‘I feel cheated’: Popular discount cookware program runs out of pots and pans

A popular Loblaw program allows you to buy groceries and exchange stamps for discounted items like pots and pans. Pat Foran reports for Consumer Alert.

Grocery prices are expected to rise again in 2025 by another three to five per cent, leading Canadians to try and find added value at the grocery store.

Many shoppers were taking part in a discount cookware program offered by Loblaw where consumers who collected stamps could get discounts of 75 per cent on pots and pans.

But after collecting the stamps for months, some shoppers told CTV News Toronto that the pots and pans they want to buy are nowhere to be found.

“It was a waste of time and money apparently,” said Cathie Towle of Toronto.

Towle was taking part in the program which started in October.

For every $20 spent on groceries, consumers would receive a stamp. Once 20 stamps were collected, they could purchase a pot or pan for 75 per cent off its regular price.

The problem? Towle said when she went to purchase a piece of cookware, she couldn’t find any.

“I finally collected 20 stamps and I went in to redeem them and they were sold out of every piece of cookware,” she said.

Towle said she noticed on social media platforms that there were many other frustrated customers complaining they couldn’t get the cookware either.

“I feel cheated. I feel they are luring people in, and they are not fulfilling their part of the bargain,” said Towle.

‘When something goes wrong, people notice’

Gina Vivian of Etobicoke said she spent almost $3,000 on groceries and collected 149 stamps and despite trying for over a month, she’s been unable to redeem the stamps for a single piece of cookware.

“I feel like we’ve been taken advantage of as consumers,” said Vivian. “I’ve gone to two Loblaws, three No Frills and one Valu-mart and no one has these pots and pans.”

When we reached out to Loblaw a spokesperson from public relations told CTV News, “Over the past 14 weeks, customers have shown incredible enthusiasm for our cookware program, with tens of millions of stamps redeemed. We took a big bet on this program and have been thrilled by the overwhelming response from customers.”

“Despite restocking multiple times, we know some customers are still looking for that perfect pan. We’ve ordered more of the most popular items, which will begin arriving in the next few weeks, and will be available to customers until supplies run out.”

Real Canadian Superstore, which is owned by Loblaw, has said stamp-collecting customers can expect more wok-style pans by April 30.

Food Researcher and Professor Sylvain Charlebois with Dalhousie University said of the program, “when something goes wrong, people notice.”

Charlebois believes that Loblaw should do something to keep customers who collected the stamps happy, either by providing the cookware, vouchers, or something else.

“The [cookware] program is a very strong program, but if you annoy people, they will walk away so you want to make sure you address some of these shortcomings,” said Charlebois.

The stamp program ends February 20th, but some customers worry they’ll be left with worthless stamp cards.

“For me, it’s not about the frying pan. I can get one of those somewhere else. It’s about getting sucked into a promotion and the company not fulfilling its part of the bargain,” said Towle.

The program does say pots and pans are available until “supplies run out” but some customers feel supplies ran out too quickly and hope they can get something for the stamps they have already collected.