'It's going to be tough': Report predicts grocery store prices to keep rising
Food prices in Canada will continue to rise in the New Year, according to a new report.
The 13th edition of Canada’s Food Price Report released on Monday said that overall, food prices will increase by five to seven per cent next year.
“It's tough for families there's no question,” said grocery shopper Marny Beale in Windsor, Ont.
“I don't know how people with family are doing it because even the basics, bread, milk — and with Christmas, they want to get other stuff in but it's going to be tough.”
The report forecasts that an average family of four, including a man (age 31-50), woman (age 31-50), boy (age 14-18), and girl (age 9-13) will spend up to $16,288.41 per year on food, an increase of up to $1,065.60 from what was observed in 2022.
“Just trying to watch every dollar,” explained consumer Beth Kohut. “I look at flyers and shop around instead of just going to one store now.”
La Stella Supermarket on Erie Street owner Jimmy Pugliese said in an interview that it’s best to keep an eye out for deals, telling CTV News it’s difficult to keep prices down.
“Everything goes up like it's so ridiculous,” Pugliese said. “It's crazy.”
“It doesn't make sense, a lot of things don't make sense. Like I was getting stuff from Montreal delivered here for free. Now, I to have to pay $200 just for the freight on each pallet. It adds up.”
Mercato Fresh president, Marc Romauldi, explained business has been busy since the opening of their second grocery store location in southwestern Ontario last month.
“We buy from Maple Leaf, Schneiders, all the major Ontario premium packers and we deal directly with those packers every day,” he said.
Romauldi said keeping things as local as possible helps keep prices consistent, noting logistic cost savings are passed to customers.
“We’re not a gas station, we keep our prices the same as much as possible. Unless we feel it's going to be a permanent thing then we may look at it but we do our best to keep the prices status quo,” Romauldi said.
Lead author of the report and Dalhousie University professor of food distribution and policy, Sylvain Charlebois, said the first part of 2023 will remain challenging but that consumers should eventually get a break.
“We are expecting an economic downturn and the silver lining of economic downturns is that really things will come down, people will have less money to spend and grocers will have to adjust prices. They won't have much of a choice,” Charlebois told CTV News.
“We are expecting grocers to offer more deals to consumers. Over the last couple of years things have been so crazy, grocers really not have time to offer any loss leaders or deals at the grocery store. We are expecting more deals as consumers become a more frugal than they are now.”
Charlebois suggested to continue searching for deals to find savings.
“If you can alternate between two or three stores, go to one store every week but a different store every week and you'll become better knowledgeable about the market,” he said. “Prices change every single day.”
- With files from the Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.