Skyrocketing pit-stick prices raise stink for more Loblaws boycotts

Something smells rotten in Denmark — or Edmonton at the very least.That’s because calls are growing for a boycott of Shoppers Drug Mart after an Edmonton resident posted photos of Dove deodorant sticks going for a whopping $18.49.And it’s raising a stink among disgruntled Loblaws consumers who are calling for a wholesale boycott of the ubiquitous grocery chain and all its affiliates. Loblaws operates several popular chains including Shoppers Drug Mart, Zehrs, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Provigo and Pharmaprix. .Already, more than 92,000 Reddit users have joined a group called ‘Loblaws is out of control’ vowing to boycott the company and its affiliates.“Who actually pays this,” one user posted, while one user wondered what’s happening to deodorant prices across the board: “I swear they were all like $3 a few years ago.”Others noted the same product goes for $14.97 at Walmart. The 74 gram sticks are touted as all natural containing skin conditioners and vitamins while excluding aluminum. “Vitamins for your pits? That’ll give me the edge I need to succeed,” added another..Sarcasm aside, it points to growing frustration by Canadians over what they see as a grocery monopoly dominated by three major chains raking in billions of profits.Loblaws chairman Galen Weston has been repeatedly called before parliamentary committees to answer for the skyrocketing price of everyday items including, it seems, deodorant. Weston has told the Liberal government the boycott is an example of “misguided criticism,”and allegations of profiteering by grocers are untrue. That’s despite the fact the company’s first quarter profits were up nearly 10% year-over-year..Undeterred, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne has been calling for a ‘grocer code of conduct’ to limit price increases on essential items like food and vowed to open the Canadian grocery sector to more international competition.“I think it’s a call for action that says to the big grocery chains, people want to see action and they want to see help,” he said in May.