If Big Al's advertises in the store that they do match prices after the fact of purchase, I believe they are obligated to honour that promise. It sounds to me like it's a bilateral contract: you agree to pay their advertised price on the assumption it is at (or below) a competetor's price. Their guarantee to you, then, is that if you find a lower price they are obligated to match it.
However, it becomes a problem with the internet. If you can, find a store that advertises the price you say your product is worth: a brick and mortar store in Calgary. Nextly, look on Big Al's website to see if there's a disclaimer that says they do not have to respect their online prices in their retail outlets.
Like you said, the problem is that online stores don't have to worry about paying employees, shipping, lease on property, etc. so they can do it cheaper than a brick and mortar store. With this in mind, I would never honour a price brought in from the internet if I were working in retail (and I did, for nine years). It's like printing off a price from eBay and trying to get Futureshop to match it.
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