Loblaw-owned discount grocery chain No Frills has announced several new efforts to make groceries more accessible and affordable for Canadian shoppers.
On Wednesday, No Frills said it had removed the multi-buy promotion from all stores nationwide.
“Effective immediately, shoppers are no longer bound by offers like ‘buy two for $5 or one for $2.99′. Instead, everyday low prices extend to individual items making it easier and more affordable than ever before,” the grocer stated.
“We pride ourselves on always keeping our customers’ needs at heart and listening to their feedback,” said Melanie Singh, president of No Frills. “Our customers told us loud and clear that they don’t want to have to buy more to save.”
Multi-buy promos are a sore spot for many
Multi-buy discounts at various stores in Canada have been criticized by shoppers many times in the past for unaffordability and wastefulness.
“Grocery store ‘multi-buys’ are not sales!” a Reddit user in Nova Scotia wrote last year. “I realize complaining about Sobeys and Loblaws is akin to beating a dead horse, but I don’t want to spend $14 on six boxes of crackers. It’s a non-sale sale and a great way to get you to spend more.”
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The promo has also been discussed in the Loblaw boycott community.
“I am so tired of multi-buy items. For someone with a strict grocery budget, this is insane. We are only two people,” a member of the Loblaw boycott subreddit, Loblaws is Out Of Control, shared last month.
“When I am purchasing something (for example, yogurt), I only need one. But the sale is 3/10 or $4.98 for one. This is absolutely insane. If I buy three, I know I will lose two or one in the weeks ahead. I feel this is something that really needs to be looked at. Instead, just price the item at 3.33, and if someone wants three of them, they will buy three of them.”
Loblaw boycott organizer Emily Johnson and Loblaw CEO and President Per Bank discussed scrapping the promotion in a meeting in early May. Loblaw said that the decision to end the promo was already in the works by that point.
“We are excited to see Loblaw follow through on their commitment to remove multi-buy discounts at No Frills stores, as we know every penny counts for many of our peers,” Johnson told Daily Hive in a new statement.
“We commend this action as a step in the right direction; however, do not wish for our community to forget there is plenty of work to be done in addressing the issue of food security for Canadians. We are disappointed it only appears in No Frills stores, but hope this can expand to other stores in future, and serve as a best practice for other grocers in the industry.”
More affordability efforts at No Frills
No Frills said the end of multi-buys complements other existing measures, such as:
- Hit of the Month
- PC Optimum points and members-only pricing
- In-store and flyer promotion
- Rain checks on flyer features with an additional 10% back in PC Optimum points
- Fresh guarantee, where if a customer’s produce isn’t fresh, it’ll be replaced AND refunded
- Throwback pricing on items each month
Loblaws clarified that the fresh produce refund/replacement guarantee is a new program exclusive to No Frills.
“No Frills stores are a destination for customers looking for the best possible deals – and we’re committed to making sure they know they can shop with confidence that they’re getting great value,” Singh added.
“With the elimination of multi-buy pricing, we are making it even easier for our customers to manage their budgets every day.”
Do you shop at No Frills? What do you think about multi-buy promotions? Let us know in the comments or by email at [email protected].
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