More anonymous ‘attack’ signage is appearing outside Loblaw’s stores. This time in Toronto. The campaign follows release of another quarterly financial report showing what protesters call excess profits for Canada’s largest supermarket chain…
An anonymous protester has plastered light posts on streets surrounding
a downtown Toronto Loblaw’s store with mock DANGER signs…
The signs – which perfectly mimic real danger signs you’d find near construction and other work sites – warn: ‘EXCESS PROFITS BEYOND THIS POINT’
They appeared a few days after Loblaw’s supermarkets disclosed 30+ percent profits for Q2 2024. The store’s extensive financial report couched its profits in a maze of other figures which might have con-fused and confounded the average shopper. But the bottom line was, Canada’s largest supermarket collective is still hauling in record profits.
Food prices still too high
Nevertheless, food prices remain so high that millions of folks can’t afford to feed themselves and their families without resorting to desperate measures. Since last fall, Canadians have been reporting they are downgraded their food choices, skipping meals and going hungry so their kids can eat, in the face of continuing high food prices.
Sign War 2.0
The Toronto sign campaign might be considered version 2.0 of a controversial – albeit amusing – protest by artist(s) unknown. The original mini-wave of anti-Loblaw’s signs appeared in Calgary ear-lier this year. Someone posted fake bus shelter and bus bench ads for the chain’s own No Name products proclaiming ‘Let Them Eat Cake!’ and ‘Eat the Rich!’.
Widespread protests began in earnest a few months ago when a Toronto-based Reddit group, dubbed r/loblawsisoutofcontrol, began keeping tabs on what it labelled egregious pricing policies and alleged-ly deceptive marketing moves by the company.
Unprecedented support
The group, which now claims more than 90,000 members across Canada, called for a month-long boycott of Loblaw’s and it’s sister stores across the country. The group claimed the boycott was a success. Loblaw’s – publicly, at least – treated it as a trivial annoyance. And the chain’s subsequent disclosure of record quarterly profits seemed to confirm that position.
The boycott has been extended ‘indefinitely’, and the group remains united against Loblaw’s in particular, and unrelenting high food prices in general.
Meanwhile…
Thank the online community for disclosure of that food prices have risen by as much as 300 percent since the COVID era, and remain high. For no adequately explained reason.
Consumer groups continue to call for government intervention to unilaterally reduce retail food prices. And the federal government has officially opines as the country needs more competition in the supermarket sector.
In other countries – including the UK and the US – shoppers have benefited from the entry into their markets of international chains such as Aldi. Talks have taken place between federal government officials and Aldi exploring that possibility.
My take
We were promised last fall, by the supermarkets, that they would take substantive measures to lower retail food prices. The first phase, they said, would consist of seasonal reductions over the year-end holidays, with further action to be announced. Further action has not materialized. The government has indicated it is still watching the situation closely. And all options for official action remain on the table.
The Big 5 supermarket chains – Loblaw’s, Sobey’s, Metro, Walmart and COSTCO – enjoy a virtual monopoly over the retail food sector in Canada. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. And again, and again, until the message sinks in: With ownership comes responsibility. The government shouldn’t have to step in to mandate significant food price reductions.
And, rightfully or wrongfully – as the new Toronto protest sign campaign suggests – the question is being asked : Are these really just supermarket companies? Or are they old fashioned Robber Barons?
~ Maggie J.