Loblaw is bringing back country-of-origin signs after facing criticism from shoppers who noticed that the signs had been removed.
Some Loblaw shoppers took to social media, pointing out the fact that country-of-origin signs had been removed, leaving them unable to easily tell where their produce came from.
“My local NoFrills has been doing this since the start. I have complained multiple times to the manager. You can’t find a damn lettuce head that isn’t from the U.S.,” one Reddit user stated.
“Easy solution is not to shop there,” another commented. “They obviously want to hide where their groceries originate from. They don’t deserve the business. Time for government to make it mandatory for origin to be on signs.”
But as the U.S.-Canada trade war heats up once again, knowing where groceries come from has become even more relevant for Canadians looking to make informed choices about what they buy.
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In an email to Daily Hive, a representative for Loblaw said that the company will continue using the maple leaf symbol in stores to help customers identify Canadian-made and prepared products.
“This includes reintroducing the country-of-origin in our fresh produce aisles,” they stated.
In addition, Loblaw customers will see the return of the “T” symbol on shelf labels for U.S. products affected by tariffs.
“As Canada enters another period of trade uncertainty with the United States, we are once again taking steps to give customers clear information about products affected by tariffs and make Canadian products easier to identify,” they stated.
“Customers have told us they want to support Canadian farmers, producers, entrepreneurs and businesses. We want to make doing that easier. Supporting Canadian suppliers can further strengthen domestic supply chains and reduce our exposure to some international disruptions.”
However, the decision to bring back the signs has been met with mixed reactions.
Last year, Loblaws’ “Buy Canadian” campaign was all over the media.
This year, Loblaws quietly removed country of origin signs.
Makes me think that their original “Buy Canadian” campaign was more about marketing and spinning an opportunity than concern for Canadian farmers.— News Hound (@AverageCDNguy) August 26, 2026
Another Reddit user stated, “Half of the signs were false or misleading anyway. I just look at the products themselves, and if there isn’t a good label, I move on.”
What are your thoughts on this issue? Let us know in the comments or email us at trending@dailyhive.com.