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Loblaw customers are protesting a receipt-checking policy introduced at select stores

Several shoppers have complained to Cbc News about signs at some Loblaw-owned grocery stores introducing a new policy where employees may check receipts and/or bags at the store exit. 

Customers say they spotted signs in at least one Halifax-area store, and several in Ontario. 

Loblaw Companies Ltd. did not provide details about the receipt checks, except to say in an email to CBC News that the signs were posted in select stores to inform customers about “a change in practice at the location.”

According to wording on the signs, the purpose of the receipt checks is to “validate and maintain inventory accuracy.”

“‘Inventory accuracy’ is a tongue-in-cheek way, I think, of saying, ‘There’s a lot of [theft] going on in the store,'” said criminal lawyer Kyla Lee.

She says retailers often introduce receipt checks, along with accompanying bag searches, as a theft deterrent.

Although it does not have hard data, the Retail Council of Canada says shoplifting is on the rise, in part due to rising inflation. StatsCan says grocery prices increased by 9.1 per cent in April compared to a year ago.

Despite the reported rise in theft, industry experts say receipt-checking may not be wise, as it can lead to legal issues, human rights complaints and bad PR.

The signs at many Loblaws locations have now disappeared, but Loblaw defended the policy, telling CBC News it’s “not unusual throughout the retail industry.” Read more

Buying a car has never been more expensive, assuming you can even find one. Here’s why

If you’re looking to buy a new car, you may want to plan way (way) ahead as the industry continues experiencing repercussions from the pandemic.

Factory shutdowns due to COVID-19 made for widespread shortages of parts, filtering down to a historic lack of finished vehicles for sale on dealer lots. And on the demand side, consumers were far less eager to buy what was available, as the economic uncertainty had them holding on to their existing cars far longer than usual.

Three years later, most of the weak links in the supply chain have been fixed, and customers are finally in the mood to buy a new set of wheels again, only to face a new conundrum: prices are higher than they’ve ever been — and that’s if you can even find a car for sale.

One shopper told CBC when she went to shop for a plug-in Toyota Rav4 Prime in Edmonton, the dealership said the wait-list was about eight years long. The non-hybrid version? A year.

The long wait times for cars are industry wide. Data from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants shows that in the first quarter of 2023, on average, Canadian new car dealerships only had about 42 per cent of the inventory that they would have had before the pandemic. That’s better than the 19 per cent they had at the same time a year earlier, but still less than half of what could be considered normal.

Huw Williams, head of public affairs for the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), says that while things are closer to normal than they’ve been in a while, there are still large gaps in the chain — and they’re often company-specific.

“There are automakers who — for whatever reason, it’s not even always clear to us — are doing a better job of managing their supply chain,” he said. “But every dealer in the country wants more cars but can’t get them.”

With long waits come even higher price tags. The average price of a passenger car right now is $45,000, up by 30 per cent since 2019. Read more

Eating healthy is hard. It’s even harder for people who can barely afford to eat at all

We all are feeling the effects of inflation, but those with dietary restrictions are feeling it even more.

Julie Greene, assistant executive director of Celiac Canada, says a gluten-free diet is the only relief for celiac disease.

“And unfortunately, the cost of gluten-free food is incredibly expensive right now.” 

Tracking down specialty foods is not easy or affordable, she says.

“When you go to the grocery store, you know you’re doing your risk calculation: ‘Is this food safe or not?’ Now you’ve got to add on, ‘Can I afford it or not?'” she said “And then: ‘Do I need to make an adjustment to the rest of my budget to make this work?’ That’s when it starts to be a burden.” 

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which eating gluten sparks an inflammatory response in a person’s body and affects their ability to absorb nutrients.

It’s not just gluten-free foods. People with diabetes, heart disease and other health issues are feeling it too.

Diabetes Canada senior manager Ann Besner says day-to-day diabetes management is much more difficult in food-insecure households.

“A lack of food can make it really difficult to eat consistently, which is important when you’re living with diabetes,” she said. “When you’re not eating regularly, it can make your blood-sugar levels much more difficult to manage. And then certainly diabetes is a condition in which it’s very challenging to maintain.” 

Besner says financial support from governments and collaboration with community organizations are ways to combat food-insecurity.

“We get people calling our organization for various referrals to community supports and there are a lot of excellent programs out there, but people are really struggling and we know that to address this problem it’s going to take a whole systems approach,” she said.

“So at Diabetes Canada we are advocating to governments, including the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, to fund the development and implementation of a comprehensive province-wide diabetes strategy.”  Read more

Are you feeling the impacts of inflation when grocery shopping? We want to hear about it. Write to us at [email protected].

What else is going on?

WestJet is shutting down discount airline Swoop
Swoop planes and staff will join the parent airline, but it means less choice for consumers. 

Bell Canada cut 1,300 positions and 2 foreign bureaus
They’re also closing or selling nine radio stations in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Hamilton, London, Ont., and Windsor, Ont.

B.C. announces universal coverage for medication to treat opioid addiction
The province says it’s the first in Canada to cover eligible medications such as methadone and Suboxone.

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