Shoppers Drug Mart in Ontario accused of price gouging after baffling grocery find

A Shoppers Drug Mart in Ontario is being accused of price gouging on social media after one customer shared a photo of the store's exorbitant peanut butter prices this week.

The picture shared on Reddit shows one-kilogram jars of Kraft smooth peanut butter selling for nearly $11 each. "Had to pop into Shoppers to get a package from the Post Office and saw this. I had to stop for a picture," the original poster wrote. 

The pricey discovery comes amid a time when tens of thousands of Canadians are taking part in a boycott of Loblaws-owned stores through May in an effort to get the Canadian retailer to lower its prices (among other demands). 

"I used to justify Shoppers' pricing, they charge more because they're open 'til midnight or beyond," one person wrote under the Reddit thread. "Post 2020 they cut hours and the price [has] gone ridiculous." 

$11 for PB
byu/Cecilia1987 inloblawsisoutofcontrol

Others began comparing the price of the peanut butter jars at other retailers in Ontario. At No Frills, the same peanut butter sells for $6.99 each, $6.97 at Walmart (or two for $12), and $13.99 at Costco for double the amount. 

One shopper under the thread also reported that they found the same product at Food Basics for just $6.99. 

"What the actual f*ck? $11 dollars?" one comment under the post reads. 

"Since they have tried to turn Shoppers into a convenience store, the prices have gone up and the focus has moved away from what they should be selling, which is pharmacy and specialized items you can't get in a grocery store," another user wrote. 

Despite the ongoing boycott, Loblaw 2024 first quarter results reveal that the retail giant saw profits climb another 9.8 per cent in the first three months of this year (compared to the same period in 2023). 

In total, revenue across all Loblaw's brands during the first quarter of 2024 was $13.58 billion, up from $13 billion in Q1 2023.