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applegrove

(123,134 posts)
Fri Dec 22, 2017, 09:16 PM Dec 2017

Grocery store in canada admits to price fixing on bread. Loblaws has offered

people a $25 gift card to anyone who claims they bought bread there during a certain time period. Now a movement is afoot for people to get their gift card and donate it to food charity. That could raise hundreds of millions of dollars. You have to register online at loblaws to get the card. Then drop it off at the food bank.

Who is with me?

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Grocery store in canada admits to price fixing on bread. Loblaws has offered (Original Post) applegrove Dec 2017 OP
Loblaws used to be in the US at one time, didn't they? In NY, PA and NE Ohio? marble falls Dec 2017 #1
Yes. At the time they had products that in canada were called "President's Choice" applegrove Dec 2017 #2
I just found out on wiki that they sold the US portion to Bells Markets in the mid-seventies.... marble falls Dec 2017 #3
No. Don't apologize. I love history. And i stand corrected. applegrove Dec 2017 #4
For those in Western Canada True Dough Dec 2017 #5

applegrove

(123,134 posts)
2. Yes. At the time they had products that in canada were called "President's Choice"
Fri Dec 22, 2017, 10:56 PM
Dec 2017

that were pretty high quality and well sourced and got a following. You knew if you bought an item that had that label that it was really good. The 'President' was the president of the company in canada. I don't think that campaign could translate in the US because President means something else in the US so they did not get the following it had in canada. Don't know if they are still in the US anymore.

marble falls

(62,072 posts)
3. I just found out on wiki that they sold the US portion to Bells Markets in the mid-seventies....
Fri Dec 22, 2017, 11:07 PM
Dec 2017

read some interesting stuff about President's Coice:

History
Azimi vs. President's Choice court case

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

During this trial in 2000, the Azimi family vs. PC case was over domain names held by Ms. Azimi's corporation in California, ultimately the Supreme Court judge sided with Ms. Azimi, as PC operated in "bad faith" as quoted by the Globe and Mail and had no grounds of ownership. PC ownership was transferred to her in the end and suffered a large payout. Ultimately, she sold back the company for an even larger payout, and resides in Toronto with her daughter Danielle.
President's Blend

The first President’s Choice products began appearing on Loblaw store shelves in 1984, but the concept was born somewhat by accident the year before as the company went to market with a new high quality ground coffee. Dave Nichol, president of Loblaws Supermarkets, was constantly on the lookout for new products to add to the company’s line-up of No Name generics and had even begun offering gourmet items in the familiar, unbranded yellow packaging. His Louisiana buyers had recently discovered a new high-grade coffee, around the time some of the leading national brands had downgraded the quality of their store coffee. Toronto designer Don Watt was asked to come up with packaging – the only stipulation being that it had to be yellow, the same as No Name. Watt recalled how President’s Blend Gourmet Coffee went on sale in time for Christmas:

It goes on the shelf and becomes the number-one selling item in the grocery section. And Nichol, who was always listening to the consumer, said, 'Well, I guess the consumer is telling us that we should be trading up. Why don't you take your President's Blend idea and figure out how to do a package? Because we've got a lot of yellow in the store, so the only comment I'm telling you is don't make it yellow.'[1]

While Loblaw kept the "President’s Blend" label, the name was otherwise too product specific. Since the new line would be personally endorsed by Nichol, an associate suggested "President’s Choice" as a brand name that could be used across a wide range of items. According to Watt, “PC was chosen because it was the president’s 'choice'. It wasn’t necessarily the absolute best that you would find in a gourmet deli or something – it was the best value, the best quality, the best relative to the competition.”[1] In fact, Dave Nichol’s association with the product line would extend to almost every aspect of marketing, including the President’s Choice logo, which was Nichol’s own handwriting.



WalMarts used to sell President's Choice labeled products that were actually associated with Loblaws, which were replaced with Sam's Choice. I always though the President's Choice refered to Sam Walton. In the wiki article this is discussed.

Interesting stuff. Sorry if I've taken your thread off track with this long post.

True Dough

(20,287 posts)
5. For those in Western Canada
Sun Dec 24, 2017, 03:18 AM
Dec 2017

Save on Foods will also be offering a $25 gift card due to bread price fixing as well.

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