Canadians prefer shopping at Costco and Walmart over Loblaw stores during boycott

A recent survey has found that Costco and Walmart are the most popular alternatives for Canadians choosing to boycott Loblaw stores.

Leger asked Canadian participants several questions about their grocery shopping habits and the Loblaw boycott in particular.

The boycott was prompted by Loblaws Is Out of Control, an online Canadian subreddit that has grown to over 86,000 members.

The group is calling on the company to lower grocery prices, among several other demands.

“Seeing groceries — an essential that nobody can avoid paying for — rise beyond the rate of inflation is really upsetting a lot of people,” the creator of the subreddit. Emily Johnson told Daily Hive in March.

“Because Loblaw is one of the most prolific grocers in the country, many people have placed most of that frustration onto Loblaws, especially Galen Weston Jr. himself.”

When survey takers were asked if they supported the Loblaw boycott, 58% said they were behind the movement, while 23% opposed it.

Leger

As for how many respondents or members of their household were participating in the boycott, 18% said they were taking part. However, most respondents (43%) said they were continuing to shop at Loblaw stores.

Leger

When looking for alternatives to Loblaw, 40% said they were primarily shopping at Walmart and Costco and 31% were choosing to purchase groceries at another chain like Sobeys or Save on Foods. Only 23% of respondents said they were going to independent local grocers.

Leger

The majority of respondents (48%) also said they felt singling out Loblaw stores as the only grocery chains to boycott was “unfair.”

While the current boycott was supposed to last until the end of May, Loblaws Is Out of Control has called for the mass action to be extended “indefinitely.”

The group also believes the pressure they’ve put on Loblaw is contributing to change.

Earlier this month, Loblaw announced it was finally signing the Canadian Grocery Code of Conduct.

The company’s president and CEO, Per Bank, said Loblaw had “worked intensively and collaboratively with industry groups so that the Code is clearly drafted and fair for all industry participants.”

Neither Walmart nor Costco has signed the voluntary code yet, and some experts have noted that the code’s terms will not work unless all industry players agree to participate.

Johnson even started a petition to get other grocery companies — like Walmart — to sign on.

“We believe that Walmart, as one of the largest grocery retailers in Canada, has a responsibility to uphold fair practices in the industry,” reads the petition.

“Grocer Code of Conduct, Walmart would show its commitment to ethical business practices and fair treatment of suppliers.”

Leger says 1,519 online participants took part in its online survey between May 17 and 19, 2024.

With files from Imaan Sheikh and Isabelle Docto