Loblaws flyer from 2019 shows how much grocery prices have skyrocketed in Toronto

As consumers in Toronto continue to grapple with record food inflation, it's hard to remember the days when you could walk out of a grocery store without gasping at your receipt. 

One Loblaws flyer shared on Reddit paints a picture of just how good the deals were only a few years ago, and, as many rightfully pointed out, it's unlikely we'll see these budget-friendly costs ever again.

Deleting photos off my phone and I saw this screen shot from June 2019.
byu/CUCKSTUMPER5000 inloblawsisoutofcontrol

According to the original poster, the flyer was released in June 2019, and advertises tons of bargain deals, including strawberries for $3.49, frozen burgers, ribs, or wings for $10, butter for $2.99, a 24-can case of Coca-Cola for $6.47, and watermelon for $3.49. 

The flyer also included a deal for $1.75 bulk corn, two packs of sugar for $3, and pork ribs for under $8. As expected, the prices quickly garnered lots of mixed reactions online, with people finding similar items for double the price at grocery stores today. 

"The sad part is that prices will NEVER be cheaper than they are now. Once people are used to paying a certain price there's no dropping," one person wrote. "$2.99 for butter? I looked now and it's $5.99 (on sale down from $8.49)," another comment reads. 

"Kraft singles and Cheese Wiz, what were once considered low-income alternatives, are now priced the same/higher than their actual cheese counterpart. Kraft Singles are like $7 now, Cheez Whiz is $6, Kraft Dinner $3," one person noted. 

Most respondents were shocked at the $2.99 butter deal specifically, reporting that they hadn't found anything less than $6 in recent years. "Butter being that cheap is wild, I bought butter for just shy of $8 the other day," one comment reads. 

People in Toronto are losing it over flyer showing how cheap groceries were a few years ago https://t.co/F1XiAf4nfh

— blogTO (@blogTO) January 23, 2024

Last month, two different Food Basics flyers made rounds on the Toronto subreddit, one from 2009, and the other from 2020, which advertised eleven-pound watermelons for $2.99, two bags of chips for $5, and even fresh chicken for 99 cents. 

"The watermelon is wild. I've seen watermelons go for $10+ each. $2.88 each 3-4 years ago. Obscene," reads one comment on Reddit. "These posts really put things into perspective."