They’re Canadian brands that still exist and are remembered fondly, but many consumers believe these brands lost what made them so special.
Pizza Pizza
Pizza Pizza was a childhood favourite for school hot lunch day or late night birthday celebrations. Now it’s the butt of Canadian foodies’ jokes. Foodies complain that the crust tastes like dry cardboard and the cheese has no flavour. It’s still convenient, but most agreed its quality has been sacrificed for speed and low prices.
Rogers
Once a reliable carrier for Canadians needing home internet and mobile phone services, Rogers Communications is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the country by subscriber count.
But following its corporate merger with Shaw Communications and multiple system-wide blackouts that cut off millions of Canadians from service, Canadians have lost faith. Clients believe prices are increasing monthly while customer service response times continue to decline.
Canada Goose
Once upon a time, the Canada Goose jacket was a workhorse, utilitarian winter-warmer designed specifically for Arctic researchers and documentary filmmakers. Now the label has become a luxury fashion brand status, with jackets priced north of $1,000. Now that it’s a status symbol and a target for robbers, people don’t feel the same way about owning one.
David’s Tea
Going into a David’s Tea store at its peak was like walking into a rainbow. Floor to ceiling, filled with colour-coded tins, staff members would enthusiastically allow you to smell every single one.
But massive store closures and supermarket distribution have left tea drinkers mourning the low quality of loose leaf now on offer. Many popular blends have been swapped out for excessively sweet, chemical concoctions.
La Senza
La Senza used to be Canada’s go-to for reasonably priced, quality lingerie and loungewear. Once owned by Canadian businesses, La Senza has changed hands a few times, falling under the corporate wing of international retail giants.
Many shoppers recall a sharp decline in quality after that, saying that the material is thinner, items fall apart faster, and it just doesn’t feel as cozy and boutique-like as it used to.
Sobeys
Having been cherished once as a family-run, community-supportive grocery chain with East Coast roots, Sobeys has experienced massive consumer outrage. Like other large grocery corporations, consumers are firing back at the brand for egregiously price gouging on essential food items in the middle of an affordability crisis. Friendly family grocery aisles have been replaced with anxiety and resentment.
Lululemon
Originating in Vancouver as a grassroots yoga studio, Lululemon redefined workout attire by offering high-quality leggings that would become an investment.
Now a billion-dollar business, some Canadian customers who were there at the beginning say the cheaper materials have resulted in leggings that thin out or rip prematurely. Cheaper brands like Alo promise the same quality and are gaining ground.
Shoppers Drug Mart
Before Loblaw bought the company and turned it into a multi-billion-dollar empire, Shoppers Drug Mart was your friendly corner store. People have noticed since the buy-out that prices have increased significantly on basic products. This has made the store feel more like a pricey version of a local grocery store.
Swiss Chalet
Swiss Chalet’s rotisserie chicken, soft white bun, and signature gravy are a part of Canada’s comfort food culture. But loyal customers complain about the smaller portions and dry chicken, and the absence of the chain’s once cozy, nostalgic dining rooms; replaced with sterile store layouts designed to rush customers out and delivery drivers through.
MEC (Mountain Equipment Company)
Mountain Equipment Co-op’s move from co-operative to a publicly traded company in 2020 devastated Canadians who were fans of the company’s unwavering commitment to being member-focused. Sold to a U.S. based private equity firm, customers lament that MEC’s aisles have been stripped of their hearts and replaced with cheap, high-fashion yoga pants and tank tops.
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