Neighboring metro Inc. has recently come under fire for their latest price increases. Critics are right to question the enormous increases and decry them as predatory. After the company reached record earnings over the past several years, the company is under pressure as inflationary fears still haunt consumers.
Geneviève Grégoire, spokesperson for Metro, stated, “It should be noted that as a retailer, we are the final stop in the supply chain.” This assertion highlights the company’s role in delivering goods to consumers while hinting at the complexities involved in pricing.
In 2025, Metro donated an impressive $1.15 million to support local communities, contributing to food banks with over $81 million in food products. This charitable collaboration comes as a rebuke to the growing fervor of complaints against the company for its price gouging behavior. Yet critics, including advocacy group Robins des Ruelles, have a pretty compelling argument. They argue that Metro and other companies like it have manipulated inflation to increase their profit margins.
“There is no other way to put it: a handful of companies are holding our basic needs hostage.” – Robins des Ruelles
Metro operates eight of Canada’s top grocery brands across Ontario and Quebec. Combined with two other big players, they really control the vast majority of the market. These four giants wield immense power over grocery pricing and supply chain tactics, an unfortunate reality given their dominance of the Canadian grocery landscape.
Even with reaping historically unprecedented levels of profits, Metro’s purported profit margins are said to be decreasing. The company notes a handful of reasons behind its price hikes. These are just some of the factors that have contributed to disruptions in the global supply chain, commodity price increases, changing international trade conditions, and a surge in retail crime.
From the very beginning, Metro has strongly held the line that theft and shoplifting is a crime and will not be tolerated. The company faces scrutiny for how these factors intersect with its pricing strategies, leading some to question whether the increases are warranted or merely a strategy to maintain profit levels amidst growing operational costs.
Public sentiment seems to be split as consumers struggle with increasing grocery costs. Yet another economic strain they face from all sides. Unsurprisingly, inflation is felt in almost every aspect of our daily lives. This puts people in the position of wondering why they’re spending more at the register even when companies claim their input costs have increased.