Business

Just catching up? Loblaw is reversing decision to pull French's

Supermarket chain says it will restock the condiment as soon as possible

TORONTO — Loblaw is reversing its decision to pull French’s ketchup from its store shelves following a social media uproar.

Kevin Groh, the company’s vice-president of corporate affairs and communication, says the supermarket chain will restock the condiment as soon as possible.

The company originally said it had stopped stocking French’s regular ketchup due to low sales during the past year.

Its stores continued to sell French’s two flavoured varieties, Buffalo ketchup and garlic ketchup.

The popularity of French’s ketchup soared after a man’s Facebook post promoting the company for supporting local farmers went viral.

Brian Fernandez posted a photo of a French’s ketchup bottle in late February and said his family would no longer buy Heinz ketchup since it closed its Leamington, Ont., plant, a move that led to about 750 job losses.

French’s ketchup uses 100 per cent Canadian-grown tomatoes, according to its website.

Loblaw says it hopes the enthusiasm shown for the product on social media will translate to in-store sales.

French’s did not respond to a request for comment.

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