Loblaw freezes prices of No Name products amid inflation

Loblaw Companies has announced that it is freezing the prices of its popular No Name products to help Canadians fight inflation.

It announced Monday that it has locked in prices of the famous house brand, which includes more than 1,500 grocery items, until Jan. 31, 2023.

 Some of the products include apples, potatoes, butter, eggs, cheese, rice, pasta, toilet paper and paper towels.

In a letter shared with customers, Loblaw chairman and president Galen G. Weston said the price of an average basket of groceries is up about 10 percent this year with some items like apples, soup and chips up even more.

“Maddeningly, much of this is out of our control” as food suppliers pass on higher costs to Loblaw, he said.

While the grocery chain is pushing back against unfair price increases, most are reasonable and stem from increases in suppliers’ basic costs, Weston said.

In an effort to help Canadians “hit the brakes on food inflation,” Loblaw is locking in No Name prices and promising more deals in the weeks to come, he said.

“Anyone who regularly visits the grocery store knows that over the past year the cost of food has increased rapidly,” Weston said in a letter shared with members of the company’s PC Optimum loyalty program.

Freezing prices of the private label brand with distinctive yellow-and-black packaging follow similar grocers’ announcements in other countries.