Canada groceries: Vancouver shopper's video goes viral for showing underweight bag of frozen No Name veggies
Jacob MacLellan's video has more than 500,000 views and 3,000 comments so far, in yet another social media takedown of Loblaw-affiliated stores and brands
A Vancouver man's video has gone viral after he showed a severely underweight bag of No Name frozen vegetables from a No Frills grocery store that was way lighter than advertised.
Jacob MacLellan initially took to TikTok this week to detail his lousy shopping experience, and he is using his moment in the spotlight to call for broad changes, this amid a Reddit-launched May-long boycott of Loblaw and its affiliated stores.
Viral video: Canadas are 'being screwed'
In the video, which has garnered more than 500,00 views and 3,000 comments in just three days, he explains that he bought a bag of No Name frozen vegetables that felt noticeably lighter than the 750 grams marked. So he decided to weigh it himself when he got home. He places the unopened bag on a scale and it shows 434 grams. MacLellan then deadpans to the camera that Canadians are “being screwed.”
In an interview with DailyHive, MacLellan says he brought the product back to the No Frills store but was met with skepticism by staff. He says he had to show them the weight of the bag with his own scale. Though he was offered an exchange, he says he knew he was entitled to a return, thanks to his time spent as a Loblaws employee in his teens.
According to the grocer’s return policy, if a customer isn’t satisfied with the quality of a President’s Choice, No Name or Teddy’s Choice product, they can return it along with receipt or original packaging for an exchange or refund.
In a follow-up video, MacLellan asks his followers if they’re willing to protest all grocery stores in the face of the cost of living crisis.
“We can’t afford food and they aren’t even giving us what they say they’re giving us,” he says. “Loblaws isn’t the only problem and we all know this. Are you interested in a national protest against Canadian grocers? If I have to be the one to start all this, so be it.”
We can’t afford food and they aren’t even giving us what they say they’re giving us.
Canadian shoppers take to social media to vent frustrations
Social media is increasingly becoming the place for customers to vent their frustrations about extremely pricey grocery hauls and products that don’t deliver what is promised. In September, a video documenting the weight of a half-filled 200-gram chip bag went viral, though Loblaws later admitted that the product was not “up to standards.”
In February, a customer took to Reddit to show a 400-gram box of pancake mix that only weighed 205 grams. A representative for Loblaws told Yahoo Canada at the time that they had thoroughly checked the company’s records and found no similar complaints for the product in question.
Loblaws boycott: How a Reddit group launched the initiative
A month-long boycott of Loblaw and its affiliated stories has been underway for the month of May. The nation-wide action came after grassroots efforts started on a Reddit group called "Loblaws Is Out Of Control," which now boasts more than 84,000 members.
The current list of the community’s demands include: No further retailer-led price increases for this year; no further increase to dividends for this year; increased cost transparency including identifying "shrinkflation" items; a commitment to affordable pricing, like price caps on essential grocery items.
On the Reddit forum, organizers of the boycott say people who can't avoid shopping at Loblaw-owned stores can still get involved by writing to their member of Parliament. There’s a template letter to make it easier to "express my deep concern about the escalating grocery prices in Canada." Boycott organizers also offer a template letter to send to Loblaw customer service to express their ire over prices.
According to a Loblaw earning report from February, the company's revenue was up 5.4 per cent from a year earlier.
The group also suggests Canadians use Optimum points to pay for purchases when possible and to only buy loss leaders at Loblaw-owned stores. Loss leaders are items stores offer at low prices, often at a loss, in order to get customers through their doors to spend money on other products.
Yahoo Canada reached out to Loblaw but did not hear back by publication time.
