By Sofia Gouveia
While Loblaws, a continuously successful grocer, denies having any control over their increase in prices, it’s essential to understand what they did have control over during their price freeze. From October 2022 until the end of January, Loblaws froze the prices of their no-name products. Loblaws said this freeze was done with good intentions of helping their shoppers. It was said that they were price-freezing approximately 1,500 of their no-name products. But when the price freeze ended in late January, Loblaws shoppers were left in the same predicament as they found themselves a few months earlier: still dealing with inflation rates but even more so now. The public took to social media to voice their concerns but Loblaws came back every time with an answer to their questions:
Looking back, when the pandemic was at its height, one of the only services that were accessible to the public was grocery stores. Many businesses were in crisis and some didn’t even make it out of the pandemic, but grocery stores stood strong making more money than ever. Especially since the desperation of leaving your house only grew stronger each day, the grocery store was the place to be. With people stocking up on toilet paper and Lysol wipes, business was booming.
So it's understandable how the public fought back, because of how short Loblaws’ ‘good gesture’ lasted. Not to mention what Loblaws price-froze during those four months was their no-name products, which are already priced lower than the average item. It’s disappointing, though not surprising, that loblaws did not think to lower their average fruits and vegetables or any healthy options. Was this good gesture of reducing no name products for four months an attempt to support their loyal shoppers through a difficult time, or was this just a publicity stunt?