Santas and elves rob Montreal grocery retailer to ‘give meals to the needy’

[ad_1] Wearing purple fits and backed by masked elves, a bunch of Santas marched right into a Montreal grocery store, loaded their luggage with hundreds of {dollars} value of groceries and disappeared into the night time.

The bandit Santas later launched an announcement saying the meals can be distributed to the needy, and saying the Robin Hood-style stunt was meant to spotlight the spiralling value of residing disaster that has pushed fundamental requirements more and more out of attain for abnormal Canadians.

Roughly 40 members of a bunch referred to as referred to as Robins des Ruelles – Robins of the Alleys – participated within the theft late on Monday.

The assertion, launched late on Thursday, and entitled “When starvation justifies the means”, mentioned: “We're working increasingly simply to have the ability to purchase meals from grocery store chains that benefit from inflation as a pretext to make file earnings.

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“There isn't a different method to put it: a handful of corporations are holding our fundamental wants hostage.”

The group mentioned the businesses “proceed to suffocate the inhabitants to siphon away as a lot cash as attainable”.

Metro, which owns eight main grocery manufacturers in Ontario and Quebec, mentioned in an announcement that shoplifting was a prison act and unacceptable. A spokesperson, Geneviève Grégoir, mentioned worth will increase have been influenced by components embody disruptions within the international provide chain, volatility in commodity costs, adjustments in worldwide commerce situations – and retail crime.

Based on the Retail Council of Canada , retail crime is on the rise and accounted for greater than $9bn in misplaced gross sales in 2024.

“It ought to be famous that as a retailer, we're the ultimate cease within the provide chain,” Grégoire mentioned. “The costs on retailer cabinets straight mirror the prices of the availability chain.” Grégoire additionally famous that Metro in 2025 donated $1.15m and offered greater than $81m in meals merchandise to meals banks.

Three corporations management the overwhelming majority of Canada’s grocery shops and have loved file earnings lately. Regardless of authorities concern over profiteering , whereas the earnings are near-record ranges, the businesses say their revenue margins are shrinking.

Police informed reporters they have been investigating the theft, however no arrests had been made.

The Robins deposited some groceries in a public sq. on the foot of a Christmas tree on Tuesday night, including that the remainder can be distributed by group meals banks.