Staring at a grocery receipt, Canadians often wonder how much heavier their basket could have been if they’d crossed the street to another store. The answer, buried in a tangle of flyers and price tags, tells a story of more than just dollars.
Food inflation has been gnawing at household budgets across the country, with essentials like bread, cheese, coffee, and fruit no longer feeling routine but rather strategic purchases. In this climate, the choice between Loblaws, Sobeys, and Walmart is no longer just about preference—it’s a calculation with real stakes for families watching every cent.
Recent data from Narcity, gathered through regular (not sale) prices, lays bare the cost differences on thirteen items that shape most grocery lists. Bread at Loblaws will set you back $4.29 for a 675-gram loaf, while Sobeys offers its in-house option at $1.87, and Walmart splits the difference at two loaves for $5. Cheese, butter, frozen berries, and more—line them up and the differences begin to sting. A full basket at Loblaws comes to $157.27 before tax. Sobeys lands at $116.83. Walmart, almost defiant, rings in at $104.04. That’s a gap that could cover a family’s week of lunches.
But the numbers deepen when broken down by unit price. Loblaws stands at $21.39 per measured amount, Sobeys just under at $20.42, and Walmart’s $16.53 per unit quietly claims the title of best value. In seven out of thirteen categories, Walmart outpaces the competition for lowest price; Loblaws, with its familiar brands and gleaming aisles, lags behind, especially for those unwilling to trade up in quantity or settle for store brands.
What drives these differences? Scale plays its hand at Walmart, bringing leverage with suppliers and access to house labels that undercut rivals. Sobeys, while competitive in a few essentials, rarely emerges the cheapest, but sometimes splits the difference. Loblaws, long a staple in Canadian towns, may bank on loyalty, but that brand trust now comes at a premium.
For shoppers, the evidence is stark: those able to shop around can save meaningful sums each month. In a world where every dollar stretches thinner, this isn’t a minor math problem. It’s a question of food on the table, and for many, a matter of dignity.
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We compared prices of 13 essentials at Loblaws, Sobeys & Walmart and the difference is huge
