this post was submitted on 11 Apr 2024
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[–] [email protected] 119 points 6 months ago (2 children)

What's depressingly unsurprising about those stats is that the shittier the food, the lower the GP%.

Oh sorry, you want real cheese and not extruded plastic masquerading as a dairy-like substance? Better pay more. Want something more sustainable, like oat milk? 55% markup.

And people wonder why the poor are less healthy. Fuck these fucking ghouls.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 6 months ago (5 children)

The oat milk infuriates me. I make it at home and it costs next to nothing almond milk I understand but oat milk should be much cheaper

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Most Canadian oat/almond/soy milk substitutes are filled with carrageenan, xantham gum and guar gum. The ones that aren't, like Earth's Own Naked Oat are double the price of the others, exceeding the price of milk.

I've discovered that I can buy local, unhomogenized milk in my city that comes in glass instead of plastic or PFAS lined cardboard. The price is $5/bottle but the taste is miles above the cartel milk or the substitutes, and oddly doesn't trigger my mild lactose intolerance either.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago

A neighboring town has a creamery and their milk is famous around here, it's so delicious and wholesome. Plus you can turn the glasses back in for a $2 rebate on the next bottle

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Do you have instructions on how to make it?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 months ago (1 children)

That oat milk is more expensive than cow milk always seemed like "virtue pricing". An acre of oats makes more oat milk than an acre of dairy cow feed makes cow milk.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

More like "novelty pricing" IMO. Pay a premium to drink the exotic milk of the day.

Oat milk is just oatmeal in disguise, it's as cheap as they come. The sad thing is that as overpriced as it is, as fake milks go, it's pretty much the best! My ex drinks it because she's lactose intolerant, and unlike almond or soy it's actually palatable IMO.

Real Asian style fresh soy milk is excellent btw because it doesn't pretend to be cow milk. It's more like a hot creamy bean soup. Makes a great breakfast, if you happen to be in Taiwan

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago
[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Is it good when you make it at home? I drink oat or Next Milk generally, and like it a lot, but if I could just milk my own oats....

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Yes, I make a batch for myself once a week. You just gotta follow the process and it takes like 5 minutes.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

Nice, thanks

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (3 children)

extruded plastic masquerading as a dairy-like substance

I assume that you're referring to Kraft singles, or "American" cheese: It's just cheese, dude; mixed with a chemical (sodium citrate) to help it bind to water. The FDA refuses to allow it to be called cheese, due to the percentages involved (it's literally mostly water). Regardless, no plastic after you take the wrapper off.

The Montreal-based chemist/YouTuber NileBlue made American cheese recently in a video.

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[–] [email protected] 107 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Remember, these criminals always claim that they are working off "slim" margins and can't possibly price food reasonably.

Looking at the rest of the list, and their record profits, it makes me wonder who in the government is on the Loblaws payroll.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago

Most of the people in any position to actually do something about it, including regulators.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

Mr. Weston, are the slim margins in the room with us right now? 😆

[–] [email protected] 41 points 6 months ago (3 children)

And where else are we going to go? This country is just three monopolies in a trench coat masquerading as a fair and competitive market. We don’t have any choice. Galen knows this.

From Loblaw’s website:

We serve local communities with stores from coast to coast. Our family includes: Atlantic SuperstoreTM, Dominion®, Loblaws®, Maxi®, No Frills®, Provigo Le Marché®, Valu-MartTM, Real Canadian Superstore®, Wholesale ClubTM, Your Independent GrocerTM and ZehrsTM.

From Shopper’s Drug Mart website:

2014

Loblaw Companies Limited acquires Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation for $12.4 billion in cash and stock, bringing together two iconic Canadian brands

[–] [email protected] 14 points 6 months ago

Your Independent Grocer

At least they have a sense of humour

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago

Thankfully out in BC we have Asian and Indian francise grocery stores. Their prices are way less than Loblaws/Superstore. It means all oil, flour, rice, lentils, veg groceries, sauces, potatoes, dairy, etc are one trip at an Indian grocery, then other items like deoderant, water filter, etc are done at walmart.

Potatoes at Indian grocer $2.99-$3.99 same bag at SuperStore $8.99

4 green peppers at indian grocer, $3.xx , and SuperStore wanted $10.99

Dealing in Volume, SuperStore should be less

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

A co-op. You all pitch in and buy bulk straight from the farm and then distribute it without a markup. Obviously there are distribution costs as well which get divided by the number of participants in the "group buy"

[–] [email protected] 32 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Galen Weston will be the first when people finally snap

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago (3 children)

And yet, he's only a symptom.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 6 months ago

No, he, and people like him, are the cause.

Yes, they're part of the system. But it's a system that they run, grow and benefit from.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 months ago

Much like the single pimple signifying the onset of acne he may not be the problem but it's still extremely satisfying to pop.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Shouldn't spare him just cause he's a symptom

[–] [email protected] 30 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Maybe we can socialize grocery stores, it will help farmers bring their crop to market

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago (2 children)

There is such a thing as CO-OPs.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

In some places, I feel like seizing all of the sobeys, metros, loblaws will expand their reach

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I have a good thing going right now.

I have a csa to get seasonal stuff and eggs, a local farmers market for meat and berries. I hit up a locally owned Vietnamese grocery store for imported stuff and then costco once a quarter or so for bulk stuff and a little bit of processed stuff. Cut my food costs by more than half. Berries are 5 for 2.5 pints (5 of of those containers you get at the grocery store), I got kolbasa today, 10$ for about 2ft worth. Amazing quality too.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Loblaw should have restricted their business to Bob Loblaw's Law Blog.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Not surprised. Butter is like $8 now !

[–] [email protected] 12 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Sometimes butter goes on sale for $4. It's the same thing they sell later for $8. Of course they're making +50% profit on that.

I just try to stock up when it's low, and not get screwed with the normal price. It used to be like $1 more. Now it's double. Make your own food people!

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Make your own food people!

Yall call this civilization?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago

The crazy part is the butter was listed as over 50% profit while also being priced under $5, I have not seen prices that low in years.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

I can't even begin to imagine the price gouging* going on in the USA.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I don’t get why loblaws is the only one named all the time. Hell Safeway and Saveon have similar or higher prices. Why do they get a free pass?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Loblaws operates their primary banner stores in all the most populous areas of Canada, and they operate grocery stores under some sort of banner in every province and territory.

Safeway is American and only operates in Western Canada, Save-On-Foods is also in Western Canada only. Both are much smaller than Loblaws.

So basically, scale & name recognition. I know people hate the “GTA is the centre of the universe” thing as well, but Loblaws is the “expensive” grocery store in southern Ontario, which contains our national capitol and the capitol of our biggest province, which is also the HQ of all of our national newspapers and public TV station. So it will get special legislative & media attention too.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Safeway Canada is owned by Sobeys along with many other brands like Freshco.

Really almost all Canadian groceries stores are owned by Loblaws, Jim Pattinson group or Sobeys. Again not sure why they get off the hook.

3 way monopoly is the Canadian way.

Where do you shop if not at Loblaws? Anything not a subsidiary of the above three?

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I hear ham flipping is even more lucrative.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

This year I invested in pumpkins. They've been going up the whole month of October, and I've got a feeling they're going to peak right around January and BANG! That's when I'll cash in!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago

I remember when dairies had convenience stores and they'd sort of set the price for dairy products everywhere. No one is paying a 50+% markup when they can readily get it for half the grocery price. Now most are 7/11's and dairy is not big on their sales list

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Get these crooks under control; history repeats and we are long overdue a revolution.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

Isn't that the chain that's owned by some right-wing shithead who was under investigation for something shady?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I must have missed this on Bob Loblaw's Law Blog

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Our Albertson's (including most Safeway brands) in my region want to merge with the Kroger brand stores. They say it'll be good for customers. 🙄

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