Dollarama sells food — but where do we draw the line? Sylvain Charlebois dives into the economics of dollar store groceries, brand deals, and why chilled foods still pose a challenge.

He explains how shelf-stable items, vendor loyalty, and private label packaging give Dollarama a major edge — even if marinated pork tongue never becomes a top seller. Shane and Sylvain also debate food delivery habits, digital convenience, and what really drives the choices young Canadians make around food.

Insightful, unexpected, and just the right amount of weird.

GUEST:
Sylvain Charlebois
@‌foodprofessor

Originally aired on 2025-12-11

Dollarama sells food &mdash; but where do we draw the line? Sylvain Charlebois dives into the economics of dollar store groceries, brand deals, and why chilled foods still pose a challenge.
He explains how shelf-stable items, vendor loyalty, and private label packaging give Dollarama a major edge &mdash; even if marinated pork tongue never becomes a top seller. Shane and Sylvain also debate food delivery habits, digital convenience, and what really drives the choices young Canadians make around food.
Insightful, unexpected, and just the right amount of weird.
GUEST: Sylvain Charlebois @&zwnj;foodprofessor
Originally aired on&nbsp;2025-12-11

Shane Hewitt & The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world—always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.

From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane’s signature style—thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.

If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt &amp; The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world&mdash;always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.
From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane&rsquo;s signature style&mdash;thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.
If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Would You Buy a Turkey at Dollarama?

Pajamas in public draw a line you didn't know you had until someone crosses it. You're at the grocery store. The person in front of you is in full flannel. And something in you reacts before you can stop it. Is that judgment? Is that reasonable? And does it change if they're at the airport instead of the cereal aisle?

There is a version of this you have lived. The day you were exhausted, the errand was unavoidable, and your pajamas were already on. The question was not really about clothes. It was about what you owe the room you are walking into, and whether that debt is still real.

The line exists. Everyone just draws it in a different place. And the second someone else draws it somewhere you disagree with, you find out exactly where yours is.

Topics: pajamas in public, dress code etiquette, airport fashion, comfort culture, public standards

Originally aired on 2026-03-12

Pajamas in public draw a line you didn't know you had until someone crosses it. You're at the grocery store. The person in front of you is in full flannel. And something in you reacts before you can stop it. Is that judgment? Is that reasonable? And does it change if they're at the airport instead of the cereal aisle?
There is a version of this you have lived. The day you were exhausted, the errand was unavoidable, and your pajamas were already on. The question was not really about clothes. It was about what you owe the room you are walking into, and whether that debt is still real.
The line exists. Everyone just draws it in a different place. And the second someone else draws it somewhere you disagree with, you find out exactly where yours is.
Topics: pajamas in public, dress code etiquette, airport fashion, comfort culture, public standards
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-12

The Pajama Line Nobody Can Agree On

Canada 1989 is the year you are still paying for, in both directions. Gas was fifty cents a litre. Groceries for a week cost your family eighty dollars. A house in Toronto was $273,000. The numbers are not a punchline. They are a before-and-after, and you are living in the after.

In Dryden, Ontario that same year, twenty-four people died when Air Ontario Flight 1363 went down. What came out of that investigation changed de-icing procedures for every winter flight that has taken off since. The tragedy had a consequence, and the consequence is still active every time a plane gets cleared for departure on a cold morning.

The internet was born that year too. So was the grunge sound that would take over the decade. Brian Mulroney was governing a Canada that cost a fraction of what it does today. 1989 built a lot of what you use and cannot afford.

Topics: Canada 1989, Air Ontario crash Dryden, cost of living 1989, internet history, throwback Thursday Canada

Originally aired on 2026-03-12

Canada 1989 is the year you are still paying for, in both directions. Gas was fifty cents a litre. Groceries for a week cost your family eighty dollars. A house in Toronto was $273,000. The numbers are not a punchline. They are a before-and-after, and you are living in the after.
In Dryden, Ontario that same year, twenty-four people died when Air Ontario Flight 1363 went down. What came out of that investigation changed de-icing procedures for every winter flight that has taken off since. The tragedy had a consequence, and the consequence is still active every time a plane gets cleared for departure on a cold morning.
The internet was born that year too. So was the grunge sound that would take over the decade. Brian Mulroney was governing a Canada that cost a fraction of what it does today. 1989 built a lot of what you use and cannot afford.
Topics: Canada 1989, Air Ontario crash Dryden, cost of living 1989, internet history, throwback Thursday Canada
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-12

NEW - The Year the Internet Started

Shopping in pajamas used to mean you were sick or it was Saturday morning. You've seen it now on your way to work, in the grocery aisle, on the flight home. Something shifted, and the question of whether that's fine has turned out to be one of the most divisive things you'll encounter this year.

What happens when seventeen million people stop scrolling to weigh in on a grocery store photo? Half of them are angry at the judgment. Half are angry at the pajamas. That's not a fashion debate. That's a fault line running through how we see ourselves, each other, and what it means to share public space anymore.

It's not about wealth. Value Village fixes that argument quickly. What this conversation actually surfaces is how we're negotiating the line between personal comfort and collective experience, and nobody agreed in advance on where that line should be.

Topics: shopping in pajamas, grocery store economics, casual dress culture, social norms, consumer behaviour, public appearance

GUEST: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois | @foodprofessor

Originally aired on 2026-03-12

Shopping in pajamas used to mean you were sick or it was Saturday morning. You've seen it now on your way to work, in the grocery aisle, on the flight home. Something shifted, and the question of whether that's fine has turned out to be one of the most divisive things you'll encounter this year.
What happens when seventeen million people stop scrolling to weigh in on a grocery store photo? Half of them are angry at the judgment. Half are angry at the pajamas. That's not a fashion debate. That's a fault line running through how we see ourselves, each other, and what it means to share public space anymore.
It's not about wealth. Value Village fixes that argument quickly. What this conversation actually surfaces is how we're negotiating the line between personal comfort and collective experience, and nobody agreed in advance on where that line should be.
Topics: shopping in pajamas, grocery store economics, casual dress culture, social norms, consumer behaviour, public appearance
GUEST: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois | @foodprofessor
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-12

Would You Buy a Turkey at Dollarama?

In 1 playlist(s)

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips