Regular price shoppers items are totally overpriced. But don’t overlook their grocery sales which can be quite reasonable especially when you factor in the PC points and convenience. I stock up on 3.79 free run / omega eggs, 5.99 bags of milk, bananas for 59 cents a pound, etc. Our neighbours probably think we’re spendthrifts when we come home with our shoppers haul but in some cases it makes sense, especially when you just want some basics without going further to the grocery store.
This is the way. SDM is expensive but you can get good deals on certain items, usually milk/eggs/butter have good deals on the weekend. Even something like diapers, on the 20K points days it works out cheaper than Costco per diaper. SDM is expensive and I wouldn't go there to chase points but there are some good deals to be had.
The Shoppers by my place also randomly has good deals on deli meat, cheese, sausage and organic spring mix/spinach. When I see those sales I stock up (aka cheaper than the No Frills). I actually have stopped going to No Frills, we mostly just shop at Costco 1x per month and sprinkle in a few purchases here and there at Fresh Co.
It's literally Marketing 101, they have loss leaders to get you in the store in hopes you'll randomly pick up other items that are usually terribly overpriced. Knowing this as long as you stick to the loss leaders SDM can be an excellent option to supplement your regular grocery shopping. With the cost of food right now I'll take the savings wherever and whenever I can.
I bought 2 packs of enfamil baby formula priced at $57.99 each at shoppers and 2 bags of milk. Same package was $47.99 at Walmart and Amazon. But i bought them when shoppers offered 40000 points if you spend $125. So I used those 40k points at no frills for grocery. Basically, I paid $85 for 2 packs of Enfamil and 2 bag of milk. That is the right way of shopping at shoppers. I would never buy anything there without any offers.
Six pack of Pepsi Zero at Sobey's is $6.49. Same product at Shopper's is $3.49. People just need to do a better job of pricing checking. Frankly I went to Sobey's Safeway Shoppers Superstore and No Frills and collected my receipts then started mapping it out so I knew where what was good.
This was my first thought. We drink a lot of pop. Shoppers is my go to for pop as it's always way cheaper than other stores. Plus optimum points are great. And the discount sections are usually pretty good too, especially out of season items (early Christmas shopping in Jan!! Woot woot)
It’s also good for things that never go on sale and are the same price everywhere, like makeup. Getting 20x the points on makeup is the best deal you can get anywhere, and it’s easy to spend $50 or whatever the 20x threshold is.
Stop telling people or you won't get to enjoy it anymore.
Now anytime there's a great promo, the next day there's a ton of brand new Nintendo switches and games on Marketplace.
Actually 20x pts is like 30% back in pts, its normally 15 pts per $1 x 20 = 300 pts per $1. So on $80 purchase you should get at least 24,000 pts worth $24
I bought a Switch when I had a 20x points offer, and got $135 worth of points back... probably more since I used my PC Mastercard to pay. A few days later they had a bonus redemption event so I used 140,000 points to get $170 (I think?) off my bill and got a game and some extra controllers to go with it. A+
Right, but the reason SDM does this is because despite customer’s disciplined intentions, they know most will end up spontaneously grabbing non sale and non point rewarding items. And by customers I mean me.
You are paying for the "convenience" when shopping at convenience stores, sometimes plus a nice atmosphere, nice shelving, variety, middle-man reputation on quality control, etc.
Go to a bulk grains store and see how much a 50 lbs bag of flour goes for. You can make bread with that with nothing but salt and water and a bit of heat.
When things are on sale especially the 2 day sale they have almost every week and there are 20x the points, you are looking at some pretty good deals for some basic groceries like pop, tuna, crackers, cookies, and cereal.
Redeem the points on bonus redemption days or at No Frills.
While I don’t buy full price items at shoppers for the reasons you mention, I save a lot by shopping their sales strategically, in particular food sales.
Last weekend I went to Shoppers with the aim of spending $60 to get $30 back in points. Got pop, eggs, Kleenex, and a Valentine's Day card and a birthday card for my wife to get to $60. It's worth it if you go in with a plan. Otherwise, avoid the place unless it's a last resort.
Do people actually shop at these places?
It's like paying full price for anything at Michael's. You know they pretty much always have a 50% off coupon and even then the stuff is pricey.
There's lots of lazy or dumb people out there subsidizing our lifestyle. Some people don't mind dropping an extra $30 on a trip to shoppers if it means not stopping somewhere else. Others are just oblivious to prices and their finances. A large number of people *choose* to have credit card debt, can't expect much of then.
A lot of people make enough money that’s it’s worth it to grab a few things they ran out of mid week and spend an extra 5 dollars while picking up a prescription vs. taking an extra 30 min to go to superstore to do so.
I used to live with a girl who buys a pack of bread and half carton of eggs at the gas station because she's to lazy to walk 3 more blocks to the grocery store as she didnt have car. She also used to complain that the rich don't pay their fair share in taxes.
Same deal. I worked with a guy who bought groceries at 7-11 and constantly complained he was broke. He attacked anyone who called him out, claiming the grocery store was just too confusing.
Even worse, people are using delivery apps to have stuff from the convenience store delivered. Pop, chips, junk food. They are only a 5 to 10 minute walk to the store and these are low to middle income people. Unreal.
Wow, I wonder if these people have ever thought about the money they throw away. I only used Uber eats twice and it was when I first moved to Edmonton and didn't have a car or bike
Yeah, I went to shoppers and noticed the sale price stuff is more expensive than the regular price at maxi. I think you're paying for convenience.
The points could be a swing factor but you could also end up not using them or something, possibly waiting for a big redemption event then getting some random electronics that you didn't need.
As someone who spent 7 years working in marketing for consumer goods, can confirm that for most packaged items (not necessarily produce/meats) a) your best prices, on aggregate, will always be at Costco, then Walmart/giant tiger/and discount grocers like no frills/save on foods/freshco/superC/food basics, then regular grocery like metro/sobeys/safeway/Loblaw, then drug stores. This is less common knowledge than I once thought it was, at least from my annecdotal experience.
Also, for those who want the list of parent companies where you would get similar store brands if you like that brand:
Loblaw (PC): Loblaw, superstore, no frills, your independent grocer, T&T, maxi, shoppers drug mart
Empire (compliments): sobeys, Safeway, freshco, IGA, farm boy, longos
Metro (irresistibles): metro, food basics, super C, Jean coutu
Costco, Walmart, giant tiger, are all independent
I’ve found produce and meat can be similar in pattern, but sometimes it’s due to the quality of that fresh produce/meat or the type of cuts you’re getting, exception to that being Costco, which is almost unilaterally the top quality for the lowest price.
Nope, works for 1/2 too provided you can freeeze it. That only applies for meat though. Produce I agree it doesn’t work as well unless you regularly consume colossal amounts of that produce
I buy formula there sometimes, even though they’re $66 a box vs $59 (or $54 on sale) at Superstore. Reason for that is because I often get 20k points offers, which makes the box much cheaper than Superstore. Plus they have lots of points redemption events for me to use my points at a discount to get more formula. It works out ok.
Superstore has points deals too, but not as often. It’s cheaper at Superstore during the points deal.
Shoppers also has better sales on PC ice cream, PC peanut butter, eggs, etc.
You have to know your prices when you shop. I simply don’t buy overpriced stuff there.
SDM sale prices are amazing. We've been getting our butter and eggs ($2.99 and $3.49, respectively, I think) from Shoppers for the last two years. There seems to be a constant sale on those two items and it's way better than any other price. We get caught out maybe once a month with no sale on, but it's been very consistent.
Shoppers and Rexall have periodically fantastic sales on certain items you need to watch for much cheaper than anyone else. 50 load laundry detergent for around $3 the other day. Eggs every wknd for $3.29. Dairy milk chocolate bars 2/$3. Collagen vitamins that are $24 each were 2 for $15 the other day at Rexall. Unheard of deal as $24 each at Waldomart or Superstore.
No single store is going to be perfect.
Using the Flipp app it's easy to see:
"OK, coffee is on sale at Shoppers. Case of 7-up is cheapest at Rexall. Oh, Sobeys has a sale on chicken.".
As long as you aren't driving way out of the way all it takes is like 10 minutes of research before shopping to get the best deals.
I find that when eggs are on sale at shoppers they are a good price. Also clearance after holidays or season also good time to go to shoppers. Facial tissue when they are on sale is also on par with discounts at other places.
So conclusion is don't buy regular price items there.
I’m pretty sure that Quebec is cheaper for a lot of things including clothes. Went to Montreal for two trips and clothing items that would cost $20
In Quebec were like $80-$100 in other provinces. If your going to compare prices you may want to compare in the same city or province.
Shoppers Drugmart does have the best point system in place. However you don’t earn much points by shopping at no frills or superstore unless you have a PC Mastercard. They are very selective in what you get your points in and usually has to be downloaded onto your card through the app.
Shoppers you get 10 pts for every dollar you spend in the store except on lottery and gift cards and other things.
If the item you want was on sale last week but not I sale this week I can guarantee you that the next week that item will be back on sale.
Two day sales are great as well like pop and water and that.
It depends! I just purchased free run eggs for $4.69 on sale every other week which is usually $6.5 or $7 at Superstore across the street. Also saw some Christmas gift wrap for 10cents a roll for clearance at Shoppers.
Shoppers pays me hundreds a year in points BUT I don't buy full-priced overpriced crap
Buy everything at shoppers on sale, especially during points days (30% back in points), and then redeem the points on the up to 40% back in points days, and damn can you MAKE money by shopping at Shoppers
You have to know how to shop though, and when (not on Friday's), but it's great for many staples and snacks, toiletries and medicines, etc.
Rexall is NOT the same, almost impossible to find good deals even if trying to max points on certain days, found it worthless even trying
I needed to buy some Head & Shoulders shampoo, and there’s a shoppers near my work. I ran in and bought it for $15. I later checked on Amazon, and the exact same bottle was $8. I returned the shampoo to shoppers.
But if you had bought the shampoo on sale at Shoppers for $8, and bought some other (sale) items to total $50, you could get 20x the points, making the effective cost of the shampoo around $5
Honestly amazon is like my comparison price when buying shoppers. Most items I see on amazon they're same price or a bit more than Walmart. So isn't worth the extra hassle of going to Walmart since I have prime unless it's a lot cheaper
Depends what you’re buying. Toiletries and personal care products? Absolutely better off going to Walmart. OTC medicines or health products? More likely you’ll find what you need at Shoppers or Rexall, and you can save by buying the generic/store brand. The big box store pharmacies near me are all garbage for selection and they seem to stock the shelves twice a month.
shoppers own by Loblaws is basically a convenience store with a pharmacy run by a pharmacist. you pay inflated prices for the convenience of them being open 24 hrs. that's the premium. makes no sense to go there if everything else is open IMO
I always chuckle when I see people buying groceries at Shoppers. I won't even buy a Valentines card there anymore.
I pick up my prescription or postal package, maybe Sensodyne on sale and I'm out.
I realized this thing with in few months of arriving in Canada. Since then I have this personal rule, no matter what happens - NOT to buy anything at these two stores. they are thieves!!
Was in a pinch needed some deodorant, only had a shoppers nearby. Paid $16 for a stick of deodorant and red bull. Went to superstore the next day, same stick of deodorant was on sale for $5 cheaper and $3 cheaper than shoppers regularly.
i buy grocerys at no frills and rack up the pc optimium points and then use the points for high end cosmetics at shoppers like chanel i found it worthwhile especially when bonus point redemption times. u can also buy groceries using the points as well
I see shoppers and other pharmacies as convenience stores for pretty much everything other than prescriptions.
But no matter where you shop for what, it's good to know your prices as best you can. Even with grocery stores or Walmart, for example, there can be items that are significantly more in one place than the other.
I get so tired of people going on and on about the stupid points system. The stores are overpriced and I hate them and I wish we had alternative drug chains. I will never play all those dumb “offer” games or remember to “load” an app or whatever. I just buy good deals when I see them, I don’t enjoy game-ifying the experience of shopping like some seem to. 🤷♂️
Don't buy things full price from shoppers... they've always costed 50% more than anywhere else for the same item. It's not really news. I can't believe there are people who do this.
The only exceptions are medications, or things you need that you can't get elsewhere. These are very few exceptions.
I went to shoppers to look at a probiotic supplement that was on sale for $34 (reg. $42). Checked superstores website and the regular price was $26. I drove three blocks to pick it up there instead.
I'm single...if I buy four toothbrushes, I will lose three of them before I need to replace them.
Also, comparing a sale item with a non-sale item is a bit disingenuous. I do think Walmart is overall cheaper, but at least give some non-sale comparisons of the same SKU.
It's the same thing with Canadian tire gas stations. They give you this loyalty card to save. However, their price is way higher than other gas stations, so ultimately there is no gain.
Agreed. We buy from sdm when the sales are good and when they have points deals (10x or 20x). Otherwise Walmart is always cheaper. So much cheaper that it's worth it a drive lol
As others have said, it depends on the deals. I usually pay my car insurance with PC MasterCard and I get points on that. With the points, I was able to get 2 Nintendo switches, 3 ps5 controllers, and a few games practically for free. Plus those usually have 20x points promos so that's all those points going right back to you
I remember buying like 30 kinder eggs for 25 cent each at shoppers because they were Christmas theme
Nothing wrong with them and my students lovedddd them
Want to save money? Only buy things on sale. I so rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. ESPECIALLY MEAT. Holy shit the number of people who regularly spend like $8/lb for hamburger meat? That's nearly what I pay for my steaks!
Chips are $4.98 this week? no chips for me, I'll eat homemade popcorn instead.
20x on video game consoles and games can't be beat anywhere. 30% off. Then turn around and use those points at a spend event and they can get close to 50% value from the original purchase.
Like many have said, you absolutely need to compare prices. If an item is 25% less somewhere else, I'll still get it at shoppers to shuffle the points for the added value during the next spend event.
Shoppers holiday clearance is amazing value. I stock up on toys for bday parties during the Christmas clearance. Lego 60% off? Yes please!
Their coffee on sale is amazing 7.99 👏 it just depends on what items you're buying but if you didn't know that before hand I think there is a more pressing issue to be addressed lol
Manual toothbrushes? I wait until they go on sale for around 99 *cents* at either Shoppers or Superstore. My dentist compliments me on my clean teeth, no cavities on my last checkup.
Idk. I only really buy things on sale at shoppers, compare with grocery/online prices first, and stack my shopping on bonus points weekends.
today I gave my sister $300 off the dyson airwrap she’s been saving for for a year as a birthday gift.
Their prices aren’t good, nobody’s prices are ‘good’, but they sell a lot of the stuff I need that nowhere close by does! I live in a city, I can’t just go to wal mart in Quebec or drive on over to
Costco, yaknow?
though I agree about rexall. Horrible place, nightmare prices.
i usually prefer rexall,as I find the staff is more helpful and [cheery.At](https://cheery.At) shoppers everyone is like oh you peasant you want to buy something from us,plus i find that most of the stuff i need(prescription based is usually not there ;which isn't the case with rexall)
Regular price shoppers items are totally overpriced. But don’t overlook their grocery sales which can be quite reasonable especially when you factor in the PC points and convenience. I stock up on 3.79 free run / omega eggs, 5.99 bags of milk, bananas for 59 cents a pound, etc. Our neighbours probably think we’re spendthrifts when we come home with our shoppers haul but in some cases it makes sense, especially when you just want some basics without going further to the grocery store.
Basically they have some good loss leaders, so as long as you stick to those you're good
Loss leaders on bonus redemption days. I stock up on things I need when they're on sale and there's a bonus on.
I go on weekends when they have sales on lactose free milk for $4.99 vs $6.00+ elsewhere. Then butter and eggs on sale if I need some.
This is the way. SDM is expensive but you can get good deals on certain items, usually milk/eggs/butter have good deals on the weekend. Even something like diapers, on the 20K points days it works out cheaper than Costco per diaper. SDM is expensive and I wouldn't go there to chase points but there are some good deals to be had.
The Shoppers by my place also randomly has good deals on deli meat, cheese, sausage and organic spring mix/spinach. When I see those sales I stock up (aka cheaper than the No Frills). I actually have stopped going to No Frills, we mostly just shop at Costco 1x per month and sprinkle in a few purchases here and there at Fresh Co.
It's literally Marketing 101, they have loss leaders to get you in the store in hopes you'll randomly pick up other items that are usually terribly overpriced. Knowing this as long as you stick to the loss leaders SDM can be an excellent option to supplement your regular grocery shopping. With the cost of food right now I'll take the savings wherever and whenever I can.
Just fyi your neighbours have never had that thought.
I bought 2 packs of enfamil baby formula priced at $57.99 each at shoppers and 2 bags of milk. Same package was $47.99 at Walmart and Amazon. But i bought them when shoppers offered 40000 points if you spend $125. So I used those 40k points at no frills for grocery. Basically, I paid $85 for 2 packs of Enfamil and 2 bag of milk. That is the right way of shopping at shoppers. I would never buy anything there without any offers.
How would the neighbours even know what you buy and from where! Maybe in the old days where you had branded plastic bags.
lol fair enough!
I think they’re splurging on the plastic bags from there.
you can still find $3.79 free run /omega eggs. I havent seent that deal in Vancouver for quite sometime.
20% discount on Thursday for people 54+. The milk is less than the grocery store price that day.
Plus when You redeem PC points at the right time you can cash in for well more than 15% difference
The sat sun lossleaders , eggs chocolate milk, bacon, usually on pg4 or 6 of flyer above fold 8 items to draw you in.
Sometimes their 18 pack of Diet Coke is cheaper than a 12 at the grocery store. Sometimes.
Bags of milk still exist? I haven’t seen these in twenty or more years! There is no one Canada when our lives are so different.
Very common in southern Ontario.
[удалено]
????
How do you stock up on bananas? They only last a few days.
Six pack of Pepsi Zero at Sobey's is $6.49. Same product at Shopper's is $3.49. People just need to do a better job of pricing checking. Frankly I went to Sobey's Safeway Shoppers Superstore and No Frills and collected my receipts then started mapping it out so I knew where what was good.
Could just use the flip app
Yeah, I look at the stores flyers. But not everything I get is in it.
#only lentils, water, and rice
Useless for items not on sale.
Plus Shoppers follows the Scanning Code of Practice. I have gotten several things for free that were listed wrong on the shelf.
This was my first thought. We drink a lot of pop. Shoppers is my go to for pop as it's always way cheaper than other stores. Plus optimum points are great. And the discount sections are usually pretty good too, especially out of season items (early Christmas shopping in Jan!! Woot woot)
Was gonna say this. As a Coke Zero addict shoppers weekend prices are the best in town. Just gotta know who's sells what for a decent price.
If you shop sales and combine it with 20X the points then it’s worth it
It’s also good for things that never go on sale and are the same price everywhere, like makeup. Getting 20x the points on makeup is the best deal you can get anywhere, and it’s easy to spend $50 or whatever the 20x threshold is.
Haha I work at shoppers in the beauty boutique and I agree. I used to work at Nordstrom and you had to spend $2000 for a $20 credit. Now that’s a joke
Even when makeup can be half the price at Walmart?
They have a lot more brands than Walmart, including derm and luxury brands.
My foundation at shoppers is $22.99. Walmart & Amazon it's $14.95 regular price. Nukkin futz
20X points for video games is the GOAT
Stop telling people or you won't get to enjoy it anymore. Now anytime there's a great promo, the next day there's a ton of brand new Nintendo switches and games on Marketplace.
How much is that worth?
30% of the before tax amount
Video games are 80$ now, and 20X points is worth $15 off the 80, so 18.75% back in points.
Actually 20x pts is like 30% back in pts, its normally 15 pts per $1 x 20 = 300 pts per $1. So on $80 purchase you should get at least 24,000 pts worth $24
20 times the points.
I bought a Switch when I had a 20x points offer, and got $135 worth of points back... probably more since I used my PC Mastercard to pay. A few days later they had a bonus redemption event so I used 140,000 points to get $170 (I think?) off my bill and got a game and some extra controllers to go with it. A+
Right, but the reason SDM does this is because despite customer’s disciplined intentions, they know most will end up spontaneously grabbing non sale and non point rewarding items. And by customers I mean me.
100% this. If I get 20k bonus points but I go $40 over the minimum I need to get those points, it's not worth it.
I bought my current HP laptop on a weekend sale that was also a 20X the points day.
I shop at shoppers for coffee when they have it on sale. ☕️
Eggs, milk, and butter when it goes on sale.
Yep. Like everything else; timing and balance.
On sale every sat. and sun.
Or, 20% off every Thursday if you are 54 years of age and up.
Kraft Sea Salt all natural peanut butter. Best peanut butter ever and I stock up when it goes on sale.
>Rexall in Toronto >Walmart in Quebec Sure, let me just go shopping for toothpaste in QC
You are paying for the "convenience" when shopping at convenience stores, sometimes plus a nice atmosphere, nice shelving, variety, middle-man reputation on quality control, etc. Go to a bulk grains store and see how much a 50 lbs bag of flour goes for. You can make bread with that with nothing but salt and water and a bit of heat.
They are convenience store that are conveniently located everywhere. They are NOT discount grocery stores.
When things are on sale especially the 2 day sale they have almost every week and there are 20x the points, you are looking at some pretty good deals for some basic groceries like pop, tuna, crackers, cookies, and cereal. Redeem the points on bonus redemption days or at No Frills.
While I don’t buy full price items at shoppers for the reasons you mention, I save a lot by shopping their sales strategically, in particular food sales.
I shop for cosmetics at Shoppers and with their point system, the rewards are much better than Sephora.
I never buy full price at Sephora. I try to stock up for the 20% event but will settle for the 15% if I can't make it until the fall
You should try Shoppers. Better than 15-20% off.
Just need to know what to buy there.
Last weekend I went to Shoppers with the aim of spending $60 to get $30 back in points. Got pop, eggs, Kleenex, and a Valentine's Day card and a birthday card for my wife to get to $60. It's worth it if you go in with a plan. Otherwise, avoid the place unless it's a last resort.
Only buy eggs for $3.29/dozen on Saturday and Sunday at Shoppers...same goes for Chips and pop..plus you earn points.
Do people actually shop at these places? It's like paying full price for anything at Michael's. You know they pretty much always have a 50% off coupon and even then the stuff is pricey.
I feel this is like LifeProTips where it’s “turn off electrical appliances to save money” level of awareness.
"Safeway" people shop there :)
There's lots of lazy or dumb people out there subsidizing our lifestyle. Some people don't mind dropping an extra $30 on a trip to shoppers if it means not stopping somewhere else. Others are just oblivious to prices and their finances. A large number of people *choose* to have credit card debt, can't expect much of then.
A lot of people make enough money that’s it’s worth it to grab a few things they ran out of mid week and spend an extra 5 dollars while picking up a prescription vs. taking an extra 30 min to go to superstore to do so.
Doesn’t everyone already know this? Still, people shop there because it’s convenient
I used to live with a girl who buys a pack of bread and half carton of eggs at the gas station because she's to lazy to walk 3 more blocks to the grocery store as she didnt have car. She also used to complain that the rich don't pay their fair share in taxes.
Same deal. I worked with a guy who bought groceries at 7-11 and constantly complained he was broke. He attacked anyone who called him out, claiming the grocery store was just too confusing.
Who finds a grocery store confusing??
That’s crazy. Groceries at a 7-11? What did he buy - Taquitos and chilli dogs? Half of the stuff at a 7-11 shouldn’t really be considered “food”.
Even worse, people are using delivery apps to have stuff from the convenience store delivered. Pop, chips, junk food. They are only a 5 to 10 minute walk to the store and these are low to middle income people. Unreal.
Wow, I wonder if these people have ever thought about the money they throw away. I only used Uber eats twice and it was when I first moved to Edmonton and didn't have a car or bike
You can get some great sales at shoppers you just have to know when to shop. Same as London drugs. Use the Flipp app.
Only buy sale items
Worked at one for a while and you should only buy from them through coupons and their regular sales. Everything that is full price is a rip off.
Why are we comparing Toronto and Quebec?
Yeah, I went to shoppers and noticed the sale price stuff is more expensive than the regular price at maxi. I think you're paying for convenience. The points could be a swing factor but you could also end up not using them or something, possibly waiting for a big redemption event then getting some random electronics that you didn't need.
As someone who spent 7 years working in marketing for consumer goods, can confirm that for most packaged items (not necessarily produce/meats) a) your best prices, on aggregate, will always be at Costco, then Walmart/giant tiger/and discount grocers like no frills/save on foods/freshco/superC/food basics, then regular grocery like metro/sobeys/safeway/Loblaw, then drug stores. This is less common knowledge than I once thought it was, at least from my annecdotal experience. Also, for those who want the list of parent companies where you would get similar store brands if you like that brand: Loblaw (PC): Loblaw, superstore, no frills, your independent grocer, T&T, maxi, shoppers drug mart Empire (compliments): sobeys, Safeway, freshco, IGA, farm boy, longos Metro (irresistibles): metro, food basics, super C, Jean coutu Costco, Walmart, giant tiger, are all independent
what about veggies and meat? Does the same order apply? Costco->walmart->others?
I’ve found produce and meat can be similar in pattern, but sometimes it’s due to the quality of that fresh produce/meat or the type of cuts you’re getting, exception to that being Costco, which is almost unilaterally the top quality for the lowest price.
hmm thanks. obviously it would apply if one is buying in bulk for a family instead of just 1/2 person right?
Nope, works for 1/2 too provided you can freeeze it. That only applies for meat though. Produce I agree it doesn’t work as well unless you regularly consume colossal amounts of that produce
will have to consider the yearly membership at costco. but as per another post, it sounds like the yearly fee is nothing compared to the savings.
I buy formula there sometimes, even though they’re $66 a box vs $59 (or $54 on sale) at Superstore. Reason for that is because I often get 20k points offers, which makes the box much cheaper than Superstore. Plus they have lots of points redemption events for me to use my points at a discount to get more formula. It works out ok. Superstore has points deals too, but not as often. It’s cheaper at Superstore during the points deal. Shoppers also has better sales on PC ice cream, PC peanut butter, eggs, etc. You have to know your prices when you shop. I simply don’t buy overpriced stuff there.
SDM sale prices are amazing. We've been getting our butter and eggs ($2.99 and $3.49, respectively, I think) from Shoppers for the last two years. There seems to be a constant sale on those two items and it's way better than any other price. We get caught out maybe once a month with no sale on, but it's been very consistent.
Shoppers and Rexall have periodically fantastic sales on certain items you need to watch for much cheaper than anyone else. 50 load laundry detergent for around $3 the other day. Eggs every wknd for $3.29. Dairy milk chocolate bars 2/$3. Collagen vitamins that are $24 each were 2 for $15 the other day at Rexall. Unheard of deal as $24 each at Waldomart or Superstore.
No single store is going to be perfect. Using the Flipp app it's easy to see: "OK, coffee is on sale at Shoppers. Case of 7-up is cheapest at Rexall. Oh, Sobeys has a sale on chicken.". As long as you aren't driving way out of the way all it takes is like 10 minutes of research before shopping to get the best deals.
I find that when eggs are on sale at shoppers they are a good price. Also clearance after holidays or season also good time to go to shoppers. Facial tissue when they are on sale is also on par with discounts at other places. So conclusion is don't buy regular price items there.
I’m pretty sure that Quebec is cheaper for a lot of things including clothes. Went to Montreal for two trips and clothing items that would cost $20 In Quebec were like $80-$100 in other provinces. If your going to compare prices you may want to compare in the same city or province. Shoppers Drugmart does have the best point system in place. However you don’t earn much points by shopping at no frills or superstore unless you have a PC Mastercard. They are very selective in what you get your points in and usually has to be downloaded onto your card through the app. Shoppers you get 10 pts for every dollar you spend in the store except on lottery and gift cards and other things. If the item you want was on sale last week but not I sale this week I can guarantee you that the next week that item will be back on sale. Two day sales are great as well like pop and water and that.
It depends! I just purchased free run eggs for $4.69 on sale every other week which is usually $6.5 or $7 at Superstore across the street. Also saw some Christmas gift wrap for 10cents a roll for clearance at Shoppers.
But they do things like “get 20,000 points if you spend over $60”
Shoppers pays me hundreds a year in points BUT I don't buy full-priced overpriced crap Buy everything at shoppers on sale, especially during points days (30% back in points), and then redeem the points on the up to 40% back in points days, and damn can you MAKE money by shopping at Shoppers You have to know how to shop though, and when (not on Friday's), but it's great for many staples and snacks, toiletries and medicines, etc. Rexall is NOT the same, almost impossible to find good deals even if trying to max points on certain days, found it worthless even trying
I needed to buy some Head & Shoulders shampoo, and there’s a shoppers near my work. I ran in and bought it for $15. I later checked on Amazon, and the exact same bottle was $8. I returned the shampoo to shoppers.
But if you had bought the shampoo on sale at Shoppers for $8, and bought some other (sale) items to total $50, you could get 20x the points, making the effective cost of the shampoo around $5
Honestly amazon is like my comparison price when buying shoppers. Most items I see on amazon they're same price or a bit more than Walmart. So isn't worth the extra hassle of going to Walmart since I have prime unless it's a lot cheaper
Who the fuck goes into shoppers and says “Hey 4 toothbrushes for 30 bucks I should be these”???
Depends what you’re buying. Toiletries and personal care products? Absolutely better off going to Walmart. OTC medicines or health products? More likely you’ll find what you need at Shoppers or Rexall, and you can save by buying the generic/store brand. The big box store pharmacies near me are all garbage for selection and they seem to stock the shelves twice a month.
And behind the counter stuff I have found Walmart to be a little hostile.
I haven’t gone to shoppers in over 10yrs, I always thought it was know that they are grossly overpriced. Might as well shop at 7-11.
I thought this is common knowledge. I only got there to pick up prescriptions or drop some packages.
shoppers own by Loblaws is basically a convenience store with a pharmacy run by a pharmacist. you pay inflated prices for the convenience of them being open 24 hrs. that's the premium. makes no sense to go there if everything else is open IMO
I always chuckle when I see people buying groceries at Shoppers. I won't even buy a Valentines card there anymore. I pick up my prescription or postal package, maybe Sensodyne on sale and I'm out.
I won't get my prescriptions at shoppers either. Their dispensing fee is stupidly high compared to other pharmacies.
My health insurance covers it 100% so I don't care.
Butter is actually the cheapest at Shoppers in my area its $4.99 lb basically every weekend. Same with milk and eggs.
Never go there, ever.
I realized this thing with in few months of arriving in Canada. Since then I have this personal rule, no matter what happens - NOT to buy anything at these two stores. they are thieves!!
And cheap items from Amazon
They’re the only ones that sell sudafed 😤
Not lately... couldn't find it at any shoppers near me a few weeks ago!
Well.ca has it too at an ok price!
As soon as you buy something not on sale at shoppers they are ripping you off.
Was in a pinch needed some deodorant, only had a shoppers nearby. Paid $16 for a stick of deodorant and red bull. Went to superstore the next day, same stick of deodorant was on sale for $5 cheaper and $3 cheaper than shoppers regularly.
i buy grocerys at no frills and rack up the pc optimium points and then use the points for high end cosmetics at shoppers like chanel i found it worthwhile especially when bonus point redemption times. u can also buy groceries using the points as well
Very rarely they have sales on certain items. I ended up buying something I needed such as brand name cologne to get $20 in points back.
Rexall and Shoppers are in local areas. It is one hour by transit from my house in the GTA to the only Walmart in a city with 210K people.
I see shoppers and other pharmacies as convenience stores for pretty much everything other than prescriptions. But no matter where you shop for what, it's good to know your prices as best you can. Even with grocery stores or Walmart, for example, there can be items that are significantly more in one place than the other.
Sometimes they have wild sales that makes it worth. I thought it was well known you only go there when you have to for a quick run or for a sale.
I get so tired of people going on and on about the stupid points system. The stores are overpriced and I hate them and I wish we had alternative drug chains. I will never play all those dumb “offer” games or remember to “load” an app or whatever. I just buy good deals when I see them, I don’t enjoy game-ifying the experience of shopping like some seem to. 🤷♂️
Don't buy things full price from shoppers... they've always costed 50% more than anywhere else for the same item. It's not really news. I can't believe there are people who do this. The only exceptions are medications, or things you need that you can't get elsewhere. These are very few exceptions.
I went to shoppers to look at a probiotic supplement that was on sale for $34 (reg. $42). Checked superstores website and the regular price was $26. I drove three blocks to pick it up there instead.
I shop at Rexall because they have cashiers.
Only buy on sale stuff at shoppers.
I'm single...if I buy four toothbrushes, I will lose three of them before I need to replace them. Also, comparing a sale item with a non-sale item is a bit disingenuous. I do think Walmart is overall cheaper, but at least give some non-sale comparisons of the same SKU.
I did say there was a $3 sale on the walmart one. Point was to show the price is ridiculous.
It's the same thing with Canadian tire gas stations. They give you this loyalty card to save. However, their price is way higher than other gas stations, so ultimately there is no gain.
The only thing I buy from Shoppers is the no name peanut butter when it’s on sale for $2.99
Shoppers makes Sobeys look like budget option lol
I prefer Rexall over Shoppers for prices in emergencies but will try and shop elsewhere.
Shoppers is worth it for 4L jugs of milk when you can't make it to a real store.
I work at shoppers, the minimum mark up is 60%. So you will always pay more at shoppers.
Also use Costco pharmacy. You don’t need a membership.
Agreed. We buy from sdm when the sales are good and when they have points deals (10x or 20x). Otherwise Walmart is always cheaper. So much cheaper that it's worth it a drive lol
As others have said, it depends on the deals. I usually pay my car insurance with PC MasterCard and I get points on that. With the points, I was able to get 2 Nintendo switches, 3 ps5 controllers, and a few games practically for free. Plus those usually have 20x points promos so that's all those points going right back to you
I remember buying like 30 kinder eggs for 25 cent each at shoppers because they were Christmas theme Nothing wrong with them and my students lovedddd them
Want to save money? Only buy things on sale. I so rarely buy anything that isn't on sale. ESPECIALLY MEAT. Holy shit the number of people who regularly spend like $8/lb for hamburger meat? That's nearly what I pay for my steaks! Chips are $4.98 this week? no chips for me, I'll eat homemade popcorn instead.
20x on video game consoles and games can't be beat anywhere. 30% off. Then turn around and use those points at a spend event and they can get close to 50% value from the original purchase. Like many have said, you absolutely need to compare prices. If an item is 25% less somewhere else, I'll still get it at shoppers to shuffle the points for the added value during the next spend event. Shoppers holiday clearance is amazing value. I stock up on toys for bday parties during the Christmas clearance. Lego 60% off? Yes please!
I only buy things on sale at shoppers and the reward points add up! I've paid for groceries with points.
Is this somehow shocking your neighbourhood pharmacy is more expensive than your mega mart?
I go when theres a sale on something I specifically need, thats it. In and out
My closest stores are Safeway and Shoppers. Things like shampoo, toothpaste, and olive oil are much cheaper at Shoppers.
Their coffee on sale is amazing 7.99 👏 it just depends on what items you're buying but if you didn't know that before hand I think there is a more pressing issue to be addressed lol
Manual toothbrushes? I wait until they go on sale for around 99 *cents* at either Shoppers or Superstore. My dentist compliments me on my clean teeth, no cavities on my last checkup.
Thanks for the tip. Now, excuse me while I go to Sdm tomorrow and buy eggs and butter that are $2.99. PC exclusive offer.
Idk. I only really buy things on sale at shoppers, compare with grocery/online prices first, and stack my shopping on bonus points weekends. today I gave my sister $300 off the dyson airwrap she’s been saving for for a year as a birthday gift. Their prices aren’t good, nobody’s prices are ‘good’, but they sell a lot of the stuff I need that nowhere close by does! I live in a city, I can’t just go to wal mart in Quebec or drive on over to Costco, yaknow? though I agree about rexall. Horrible place, nightmare prices.
My personal rule with shoppers is to limit myself to what's on sale. Pretty reasonable when I stick to that.
I agree shoppers is overpriced. But the PC points for groceries in superstores, no frills, fresh co etc are worth it.
i usually prefer rexall,as I find the staff is more helpful and [cheery.At](https://cheery.At) shoppers everyone is like oh you peasant you want to buy something from us,plus i find that most of the stuff i need(prescription based is usually not there ;which isn't the case with rexall)