1606 replies to this topic

[AllseeingEye]

It's not 1997 any more. Wal-Mart has high quality products at low prices, and appeals to people from many income levels.

 

Never implied that it didn't but its a lead pipe cinch people with less than unlimited incomes aren't beating down Thrifty's doors.....

[Matt R.]

It's not 1997 any more. Wal-Mart has high quality products at low prices, and appeals to people from many income levels.

Remember when Walmart cornered the market on AAA beef? That was awesome.

[Matt R.]

ASE, it is my understanding that SOF will price match, even Walmart. Is this true I wonder?

[AllseeingEye]

ASE, it is my understanding that SOF will price match, even Walmart. Is this true I wonder?

 

Anecdotally I have heard that too Matt, just the other day in fact I read it on a local social media (FB Group) site, but can't claim to know for certain.

 

I don't have brand loyalty to any particular grocery store, nor do I think much about prices unless its taking note of something truly outrageous like those strip loins I mentioned a few weeks ago at Costco ($70 for a pkg of three). I do know that things like pasta, lettuce and other select 'greens' are way up there cost-wise no matter which outlet you patronize.

 

We live equidistant to two SOF's, a Thrifty's, a Country Grocer, a Fairways and a Red Barn market. Which one I shop at almost always depends entirely on what I'm looking for - I'll hit Thrifty's or Country Grocer deli options way before I go to SOF, for example. Thrifty's if I'm looking for fresh salmon. SOF if I'm looking for the 'milk, bread, & eggs' staples. Perhaps Fairways if I'm looking for a certain Asian condiment or spice etc.

[Midnightly]

ASE, it is my understanding that SOF will price match, even Walmart. Is this true I wonder?

i can confirm i do this on occasion, you can get an app called "flipp" which will show you all the flyers in our area, and you can use it for price matching too.. walmart no longer price matches (they used to but stopped about a year ago when they started really pushing the self check outs)

[Matt R.]

Girl Guide cookies heading North to $6 from $5 on the spring run. The additional dollar will go straight to the national office in Toronto.

[lanforod]

so, pass?

[AllseeingEye]

One grocery outlet that tends to fly below most radars is the Wholesale Club on Viewfield in Esquimalt. Interesting place, you can get good deals on no name bulk items etc without driving out to Costco (you also don't pay membership fees at W-C), and it turns out there is a pharmacy there as well. This is a no frills bare bones operation but worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood.

 

Also if you aren't aware of and haven't already checked it out FLIPP is a great app for tracking price savings and deals, and browsing flyers from your fav local grocery and home hardware/furnishing stores. 

[Matt R.]

HoCo is fantastic, I've been making bi-weekly runs over the summer and into the fall for all sorts of items - canola jugs, all sorts of candy bars and such for the grocery store, pop, spices, on and on.  Last trip was $2100! Now that the price of canola is back down a bit it's not as lucrative, but with all the issue Sobey's has been having I expect I'll keep making trips over to shop.  Typically I'll buy 10 16l jugs of canola, which lasts a couple of weeks or so, for a savings of over $150 just on that one item.  Throw some spices in there (half the price of Sysco, GFS etc) and it shoots right up.  Anything else is just free money at that point, as a couple hundred in savings pays for my time.  Costco is similar in terms of pricing but most of their packaging is no good for retail.

[Mike K.]

I was just talking about the wholesale club!

It more or less negates going to SuperStore, right?

[AllseeingEye]

I was just talking about the wholesale club!

It more or less negates going to SuperStore, right?

 

It tends to make very good sense for someone like Matt, a smaller operation/business owner-proprietor looking to buy in bulk - not silly stupid crazy volumes but bulk nevertheless.

 

I wouldn't buy all my groceries from there by any means but certain non perishables, stuff from their coolers like hummus and tzatziki, tinned cat food, condiments (their condiments aisle stretches to infinity) etc., are certainly worth checking out. Staff is very friendly, the place is voluminous, is never crowded and centrally located.

[Matt R.]

Location is a huge plus, and close to Bimo Burger I might add, and never have I seen a lineup more than one person deep.  You can also buy singles or most every item, you aren't required to buy cases of most things.  Wish I had reefer truck, milk is almost $3 less PER JUG than Island Farms wholesale.

[AllseeingEye]

All true and it does go without saying that unlike Costco, where all too often you need to sell one of your children, a kidney or your soul in order to get a parking space anywhere close to the entrance, parking is never an issue at WC.

[Fox]

Location is a huge plus, and close to Bimo Burger I might add, and never have I seen a lineup more than one person deep.  You can also buy singles or most every item, you aren't required to buy cases of most things.  Wish I had reefer truck, milk is almost $3 less PER JUG than Island Farms wholesale.

Bimo burger is a true treasure... Though the case of 400 fortune cookies at wholesale always suckers me in.

[Matt R.]

Not like they go stale!

[Redd42]

The other thing about the Esquimalt WC is it is really meant for the Matt's of the shopping world - small business buying large quantities. No express line and usually only one cashier. In the chance I do find a few items that are cheaper than a regular grocery store, you will find yourself in line behind 3 or 4 people with flat deck carts piled high. At that point, my time is worth more and I leave without buying anything.

[Matt R.]

Almost everyone I see there is doing household shopping really. It’s the neighbourhood grocery store I think. Maybe 1/4 of the shoppers when I go are industry people.

[Mike K.]

I think I’d agree. It’s the only grocery store in relatively easy walking distance for a huge portion of Esquimalt, and Vic West.

[Victoria Watcher]

More than 500 workers at a Loblaw distribution centre in Calgary will be out of a job this week. That's according to a union that represents the employees.

 

Amid negotiations for higher wages, Teamsters Local Union 987 said that 527 out of 534 at the location have been told they will be laid off effective Thursday.

 

The union has been in talks with the grocery and drugstore retailer since the last agreement expired June 6.

 

"A portion of the distribution centre workers who earn hourly wages are not only struggling with earning less than the acceptable living wage for Calgary of $22.40, but they are also now facing layoffs," said John Taylor, the business agent for Teamsters Local Union 987. 

 

According to Taylor, Loblaw was offering a "straight money offer" that did not include any rules or regulations around working conditions. He said the company would not change anything the union had asked for that did not involve money.

 

Teamsters Local 987 rejected the employer's offer on Nov. 3, and again rejected the same offer on Nov. 15 — which was a labour board supervised proposal vote.

 

In a statement sent to CBC News, Catherine Thomas, the vice-president of communication at Loblaw, said her company was disappointed the offer was "narrowly rejected," and that many colleagues share the sentiment. 

 

"The union's comments ignore that this was a strong offer with wage increases of up to 32 per cent for full-time and more than 40 per cent for part-time colleagues over a five-year term," Thomas said. 

 

"These are some of the most competitive wages in the industry, some reaching more than $33 per hour. To be clear, today approximately two-thirds of full-time Freeport workers already make more than $22/hour, significantly above the minimum wage of $15."

 

But Taylor says it's not just about the money. 

 

"The working conditions of the language that we had in our agreement six years ago that the company took away … it was removed from the agreement six years ago and we want the language back," he said.

 

"The offer they made was definitely, I mean, I'm not going to say it was terrible. It was a fair offer. But again, this company, given their success, could do better."

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...y-off-1.6659654

[Victoria Watcher]

Independently owned Saanich grocery store makes top 3 in all of Canada

Pepper’s Foods named third best independently owned grocery retailer in small surface category, again

https://www.vicnews....-all-of-canada/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 November 2022 - 02:25 PM.