Why these Londoners are joining the Loblaw boycott

You've heard of inflation andshrinkflation,maybe evenpinkflation but what aboutgreedflation?

It's one of the reasons a growing number of Canadians are joining a month-long boycott againstLoblaw companies that launched Wednesday and some Londoners are joining in the efforts to ditch the corporate grocers and divert moneyto smaller, local grocery stores.

"I am a big believer in voting with my dollars andreallyfocusing on local options," said Londoner Lisa Cardinal.

Cardinal has cancelled her weekly grocery pickup through a Loblaw-owned grocer, and although she already shops local when she can, is eager to shift her habits even more.

The boycott was launched by a Reddit group with around 70,000 members called "Loblaws is out of control."Loblaw and other major grocers have been under firefrom politicians and consumersfor reporting highprofits as some Canadians are struggling to afford food asgrocery pricescontinue to rise.

Organizers of the boycott say the goal is toreduce grocery prices and increase food security forCanadians,and bring a list of demands, including the company sign a grocers' code of conduct and reduce food prices by 15per cent.

Cardinal built a list of more than 150 local grocerystoriesin the London area including communities like St. Thomas,Aylmer and Thames Centre, and posted themtoaltgrocery.ca,a website geared at supporting small and medium-sized grocers, farmers and bakeriesacross Canada.

"I think one of the most important things is to talk about it and to understand why[groceries]are getting expensive, and part of that isthe profit that the companies are making," said Cardinal.

LISTEN: Why Lisa Cardinalgathered a list of more than 150 small grocers in the London area

Frustrated shoppers boycott Loblaw stores for month of May

5 months ago

Duration 1:49

Canadians frustrated with rising groceries prices have pledged to boycott Loblaw-owned stores for the month of May. On the same day it was set to begin, Canada's largest grocer reported a nearly 10 per cent increase in profits.

Food system needs changing, says Londoner

Londoner Amy Ford says her familyis doing their best to participate in the boycott to send a message that "price-gouging strategies simply aren't OK," she said, but also thatthe food system needs to change as a whole.

Shopping more at farmers' markets, buying directfrom farms and relying on fresh produce from community-supported agriculture(CSA) food boxes are a few of thehabits she's ramping up as part of the boycott.

"It goes beyond Loblaws," Fordsaid.

"We're getting food from faraway places at high prices and it's not flowing to the farmers, it'sactuallyjust lining the pockets of billionaires," she said."The problem is that the folks who are producing the food that's keeping us all alive are notreallybenefiting from these inflated prices that we're seeing."

For her, lower prices are not the main issue at play.

"I hope that people understand in a capitalist system when prices go down, rich people don't get less rich. They just find new ways to undercut growers or sell us lower quality food from less ethical suppliers."

There are still limitations to the boycott, Ford recognizes.

"With any boycott, it's only accessible to people who don't have major barriers in their life," she said, saying boycotting whatever store is closest or most convenient isn't on the table for everyone.

She hopes the corporations get the message that there needs to be a "reimagining of the food system in a way that's better for everyone."

Loblaw profits increasing

Loblaw Companies reported $13.58 billion infirst-quarter revenuefor 2024a 4.5per centincrease from last year.Their quarterly profits reached$459 million,marking anearly10 centincrease.

In 2022, Galen Westonwas paid $8.4 millionfromLoblaw Companies Ltd., up from $5.4 million in 2021, and $3.5 million in 2020.

Thecompany has more than 2,400 stores across Canada, according to its website, including retailers like Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills and Shoppers Drug Mart.

Loblawpreviously saidtheywouldn't signan earlierdraft of the code, saying it could cause food prices to go up further, butin recent days, Loblaw CEO Per Banksaid he's become "cautiously optimistic" about how the code would work.

In response to the boycott, aspokesperson from the companytold CBC News thatLoblawis "acutely aware"that it has to win its customers' businesseach day.

"The last few years have been tough for Canadians, and we continue to do what we can to combat inflation at our stores," the spokesperson saidin a statement Tuesday.