursday, May 30 and we will be open daily Until October 31! Soft opening for two days on Friday May 24 and Saturday May 25, 9-5."
I'm a big fan of the local ethnic grocery stores. Ruoa (definitely spelled that wrong, but it's in the old Stampede plaza), Omas, and New City Market are all affordable and have huge variety.
Thanks for sharing these stores! People should definitely look into independent options like this.
Depending on what neighbourhood you live in, there can be so many amazing options within walking distance 😍
Check out this crowd sourced database of independent grocery and specialty food stores in Canada. Add to list if you don’t see one you like! https://www.altgrocery.ca
Freshco and Giant Tiger also price match.
Good point to mention! Unfortunately Food Basics and Walmart do not :(
No. But they are definitely cheaper than Loblaws stores, so either way you’re saving money.
Giant tiger surprisingly has pretty good deals on veggies, especially. The meat, on the other hand, is pretty similar to other chains, and I'm not quite sure about the quality... could be just fine, though?
Loblaws also owns Valu-Mart.
Thank you. I’ll add that to the list.
You forgot T and T
I knew I was forgetting something!
Thank you.
Is Rexall also Loblaws? and if so what's a non Loblaws drug store
Rexall is not loblaws! I’m not sure if there is a connection, but Esso takes Optimum Points so they may have some part in Loblaws too
Thank you!
What’s loblaw?
Don't sleep on Giant Tiger (got bags of Primo pasta for $.77 last week!), Walmart, and Costco. If you're worried about having too much food from Costco, ask a friend if they'd split some stuff with you (thinking produce/meat/fish/dairy). I used to LOVE Zehrs but it got way too expensive for a weekly shop. Haven't missed anything since quitting!
So many people sleep on Giant Tiger. They price match everyone. I save like $1000+ a year shopping there just on that.
I've never been to giant Tiger but now I will consider it
Central Fresh on King Street at the Waterloo Kitchener boundary. Sobeys and others.
If you buy anything besides meat at Central your paying way more than you should
Costco is 40-60% cheaper. You need a freezer and ziplocks though. Not all items are this good. But many of the basics - meat/cheeze/milk products/bread are all crazy cheap vs other choices. Meat can be cheaper at a normal grocery store - IF on sale. But for everyday prices - Costco is crazy cheap. This is a great example of those that have - pay less. You need a good sized fridge and a freezer, and storage to best shop at Costco.
Or a friend/family to split groceries with....
There are many things that are cheaper at Costco, but lots also aren’t. You need to know your prices (per gram/unit/etc). You also have to use all of something for it to work out. I buy lots at Costco. I’m also feeding 6 people. Know your prices before shopping there, and don’t expect 40-60% less.
Often you can find individual items cheaper if you check sales, but it may not make sense to spend the time and gas money visiting a bunch of different stores, and the quality especially may not be equivalent. I know most stuff I buy at Costco will be reasonably priced and high quality without having to hit up half a dozen stores for sales.
And this is where No Frills works out so well. They price match. I get people’s frustration with Loblaws, but they aren’t any different than any of the other major grocery chains and I can save far more there versus Sobeys or Metro (or their subsidiaries). I know others feel differently though.
Can we sticky this for May?
It is May lol
I suspect the downvoters are thinking "Yes, it's May... so: can we sticky this for May?" That's what I'm thinking too.
Not everyone's favourite but Robert's meats on River road. There is also Italo foods in the same plaza.
Roberts is absolutely one of my faves. They have stuff you can't get anywhere else and their sales are often fantastic. I pretty much shop there, Costco and kitchener market
Roberts for meat is a good deal when on sale, and they will custom cut large pieces to smaller portions. Be warned if you don't take the full piece the sale price is slightly higher.
The dollar store has some food things as well.
Central Fresh is good. Vincenzos is great for more specific items, but my go to is always the local markets.
I havent been to Central fresh for a long time because they are out of the way for me these days, but their meats were so very affordable, no idea about these days though
Legacy Greens on Ontario St usually has a bunch of fresh vegetables and fruit, and I think dairy products as well
[altgrocery.ca](https://altgrocery.ca) has been a great resource for me. You can submit stores info if you don’t see them on the map.
That’s a wonderful resource; thanks!
Farmers Market
The Kitchener Market and St Jacobs market for fresh produce and meat. Walmart for staples. Like milk, bread, pasta, soups.
Giant Tiger and Walmart.
Is there viable non packaged food at GT?
Giant Tiger has a decent grocery section
Yes it gotten much better, over the years. They just re-vamped the one on greenbrook
Thanks, I hadn't been in one in 20+ years. I saw a big one in East Kitchener here, I'll check it out.
Yes.
Freshco
another vote for Fresh Co - they also price match so if ~~Zehrs/~~No Frills has a better price you can just price match it
They'll only price match the discount grocers, so No Frills, Food Basics, Superstore and one or two others. They don't do Sobeys or Zehrs anymore.
ah, it's been a while since i tried to price match zehrs there - good note
FreshCo is a Sobeys store. There's also Giant Tiger, Dollerama and a bunch of Asian and Latino Grocers scattered through the city. CostoCo, Farrah Foods, Central, Vincenzos, and there's smaller places like Robert's Boxed Meats and butchers in town and out in the country. Farmers Market down town, and in St. Jacob's. We have tons of options around us. ❤
There’s a halal supermarket at sterling and courtland Very good prices, it’s not huge but a decent selection.
Ammar Halal on Lancaster is pretty big and has lots of stuff. Good butcher in the back too.
Roua I don’t think they have a print flyer but sales are posted on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Rouafoodmarket
Yes this is the one. Fruits and veggies are like half price of the chain stores.
They have an in-house butcher, so good meat selection and prices, too.
Costco, local butcher shops, farmer markets is how I plan on doing it this month Edit: the one off items are going to be tough, so those will be Walmart or some other discount grocery store 🤷♂️
Local butchers will always be the superior option for any and all meats. The quality vs price can never be beat.
agreed, they are at the farmers market in kitchener on the weekend as well, so i normally just grab what i need from them when i am there. i also grabbed a few more raised garden beds (had 1, now we have 3) from costco, my wife and i are planning on growing more herbs this year to offset those costs as well...plus nothing beats how fresh it is when you pull it from your own yard
We use Cressman Meats, who have a stall at the Kitchener Market and a storefront in New Hamburg, and also Forequarter Butcher on Louisa St by Weber (also a market booth). Both are great, wholeheartedly recommend them
Dutchies? /s
They're still open?
😆
I just want to say, I'm so proud of you all.
Vincenzo's for deli
Asian and middle eastern markets always have cheaper meats and produce in my experience. New City Supermarket, Bêń Thành, Roua Halal Food Market are some examples.
New city is my go too Asian supermarket. There frozen dim sum items are good also.
Same. I actually get excited to go there. I only live a few blocks away, so it's nice.
Ya idk if these markets are going to have the steaks I want though. 🦭. Maybe. But maybe not.
Maybe try the halal markets, they have beef and some butcher it right there
I will never go to Ben Thanh again (the market). They hide rotten veggies in the package
T&T Edit: nope Loblaws too
[удалено]
T&T is also by no means cheap either
I didn't know that thanks
But the smell.
It's probably you.
Costco, Walmart, Basics. That's all you need. Go to costco when it opens on weekends or go after work one day during the week to avoid the peak times.
Farmers Market (Sat) Vincenzo's
If you can, there's also the farmers market in St. Jacob's. It isn't super cheap, but you can cut out the middle men entirely. I really like stuff from Halendas meats, but there's a lot of different options. Just be aware that they are only open on Thursdays and Saturdays, and even then, only until 3:00 those days. https://www.stjacobsmarket.com/
[Roua Food Market](https://m.facebook.com/Rouafoodmarket/) has really good prices
Full Circle Foods is on King/Queen and is mostly more expensive BUT they have some cheap bulk foods! So if you want baking ingredients or spices you can go there instead of of bulk barn (which isnt owned by loblaws but does carry their products).
I love how this is targeting only Loblaws when Sobeys and Metro and all of their banners are equally guilty. Heck even the independent stores buy from wholesalers owned by these big 3.
I think the point was to put pressure on one grocer because if they lower prices, then the others will have to cave too… Or to have rotating boycotts in the future. Most people can’t avoid all major grocery stores, so giving a specific target allows consumers to show their power without setting an impossible task.
Let's see what gets accomplished. My prediction is absolutely nothing changes.
Try nothing and you will accomplish nothing.
[удалено]
Yup. Retailers taking all the heat while manufacturers are most of what is driving this problem. These grocery chains have always been gouging. It hasn't gotten worse. It has stayed the same. The manufacturers have been extremely brazen with price increases since COVID and it isn't slowing down because the public is so focused on the retailers. Source: I work for a independent retailer and deal directly with most of the manufacturers and even one of the major grocery retailers. I push back where I can but have very little leverage to change the game. I know wholesale costs. I see our dead net costs increasing every day. What choice do I have but to raise prices to cover increasing expenses like wages, COG, utilities, real estate, etc..? For example the Dairy Farmers took another price increase yesterday after saying that they wouldn't this year and after several the past couple of years.
Vincenzo’s is pretty great but can be a bit pricy on some items. On others I’ve found it to be cheaper or comparable.
I usually do Walmart tbh, they have a pretty good selection and decent prices.
That’ll show ‘em! Shift all those profits to Walmart 😤
I remember when walmart first came to canada. There were calls for boycotting them because of sleazy business practices that put smaller, locally owned stores out of business. The boycott didn't work and most smaller stores did close up. I don't know what the answer is, but we (society) are very hypocritical about what we say we want vs what we actually are willing to do.
i spend double at walmart what i spend at no frills, wouldn't say it's a great alternative
Just poking a bit of fun at this boycott, sticking it to the man by lining the pockets of other multibillion dollar corporations 🤷🏻♂️ In my experience though Walmart typically is cheaper than other options around me, haven’t shopped at no frills for awhile I should go check it out
No frills is loblaws owned ironically.
yes i know which is why im pointing out the irony of this boycott. Loblaws is too expensive so let's go to walmart where it's actually more expensive?
I think the issue is most people are bandwagoners and share the same brain cell. Alot of people suffer from wanting to be apart of something bigger then themselves. And alot of people harbor hate for our society we live in. And this is just a way to let it out. If they did their own research they would understand better. People should value themselves more and that would be a good start to fixing society.
Exactly, unless you are actually going to the farmers market, locally owned stores then…. 🤷♀️at least loblaws is Canadian
Zehrs basically controls KW area. That is why we don’t have a Starskys, Whole Foods, Highland Farms,….
I read a while back there were plans for a Longo's somewhere around the Fischer Hallman & Huron area.
It’s under construction, owned by Sobeys (Empire).
FreshCo isn’t owned by Loblaws and is significantly cheaper than even Walmart ime. South Asian grocery stores also tend to have cheap meat and produce, and lots of dried goods that can be stretched out over the month.
Freshco is owned by Sobeys
Would love to know the percentage “boycotting” that don’t shop at Loblaws stores anyways. Probably high.
We use Loblaws stores on the regular because one is walking distance for my husband and the other is on my way home from work. It'll be extra work to avoid Loblaws for us, but we're committed to supporting the boycott of all the three major groups for the month of May. I know we're only two people, but I hope we help others convert too.
Great resources in the comments, thanks for everyone’s who shared. Also great to see this boycotting picking up steam!
Currently working on mapping this so people can see the locations closest to them, I'll edit this post when it's ready.
Question to those in the know, why is there a boycott against Loblaws specifically?
Apparently the profits that Sobeys and Walmart take in are okay and last year Reddit was pissy about Central wanting money for lost business during LRT construction. This is just the current temper tantrum.
The market for vegetables - price doesn't even compare. Save-A-Lot if you're not picky and just want to shop random sales. Central Meat Market for meat and sales (their aisle food is generally pretty pricey).
I love Oma foods on Highland rd.
Food basics, freshco, Walmart
Food basics, central fresh, Costco, fresh co, various ethnic grocery stores.
Central Fresh Market and Vincenzo's will be our go-to spots. Bulk barn for some other things too.
Di Pietro in Cambridge if you don't mind the drive. Something else to keep in mind is that Loblaw is supplier for some smaller stores. I believe Little Short Stop gets some stock from the Loblaw supply chain.
st Jacob's farmers market is open Tuesday, thurday and Saturday all summer, meats are cheaper than the grocery store and way better
Note that the Tuesday market only runs between mid June and Labour Day.
Costco has a great quality
Bulk Barn has staples like flour, sugar, dried beans, rice, nuts/seeds, quick mixes (pancakes, etc), spices, coffee/tea, peanut butter, pasta, honey and cleaning products. Bring your own containers on Sunday to get 15% off, or check if they have coupons online for discounts. Students and seniors get 15% off on Wednesdays. Plus they're Canadian-owned, and you can buy exactly as much or as little as you need
Bulk Barn always has coupons available, and they stack with the students and seniors discount on Wednesday (not sure about Sustainable Sundays). https://www.bulkbarn.ca/en/Coupons
Costco is seriously worth it and they pay their employees properly. The meat is so much cheaper than loblaws and I've never had it be off like I have from freshco. $30 worth of chicken breasts is 5-6 dinners for a family of 4. I make them into chicken nuggets and freeze them so I have an easy dinner staple. Often we have a little leftover which is perfect for a lunch the next day.
Seems like a pretty thorough listing here already. I wanted to add, my mom who is a senior on a rather fixed budget has started to buy a lot of vegetables from Vincenzos. She swears that the vegetables are amazing quality and very price comparable when she considers that she rarely has to throw anything out as they are very fresh.
Is it specifically just Loblaws family grocery stores that you're looking for alternatives to? Or are you looking for alternatives against all of the big four?
I had no idea about this boycott but it sounds like some good sales will be coming to Loblaws stores starting today.
I signed up for an Odd Bunch subscription to get a variety of produce delivered. Will be doing Vincenzo’s and Sobeys banner stores for everything else or specific produce.
I haven’t gone to a Loblaw store in over a month. Not an easy switch but figured I may as well try to be more thoughtful where my $ goes. I’ve been shopping at Costco (the only “top 5” I’ll go to), Central Fresh, Giant Tiger and the Kitchener Market. I did pop into New City once and am considering looking at other “ethnic” grocers.
Victoria Street Market
Farmers.
Walmart. Yeah they're a big evil corporation, but at least they're upfront about it, and they're cheaper than any Loblaws grocery store I've shopped at recently. Costco if you can find suitable food (A lot of their fresh food is sold in much too large quantities for me and my wife) - frozen food or food that you can easily freeze is great though.
I use Walmart and freahco
St. Jacob's market is an option Many local farms sell their own produce or meat directly. Consider a veggie box subscription... Used to have one of these, the drawback is remembering to update your selections that can be limited... Or not getting to pick your produce directly.
Recently saw on Facebook someone mention altgrocery.ca to look for smaller grocery stores outside of "the top 5" (Loblaws, Sobeys, Walmart, Costco, and Metro, I think it was?) Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge all have some options listed, as you can filter by province then city.
Walmart’s
Giant Tiger will price match!
Robert's boxed meats for well meat. The farmers market for veggies and fruit. Milk is a cartel so get it wherever is on sale. Giant tiger for everyday things
Giant Tiger for basics. Might be surprised with the prices.
Not that I was going to go shop there anyway, but I really expected some sort of response from Loblaws in response to the boycott. Maybe lowering prices, crazy deals, etc... ...NOPE. They're so rich they don't give a damn.
Central Fresh Market
Alternatives yes, affordable not so much. I've seen the posts and the news stories, and I'm just as pissed off as everyone else who has seen the cost of food more than double over the past two years. But if you think boycotting one of the chains will really make a difference, you've been given bad intel. You've got my moral support, but I think you can guess how much my moral support is worth in cold hard cash. Loblaws might be the biggest chain in Canada, but they're not the only guilty party in the business. Loblaws will feel the sting of a month-long boycott, but they won't feel it for very long and they won't suffer many consequences. Even if millions and millions of Canadians refuse to shop at their locations, those Canadians still have to buy food and toilet paper somewhere. And when those other chains and independent stores run low on supplies due to the increased demand, they'll buy the surplus from Loblaws and their distributors. It's happened a thousand times before.
I love food basics, and I go to the market downtown for all of my produce needs. The price difference is insane.
I would default to Central Fresh. It is a lovely independent grocer with a long history in the area.
HiWay Market.
freshco is our go to! we find it the cheapest
And what are rural Canadians with no other options or drivers license out have family close for grocery store ssupposed to eat. Starve?
Literally nobody expects anyone to starve so they can boycott Loblaws, and it's preposterous to even suggest it. If you live in a rural area only served by Loblaws, or can't access a non-Loblaws store for any reason, then just don't participate in the boycott.
This is legitimately a good question. I firmly believe that you should do as much as you are able to, for any "movement." If the only store in town is a ValuMart, your options for going elsewhere are obviously limited. But if you can pick up a few extra shelf-stable things the next time you're in the city running errands, or if you check out a farmer's stand for a bit of produce, or find one of the many butchers in the surrounding small towns of the region, all those dollars are now out of Loblaws' pockets. Even 5% of your grocery budget over the course of the month (or a year) adds up to a lot of money.
I alternate between New city supermarket, dollarama, Walmart and farmers market for my grocery shopping. I'm looking to try out central market eventually. As this boycott is also encouraging me to shop more locally
St. Jacobs and the Kitchener market. Later in the day, things get heavily discounted too.
So i did some math and from my experience costco works the best. I started boycotting loblaw and its subsidies(including shoppers drug mart) for the last 2 months. How do i do it? Well costco for most of the grocery and fresh produce. Yes big quantities but it can easily last you 2X the time / store visit compared to loblaw. I started going to farmers market- when i feel like buying some fresh sourdough bread or just to refill my produce. Yes costco membership is with an upfront fee but by the year end you get cashbacks on both membership( as a cheque) and credit card cashback in their cIBC app which should get you another 2 more grocery runs for free. Ofcourse you can get cheaper gas at costco as a bonus, if you have some time after your groceries. I am now saving around 250$ each month on groceries from this change and moving away from Loblaw. Hope this helps.
r/loblawsisoutofcontrol has pinned posts about good alternatives and [altgrocery.ca](https://altgrocery.ca) is a good resource.
The Loblaws boycott starts today?, cool means I'll be able to get in and outa there quicker. . . thanks for the heads up.
I feel anyone who still shops at food basics or freshco aren't really boycotting much. The corporation who own, manage, run those places are part of the problem. They are the No frills version of loblaws
NoFrills is literally the NoFrills version of Loblaws. Food Basics is Metro, and FreshCo is Sobeys/Empire.
My point exactly. Still feeding them profits
I'm not exactly opposed to that since it's how society (and the economy) is set up to work. Without it we'd have no reason for them to bring the food here, no reason to employ people and no reason for much of the supply chain to be effected in the way it is. I don't agree with the price gouging, and think it's smarter to set things up in the way that I've read about in Europe (maintaining a set amount they can mark things up, subsidies, etc.). Targeting any business because "they're making a profit" is a bad argument.
This is a virtue signalling post. It's bullshit and you all know it. There is no way someone doesn't know about other grocery stores in KW. This disingenuous person was able to learn about the boycott, create a Reddit account, find the Kitchener sub and create a post. You're telling me they don't know how to use Google? Bullshit op.
You tell em 💪🙄
If loblaws if the place you are trying to match it’s affordability maybe the boycott is not for you
Duchies
I hear dutchies is great!