Grocery flyer from the year 2000 goes viral for low prices: 'Everything is at least double that now'
Users took to social media to express their dismay about just how much pricier everyday items are just 24 years later
A grocery store flyer from Zehrs unsealed from a Y2K capsule and posted online highlights a much different time: Yes, Survivor was the most-watched show on television in the year 2000, and Santana had a No. 1 hit with "Smooth," but a 10-pound bag of Red Delicious apples also cost just $3.99.
Reddit user The8-5 explains they included a Zehrs grocery store flyer for a time capsule they made going into the year 2000, so they could reminisce on prices one day in the future.
"That 'one day' is now," they wrote.
Some items have doubled in price
The prices featured in the flyer are certainly nostalgic, with various everyday items like dairy and produce tagged significantly lower - sometimes more than half the cost of current day prices at Loblaws-affiliated stores.
These days, 10-pound bags of apples aren’t available at Zehrs online, but their website shows a four-pound bag of Red Delicious apples on sale for $5.99 — down from the regular price of $7.99.
Over in the dairy aisle, a 400-gram container of feta cheese was $4.69 in 2000. Now it's $10.49. While the size stayed the same, the price of the product more than doubled over 24 years.
For snacks, a 170-gram bag of Lays potato chips were going for 97 cents in 2000. This week, a 165g of Lays potato chips will cost you $3.99.
You could also get three bags of Doritos chips for $5. That's quite the deal, considering a single 235g bag now costs $5.49, or two for $10.
Reddit users react: 'Outrageous' chip prices in 2024
The photo of the flyer, posted to the "Loblaws is out of control" subreddit, has garnered hundreds of reactions and more than 50 comments.
Many in the comments of the Reddit post expressed dismay at how far prices have spiked over the past two decades, along with inflation.
"Two for $9 are the prices I keep seeing for the fancy chips," anti_anti_christ wrote. "That's supposed to a deal. I'm glad I'm not a chip eater, because that (is) outrageous."
"$4 for 10 pounds of those apples," user dadass84 wrote. "Now it’s $4 for two pounds of those apples. Womp womp."
User dubfresh questioned how everything could have doubled, even taking into account inflation: "Everything is at least double that now, where we'd expect something [...] like 40-per-cent more expensive under normal inflation."
“We can never go back,” Admirable_Potato3476 wrote alongside a cry face emoji.
Calling out Canadian grocery stores has become a regular pastime on social media in recent months. Whether it’s comparing prices of the same product in other countries, or griping about the overall shopping experience, it’s clear that grocery shopping is becoming a dreaded necessity.
