Shoppers Drug Mart and Always make period products more accessible in Manitoba to help #EndPeriodPoverty

Working with the Manitoba’s government, Shoppers Drug Mart in partnership with Always will provide 3.3 million period products to students and adults in need in the province this year

September 15, 2022; Toronto, ON. Today, Shoppers Drug Mart announced a new partnership with the Manitoba government to make period products more accessible to students and adults in need across the province. Over the next three years, Shoppers Drug Mart, in partnership with Always, will donate nearly 10 million period products and 900 product dispensers to Manitoba’s school divisions, independent schools and social service agencies to help #EndPeriodPoverty.

“Inequitable access to period products, particularly for students, can lead to missed opportunities — school, work, and other activities — and creates barriers to success,” said Jeff Leger, President, Shoppers Drug Mart. “This donation will provide students in Manitoba with free access to period products, helping to more fully unlock their potential. We are proud to be a part of this initiative, and grateful to our stores, to Procter & Gamble, and to our customers for their support.”

Shoppers Drug Mart will work with Procter & Gamble, makers of Always, to supply 3.3 million period products to the province each year for the next three years.

“Always has been championing young people’s confidence for more than 35 years with puberty education programs and by providing access to period products to those in need. Since the launch of Always’ #EndPeriodPoverty program in 2018, Always has donated over 10 million period products to students in Canadian schools. With over 200 million pads donated to young people around the world in the past 10 years, Always is committed to help end the systemic issue on period poverty here and across the globe,” said Liz Dubejsky, Brand Director Always Canada. “Together, we can help #EndPeriodPoverty and create a country where no student has to miss school because of lack of access to period protection.”

The partnership with the Manitoba government is part of a long-term commitment by Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. through its LOVE YOU by Shoppers Drug Mart initiative to raise awareness and create action against period poverty in Canada.

“All students in Manitoba have the right to a high-quality education and the supports they need to be successful,” said Minister of Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning, Wayne Ewasko. “This initiative will make school more inclusive by providing free access to menstrual products, which can lead to improved school attendance and student participation, especially amongst marginalized youth.”

“Thanks to this partnership, students in Manitoba and individuals accessing services at some domestic violence shelters and resource centres will now also have consistent, convenient access to the menstrual products they need,” said Minister of Manitoba Families, Rochelle Squires.

Since 2011, the LOVE YOU by Shoppers Drug Mart program has supported women’s health, including initiatives focused on promoting menstrual equity such as: product donations, making period product dispensers available to homeless women in Toronto, and strategic collaborations with partners like Food Banks Canada. To learn more about Shopper’s initiatives, visit http://shoppersdrugmart.ca/periodpoverty.

About Shoppers Drug Mart Inc.       Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing. The company is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart^® (Pharmaprix^® in Québec). With almost 1,350 Shoppers Drug Mart^® and Pharmaprix^® stores operating in prime locations in each province and two territories, the company is one of the most convenient retailers in Canada. The company also licenses or owns 47 medical clinic pharmacies operating under the name Shoppers Simply Pharmacy^® (Pharmaprix Simplement Santé^® in Québec). As well, the company owns and operates 43 corporate Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart^TM stores and an ecommerce site Wellwise.ca, making it the largest Canadian retailer of home health care products and services. In addition to its retail store network, the company owns the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers^TM online platform for the sale of medical cannabis, Shoppers Drug Mart Specialty Health Network Inc., a provider of specialty drug distribution, pharmacy and comprehensive patient support services,  MediSystem Inc., a provider of pharmaceutical products and services to long-term care facilities and Lifemark Health Group, Canada’s leading provider of outpatient physiotherapy, massage therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, mental health, and other ancillary rehabilitation services. Shoppers Drug Mart is an independent operating division of Loblaw Companies Limited.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always^®, Ambi Pur^®, Ariel^®, Bounty^®, Charmin^®, Crest^®, Dawn^®, Downy^®, Fairy^®, Febreze^®, Gain^®, Gillette^®, Head & Shoulders^®, Lenor^®, Olay^®, Oral-B^®, Pampers^®, Pantene^®, SK-II^®, Tide^®, Vicks^®, and Whisper^®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands. For other P&G news, visit us at https://www.pg.com/news.

About Always®

Always^®, the world's leader in menstrual protection, offers a wide range of pads, wipes and liners designed to fit different body types, period flows and preferences. For over 35 years, Always has been supporting millions of young people globally through puberty and confidence education, providing products to those in need and tackling societal barriers to girls’ confidence. Together, Always believes we can create a world where neither periods nor gender get in the way of young people reaching their full potential. Please visit www.always.com for more information.