Despite backlash, some Loblaw stores still discount perishable food by 30% — not 50%

Although Loblaw has now reinstated its popular 50 per cent discounts on perishable food, some customers say they still feel shortchanged.  That’s because more than 100 Real Canadian Superstores owned by Loblaw continue to discount all food nearing its best-before date by only 30 per cent. “I was disappointed,” said Kim Siever when he recently visited his … Read more

Dollar Tree is closing nearly 1,000 U.S. stores a decade after ‘botched’ acquisition

Dollar Tree swung to a surprise fourth-quarter loss and will close nearly 1,000 U.S. stores after slashing the value of a rival chain it acquired almost a decade ago. Dollar Tree plans to close about 600 Family Dollar stores in the first half of this year, along with 370 Family Dollar and 30 Dollar Tree stores over … Read more

Body Shop Canada to lay off 200 workers after parent company took its cash, court docs show

The Body Shop Canada Ltd. is seeking creditor protection and closing a third of its stores because its parent company stripped the Canadian arm of cash and pushed it into debt, according to court documents. An affidavit published through the company’s court monitor from Jordan Searle, who heads the Canadian arm, describes how troubles befell … Read more

Canadian economy not in recession, but 2023 was one of its weakest recent years

The Canadian economy continues to beat recession fears, posting modest growth in the fourth quarter even as high interest rates weighed on consumers and businesses. Statistics Canada reported Thursday that real gross domestic product increased by an annualized rate of one per cent, beating economists’ expectations and the Bank of Canada’s forecast for the final … Read more

Shein, Temu and other e-commerce retailers are upending global air cargo industry

The rapid rise of fast-fashion e-commerce retailers such as Shein and Temu is upending the global air cargo industry, as they increasingly vie for limited air-cargo space to woo consumers with rapid delivery times, industry sources say. Shein, PDD Group’s Temu and ByteDance’s TikTok Shop, which recently launched online shopping in the U.S., ship the majority … Read more

From cult status to closure fears — what happened to The Body Shop?

It’s a store you know by scent. For decades, the sometimes-overwhelming aroma of The Body Shop’s satsuma soaps and coconut body butters have wafted through mall concourses, as much a staple to the culture as the food court. The U.K.-based beauty and cosmetics shop has more than 3,000 retail locations in 70 countries, including 110 standalone … Read more

Loblaw ending 50% discount on some food items raises concerns about anti-competitive behaviour

The revelation that Loblaw will end its 50 per cent discount on perishable foods like meat, fruit and vegetables as they near their best-before dates should attract the attention of Canada’s Competition Bureau, says one industry expert.  Prof. Sylvain Charlebois, the director of Dalhousie University’s Agri-food Analytics Lab, believes the action taken by the grocery chain to align its policy with other food retailers might be … Read more

Bowled over: Why some Canadians are feeling duped by their breakfast cereal

Ken Bennett, an avid hiker and recreational hockey player, wanted a cereal packed with protein. So last month, he picked up Kellogg’s Vector. Bold lettering on the box declares that it has “high protein” — more specifically, that it “provides 13 g of protein” per serving.  “[It’s] actually pretty high for a breakfast cereal. That’s why I bought it,” said … Read more

Mastermind Toys customers warned to use gift cards by Dec. 24 as company is set to change hands

Mastermind Toys shoppers have less than a week to redeem store gift cards.  The Canadian toy retailer announced earlier this month that it had signed an asset purchase agreement with Unity Acquisitions Inc.  Mastermind filed for creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCCA) on Nov 24. Customers are now being told their gift cards will not be honoured … Read more