We compared food prices at Costco to Loblaws — where can you save more?
Many major Canadian grocery chains have been in the hot seat for months amid soaring food prices.
In March, the CEOs of Loblaws, Frescho, Food Basics, Sobeys, and Metro defended high food prices, angering many Canadians.
But there’s one grocery giant that seems to stay in the good graces of its customers — Costco.
In a recent report that revealed Canada’s most trusted brands for 2023 across a variety of industries, Costco didn’t only come out on top, but it was also named the most trusted grocery chain in the country.
Fellow supermarket giant Loblaws didn’t even come close, ranking 304th overall in trust.
So, what sets Costco apart? Is it the big box store’s free samples, extensive frozen section, bulk products, or cheaper food prices?
Can you really save more at Costco compared to Loblaws?
We compared grocery prices at each store to see if there is a difference in savings.
To membership or not to membership?
First off, we have to acknowledge the glaring difference in shopping experiences between the two. You need a membership to shop at Costco, which costs either $60 (gold star member) or $120 (executive member) a year.
In the grand scheme of things, that’s an added $5 or $10 to your shopping bill each month, which is something to keep in mind.
The executive member card does give you perks like an annual 2% reward on qualified warehouse, online, and Costco Travel purchases, and exclusive offers and discounts.
Loblaws does not require a membership, but apparently, some locations have adopted the big box store’s practice of asking customers to show their receipts before exiting.
Bread
Bread is a pantry basic in most households, so let’s compare the price of Dempster’s whole wheat at each store.
We can see below that a pack of three loaves of whole wheat at Costco is $7.49 (which is $2.49 per loaf) and one loaf at Loblaws is $4.29.
You definitely get more bang for your buck at Costco if you go through bread quickly, with savings of nearly $2 if you’re comparing the price of one loaf. If you were to buy three loaves at Loblaws’ price it would cost about $12.87, so you’d save around $5 getting the Costco deal.
Chicken breasts
After a photo of a $40 pack of five chicken breasts at Loblaws went viral, we obviously had to compare prices with Costco.
This time around, the Loblaws chicken breast was not nearly as outrageously priced, but not cheap either. A pack of three costs $16, whereas a pack of seven at Costco costs $30.91.
You end up spending about the same amount if you were to buy two packs of chicken breasts at Loblaws, so there aren’t big savings in this category.
Strawberries
Let’s add some fruit to this grocery trip. The price of two pounds of strawberries at Costco is $5.99, compared to $4.99 for one pound at Loblaws.
Again, you are getting more from your purchase at Costco if you love strawberries. Two pounds at Loblaws would be nearly double the price at the big box store.
Eggs
Remember eggflation? Here’s how the price of this breakfast staple fares at each grocery giant.
At Costco, a pack of 30 extra large eggs (2.5 dozen) is $10.49 and a pack of 12 at Loblaws is $4.59. Grabbing the equivalent carton of 2.5 dozen eggs at Loblaws would cost about a dollar or two more.
Frozen broccoli
Can’t forget to include veggies in this grocery trip. A bag of 2 kg (four 500 g of steamable bags) of frozen broccoli costs $12.79 at Costco.
A 500 g bag of frozen broccoli happened to be on sale for $3.49 at Loblaws, but the regular price appears to be $4.79 online.
Since frozen veggies keep for a long time, you’ll definitely get more bang for your buck with the 2 kg bag. An equivalent amount at Loblaws would cost close to $20, so that’s a savings of about $6.
Greek yogurt
Loblaws has been put on blast for its steep Greek yogurt prices before, so let’s see how it currently compares to Costco.
A pack of two tubs of Oikos Vanilla Greek Yogurt at Costco is $12.49. The same product at Loblaws was on sale for $6.49, but its original price is $7.99.
If you love your Greek yogurt, you’ll save about $3 buying the pack at Costco versus getting two tubs at Loblaws for close to $16.
Olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil is a must for all cooks. At Costco, you can get a two-pack of Terra Delyssa Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for $20.99, while just one bottle at Loblaws is already $17.99.
If you cook every day and use up your oil quickly, the savings are pretty clear here. Two bottles at Loblaws would cost around $35, so you’re saving almost $15 with the two-pack.
Toilet paper
Not a pantry staple, but toilet paper is a necessity for all homes, so we decided to compare its prices too.
The difference is minimal, with Costco’s price for 30 rolls of TP costing $1 more than Loblaws’.
Kerrygold Dubliner Irish cheese
This one’s really just for me as Kerrygold Dubliner Irish cheese is my go-to.
I was surprised to see that I could get double the size of the cheese at Costco for just about a dollar more than half the size at Loblaws.
Checking out
Let’s add up the price of this grocery trip and see how the stores stack up.
The Costco bill comes out to $134.13 and Loblaws comes out to $90.92, without taxes.
That’s about $40 in savings at Loblaws, but you are getting almost double the amount of most products at Costco.
If you were to buy the equivalent amount of strawberries, eggs, yogurt, olive oil, broccoli, cheese and bread at Loblaws, your bill would come out to around $173.72. That’s about $40 in savings at Costco.
Of course, there are a lot of factors that need to be considered. If you’re feeding a family of four, the grocery chain known for its bulk products will definitely help with savings.
But if you’re just one person, 30 eggs and two tubs of Greek yogurt will probably go bad before you can even make a dent, which would end up being a waste of money.
Either way, it pays to see how major grocery stores are pricing their products differently because you could still find savings.
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