Latest news with #AliciaCarroll
CTV News
25-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Ikea's offer of free kids' meals 5 days a week not coming to Canada
An Ikea store is seen in Dartmouth, N.S. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan A promotion billed by Ikea as an effort to reduce customers' 'cost-of-living pressures' is not coming to Canada – at least not as initially billed. Ikea announced Wednesday it was offering half-price adult meals and free kids meals Monday through Friday in markets around the world. The news release listed Canada as among the 14 countries involved. Yet in an email Wednesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Ikea Canada told that a portion of the news release was 'incorrect for Canada.' Instead, only Canadian customers who are members of the store's reward program, known as Ikea Family Members, will be able to get 50 per cent off during the week, with the caveats that this deal applies to 'select main dishes' only and is 'while supplies last,' Ikea's Alicia Carroll said in an email. Kids' meals are free, but only on Wednesdays with the purchase of an adult meal. This promotion runs July 10 through August. Ikea and its parent company, Ingka, billed the discount as a way to 'help people stretch their budgets.' But a food distribution and policy expert said the public-relations strategy comes 'probably a year or two too late.' 'If you look at the G7 (countries) right now, their food inflation is under four per cent. Canada is at 3.4, which is slightly above average,' Dalhousie University's Sylvain Charlebois said in a phone interview with Wednesday from Brazil. 'I think the message would have resonated even more two years ago when people were actually hurting. Right now, people are just coping, and they're accepting that food prices are going to remain high, but they've actually adjusted, they've made adjustments to their budgets accordingly.' Charlebois said it was likely a move to recruit new customers and encourage more frequent visits for existing clientele. While customers might only need furniture once a year or every few years, they do need to eat, so a food-based promotion is a way to bring in shoppers who aren't currently looking for furniture. 'If you can use food as bait and get people in more often, and generate more traffic, that's powerful,' Charlebois said, adding that chances are that once a customer is in the store they'll buy something, even if just smaller impulse items.
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Ikea is recalling thousands of garlic presses sold in Canada
Ikea is asking Canadian customers who bought a specific kind of garlic press to stop using it because small metal pieces could detach and potentially be eaten. The Swedish home furnishing giant is recalling its Chinese-made black 365+ Vardefull garlic press. Affected customers can visit an Ikea Canada store and return the product for a full refund without requiring a receipt or any other proof of purchase, Alicia Carroll, public relations leader with Ikea Canada, wrote in an email to on Wednesday. A 'production error' caused the problem after it conducted an 'internal investigation,' according to Ikea on its website Wednesday. 'IKEA apologizes for any inconvenience this recall may cause,' it wrote, noting that customer safety is a top priority and all its products are tested and comply with applicable standards and legislation. How to identify affected products The product was sold in Canada with the article numbers 305.781.89 and 201.521.58. In other countries, it was sold under article number 601.636.02. Ikea recall logo marking Ikea recall logo marking The products have date stamps from 2411 to 2522, with the first two digits indicating the year and the last two digits being the week of the year. Carroll said the article number and date stamp would be found on the original packaging, or the affected products can be identified by a marking on the upper handle. How many products are affected? Ikea reported that 10,712 affected products were sold in Canada, according to Health Canada's advisory online about the recall. It said they were sold from April 2024 to May 2025. Ikea has received no reports of incidents or injuries in Canada as of June 9, according to the recall. Globally, the company received three reports of incidents involving minor hand injuries, such as a scratch or a splinter. Ikea advises customers to spread the word about the recall, particularly if they know whether it was lent or sold to someone else. 'Please note that the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act prohibits recalled products from being redistributed, sold or even given away in Canada,' Health Canada added. Health Canada encourages customers to report any health and safety incidents related to using this product or any other items by filling out the Consumer Product Incident Report Form. Where to get more information Not sure whether you have an affected product? If that's the case, Ikea says you can still return any black 365+ Vardefull garlic press and get a refund. Visit or phone IKEA toll-free at 1-800-661-9807 for more information.
