Canadians are angry with their biggest supermarket

Political blame and public anger

• Some argue the NDP and an unpopular federal government are scapegoating big grocers like Loblaw for inflation to deflect from higher taxes, regulation, and carbon costs on truckers and farmers.
• Others insist public frustration with Loblaw is real (mockery of “price freezes,” boycott subreddit, “gouging” sentiment).
• There’s disagreement on the scale of the anger: some see it as broad-based, others as mostly an NDP/Reddit phenomenon with little effect on shopping behavior.

Competition, foreign entrants, and market structure

• Canada is described as hard for foreign (and even domestic) entrants: Target’s $5.4B failure, struggling independent telcos, failed restaurant–to–grocer pivots, and general risk aversion.
• Counterpoint: Walmart’s success shows foreign chains can win; Target’s failure is blamed on poor execution, bad inventory systems, and timing (weaker middle class).
• Telecom discussion: some say consumers are overly loyal to Bell/Rogers; others say alternative networks’ poor coverage and regulatory failure are the true issue.

Grocery prices, profits, and “greedflation”

• One side: 3–4% net margins are typical and not “gouging”; record profits follow from inflation and volume, not higher margins.
• Other side: margins have risen from ~1.x% to ~3%, so profits are growing faster than sales; a rising stock price implies better returns funded by consumers.
• Disagreement over whether Loblaw’s profit growth reflects efficiency and volume (e.g., people eating out less) or pricing power.

Immigration, austerity, and macro factors

• Some blame high immigration for increased demand and rising prices, calling Liberal policy “reckless.”
• Others dismiss this as knee-jerk politicization.
• Skepticism that Conservatives would meaningfully cut immigration; fears they would instead impose UK-style austerity, worsening social conditions.

Supply management in dairy and poultry

• Canada’s supply management and quotas for dairy/poultry are called an “elephant in the room” that keeps prices high and constrains supply.
• Politicians are portrayed as protecting the system, especially due to Quebec farmers.
• Counterpoint: milk/egg prices haven’t spiked as much as snacks; some value avoiding hormone-treated milk.

Ethnic and independent grocers

• Question raised: if Canada is multicultural, why not more cheap ethnic chains?
• Replies: many small/medium ethnic grocers exist but aren’t national; sourcing staples at scale is hard, and big chains sometimes buy competitors.
• Population density and geography are cited as constraints, though much of Canada’s population clusters near the US border.

International price comparisons

• UK Tesco appearing cheaper than Loblaw/Walmart is questioned.
• Issues cited: different package sizes (e.g., butter), geographic scale and logistics (remote areas vs compact UK), and need for city-to-city comparisons (Toronto/London/NYC) rather than national averages.