A group of Santa Claus impersonators and a band of masked elves appear to have stolen thousands of dollars of food from a Metro grocery store in the Plateau neighbourhood Monday night.

The group claiming to be behind the heist calls itself Robins des ruelles, inspired by Robin Hood. Videos of the alleged heist circulated on social media, showing individuals dressed as Santa and masked elves swarming the store.

The grocery store — located on Laurier Ave. near Chambord St. — was robbed at 9:40 p.m. Monday, Montreal police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant confirmed.

The amount of food taken was valued under $5,000, according to police. According to a statement from Les soulèvements du fleuve, an activist group distributing information on behalf of Robins des ruelles, the amount stolen was valued at $3,000.

“Three individuals, dressed in Santa costumes, joined by about 40 elves, filled multiple bags full of groceries and exited without paying, in an assumed political act,” Les soulèvements du fleuve wrote in a statement.

Some of the food was placed under a Christmas tree Tuesday night at Place Valois in the borough of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Les soulèvements du fleuve added. The rest will be distributed in a “food drive.”

In a note placed under the same tree, Robins des ruelles pointed to the ballooning profit margins of big-box grocery stores like Metro. “There’s no other way to say it: A handful of companies are holding our vital needs hostage. They continue to oppress the population, to siphon off as much money as possible from them, simply because they can. For us, that is the theft and it’s they who are the bandits.”

According to the annual financial report of Metro Inc., its 710 grocery stores and 526 pharmacies nationwide under brands including Metro, Adonis, Super C, Food Basics and Jean Coutu had $22 billion in sales in 2025 and $1 billion in net earnings. Its operating profit margin of 9.5 per cent was the same as it was in 2021.

In response to the robbery, Metro spokesperson Geneviève Grégoire emphasized that retail crime is on the rise.

“No matter the reason, it is unacceptable and a criminal act. Retail crime resulted in losses of $9.2 billion in Canada in 2024,” Grégoire wrote in an emailed statement, citing the Retail Council of Canada for the statistic.

She added that as retailers, Metro grocery stores are the final stop in the supply chain, and the prices on store shelves directly reflect supply chain costs.

“Many factors influence food inflation, including disruptions in the global supply chain, volatility in commodity prices, changes in international trade conditions, and retail crime.”

No arrests have been made as of Wednesday, according to Brabant.

“We’re looking into it,” he said, adding that the police are investigating surveillance footage and social media videos.