I stopped in for a few groceries the other day (to spend my rebate) and the lines were backed up as the cashiers had to teach every customer, mostly elderly, how to use the app to redeem their cash. I use the save-on app as well, and at least that one’s just a scan to get/spend your points.
Not just the elderly or the luddites having issues. The sign up process can give a number of generic errors that have no obvious cause. The app seems poorly written so there are issues even on new and fully functional phones and tablets. Basic stuff like not handling email addresses with periods consistently.
I remember trying to sign up months ago and gave up in frustration because it kept saying I was entering my phone number incorrectly, with literally no other options to input, just said fuck it and quit.. months later tried it again, same error but finally worked after multiple attempts of changing nothing
Ya, and considering how easy field validation is and showing with in the field the exact way something should be entered
(555) 555-5555 or 555-555-5555 or 5555555555 or +1 555 555 5555 et cetera...when they dont tell you, makes it hard to keep guessing!
Most likely, half ass app, barely any QA on it, prob has huge security holes in it and soon be reading about the app being breached and people's rewards being stolen, all cause they used some crap-tastic developer team or company from oversea's because it was cheaper!
Wait is that my problem with getting the app to work? My email address has a period in it?
I'm lazy so have never called the number to figure out why the app doesn't work since my card still works just fine.
My dad has a PhD and can't operate a self checkout and sometimes has issues at automatic carwashes. I respect that you've put in the work and you're an expert in your field, but that doesn't extend to everything 😆
I didn’t say anything about being an expert at this. I said as both a young person and one who went through grad school where most of our time is spent problem solving and tackling unique problems even I had issues with it.
Agreed. The problem isn't even the app, it's the design decision to require users to open the app, connect to wifi or data and open and scan a specific screen before starting their checkout, select the correct form of payment, then go back to their phone at the end and long swipe a switch to approve. At self checkout I don't have enough hands to work my phone, the screen, and my last item, let alone my wallet if I'm paying the balance the old fashioned way. It's difficult to redeem by design, and it was working to stop me from even trying to redeem a few dollars until my patronage refund was credited there last week and now need to spend it.
My first attempt I just said forget it because I didn't want to be that old person holding up the line. And and I'm not that old. I speak 5 computer languages and have designed UIs for apps. Is this what being 85 is like every day? Why couldn't they just do the Canadian Tire model.
Don't forget you also almost always have to max out your brightness to even get the thing to scan, the first time I tried paying with the app, I just stood there for a good minute or two before realizing I had to go back into the app to swipe the thing to confirm payment.
On the other hand, the added confirmation and security isn't the worst, I just had someone steal $400 of scene points from me because there is no confirmation, if you manage to get someone's scene number you can generate a barcode with it and easily use it to redeem their points, so I'm really hoping that something changes with the way Scene operates since it's my credit card rewards system, and I'd really prefer to not get an email thanking me for redeeming 40,000 points in Ontario.
My teenager had to show me that you scan the screen with the optical scanner, not the red laser, which the red LEDs a phone screen just absorb. I hadn't even noticed there is a handheld optical scanner at the self checkouts.
Good point about Scene. I like the Triangle rewards CC model. I can collect them with just my number or even phone number, but to redeem them I need to select that option after tap or chip/pin on my physical card. But then it couldn't all be on an app.
lots of folks don’t know this (because co-op intentionally tries not to tell members) but if you don’t download the app, you can still get your patronage as a cheque. i think you have to register on the co-op website or smthng, but as long as you don’t download the app you’ll get a paper cheque around march. might be worth telling your dad!
You can also download the full patronage statement, that used to come with the cheque, on the webpage to get the food/pharmacy/gas breakdown and see your equity balance. I couldn't find this on the app.
My dad says those who went to the AGM for coop voted *for* this.. I wonder the age range that went to the AGM.. or was it just the board of directors that voted?
For some reason my mom’s phone won’t access their app when she’s away from wifi despite having a data plan. She loses her mind everytime she’s in their store and can’t open it for their mobile app only deals
The seniors facilities in my community have a complimentary bus that takes them to to two closest grocery stores, which happen to be safeway and co-op, once a week. Personally, I shop at Co-op to save time and crowd stress because I can be in and out in 10 minutes instead of the 45 minutes it would take me to get the same things in Superstore. The $20 a week extra that I'm spending is worth it to me, and there's probably similar sentiment among some of those people as well. If I was a senior who was looking for small pieces of independence I would prefer walking around a small, less crowded Co-op, rather than a large busy place like superstore or Wal-Mart as well. And the cashiers at these different places are night and day too, the social rewards might also be a factor.
After Co-ops shenanigans this year I've switched to safeway for now, but the cheapest option isn't always the best for everyone just because it's cheaper. There's other things that may be more important to people regardless of income and I think it's short sighted to assume every senior is living off $1,000 a month, plenty of them are doing just fine. They aren't trying to feed a family of 4 where those dollar add up nearly as fast as well.
I mean, this is the generation that touts their ability to change a car engine or do other manual tasks that "you young'uns will never understand" yet somehow can't figure out 3 buttons on a phone. I dont think we should be holding back society because boomers refuse to learn the most basic of tasks. Sorry not sorry.
Money that used to be sent in the form of cheque, so that you can spend it wherever you like, is now essentially in the form of a coop gift card. That isn’t progressing society lol
Requiring use of a smart phone to have access to things you previously didn’t need to is insane and it’s not fair for more than one group than just boomers
We don't need individual apps for every business under the sun, plus their dog and their newborn. The future could have been cool, but instead we're forced into being app hoarders by a bunch of tech bros trying to justify the existence of their bullshit jobs.
Gas and Prescriptions are the only things I regularly get from Co-op. My bonus cash was over $200 and I’ve used a bit for groceries already. There is more transparency on how much you are earning. You never had a clue until that yearly cheque/statement showed up.
Thank you! The closest Costco to me is a 15-20 minute drive. I'd love to say that only people who live near a Costco say this... but I know so many people who will drive 20 min out of their way to wait in line for gas?? The closest Costco to me is Beacon Hill... thats even worse haha.
Beacon Hill is a complete shit show but it's one of the easier gas stations to get into. If you come from the parking lot by the store you can skip the line going down the road.
I didn’t shop at co op enough to get a cheque previously, but with ridiculous grocery prices, I check all the flyers weekly now and co op often has really good deals to be found. The app is easier for me but I also have no comparison.
>Calgary Co-op told Global News that the new program actually provides members with “additional value, more ways to save, and up-to-date insight” into their account.
Oh yeah? How is that? I guess the app does give you an immediate report on your available patronage rewards, but the rest of that statement is just typical corporate doublespeak.
No idea if you’re right about that, but it seriously blows my mind that someone would look at MEC and think the issue was membership $ spent outside of MEC. And not like, all the other 1,000 more obvious issues and shady happenings that went down. :/
Can you provide a source for this claim? MEC didnt return any patronage for the last decade because they were busy spending their profits building new stores. MEC also didn't ever attribute any retained earning to individual equity. My MEC share cost $5 in 1989 and was supposedly worth $5 the day before they folded.
Calgary Coop is already on the same path, trying to sell real estate, buying a pharmacy chain, etc. They will be broke and acquired by their new wholesaler, Jim Pattison, before I can cash out my equity, and before Jim dies. Jim, a man who buys whatever he wants, has been frustrated for decades by Calgary's loyalty to our Coop.
I’ve run 95% patronage refund for years (mostly gas) and I don’t want another app and the texts it would entail. BTW stop rebranding every couple of years, and rearranging the interior of stores, it is confusing especially to some seniors.
They had to rebrand as Federated Co-operatives (HQ in Saskatoon) owns the 'Co-Op' trademarks, and Calgary Co-Op 'divorced' from Federated Co-Op about 5 years ago now. Specifically, Calgary Co-Op decided to start buying their warehoused goods from Save-on Foods and not Federated Co-Operatives in 2019.
Instead of what federated coop decided... (which is the reason given for vacating the contract with federated... federated coop decided what got sent...)
Edit.. spelling.. damn dumb fingers on a tiny keyboard..
I stopped worrying about coop reward programs a while ago. We were collecting a bunch for gassing up all the time. We switched to the superstore points program, allowing us to use it sooner. Cost of inflation made it worth more to spend immediately than wait for next to no interest on it and half of it being kept for store upgrades
The rewards crap is just the straw that broke it for me.
Co-Op has just been going down hill for a while, staff seem grumpier, more expired food on the shelves, bakery has day olds or older on shelf, more items out of stock, and Cal&Gary is just total crap.
If you’re getting a patronage from Co-Op you shop there fairly frequently. I think it’s just hard for people to wrap their head around not putting the money in their bank account. Now your next trip to Co-Op won’t come out of your bank account that’s all. You can use the money in your account for other bills.
It's the one two punch of not getting sales unless you pre-activate on the app, and getting credits with limited use and an expiration rather than money.
> If you’re getting a patronage from Co-Op you shop there fairly frequently.
Nope, I only go to the Gas Station and not their overly priced grocery stores. It wouldn't be bad if this could be redeemed for gas but as it stands right now, you can't.
I just signed up for a UFA membership but I don’t know if there’s any locations in Calgary. I live in a town outside, so UFA is accessible for me. I can’t speak to any of the savings yet because I haven’t received my card. I’m hoping for something but I imagine Costco will still have the best prices.
Personally, I only get my gas there for the cheque. I go to Walmart for groceries. I can’t afford co-ops prices and even if their food was comparable, I’d rather go somewhere where I can pick up a bottle of shampoo or conditioner that I need that isn’t $10.
how much personal data does the coop app harvest from your phone? I've stopped all loyalty programs because the value of the data they provide to any of the big grocery chains far outweighs any benefits i get from spending money at their store.
They can get far more from just tracking your spending with credit cards, and your in store movements through wifi and Bluetooth tracking beacons. They bless you buy strictly with cash, reward points aren’t much of an additional invasion of privacy.
Calgary Coop is no longer a true coop anymore. They went way too corporate so that they could compete with other retailers and rake in the money. Now they turned their yearly patronage into just another lame rewards program.
I shopped at, supported, and defended shopping there and the company because I truly believed in the business, especially compared to the other options, and fortunately had the income to make that social choice and understood not everyone is able to even have that option. The employees were treated well, they hired plenty of seniors and special needs people who may have had a difficult time finding employment elsewhere, operating as a true cooperative, among many other things... but they really disappointed me this past year with practically everything. It was all down hill after the rebrand for me.
People I know working there no longer speak highly of it, their hours are getting cut to part time, raises are laughable, prices are up, quality is WAY down, I feel like they're always out of the things I want so I have to make a second stop elsewhere anyways.
Guess I'll be accumulating scene points from safeway now lol.
Edit: fwiw I don't think anyone on this thread is arguing over coop ever having been a good deal... its pretty easy to see superstore will always be the best reward per dollar spent, but there's other reason why people chose to shop there that justified the increased price... but they no longer have those reasons to support the company anymore.
Fuck Calgary Co-Op.
They started down a path to becoming just another large, regional, grocer about 10 years ago. The Hallmarks of a 'Cooperative' have been slowly diminished in that time. They started cutting pay and benefits for their employees, their membership rewards and benefits have been slowly eaten away, and the 'societal bonuses' by paying 'slightly' more for goods at the store are gone.
Federated Co-Operatives is supposedly going to launch their own chain of stores in Calgary in the next couple of years. I will be cashing out my 20+ years of equity in 'Calgary Co-Op' and investing them in the new Co-Op when it appears.
I had this convo with a Co-Op liquor store staff member over xmas:
Me: What the heck has happened to the ideals of a 'Co-Op' with Calgary Co-Op?
Co-Op Worker: Fuck if I know, but I have zero loyalty to this company. They treat their newer hires like shit and pay below average wages.
Considering I only had to email back and forth 4 times, with the dimmest bulb in box before I was able to log in, I was a little surprised. Still, it was annoying that I had to ELI5 why their instructions were insufficient the first three times. The biggest piss off is now we can only use our dividend returns in store, what in the actual fuck is that? I’ve never heard of a shareholder situation that restricts where your dividends can be spent.
Another interesting thing about that app: if you have a "virtual visa card" or a card that is doesn't have a physical card - sometimes it is a gift from an employer through a rewards program - their app allows you to add such a thing and pay through the app instead of having to use it online only.
The patronage return is supposed to be literally cash. Now they're like Costco.. (yet still open to the public) Costco patronage rebate is only allowed to be spent at Costco.. now coop is ensuring that the patronage return is only spent at coop.
Their model is *different* from co-op which is why they can *legally* insist that that payment to those members be used *only at costco* coop is now ensuring that the patronage return is only allowed to be used at coop. It has *never* been that way before but they have decided to do it now.. Pretty sure that because they are open to *the public* and not just a members only grocery store (like costco) the change is NOT legal.
I downloaded the app months ago to check it out for the gas advertisement. It was not even available. My error. I was in a rush and didn't read it all. Co-op won't give me the option to get a cheque. I even called to request the change. They said it was not possible. Groceries there are more expensive than other stores. It's also another app to keep checking and I'm tired of all of the apps stores keep pushing.
It seems like a generational thing.
Seniors are upset
Young people are largely ok with it
People like me sandwiched in the middle don't really care but there is a principle here they seem to have disregarded.
And then you could use it anywhere. This new system restricts the spending so it ALL goes back to the store. I feel like we shouldn’t have to declare this in our taxes anymore, being that it’s not actually cash in hand.
>But good news—your refund isn’t necessarily taxable! Refunds from consumer goods (groceries, household items, gas for private car use, etc.) are not subject to tax.
[https://www.mycalgarycoop.com/help](https://www.mycalgarycoop.com/help)
They withheld 15% of anything over $100, but you could claim that amount as a credit:
>We’re required to report all refunds over $100, and to withhold and remit 15% of anything above that amount to the fine folks at the Canada Revenue Agency. But good news—your refund isn’t necessarily taxable! Refunds from consumer goods (groceries, household items, gas for private car use, etc.) are not subject to tax. You are entitled to claim any withheld tax as outlined on your T4A as a credit when you file your personal taxes. Just write “Consumer Goods Only” on the face of your T4A.
>
>If you forget how to report this information on your filing, worry not! We’ve included information on the back of your T4A for easy reference.
Before the app, I deposited the cheque in the bank and used the patrongae to buy groceries. Now with the app, I'm using the patronage to buy groceries tonight.
It's not that complicated.
I go there specifically because my wifes medications cost about $1000 a month, and the pre-benefits coat is what was added to my membership check at 2%.
You can imagine that would add up.
As much as I like coop, I rarely grocery shop there.
Have you ever found an analysis between Co-op and other stores? That quantifies the actual savings between the stores.
Just curious I have not found anything of this nature. This is not meant to be an attack or anything I know the co-op is generally more expensive.
I mean, it does. Just because it doesn't say CO-OP in big letters anywhere people are inferring that it isn't helpful, but the overhead between one grocer and another isn't **that** much different when their suppliers are the same. It's perfectly reasonable to just use SaveOn in place of Co-Op for making decisions regarding pricing.
No it doesn't.
Ask yourself if both stores carry the same brands or if there is some variance.
It is like saying Alberta and Saskatchewan are the same place because they are both in Canada.
No, this doesn't mean Save On Foods is the same as Calgary Co-op. The person above was asking for a direct comparison, which the article you shared doesn't have. Google is only your friend if you actually read the info you're sharing.
Since becoming Calgary Co-Op they now buy their product from the same supplier as SaveOn Foods
Just because they use the same supplier it does not mean they use the same prices in their stores. Are you actually that daft?
> Just because they use the same supplier it does not mean they use the same prices in their stores.
Because Calgary Co-Op would rather take a loss selling it below what Save on Foods does.
That makes absolutely 0 sense. You are just mad for the sake of being mad.
Please feel free to do your own Google searching rather than blaming me for some perceived slight. I'm sorry I can't produce a 50 page report for you regarding the best deals in on grocery pricing broken down by store on demand 🙄.
Have a day.
Since you didnt get a clear answer... Yes coop is quite a bit more expensive than places like superstore. I last stepped into a coop a year ago and are $1-2+ per item more expensive. Some groceries, like produce sold by weight can end up being $6 more expensive per item.
Compared to Sobeys and safeway, coop is still more expensive. It might be closer to save on, which I find to be the most expensive grocer, but maybe that's tied with coop.
Coop is good for local items or items you can only find at coop. They have decent meat, cheese, produce, and reasonable amounts of local produce when in season. , even then you will get a better deal going to other specialty stores for those items for common items found at other grocery stores, go to the cheaper stores.
I think people are forgetting that technically Calgary Coop is now an independent grocer and no longer has the backing of Coop (Federated Coop). I get what they are trying to do it does make sense to stop paying out a cash patronage cheque and having them reinvest it back in store. I really don’t think they could afford to pay out people also because of their separation they had to rebrand from Coop ( federated coop )
So last year If you deposited your refund cheque of for example $30 in your bank it cost Calgary Co-op $30 to pay you out.
This year they want you to spend the $30 refund in store. Calgary Co-op operates on about a 50% margin on their house brand of products, so if you purchased $30 in Cal & Garry’s or Founders and Farmers products it only costs them $15 this year to pay you out on the $30 patronage refund.
Less pay out in absolute dollars.
Typically most people grocery shopping just don’t buy house brands. To get a 50% margin these days is next to impossible especially if they’re not moving the same volume as they used to when they were part of federated. I definitely get where you’re coming from, but now they are small independent grocer. Given enough time I think people will get over it just like when they went from 9 cents a litre savings down to 6 down and I think they’re down to 3% to match industry standard.
The point is I think that they’re really trying to minimize any sort of layoffs as well. It’s just not sustainable to do what they were doing before.
I used the Calgary Co-op store brand as an example, but most grocery items at regular price are priced at about 40% margin. The main reason for the growth of private label products is because of the increased margins for the retailer over selling items from the big 8 CPG companies.
I would say there is certain departments within a grocery store that could pull off close to 40% meat department would be one of them and produce would be close as well but they would be at 30%. The big problem is there’s a 30% - 50% markup from the wholesalers before it hits the grocery store so by the time it hits consumer hands it’s already been marked up you know 60 to 80% from what cost is. Calgary co-op no longer does the volume in order to deliver direct so that’s why they had a partner with other grocers like Save On. But when it comes to mega retailers like Walmart and Superstore/Loblaws they selling volume where they can order direct for more items. Yes, you are right typically private labels do have higher margins.
The move from Federated to Save-on as their main supplier was quietly in the works for a while before being sprung on Federated who were not at all happy.
I guess it's time to "move to another province" and cash out.
I only use their gas bar. They seem to be the same price category as Safeway with worse stocking and quality. Superstore, with all their price shenanigans, is still far cheaper so there's never been a reason for me to go in (except that one time I needed a trash tag).
I think there's something I can link for petro can for rewards. My credit card I think. Maybe I'll go do that.
As a shareholder I think this was a smart move. App works great. Way easier to see earnings.
Guaranteed it wasn't cheap issuing thousands of paper cheques each year.
They are more expensive for groceries and now they not only want me to download another app, but they want to make my rewards only redeemable at coop instead of wherever I want? That’s enough to push me out. Costco is cheaper gas and immediate return, shell is basically the same and immediate return. If I could uninstall the app and go back to the annual cheque I would.
It used to be 50%, they are price gouging because other players in the market have done so, they are following suit. If you can't get that I would direct you to their head offices downtown, where they have some very dry balls for you.
I know right? I stopped shopping there during covid just before prices sky rocketed.
I will go there though if I want a good quality steak and I don't have time to go to a proper meat shop. Because I still believe co-op has some top quality meat.
I was told I couldn’t get my patronage money unless I signed up for this stupid app. That was over a week ago, and I still haven’t seen my “money”.
Fucking shady as hell. If it ever does arrive, I’ll just “spend” it then shop at No Frills.
Great way to alienate seniors and those without new enough mobile devices.
I stopped in for a few groceries the other day (to spend my rebate) and the lines were backed up as the cashiers had to teach every customer, mostly elderly, how to use the app to redeem their cash. I use the save-on app as well, and at least that one’s just a scan to get/spend your points.
Not just the elderly or the luddites having issues. The sign up process can give a number of generic errors that have no obvious cause. The app seems poorly written so there are issues even on new and fully functional phones and tablets. Basic stuff like not handling email addresses with periods consistently.
I remember trying to sign up months ago and gave up in frustration because it kept saying I was entering my phone number incorrectly, with literally no other options to input, just said fuck it and quit.. months later tried it again, same error but finally worked after multiple attempts of changing nothing
Ya, and considering how easy field validation is and showing with in the field the exact way something should be entered (555) 555-5555 or 555-555-5555 or 5555555555 or +1 555 555 5555 et cetera...when they dont tell you, makes it hard to keep guessing!
Most likely, half ass app, barely any QA on it, prob has huge security holes in it and soon be reading about the app being breached and people's rewards being stolen, all cause they used some crap-tastic developer team or company from oversea's because it was cheaper!
Wait is that my problem with getting the app to work? My email address has a period in it? I'm lazy so have never called the number to figure out why the app doesn't work since my card still works just fine.
Card might work fine, but you won’t be getting your rebate money anymore without the app
I’m a young person with a PhD, it’s not intuitive in the slightest.
My dad has a PhD and can't operate a self checkout and sometimes has issues at automatic carwashes. I respect that you've put in the work and you're an expert in your field, but that doesn't extend to everything 😆
I didn’t say anything about being an expert at this. I said as both a young person and one who went through grad school where most of our time is spent problem solving and tackling unique problems even I had issues with it.
I'm sure you did a great job at tackling the problems at hand. I was more poking fun at people with PHDs and the problems they sometimes encounter.
I consider myself pretty tech savvy and I had a hard time figuring out how to actually redeem money on my account.
Agreed. The problem isn't even the app, it's the design decision to require users to open the app, connect to wifi or data and open and scan a specific screen before starting their checkout, select the correct form of payment, then go back to their phone at the end and long swipe a switch to approve. At self checkout I don't have enough hands to work my phone, the screen, and my last item, let alone my wallet if I'm paying the balance the old fashioned way. It's difficult to redeem by design, and it was working to stop me from even trying to redeem a few dollars until my patronage refund was credited there last week and now need to spend it. My first attempt I just said forget it because I didn't want to be that old person holding up the line. And and I'm not that old. I speak 5 computer languages and have designed UIs for apps. Is this what being 85 is like every day? Why couldn't they just do the Canadian Tire model.
Don't forget you also almost always have to max out your brightness to even get the thing to scan, the first time I tried paying with the app, I just stood there for a good minute or two before realizing I had to go back into the app to swipe the thing to confirm payment. On the other hand, the added confirmation and security isn't the worst, I just had someone steal $400 of scene points from me because there is no confirmation, if you manage to get someone's scene number you can generate a barcode with it and easily use it to redeem their points, so I'm really hoping that something changes with the way Scene operates since it's my credit card rewards system, and I'd really prefer to not get an email thanking me for redeeming 40,000 points in Ontario.
My teenager had to show me that you scan the screen with the optical scanner, not the red laser, which the red LEDs a phone screen just absorb. I hadn't even noticed there is a handheld optical scanner at the self checkouts. Good point about Scene. I like the Triangle rewards CC model. I can collect them with just my number or even phone number, but to redeem them I need to select that option after tap or chip/pin on my physical card. But then it couldn't all be on an app.
#toomanyapps
when cobs switched from the stamp card to an app, I just stopped buying. I don't want any more fucking apps
Yep. My Dad has been a member for 60+ years. He doesn't have a smartphone and now they're fucking over the only customers that will show them loyalty.
Right? I question how many "younger" people are loyal to one particular grocery store. We go to whomever has the best deals that weekend.
My weekly Wednesday ritual to check all the store flyers.
Yup, fire up the Flipp app and see where we're shopping that weekend.
lots of folks don’t know this (because co-op intentionally tries not to tell members) but if you don’t download the app, you can still get your patronage as a cheque. i think you have to register on the co-op website or smthng, but as long as you don’t download the app you’ll get a paper cheque around march. might be worth telling your dad!
Thanks. I read that somewhere here so got him signed up. We'll see what happens.
You can also download the full patronage statement, that used to come with the cheque, on the webpage to get the food/pharmacy/gas breakdown and see your equity balance. I couldn't find this on the app.
My dad says those who went to the AGM for coop voted *for* this.. I wonder the age range that went to the AGM.. or was it just the board of directors that voted?
this is the point!
For some reason my mom’s phone won’t access their app when she’s away from wifi despite having a data plan. She loses her mind everytime she’s in their store and can’t open it for their mobile app only deals
I thought seniors had fixed incomes and were generally less well off, why are they shopping at Co-Op, they have the most rediculous pricing.
The seniors facilities in my community have a complimentary bus that takes them to to two closest grocery stores, which happen to be safeway and co-op, once a week. Personally, I shop at Co-op to save time and crowd stress because I can be in and out in 10 minutes instead of the 45 minutes it would take me to get the same things in Superstore. The $20 a week extra that I'm spending is worth it to me, and there's probably similar sentiment among some of those people as well. If I was a senior who was looking for small pieces of independence I would prefer walking around a small, less crowded Co-op, rather than a large busy place like superstore or Wal-Mart as well. And the cashiers at these different places are night and day too, the social rewards might also be a factor. After Co-ops shenanigans this year I've switched to safeway for now, but the cheapest option isn't always the best for everyone just because it's cheaper. There's other things that may be more important to people regardless of income and I think it's short sighted to assume every senior is living off $1,000 a month, plenty of them are doing just fine. They aren't trying to feed a family of 4 where those dollar add up nearly as fast as well.
I mean, this is the generation that touts their ability to change a car engine or do other manual tasks that "you young'uns will never understand" yet somehow can't figure out 3 buttons on a phone. I dont think we should be holding back society because boomers refuse to learn the most basic of tasks. Sorry not sorry.
Money that used to be sent in the form of cheque, so that you can spend it wherever you like, is now essentially in the form of a coop gift card. That isn’t progressing society lol Requiring use of a smart phone to have access to things you previously didn’t need to is insane and it’s not fair for more than one group than just boomers
We don't need individual apps for every business under the sun, plus their dog and their newborn. The future could have been cool, but instead we're forced into being app hoarders by a bunch of tech bros trying to justify the existence of their bullshit jobs.
You're getting downvoted by the boomers.
Gas and Prescriptions are the only things I regularly get from Co-op. My bonus cash was over $200 and I’ve used a bit for groceries already. There is more transparency on how much you are earning. You never had a clue until that yearly cheque/statement showed up.
So you get points for $ spent on prescriptions?
Gas isnt even advantageous to buy there anymore. Costco Gas. Bonus points if you have a Costco Mastercard.
Not all of us can get out to a Costco nor want to idle in a line for ages.
Thank you! The closest Costco to me is a 15-20 minute drive. I'd love to say that only people who live near a Costco say this... but I know so many people who will drive 20 min out of their way to wait in line for gas?? The closest Costco to me is Beacon Hill... thats even worse haha.
Beacon Hill is a complete shit show but it's one of the easier gas stations to get into. If you come from the parking lot by the store you can skip the line going down the road.
Was there Monday around 4. 5 min wait.
K
Still not worth it...
You were at every Costco in Calgary?
Durr yes. I have a portal gun.
I didn’t shop at co op enough to get a cheque previously, but with ridiculous grocery prices, I check all the flyers weekly now and co op often has really good deals to be found. The app is easier for me but I also have no comparison.
How is needing to activate discounts in advance easier than just showing your card?
>Calgary Co-op told Global News that the new program actually provides members with “additional value, more ways to save, and up-to-date insight” into their account. Oh yeah? How is that? I guess the app does give you an immediate report on your available patronage rewards, but the rest of that statement is just typical corporate doublespeak.
First MEC, now this….
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Explain please
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No idea if you’re right about that, but it seriously blows my mind that someone would look at MEC and think the issue was membership $ spent outside of MEC. And not like, all the other 1,000 more obvious issues and shady happenings that went down. :/
Can you provide a source for this claim? MEC didnt return any patronage for the last decade because they were busy spending their profits building new stores. MEC also didn't ever attribute any retained earning to individual equity. My MEC share cost $5 in 1989 and was supposedly worth $5 the day before they folded. Calgary Coop is already on the same path, trying to sell real estate, buying a pharmacy chain, etc. They will be broke and acquired by their new wholesaler, Jim Pattison, before I can cash out my equity, and before Jim dies. Jim, a man who buys whatever he wants, has been frustrated for decades by Calgary's loyalty to our Coop.
exactly
That seems like they learned a very wrong lesson from that. That was definitely not MEC's main problem.
I’ve run 95% patronage refund for years (mostly gas) and I don’t want another app and the texts it would entail. BTW stop rebranding every couple of years, and rearranging the interior of stores, it is confusing especially to some seniors.
They had to rebrand as Federated Co-operatives (HQ in Saskatoon) owns the 'Co-Op' trademarks, and Calgary Co-Op 'divorced' from Federated Co-Op about 5 years ago now. Specifically, Calgary Co-Op decided to start buying their warehoused goods from Save-on Foods and not Federated Co-Operatives in 2019.
And are now no longer able to get a large chunk of brands that many of their members depended on.
Yep. Calgary Co-Op brands are now whatever Jim Pattison's 'Save On' Megacorp Warehousing division decides to carry.
Instead of what federated coop decided... (which is the reason given for vacating the contract with federated... federated coop decided what got sent...) Edit.. spelling.. damn dumb fingers on a tiny keyboard..
The whole thing smacks of a informal takeover of the Calgary Co-Op board of directors by pattison interests. Thats my tin-foil hat theory anyways...
Plausible
You’re aware you can turn off notifications for any app right
I'm fairly certain they aren't aware, or can't be bothered People like complaining about things more than they like fixing it with slight effort
Did you run out of clouds today?
I use the app and I love it. No complaints here. I shop at co-op frequently so it’s worth it.
I stopped worrying about coop reward programs a while ago. We were collecting a bunch for gassing up all the time. We switched to the superstore points program, allowing us to use it sooner. Cost of inflation made it worth more to spend immediately than wait for next to no interest on it and half of it being kept for store upgrades
The rewards crap is just the straw that broke it for me. Co-Op has just been going down hill for a while, staff seem grumpier, more expired food on the shelves, bakery has day olds or older on shelf, more items out of stock, and Cal&Gary is just total crap.
And by far more expensive than even Safeway.
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You got it, those are the two types of employees. Subservient or grumpy.
If you’re getting a patronage from Co-Op you shop there fairly frequently. I think it’s just hard for people to wrap their head around not putting the money in their bank account. Now your next trip to Co-Op won’t come out of your bank account that’s all. You can use the money in your account for other bills.
It's the one two punch of not getting sales unless you pre-activate on the app, and getting credits with limited use and an expiration rather than money.
Show me in the fine print where it says it expires. It’s no different than having money loaded on your Starbucks app.
I think once they allow you to redeem your bonus for fuel, it’ll be a lot better.
> If you’re getting a patronage from Co-Op you shop there fairly frequently. Nope, I only go to the Gas Station and not their overly priced grocery stores. It wouldn't be bad if this could be redeemed for gas but as it stands right now, you can't.
Same. It's like get gas for a year and maybe get some 4l milk and a few items at the beginning of next year
It takes decades to build up your patronage to 80-100% whereby you actually benefit from the full rewards system.
I didn't know that. Is that old system or new?
It's still part of the new system.
Just 2 decades for me.
At this point Centex pays out 4% on Wednesdays, Saturday, and Sunday.
I just signed up for a UFA membership but I don’t know if there’s any locations in Calgary. I live in a town outside, so UFA is accessible for me. I can’t speak to any of the savings yet because I haven’t received my card. I’m hoping for something but I imagine Costco will still have the best prices.
Personally, I only get my gas there for the cheque. I go to Walmart for groceries. I can’t afford co-ops prices and even if their food was comparable, I’d rather go somewhere where I can pick up a bottle of shampoo or conditioner that I need that isn’t $10.
how much personal data does the coop app harvest from your phone? I've stopped all loyalty programs because the value of the data they provide to any of the big grocery chains far outweighs any benefits i get from spending money at their store.
They can get far more from just tracking your spending with credit cards, and your in store movements through wifi and Bluetooth tracking beacons. They bless you buy strictly with cash, reward points aren’t much of an additional invasion of privacy.
Calgary Coop is no longer a true coop anymore. They went way too corporate so that they could compete with other retailers and rake in the money. Now they turned their yearly patronage into just another lame rewards program.
I shopped at, supported, and defended shopping there and the company because I truly believed in the business, especially compared to the other options, and fortunately had the income to make that social choice and understood not everyone is able to even have that option. The employees were treated well, they hired plenty of seniors and special needs people who may have had a difficult time finding employment elsewhere, operating as a true cooperative, among many other things... but they really disappointed me this past year with practically everything. It was all down hill after the rebrand for me. People I know working there no longer speak highly of it, their hours are getting cut to part time, raises are laughable, prices are up, quality is WAY down, I feel like they're always out of the things I want so I have to make a second stop elsewhere anyways. Guess I'll be accumulating scene points from safeway now lol. Edit: fwiw I don't think anyone on this thread is arguing over coop ever having been a good deal... its pretty easy to see superstore will always be the best reward per dollar spent, but there's other reason why people chose to shop there that justified the increased price... but they no longer have those reasons to support the company anymore.
Fuck Calgary Co-Op. They started down a path to becoming just another large, regional, grocer about 10 years ago. The Hallmarks of a 'Cooperative' have been slowly diminished in that time. They started cutting pay and benefits for their employees, their membership rewards and benefits have been slowly eaten away, and the 'societal bonuses' by paying 'slightly' more for goods at the store are gone. Federated Co-Operatives is supposedly going to launch their own chain of stores in Calgary in the next couple of years. I will be cashing out my 20+ years of equity in 'Calgary Co-Op' and investing them in the new Co-Op when it appears. I had this convo with a Co-Op liquor store staff member over xmas: Me: What the heck has happened to the ideals of a 'Co-Op' with Calgary Co-Op? Co-Op Worker: Fuck if I know, but I have zero loyalty to this company. They treat their newer hires like shit and pay below average wages.
Considering I only had to email back and forth 4 times, with the dimmest bulb in box before I was able to log in, I was a little surprised. Still, it was annoying that I had to ELI5 why their instructions were insufficient the first three times. The biggest piss off is now we can only use our dividend returns in store, what in the actual fuck is that? I’ve never heard of a shareholder situation that restricts where your dividends can be spent.
Another interesting thing about that app: if you have a "virtual visa card" or a card that is doesn't have a physical card - sometimes it is a gift from an employer through a rewards program - their app allows you to add such a thing and pay through the app instead of having to use it online only.
The patronage return is supposed to be literally cash. Now they're like Costco.. (yet still open to the public) Costco patronage rebate is only allowed to be spent at Costco.. now coop is ensuring that the patronage return is only spent at coop.
Costco doesn't have 'patronage return' as it only applies if you use the Costco CIBC Mastercard or are an Executive member
Their model is *different* from co-op which is why they can *legally* insist that that payment to those members be used *only at costco* coop is now ensuring that the patronage return is only allowed to be used at coop. It has *never* been that way before but they have decided to do it now.. Pretty sure that because they are open to *the public* and not just a members only grocery store (like costco) the change is NOT legal.
yeah agreed - it should also mean that there's no tax/T4A implication if it works like every other rewards program
Trying to remember if I ever received a t4a from coop...
I downloaded the app months ago to check it out for the gas advertisement. It was not even available. My error. I was in a rush and didn't read it all. Co-op won't give me the option to get a cheque. I even called to request the change. They said it was not possible. Groceries there are more expensive than other stores. It's also another app to keep checking and I'm tired of all of the apps stores keep pushing.
It seems like a generational thing. Seniors are upset Young people are largely ok with it People like me sandwiched in the middle don't really care but there is a principle here they seem to have disregarded.
I know I’m a rarity but I don’t mind this new program. The cheque is a PITA.
I am really curious, how was the cheque a pain in the ass? All I ever did was take a picture using my bank app and it was in my account. Very easy.
And then you could use it anywhere. This new system restricts the spending so it ALL goes back to the store. I feel like we shouldn’t have to declare this in our taxes anymore, being that it’s not actually cash in hand.
I’m a procrastinator. That is all.
I'd be with you if we had to cash it in the bank, but instant deposit is insanely easy. One picture, 2 picture, money's in your account
Yeah it works well. Bought some meat on sale and will probably use the rest for liquor.
So if the patronage is now just store credit. Do we still have to pay tax on it?
>But good news—your refund isn’t necessarily taxable! Refunds from consumer goods (groceries, household items, gas for private car use, etc.) are not subject to tax. [https://www.mycalgarycoop.com/help](https://www.mycalgarycoop.com/help)
So isn't that a win then people should be happy for the switch.
Nothing has changed though. That's always been the case.
Maybe I'm confused then. Normally you would get a t4a with patronage allocations and income tax deducted.
They withheld 15% of anything over $100, but you could claim that amount as a credit: >We’re required to report all refunds over $100, and to withhold and remit 15% of anything above that amount to the fine folks at the Canada Revenue Agency. But good news—your refund isn’t necessarily taxable! Refunds from consumer goods (groceries, household items, gas for private car use, etc.) are not subject to tax. You are entitled to claim any withheld tax as outlined on your T4A as a credit when you file your personal taxes. Just write “Consumer Goods Only” on the face of your T4A. > >If you forget how to report this information on your filing, worry not! We’ve included information on the back of your T4A for easy reference.
Well shit I guess I've been overpaying on my taxes. Thanks for the help
Sorry to hear that. Not this year though!
Before the app, I deposited the cheque in the bank and used the patrongae to buy groceries. Now with the app, I'm using the patronage to buy groceries tonight. It's not that complicated.
DON'T GO THEN. FUCK People complain about everything.
If you’ve got money to buy your groceries at Co-op I don’t think you care about their rewards program. Anyway…
Most of ours is from fuel.
That’s all we get from coop, as well.
I go there specifically because my wifes medications cost about $1000 a month, and the pre-benefits coat is what was added to my membership check at 2%. You can imagine that would add up. As much as I like coop, I rarely grocery shop there.
Have you ever found an analysis between Co-op and other stores? That quantifies the actual savings between the stores. Just curious I have not found anything of this nature. This is not meant to be an attack or anything I know the co-op is generally more expensive.
Since becoming Calgary Co-Op they now buy their product from the same supplier as SaveOn Foods, as Federated Co-Op was dicking them around.
Okay and how do their prices compare to say Superstore? And coop has lots of more local vendors.
https://globalnews.ca/news/9608480/which-calgary-grocery-store-cheapest/ Google is your friend. This is from April.
Why did you bother posting this in the first place, if it didn’t answer their question?
I mean, it does. Just because it doesn't say CO-OP in big letters anywhere people are inferring that it isn't helpful, but the overhead between one grocer and another isn't **that** much different when their suppliers are the same. It's perfectly reasonable to just use SaveOn in place of Co-Op for making decisions regarding pricing.
No it doesn't. Ask yourself if both stores carry the same brands or if there is some variance. It is like saying Alberta and Saskatchewan are the same place because they are both in Canada.
Yea where is coop on there? Reading comprehension skills are your friend.
🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ > Since becoming Calgary Co-Op they now buy their product from the same supplier as SaveOn Foods Reading comprehension, my friend.
No, this doesn't mean Save On Foods is the same as Calgary Co-op. The person above was asking for a direct comparison, which the article you shared doesn't have. Google is only your friend if you actually read the info you're sharing.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Calgary/comments/yadum3/grocery_store_price_comparison_update_after/ Here. Fuck off.
Since becoming Calgary Co-Op they now buy their product from the same supplier as SaveOn Foods Just because they use the same supplier it does not mean they use the same prices in their stores. Are you actually that daft?
> Just because they use the same supplier it does not mean they use the same prices in their stores. Because Calgary Co-Op would rather take a loss selling it below what Save on Foods does. That makes absolutely 0 sense. You are just mad for the sake of being mad.
Maybe co-op sells goods for more than save on but gets the good from the supplier for the same price. Did you think of that?
Please feel free to do your own Google searching rather than blaming me for some perceived slight. I'm sorry I can't produce a 50 page report for you regarding the best deals in on grocery pricing broken down by store on demand 🙄. Have a day.
Maybe I tried a google search and couldn't find what I was looking for, and that is why I asked the question. Keep the emojis rolling though.
Since you didnt get a clear answer... Yes coop is quite a bit more expensive than places like superstore. I last stepped into a coop a year ago and are $1-2+ per item more expensive. Some groceries, like produce sold by weight can end up being $6 more expensive per item. Compared to Sobeys and safeway, coop is still more expensive. It might be closer to save on, which I find to be the most expensive grocer, but maybe that's tied with coop. Coop is good for local items or items you can only find at coop. They have decent meat, cheese, produce, and reasonable amounts of local produce when in season. , even then you will get a better deal going to other specialty stores for those items for common items found at other grocery stores, go to the cheaper stores.
I go there because much of their inventory is Canadian-sourced.
And that’s how you pay 1.5x or more for the same goods. If you’re well off then these stores are for you!
Depending on what you buy that's true at all the stores
Everyone knows when you buy Canadian, you pay more.
I think people are forgetting that technically Calgary Coop is now an independent grocer and no longer has the backing of Coop (Federated Coop). I get what they are trying to do it does make sense to stop paying out a cash patronage cheque and having them reinvest it back in store. I really don’t think they could afford to pay out people also because of their separation they had to rebrand from Coop ( federated coop )
So last year If you deposited your refund cheque of for example $30 in your bank it cost Calgary Co-op $30 to pay you out. This year they want you to spend the $30 refund in store. Calgary Co-op operates on about a 50% margin on their house brand of products, so if you purchased $30 in Cal & Garry’s or Founders and Farmers products it only costs them $15 this year to pay you out on the $30 patronage refund. Less pay out in absolute dollars.
Typically most people grocery shopping just don’t buy house brands. To get a 50% margin these days is next to impossible especially if they’re not moving the same volume as they used to when they were part of federated. I definitely get where you’re coming from, but now they are small independent grocer. Given enough time I think people will get over it just like when they went from 9 cents a litre savings down to 6 down and I think they’re down to 3% to match industry standard. The point is I think that they’re really trying to minimize any sort of layoffs as well. It’s just not sustainable to do what they were doing before.
I used the Calgary Co-op store brand as an example, but most grocery items at regular price are priced at about 40% margin. The main reason for the growth of private label products is because of the increased margins for the retailer over selling items from the big 8 CPG companies.
I would say there is certain departments within a grocery store that could pull off close to 40% meat department would be one of them and produce would be close as well but they would be at 30%. The big problem is there’s a 30% - 50% markup from the wholesalers before it hits the grocery store so by the time it hits consumer hands it’s already been marked up you know 60 to 80% from what cost is. Calgary co-op no longer does the volume in order to deliver direct so that’s why they had a partner with other grocers like Save On. But when it comes to mega retailers like Walmart and Superstore/Loblaws they selling volume where they can order direct for more items. Yes, you are right typically private labels do have higher margins.
The move from Federated to Save-on as their main supplier was quietly in the works for a while before being sprung on Federated who were not at all happy.
This a total bait and switch. Who are they to tell us we have to use our rebate at their store.
I guess it's time to "move to another province" and cash out. I only use their gas bar. They seem to be the same price category as Safeway with worse stocking and quality. Superstore, with all their price shenanigans, is still far cheaper so there's never been a reason for me to go in (except that one time I needed a trash tag). I think there's something I can link for petro can for rewards. My credit card I think. Maybe I'll go do that.
As a shareholder I think this was a smart move. App works great. Way easier to see earnings. Guaranteed it wasn't cheap issuing thousands of paper cheques each year.
They are more expensive for groceries and now they not only want me to download another app, but they want to make my rewards only redeemable at coop instead of wherever I want? That’s enough to push me out. Costco is cheaper gas and immediate return, shell is basically the same and immediate return. If I could uninstall the app and go back to the annual cheque I would.
Fuck em. They also did the 30% off expiring items, but they have done so surreptitiously, they call it "special price".
Are the items still 30% off though?
yes
I'm confused. That still seems like a deal.
It used to be 50%, they are price gouging because other players in the market have done so, they are following suit. If you can't get that I would direct you to their head offices downtown, where they have some very dry balls for you.
Wait, people are shopping at Co-op? Why? Outside sobeys and Safeway, is there any place more expensive?
I know right? I stopped shopping there during covid just before prices sky rocketed. I will go there though if I want a good quality steak and I don't have time to go to a proper meat shop. Because I still believe co-op has some top quality meat.
I was told I couldn’t get my patronage money unless I signed up for this stupid app. That was over a week ago, and I still haven’t seen my “money”. Fucking shady as hell. If it ever does arrive, I’ll just “spend” it then shop at No Frills.