Loblaw boycott had minor impact on sales, CEO Per Bank says – National [Video]

The boycott of Loblaw stores in May had only a “minor” financial impact on Canada’s largest grocers, according to the company’s CEO.

Loblaw Co. Ltd. reported second-quarter earnings on Thursday, including the month of May, which saw the grocer targeted in a grassroots boycott campaign venting frustrations over rising grocery prices.

Loblaw CEO Per Bank was asked about the impact of the movement during an earnings call accompanying the earnings. He said “the overall financial impact was minor.”

Chief financial officer Richard Dufresne acknowledged that the boycott had “a bit of an impact in certain stores in specific markets.”

“That said, at the end of the quarter, things had returned to normal,” he said.

Across the quarter, Loblaw said customer visits to its stores were up compared to last year. The company continued to highlight increased traffic towards its discount brands as consumers trade down to cheaper options at the grocery store.

Despite …