People want lower prices, and they rely on their RRSP's/pension plans/investments to profit sufficiently for retirement.  The impact of higher minimum wages on prices and lower profits is entirely expected.

Management has a fiduciary responsibility to shareholders to maximize profits.  Some companies choose a strategy of providing superior products and service, albeit at a higher cost.  Low-cost providers (like Loblaws) choose a strategy of keeping costs as low as possible, albeit with lower quality products and service.

Inflating labour costs so much through new minimum wage laws will generate a reaction, and the most likely one will be even more emphasis on displacing expensive labour costs.  This will ultimately hurt many of the people the new wage laws were intended to benefit.  The survivors will do better, for sure, but that's no consolation to those who will be hurt from the adjustment to these higher costs.

The law of unintended consequences...