Video of a Vancouver shopper goes viral because it shows a bag of frozen no-name vegetables that is too light

A Vancouver man's video has gone viral after he showed a severely underweight bag of no-name frozen vegetables from a no-frills grocery store that was much lighter than advertised.

Jacob MacLellan took to TikTok this week to detail his lousy shopping experience, and is using his moment in the spotlight to demand sweeping change amid a boycott of Loblaw and its affiliated stores launched on Reddit that has continued throughout May.

Viral video: Canadians are being “fooled”

In the video, which received over 500,000 views and 3,000 comments in just three days, he explains that he bought a bag of frozen vegetables from No Name that felt significantly lighter than the advertised 750 grams. So he decided to weigh them himself at home. He put the unopened bag on a scale and it read 434 grams. MacLellan then tells the camera with a serious expression that Canadians are being “screwed.”

In an interview with DailyHive, MacLellan said he returned the product to the No Frills store but was met with skepticism from employees. He had to show them the weight of the bag using his own scale. Although he was offered an exchange, he knew he was entitled to a return because he worked at Loblaws as a teenager.

According to the grocer's return policy, if a customer is not satisfied with the quality of a President's Choice, No Name or Teddy's Choice product, they may return it along with the receipt or original packaging for an exchange or a refund.

In a follow-up video, MacLellan asks his followers if they are willing to protest in all grocery stores in light of the cost of living crisis.

“We can't afford food and they don't even give us what they say they're giving us,” he says. “Loblaws isn't the only problem and we all know that. Are you interested in a national protest against Canadian grocers? If I have to be the one to start all this, then so be it.”

Social media is increasingly becoming a place where customers vent their anger over extremely expensive grocery purchases and products that don't live up to their promises. In September, a video documenting the weight of a half-full 200-gram bag of chips went viral, although Loblaws later admitted the product “did not meet standards.”

In February, a customer on Reddit showed a 400-gram package of pancake mix that weighed only 205 grams. A Loblaws spokesperson told Yahoo Canada at the time that they had thoroughly reviewed the company's records and found no similar complaints for the product in question.

Loblaws boycott: How a Reddit group started the initiative

A month-long boycott of Loblaw and its related products has been underway since May. The nationwide action came after a grassroots movement began in a Reddit group called “Loblaws Is Out Of Control,” which now has more than 84,000 members.

The community's current list of demands includes: no further retail-led price increases this year; no further dividend increases this year; increased cost transparency, including the identification of 'shrinkflation' items; a commitment to affordable prices, such as price caps on key food items.

On the Reddit forum, boycott organizers explain that people who can't avoid shopping at Loblaw stores can still get involved by writing to their MP. There's a sample letter that makes it easier to “express my deep concern about rising grocery prices in Canada.” Boycott organizers also offer a sample letter that one can send to Loblaw customer service to express anger about prices.

According to a February earnings report from Loblaw, the company's revenue increased 5.4 percent year-over-year.

The group also suggests Canadians use Optimum points for purchases when possible and only buy lead offers at Loblaw stores. Lead offers are items that stores offer at low prices, often at a loss, to entice customers to spend their money on other products.

Yahoo Canada reached out to Loblaw but did not receive a response by the time of publication.