A sign at a Superstore location has riled up some shoppers who feel the Loblaw-owned grocery chain is asking customers to voluntarily do a job that should be the company’s responsibility.
A shopper posted the sign they spotted at a Superstore in the Loblaws Is Out Of Control Reddit group.
The bright yellow sign appears to be posted outside a parking lot and reads: “If you see it, pick it up. If you pass it, tell someone. Cleanliness is everyone’s responsibility. Please help us keep our store a pleasant place to shop.”
First they raise the price of groceries beyond anything reasonable, and now they’re ordering customers to do the job of a paid worker. Corporate gaslighting at its finest.
byu/CorgiAlarmed138 inloblawsisoutofcontrol
The original poster expressed how annoyed they were with Superstore’s request.
“First, they raise the price of groceries beyond anything reasonable, and now they’re ordering customers to do the job of a paid worker. Corporate gaslighting at its finest,” they wrote.
The post has since been flooded with comments from other shoppers who feel that keeping the store a “pleasant place to shop” shouldn’t fall on customers’ shoulders.
“Well, we know they tried to hire volunteers already,” said one commenter, referencing another Loblaw company — Shoppers Drug Mart — that faced backlash for advertising a part-time volunteer position earlier this month. The job posting was quickly taken down after the location’s owner said it was a “mistake.”
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Another commenter noted that while people “should pick up their own trash,” Superstore should at least ensure there are enough trash bins around so people can dispose of it.
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One person added that it “drives [them] nuts” how few trash cans are set up at their local Superstore location. “Where am I supposed to put the trash?” they asked.
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Others just took issue with the “passive-aggressive” wording of the sign.
“You don’t want people throwing trash on the ground in your store, say THAT,” they wrote.
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Some noted that Superstore’s responsibility is to hire staff to keep the store clean, and it wasn’t their job to pick up other people’s trash.
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Other folks said the wording of the sign was “condescending.”
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One commenter said that if something is messy in a store, they usually tell an employee, but that Superstore’s sign makes it feel like “less of a courtesy and more of an obligation.”
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“The contempt they have for their customers is really something,” wrote a Redditor.
“There are all sorts of options for signage encouraging people not to litter, but they’ve gone for the prison exercise yard vibe.”
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The Loblaws Is Out Of Control group has grown in popularity, with over 85,000 members on Reddit. The group has also spearheaded a boycott against the grocery giant, calling on the company to lower prices, among several other demands.
Do you have an issue with the wording of the sign? Let us know in the comments.