How often are prices updated?
Once a day. The check is scheduled overnight and usually finishes by mid-morning Eastern time. The last one finished Nov 11, 2:38 a.m. ET.
Which stores does Loonie check?
Loonie checks ten stores in Ontario: No Frills in Vaughan, Loblaws in Markham Bullock Drive, Zehrs in Uxbridge, Fortinos in North York Lawrence, Superstore in Toronto Gerry Fitzgerald, Loblaws in Toronto Carlton Street, No Frills in Toronto Shuter, No Frills in Toronto Front Street East, Superstore in Toronto Don Mills, Superstore in Toronto Weston Road. Prices differ between locations, even within one chain, which is why every price shows where it was recorded. Search, product pages and the basket show every store unless you choose to see only the stores near a postal code.
What does “typical price” mean?
The middle price when its recorded days are ordered from cheapest to most expensive. Prices that hold for weeks count more than a one-day sale.
How does Loonie know two listings are the same item?
Most national brands share a product code across these chains, and a shared code is the same item. When codes differ, Loonie only matches listings with the same brand, name and package size. Items that are merely alike are shown as similar, and never counted in basket totals.
Is Loonie free? What happens to my basket?
Yes, it’s free: an independent, non-commercial project with no accounts and no ads. Your basket is kept in a cookie in your own browser.
Where do the product photos come from?
From the stores themselves. Loonie keeps only a link to each photo, and your browser loads it straight from Loblaw’s image server, the one their own websites use. That server sees the request, as it would for any page that shows the photo. Nothing else about your visit is sent to it.
Why can’t I find an item?
Loonie only records what its 167 everyday searches turn up, so less common items can be missing. Try a simpler word, like yogurt instead of a brand name.
