With the price of just about everything skyrocketing these days, mindful Canadians are likely trying to stretch their dollar wherever they can when it comes to grocery shopping in order to save money on food.
Loblaw Companies — the parent company of stores such as Loblaws, No Frills, Fortinos, Real Canadian Superstore, Provigo and Maxi — has over 2,400 stores across Canada, and many of them carry certain in-house brands, such as no name and President's Choice.
You might think that because a store is selling the exact same house-brand product as a different store in the same family, they'd be the same price, but it turns out that's not the case for many items.
I decided to look at a few staple products at the Loblaw stores nearest to my apartment in Toronto, which are Mike's No Frills on Bloor, Loblaws at Dundas and Bloor, Fortinos Etobicoke and Real Canadian Superstore on Weston Road. I found there were many price discrepancies between the no name and President's Choice products at each of them, even when comparing the exact same items.
"Like many other grocery companies, we have different store formats that are tailored to meet the needs of the customers who shop there," Loblaw said in an email to Narcity when asked about the difference in prices. "By employing different operating models between the stores, we're able to offer a wider variety of benefits, unique to that store."
"For example, for our value-conscious customers, we offer No Frills, which is a part of our discount division," they explained. "It offers the best value in terms of price because it carries less product choices and often no in-store amenities (like a butcher or a bakery), and those savings are passed onto the customer."
"Loblaws, on the other hand, often has a bigger selection, more specialized products and a number of in-store amenities, which may be reflected in the prices there," they continued.
Loblaw says they're proud to offer customers choice in terms of how and where they shop and in the value they receive, "Whether it's on quality store brand products such as no name or the many ways to save like PC Optimum and regular pricing and promotion events," and that they're confident they have something for every consumer.
Here's how different the prices can look on the same basic items at No Frills, Loblaws, Fortinos and Real Canadian Superstore, based on their non-sale prices in one Toronto neighbourhood.
No name 100% extra virgin olive oil, 750 mL
No name 100% extra virgin olive oil, 750 mL.
No Frills: $7.79
Real Canadian Superstore: $7.99
Fortinos: $9.99
Loblaws: $10.99
President's Choice frozen broccoli florets, 500 g
President's Choice Broccoli Florets, 500 grams.
No Frills: $2.99
Real Canadian Superstore: $3.99
Fortinos: $4.99
Loblaws: $4.00
No name all-purpose flour, 2.5 kg
No name all-purpose flour, 2.5 kg.
No Frills: $3.99
Real Canadian Superstore: $3.99
Fortinos: $4.49
Loblaws: $5.49
President's Choice frozen shepherd's pie, 900 g
President's Choice frozen shepherd's pie, 900 g.
No Frills: $15.99
Real Canadian Superstore: $14.99
Fortinos: $15.99
Loblaws: $16.49
No name long-grain parboiled rice, 2 kg
No name long-grain parboiled rice, 2 kg.
No Frills: $5.49
Real Canadian Superstore: $5.49
Fortinos: $5.99
Loblaws: $7.99
President's Choice salted mixed nuts, 1.13 kg
President's Choice Deluxe Mixed Nuts with Sea Salt, 1.13 kg.
No Frills: $25.49
Real Canadian Superstore: $26.49
Fortinos: $22.99
Loblaws: $24.49
No name smooth peanut butter, 1 kg
No name smooth peanut butter, 1 kg.
No Frills: $4.79
Real Canadian Superstore: $4.99
Fortinos: $5.29
Loblaws: $5.99
President's Choice Free From boneless stewing beef, 454 g
President's Choice Free From boneless stewing beef, 454 g.
No Frills: $12.00
Real Canadian Superstore: $12.00
Fortinos: $11.99
Loblaws: $13.99
No name mixed vegetables, 750 g
No name mixed vegetables, 750 g.
No Frills: $2.59
Real Canadian Superstore: $2.59
Fortinos: $2.99
Loblaws: $3.49
President's Choice unsalted butter, 454 g
President's Choice Country Churned Unsalted Butter, 454 g.
No Frills: $7.29
Real Canadian Superstore: $7.29
Fortinos: $7.99
Loblaws: $8.49
No name old cheddar cheese, 200 g
No name old cheddar cheese, 200 g.
No Frills: $3.49
Real Canadian Superstore: $3.49
Fortinos: $3.99
Loblaws: $4.49
The total
If you bought all 11 items listed above, here's what it would cost you at each grocery store:
No Frills: $91.90
Real Canadian Superstore: $93.30
Fortinos: $96.69
Loblaws: $105.90
In general, based on some of the staples I researched at the grocery stores around where I live in Toronto's west end, it seems that No Frills and Real Canadian Superstore have lower prices on the same products sold at Fortinos and Loblaws, while Loblaws is generally the most expensive, which is consistent with what Loblaw said in its email to Narcity.
So, if the presence of a deli, bakery and/or butcher counter is important to you, shopping at Loblaws might set you back a bit more for your overall bill, but you'll get those amenities that you won't find at No Frills. Still, you'll be paying for the presence of those counters even when you don't use them, because your olive oil and flour will cost you more.
The price of groceries in Canada has reached a point that the federal government offered assistance in the form of the Grocery Rebate earlier this year.
"The Grocery Rebate is officially coming to eligible Canadians on July 5th," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the time. "11 million people across the country are going to receive hundreds of dollars in support by direct deposit or cheque. We'll keep working to make life more affordable for you."
And in June, Canada's Competition Bureau published a report titled "Canada Needs More Grocery Competition," noting that Canadians buy their groceries in stores owned by a just handful of grocery giants and broke down the numbers.
"In 2022, Canada’s three largest grocers — Loblaws, Sobeys, and Metro — collectively reported more than $100 billion in sales and earned more than $3.6 billion in profits," the report says.
It also explained that the price of food in the country is rising quickly.
"Factors such as higher input costs, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and supply chain disruptions have contributed to recent increases in the price of food," explained the Bureau. "But we have also seen a longer-term trend that pre-dates those events, of Canada's largest grocers increasing the amount they make on food sales."
"Canada needs solutions to help bring grocery prices in check," it said in a summary. "More competition is a key part of the answer."
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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