Farmers’ markets and business groups say they are “sad and disappointed” in NoFrills and its parent company Loblaw after the company sent a mass-advertising text message encouraging customers to “skip the line” at their local farmers’ market and visit their stores instead.

The Farmers’ Market Cooperative of Nova Scotia and the Ontario Small Business Community both say they were alerted to a text with NoFrills’ latest flyer featuring the disparaging message on July 20.