Loblaws has been vying for the title of public enemy number one in recent months as grocery bills continue to reach new heights that Canadians just can't seem to handle.

The latest in a string of ridiculously-priced finds at the supermarket chain suspected of profiteering amid inflation is not Maple syrup, chicken breasts, potato chips or the like, but a humble ingredient that most people use daily, and thus expect to be priced reasonably: butter.

One resident shopping at a Loblaws in the Leaside neighbourhood of Toronto was so shocked by the price of a standard pound of butter that they snapped a photo to share to social media.

Labelled as an "everyday essential," the product — from the brand Lactantia — was going for $9.29.

"More like everyday luxuries at Loblaws than essentials," they joked.

That’s nuts. The same one at my local No Frills is $1 less, which is already a fair bit.

— erika wybourn (@erikawybourn) June 1, 2023

Loblaws is certainly not the only retailer giving people sticker shock, but residents are generally finding it more expensive for most items compared to its competitors.

well, i doubt loblaws is one of them, since their prices are laughable. i walk out with less every time i go. their boxes of spring mix salads were
$9 last time. on sale at no frills for $4, a larger pkg at walmart is 6 or 7 $ reg price.

— Sheila Jacobson (@shlalaja) May 21, 2023

Online, No Frills has the same butter listed for $7.49 at the time of publication, while on the Longos site, it appears for $7.99. 

Real Canadian Superstore and Metro are closer to Loblaws pricing, but still not as bad, with 1lb of Lactantia unsalted going for $8.29 and $8.99, respectively.

Loblaw-owned Fortinos similarly priced the item at $8.99, and Zehrs had the same $9.29 pricetag as the parent company.

Neither Walmart, Costco nor Sobeys listed 1 lb of any type of Lactantia butter in stock online, and Pusateri's, a store no one on a budget would ever bother stepping foot in, will ask you to pay $12.99 for the salted version.

loblaws prices have somehow gotten even more insane since i was last there

— benjy b. (@itspraxislical) May 25, 2023

None of these prices could be considered low, and it seems that people have found butter to be priced quite high for over a year now, along with almost everything else in any given grocery store — especially their local Loblaws, a company people seem to forever associate with price-gouging.

Okay, I went to #Loblaws today & checked the price of the smallest size #butter 250g. It cost $7.49. I didn’t buy it. That works out to approximately $15.00 for a pound of butter. Seriously? Who can afford to buy butter at these prices?#groceries #Canada #Toronto pic.twitter.com/HQhY3u9mId

— Calvin Swine (@CalvinSwine905) November 6, 2022

People in Toronto can add butter to the ever-growing list of things that are climbing in price and slowly causing their cost of living to teeter into unaffordable territory, along with sky-high rent, utilities, going out and more as wages fail to keep up with inflation.

Unfortunately, the cost of every type of food is set to keep going up this year, though the rate of price hikes has calmed somewhat (that was, until last month).

Most people can't afford a house in Ontario & mortgage rates are ridiculous & rent sky high. Price for groceries are going up & up...almost $10 for a pound of butter. Houses in & around Toronto multi-million dollars....how many young people can afford that..shameful

— Lou Lou Bobbs (@LouBobbs) May 31, 2023

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the world this week, the public is seeing falling butter prices as an indication that rampant inflation is finally easing up.

If you're on the lookout for cheap butter here at home, Walmart has bricks of Becel on special this week for $3.97 — that is, if you're willing to try the plant-based version.