Loblaws near the bottom of the list of most respected grocers in Canada

When it comes to the most respected grocery retailer in Canada, Costco wins the top spot, according to new survey results from Canada's Most Respected Awards Program.

This is the second time the beloved big box warehouse store has topped the list of 14 grocery and food retailers since the first results were published in November 2021.

Metro earned second place, followed by Walmart in third.

Canada's Most Respected Grocery/Food Retailer Organizations for 2023.

As for the lowest-ranking grocery retailers, Safeway placed 12, followed by Loblaws at 13.

Loblaws has faced a fair bit of criticism in the past years. Recently, signs appeared outside some Loblaws locations denouncing corporate greed and the current prices for basic necessities.

The company also reported profits of $508 million over the past three months.

However, a new report by economists at the Bank of Canada (BoC) noted that corporations marking up prices did little to contribute to inflation.

Foodland was voted as the least respected grocer, coming in last place.

Jeff Munn, executive director of the CMR Award Program, noted that since the group's last evaluation in 2021, "much has occurred to affect grocery and food retailer organizations including COVID-19, supply chain challenges, and inflation-spurred price increases."

"The significant changes in this year's rankings compared to 2021 demonstrate that corporate respect is an attribute consumers harbour, particularly when they have a choice as to where to pledge their pocketbooks in tough economic times."

Maru Public Opinion conducted the survey on behalf of Canada's Most Respected Award Program. Maru Public Opinion 2,932 randomly selected Canadian adults who are members of the Maru Voice Canada online panel to participate in the survey between June 26 to 27, 2023.

With files from Isabelle Docto and Becky Robertson