“Talk about sticker shocker – I couldn’t believe my grocery bill.”
So says Burnaby senior Gladys M. when asked by the Burnaby NOW on its social media feeds to talk about escalating grocery store prices.
This was in response to a new survey suggesting supply chain issues and adverse weather conditions are driving up food prices and changing how Canadians shop for groceries.
A survey released Wednesday by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab in partnership with Caddle said food prices are on track to rise nearly five per cent this year.
"Every section of the grocery store is impacted by inflation — there's not one single section that has not been impacted," said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the lab and a professor at the Halifax university. "Typically you would talk about cauliflower or beef or tomatoes. This year it's different products across the board."
The rising cost of groceries is shifting consumer behaviour, with more Canadians checking weekly flyers, using coupons, buying grocery-store brands and seeking out food that has been reduced in price because it's close to the expiry date, the poll found.
“I have to do this dance now with discounted stuff like dairy products because some stores mark them down if they are getting ready to expire,” said another reader. “I don’t like having to potentially get sick just to save some money, but this is what it takes.”
Meanwhile, Statistics Canada figures show meat prices are up as much as 10 per cent in the last six months, a situation the survey said has prompted nearly half of Canadians to report reducing the amount of meat they buy.
In addition, the poll said about three-quarters of Canadians have noticed so-called "shrinkflation," the reduction in the amount of food in a package to adjust for inflation without raising prices.
The shrinking-package strategy leaves consumers with less for their money for everything from cookies and chips to cheese and orange juice.
The survey also found that while 86 per cent of all Canadians believe food prices are higher than six months ago, that observation was highest among the baby boom generation with 93 per cent noticing higher food prices.
One possible silver lining is that the price between organic and conventional items is shrinking in some cases, Charlebois said.
Looking ahead, he said food prices are expected to remain elevated as shipping, labour and other input costs are projected to remain high.
- With files by the Canadian Press
