THUNDER BAY — Grocery shoppers can find some meaningful savings this week on chicken, pork tenderloin, summer fruit, vegetables, cheese, rice and pantry basics.
Giant Tiger’s sale begins Wednesday, July 15, while most of the major chain-store flyers run from Thursday, July 16 through Wednesday, July 22.
The strongest strategy is not necessarily visiting every store. Thunder Bay households may save more by choosing two or three stops with deals that match their meal plan, especially after factoring in fuel, travel time and the risk of impulse purchases.
The strongest Thunder Bay grocery deals at a glance
The week’s standout values include English cucumbers for 75 cents at Giant Tiger, two pounds of blueberries for $4.44 at Safeway, strawberries for $1.99 a pound at FreshCo, an approximately 11-pound watermelon for $4.98 at Walmart and 340 grams of blueberries for $2 at Real Canadian Superstore.
For protein, Walmart has chicken leg quarters for $3.17 a pound, Superstore has pork tenderloin for $3.49 a pound and Metro has boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $4.88 a pound. Giant Tiger’s Black Diamond cheese at $4.77 for 400 grams is one of the better dairy stock-up opportunities.
Skaf’s Just Basics is offering an extensive selection of produce, canned goods, pasta, tuna, frozen foods and lunch items at $1.99, making it a useful stop for households trying to assemble meals from low-cost basics.
FreshCo: strawberries, peppers and affordable ground chicken
FreshCo’s strongest produce deals include one-pound packages of strawberries for $1.99, two-pound bags of small apples for $1.99, four-packs of sweet bell peppers for $2.99 and hothouse tomatoes for $1.99 a pound.
For protein, Compliments extra-lean ground chicken is $5 for 450 grams. Beef brisket in cryovac packaging is $6.44 a pound, while Maple Lodge or Zabiha chicken sausages are $5 with a Scene+ card. Dairyland butter is $5.99 for 454 grams.
Best FreshCo basket: strawberries, apples, peppers, ground chicken and butter.
The ground chicken can be divided between burgers, meatballs, tacos or a pasta sauce. Wash and freeze any strawberries that will not be eaten within several days.
Safeway: blueberries, pork ribs and pantry staples
Safeway’s Thunder Bay flyer runs from July 16 to 22. One of the week’s best fruit buys is a two-pound package of blueberries for $4.44. Mini cucumbers or grape tomatoes are $2.99, offering an easy addition to lunches and salads.
Fresh pork side ribs are $3.49 a pound, while regular ground beef in a family-sized package is $5.88 a pound. Kraft peanut butter, in selected 750-gram or one-kilogram sizes, is $4.97. Tilda basmati rice is $12.99 for four kilograms.
Best Safeway basket: blueberries, ribs, mini cucumbers and peanut butter.
The blueberries are the main stock-up opportunity. Freeze them in a single layer before transferring them to containers, making it easier to use small amounts in oatmeal, pancakes and baking.
Walmart: chicken leg quarters, watermelon and low-cost meal basics
Walmart has one of the strongest family barbecue combinations this week. Fresh Maple Leaf chicken leg quarters are $3.17 a pound and an approximately 11-pound seedless watermelon is $4.98. Whole white or cremini mushrooms are $2.44 for 227 grams, while tomatoes are $1.92 a pound.
Other practical buys include Great Value bacon for $4.97 per 375-gram package, butter for $5.48 per 454 grams, Dempster’s hamburger or hot dog buns for $2.58 and Classico pasta sauce for $2.97. Fresh lean ground pork is $4.97 for 454 grams.
Best Walmart basket: chicken leg quarters, watermelon, mushrooms, buns and pasta sauce.
Cook extra chicken at one time. Leftovers can become sandwiches, wraps, rice bowls or chicken salad, reducing the need to buy separate lunch meat.
Giant Tiger: cheese, cucumbers, pork and coffee
Giant Tiger’s Ontario flyer runs from July 15 to 21 and has several of the week’s most aggressive prices.
English cucumbers are 75 cents each, Black Diamond cheese bars or shredded cheese are $4.77 for 400 grams and whole pork tenderloins average $5.97 each. Chapman’s Creamery ice cream is $3.49 for two litres.
Five-ounce packages of baby spinach are $1.97, while two-pound packages of peaches or nectarines are $3.88. Wonder hamburger or hot dog buns are $2.25 and Maxwell House ground coffee is $15.97 for 925 grams.
Best Giant Tiger basket: cucumbers, cheese, pork tenderloin, spinach and peaches.
The cheese and coffee are sensible stock-up items because they offer a longer storage window. Cheese can be grated and frozen in meal-sized portions if it will not be used promptly.
Metro: chicken breasts, pork tenderloin and blueberries
Metro’s strongest deal is boneless, skinless chicken breast in value packs for $4.88 a pound. Pork tenderloin is $3.99 a pound and fresh lamb shoulder chops are $5.99 a pound.
Produce specials include blueberries for $2.49 a pint, three-pound bags of navel oranges, lemons or limes for $2.99 and large red, orange or yellow peppers for $2.44 a pound. Atlantic salmon portions or smoked salmon packages are $3.99 for selected 170-gram varieties.
Janes breaded chicken products are $5.88, selected McCain frozen products are $2 and Maxwell House coffee is $15.99 for selected 865- to 900-gram packages. Green or yellow zucchini is $1.99 a pound and broccoli crowns are $2.49 each.
Best Metro basket: chicken breasts, blueberries, citrus fruit, zucchini and one frozen convenience item.
Divide large chicken packages before freezing. Flattening portions in freezer bags allows them to freeze and thaw more quickly.
Real Canadian Superstore: rice, pork tenderloin and low-cost produce
Real Canadian Superstore has several of the week’s best bulk and pantry values. Rooster jasmine rice is $12.99 for eight kilograms, making it one of the strongest long-term stock-up deals.
Fresh pork tenderloin is $3.49 a pound, blueberries are $2 for 340 grams and beefsteak tomatoes are $1.49 a pound. Farmer’s Market mini cucumbers are $2.75.
App users can also find No Name pasta for $1.97 per 450-gram package and No Name peanut butter for $4.50 per kilogram. Shoppers should confirm that these offers are loaded or activated before reaching the checkout.
Best Superstore basket: rice, pork tenderloin, tomatoes, blueberries and app-priced pasta.
The rice is the clearest stock-up buy for households with dry storage space. It can stretch meat and vegetables into stir-fries, soups, casseroles and rice bowls.
Skaf’s Just Basics: $1.99 produce and pantry deals
Skaf’s Just Basics has a broad selection of featured products priced at $1.99 from July 16 to 22.
Produce offers include garden salad or coleslaw, 227-gram packages of mushrooms, grape tomatoes, lettuce or romaine and tomatoes at $1.99 a pound. Avocados are two for $1.99.
Pantry items at $1.99 include Barilla pasta, 796-millilitre cans of Unico tomatoes, Green Giant canned vegetables, Compliments broth, Carnation evaporated milk and selected General Mills cereals. Clover Leaf tuna is $1.99 for 170 grams.
Compliments wieners, Michelina’s frozen entrées, Swanson meat pies, Compliments waffles and selected Smart Ones entrées are also advertised at $1.99.
Best Skaf’s basket: pasta, canned tomatoes, broth, tuna, lettuce, mushrooms and avocados.
This combination can cover pasta with tomato sauce, tuna pasta salad, soup, sandwiches and several side salads without requiring expensive ingredients.
Superior Seasons: plan ahead for local and regional food
Superior Seasons operates differently from a conventional grocery flyer. The Thunder Bay online farmers market requires shoppers to select an ordering and distribution option before the full current inventory and pricing are displayed.
The current midweek ordering period closes Sunday, July 19 at 4:30 p.m. for distribution on Wednesday, July 22. Its producer directory includes Belluz Farms, Kagiwiosa Manomin, Thunder Oak Cheese Farm, Slate River Dairy and Springhills Fish and Sheshegwaning First Nation, among many other local, regional and Ontario suppliers. Availability changes as producers update their inventories.
Superior Seasons is best approached as a planned local-food purchase rather than a flyer-price race. Check the current ordering window for vegetables, eggs, dairy, fish, baking and other products that can replace items already on the weekly shopping list.
The platform says its focus is sustainably produced food from mainly small and medium-sized producers, with subscription and seasonal-box options available.
For Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario, purchases through local food networks can help keep more grocery spending within the regional economy while shortening the distance between producer and consumer.
George’s Market: verify the Monday specials before shopping
George’s Market promotes its weekly specials through a newsletter distributed on Monday mornings. However, a complete and clearly dated list of specials for the current July 15 week was not publicly displayed on the store’s website when checked.
The independent grocer, which has operated in Thunder Bay since 1961, offers produce, meat, prepared foods, bakery items, freezer products and grocery delivery from its Balsam Street location.
Shoppers should consult the store’s current email, social media post or in-store signage before making a special trip based on an advertised price. This is particularly important for produce and butcher-counter specials, which may depend on available supply.
What Thunder Bay shoppers should stock up on
For the freezer: Walmart chicken leg quarters at $3.17 a pound, Superstore pork tenderloin at $3.49 a pound, Metro chicken breasts at $4.88 a pound and Giant Tiger’s approximately $5.97 whole pork tenderloins.
For the pantry: Superstore’s eight-kilogram bag of jasmine rice for $12.99, Skaf’s $1.99 pasta, canned tomatoes, broth and tuna and Giant Tiger or Metro coffee at about $16 per large package.
For breakfasts and lunches: Giant Tiger cheese at $4.77, Safeway peanut butter at $4.97, Walmart buns at $2.58 and Skaf’s cereal, waffles and wieners at $1.99.
For produce: Safeway’s two-pound blueberries for $4.44, FreshCo strawberries for $1.99 a pound, Walmart’s large watermelon for $4.98, Giant Tiger cucumbers for 75 cents and Superstore tomatoes for $1.49 a pound.
Stocking up is only worthwhile when the household has adequate freezer or pantry space and will use the food. A lower price does not produce savings when food is discarded.
How to stretch this week’s grocery dollar
Start by choosing one discounted protein, two or three low-cost vegetables, one fruit, one starch and one lunch item. Build several meals around that basket instead of shopping for unrelated recipes.
A pork tenderloin, rice, tomatoes, mushrooms and lettuce can become a roast dinner, pork rice bowls, sandwiches and a stir-fry. Chicken leg quarters can be served with salad on the first night and used in soup, wraps or pasta afterward.
Compare prices by weight rather than package price. A larger package may cost more at the checkout but offer a lower price per kilogram or pound. Conversely, bulk packages are not a bargain when part of the food will spoil.
Treat loyalty and app discounts carefully. Activate offers before shopping, confirm the shelf tag and check the receipt before leaving. Do not buy extra products solely to earn points unless those products were already part of the household plan.
Finally, avoid crossing the city for a single small saving. A two-store plan — one stop for discounted protein and produce and another for pantry basics — may leave a household further ahead than chasing every advertised special.
Prices and availability can change by location, inventory, loyalty status and app eligibility. Shoppers should verify the flyer dates, package size, shelf label and final checkout price.
