The Squeeze.
Three companies control roughly 80% of Canadian grocery. Every time the ferry rolls in, a slice of Powell River's paycheque rolls back out — to Toronto, Stellarton, Montreal.
Here's what they pulled in last year, from public filings. No spin, no guessing — just the numbers they had to publish.
“The food's here. The money shouldn't have to leave.”
The Big Three
Where the money actually goes.
Annual figures from each company's most recent public filings. Net profit is what's extracted after expenses — the money that leaves your community for good.
Loblaw Companies
TSX: LParent: George Weston Ltd
- Revenue (FY2024)
- CA$61.0B
- Net profit (annual)
- CA$2.275B
Brands
- Employees
- ~220,000
- Chairman
- Galen Weston Jr
Empire Company
TSX: EMP.AParent: Sobeys
- Revenue (FY2024)
- ~CA$30.7B
- Net profit (approx.)
- ~CA$740M
Brands
- Employees
- ~130,000
- HQ
- Stellarton, NS
Metro Inc.
TSX: MRU- Revenue (FY2024)
- CA$21.2B
- Net profit (see report)
- See annual report
Brands
- Employees
- ~90,000
- HQ
- Montreal, QC
Combined impact
Three companies. One tight grip.
Combined revenue
~CA$113B
per year
Combined net profit
~CA$3.7B
extracted annually
Grocery market share
~80%
of Canada
Who owns the aisle
Bars sized by share of the ~CA$113B Big Three revenue pool. Walmart and Costco Canada account for much of the remaining ~20% of the broader market.
Powell River, specifically.
Ferry cancelled. Shelves empty. Garden's still open.
Powell River is a captive market. Supply chain hiccups, the ferry doesn't run, or fuel prices spike — and the shelves at the big box go bare in about 48 hours.
Meanwhile the food is already here. Backyard chickens. Raised beds. Hobby farms. Driveway honey stands. Freezers packed with last year's salmon.
The food IS here. The network just didn't know it — until now.
“When the ferry doesn't run, Save-On doesn't have lettuce. But your neighbour's garden does.”
Every dollar spent locally stays in the community. Every dollar spent at the Big Three leaves town on the next ferry.
This is why The Trash Panda exists.
To make the invisible local food economy visible. Plum trees, egg coolers, bread windows, surplus zucchini — all the food that doesn't show up on a shelf, because it never needed to.
Data sources & disclaimer
Financial data sourced from public annual reports and securities filings. All figures are annual totals for the most recent fiscal year disclosed by each company. We don't publish quarterly breakdowns we can't cite.
- Loblaw Companies →FY2024 · Revenue CA$61.0B, Net Income CA$2.275B
- Empire Company →FY2024 · Revenue ~CA$30.7B, Net Income ~CA$740M
- Metro Inc. →FY2024 · Revenue CA$21.2B
Market share (~80%) reflects widely cited estimates for the combined grocery retail footprint of Loblaw, Empire and Metro in Canada, alongside Walmart Canada and Costco Canada who hold most of the remainder. Figures are rounded; consult the linked filings for exact numbers and accounting notes.