Loblaw $25 bread price-fixing gift cards now available — comes with restrictions

A Loblaws store is seen Monday, March 9, 2015 in Montreal.Ryan Remiorz / THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER — Loblaw Companies Ltd. says people who receive a $25 gift card intended as a goodwill gesture in light of the company’s participation in a bread price-fixing scheme will have that sum deducted from any future court settlement.

The company announced the measure and several other restrictions as it opened registration for the cards.

Click here to apply for the $25 gift card and read full restrictions

It says recipients of the cards are not prohibited from participating in a class-action lawsuit, but their portion of any possible damages awarded in the future will be $25 less.

Several class-action lawsuits have been started against the company since it revealed last month it and parent company George Weston Ltd. participated in what they called an industry-wide arrangement over 14 years to co-ordinate the prices of some bread products.

Various brands of bread sit on shelves in a grocery store in Toronto on Wednesday Nov. 1, 2017.

Loblaw also says it reserves the right to limit the number of cards it distributes. The company previously estimated three million to six million consumers would sign up and receive the card, costing Loblaw $75 million to $150 million.

The company adds customers won’t be able to use the $25 card for certain things, including alcohol or tobacco.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.