A petition has been launched urging Loblaw to remove receipt scanners from its stores.

Earlier this month, the grocery giant confirmed that it was testing receipt scanners at some of its stores in Ontario to combat thefts.

Shoppers paying through self-checkout will be required to scan their receipts on a device to confirm that they paid for their groceries. If a receipt is successfully scanned, a metal gate will open, allowing customers to leave.

Leadnow — an organization that aims to engage the Canadian public on political and social issues — has now started a petition, encouraging shoppers to sign and urge Loblaw's CEO, Per Bank, to rescind the receipt scanners in stores.

"New scanners preventing shoppers from exiting unless they scan a receipt, are creating confusion, bottlenecks, and [an] unjustified sense of embarrassment for Loblaws customers," reads the petition.

Leadnow says that Loblaw executives "deserve to be in the hot seat" as they have "more than doubled their profits since the pandemic – while increasing grocery prices by 22.5 per cent since 2020."

The petition allows signees to send a pre-written letter directly to Loblaw CEO Per Bank, who took on the role in November 2023, replacing predecessor Galen Weston.

The letter states that Loblaw should turn its focus to "driving down food prices to make groceries more affordable."

LeadNow.ca/Screenshot

"CEOs don't often hear from the general public. And Loblaw CEO, Per Bank is still new in the role and trying explicitly to avoid being in the public eye," added Leadnow.

"But if thousands of us flood his inbox, we can turn the pressure up to repeal the receipt check policy and send a message that Canadians expect Loblaw to deliver on a greater priority: affordable food prices."

At the time of writing, the petition had gathered nearly 6,000 signatures of its 8,000 goal.

Leadnow has been contacted for further comment.