The Truth About British Shops in Canada: Why We Can’t Compete with Walmart (and Aren’t Trying To)

Hi, I’m Aaron Armstrong. I own and operate The Great British Shop in Halifax, Nova Scotia and like most owners of small British grocers across Canada, I get asked a particular question more often than I’d like to admit:

“Why is this more expensive than at Walmart?”

Now I get it. Times are hard. Every penny counts. We all shop around and try to stretch a dollar further. But if you've ever wondered why your bottle of Robinson’s costs $5.99 here when it’s $3.99 at a big chain, well, pull up a chair. I want to explain a few things. Not with bitterness but with honesty, transparency and hopefully a bit of clarity.

Big Chains vs British Shops: It’s Not a Fair Fight

Let’s start with the obvious. The playing field isn’t level.

Walmart has over 400 stores across Canada. Sobeys and Loblaws aren’t far behind. When one of these giants decides to stock British goods they’re not ordering two or three cases. They’re buying thousands — sometimes tens of thousands — of cases across the country. Their buying power is massive. It’s on par with the UK’s biggest retailers. That’s how they get such low prices.

Me? I might order four cases of any given item. On a good day.

It’s like asking a toddler to go three rounds with Tyson in his prime. There’s no version of this where we walk away without a few bruises.

So Why Bother?

Because British shops aren’t just selling groceries. We’re selling emotion through nostalgia. We’re selling a proper taste of home. We’re the place you come when you miss your nan’s Sunday dinners, your favourite crisps or the biscuits you grew up sneaking out the tin.

Big chains stock what sells. They’ll carry 20 or so of the most popular British SKUs. Beans, Flakes, squash, a couple of teas. Not because they care about British culture but because their competitor stocks it and they don’t want to lose your business to someone else. It’s tit for tat. A checklist. A box ticked.

But ask them to carry Yorkshire’s Bedtime Brew or that limited edition chocolate bar everyone in the UK is raving about? You’ll get laughed out of the building (if you can even get anyone to answer an email).

At The Great British Shop and dozens of others like mine across Canada, we stock hundreds of items. Sometimes over a thousand. And if you ask us for something we’ll actually try to bring it in. Because we’re not a checklist. We’re a little slice of home when you need it most.

Pricing Isn’t Greed, It’s Survival

I want to be crystal clear here. We’re not gouging.

That $5.99 bottle of squash? I’m probably making less margin than Walmart is on their $3.99 one. Why? Because I pay more to get it here. I don’t have access to direct importer pricing. I’m covering freight, fuel surcharges, customs clearance and wholesale markups that the big guys skip right over.

Fortunately, unlike some we don’t rely on our grocery section to keep the lights on. It’s a minimal part of our business and it’s there for you.

Where we earn our keep is in the fresh baked goods we make from scratch. Sausage rolls, pies, pasties, all made in house with Canadian flour, free-range Nova Scotian meats and a hell of a lot of pride. That’s our bread and butter. We know when it comes to baked goods the big chains can’t compete. They’ll never care about quality as much as we do. But we also understand that not every British store has that same model. Some rely solely on grocery sales and have to go head to head with the giants on price every single day. We see you. We get it.

We’re Not Competing with Walmart. We’re Competing for Heart

We’ll never win a price war. Frankly we’re not trying to.

What we can offer, what Walmart, Sobeys and Loblaws can’t, is heart. It’s walking in and seeing someone who remembers your name. It’s finding the exact brand of custard your mum used to make trifle with. It’s hearing a British accent behind the till and feeling, even for a moment, like you’re not so far from home.

This isn’t just a business model. For many of us this is personal. These are the tastes and smells we grew up with. We care and we know you do too.

It’s Not Just Us

There are brilliant independent British shops across this country. Some with bakeries, some with giftware, some that specialize in frozen meats or hard to find sweets. Many are run by British expats like me. Many are family owned. All are run by people who care. Most have been asked the same question. Why are your prices higher?

Some of these businesses have already closed. Not because they didn’t care. Not because they weren’t good. But because they couldn’t compete with national chains that carry 20 products just to keep people from going elsewhere.

What You’re Really Buying

When you shop with a business like ours you're not just buying a snack or a bottle of pop. You're keeping a shop alive that:

• Bakes your scones and sausage rolls fresh each morning
• Tries to source that obscure pickle you had on your last trip home
• Hangs bunting and celebrates each royal event with you as they come
• Sponsors the local footy club
• Smiles when your kid says biscuit instead of cookie or crisps instead of chips,

You're keeping alive a piece of culture that doesn't show up in shareholder reports or corporate marketing decks. You're helping real people serve a real community.

A Plea Not a Guilt Trip

Let me be clear. I’m not asking you to stop shopping around. We all do and if you can get a tin of beans cheaper at Walmart fair play. But when you can and where it matters, choose your local British store. Choose one of the many brilliant small British online shops out there that care about what they carry and who they serve.

Choose the shops that care enough to carry the things no one else will. That answer your questions. That remember your order.

We can’t match the prices. But they'll never match our comprehensive selection and passion for British food.

Final Word

So next time someone asks you why British stores cost more tell them the truth:

Because we’re not Walmart.

We’re better.

We’re not in a price war. We’re in a passion war. And we’re proud to be fighting it.

Cheers,
Aaron Armstrong
Owner, The Great British Shop
Halifax, NS

Disclaimer: This post reflects my personal opinions and experiences as the owner of The Great British Shop. Mentions of large corporations are intended for comparison and illustration only. All trademarks, brands and company names are the property of their respective owners.