If you’ve been shopping for vitamins and noticed a difference in prices between Shoppers Drug Mart and other stores, you’re not alone.
In recent posts in the Loblaws Out Of Control Reddit group, some customers have accused Loblaw-owned Shoppers of selling products like emergency contraception and Jamieson brand vitamins at prices far higher than Walmart.
One post listed Contingency One (a generic emergency contraceptive) for sale at Shoppers for $36.15. At Walmart, the same brand name contraceptive is selling for $14.23.
According to the person who posted the photos, both were taken at a store near Scarborough, Ontario on May 26th.
Plan B is over 100% more expensive at Shoppers Drug Mart than at Walmart Pharmacy.
byu/HornyPhrog inloblawsisoutofcontrol
A quick check of Contingency One at other stores reveals that Shoppers Drug Mart’s prices are still significantly higher.
At Rexall, for example, emergency contraception costs $26.99. British Columbia-based London Drugs doesn’t show results for Contingency One on its website, but it does sell the brand-name contraceptive Plan B for $34.99.
People in the comments section expressed disappointment at the huge price difference.
“Apparently almost everything at Shoppers is like this. I went to Shoppers last year to buy NyQuil and it cost me almost $30,” one Reddit user said.
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“Plan A to Z is to not go to Shoppers…” joked another.
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One disgusted consumer called Shoppers’ pricing “blatant price gouging.”
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In March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canadians would soon have access to free contraception, including emergency contraception.
In April, British Columbia became the first Canadian province to offer free prescription contraception.
Another post in a popular Reddit group highlighted the price difference between Shoppers and Walmart for vitamins.
At Shoppers, a bottle of Jamieson brand Vitamin A is $12.49. At Walmart, the same bottle is on sale for $6.37, compared to the regular price of $8.77.
Double the cost
byu/Turbulent-Branch4006 inloblawsisoutofcontrol
“Shoppers seem to be paying almost twice as much for this brand as its competitors,” the poster states.
I ran a few more searches to compare vitamin prices at Shoppers and Walmart and got the following results:
A 90-capsule bottle of Jamieson Biotin costs $38.49 at Shoppers, but $21.57 at Walmart.
Shoppers Drug Mart | Walmart
Jamieson Vitamin D3 (180 tablets) is $16.99 at Shoppers but $9.48 at Walmart.
Shoppers Drug Mart | Walmart
Jamieson Vitamin C (100 tablets) is $24.49 at Shoppers but $14.97 at Walmart.
Shoppers Drug Mart | Walmart
Have you noticed similar price differences when buying vitamins or medicines at different stores like Shoppers or Walmart? Let us know in the comments.
The Daily Hive has reached out to Loblaw for further comment.
