New research from Dalhousie University offers insights into how Canadians are navigating high food prices ahead of Thanksgiving.
Most Canadians have changed their grocery shopping habits over the past year to counteract the impact of food inflation on their budgets.
The Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, in collaboration with Caddle, conducted a survey of more than 5,000 Canadians in September, finding that 64.1% have changed their grocery shopping habits.
Eighty-six per cent of respondents consider themselves more price-conscious compared to last year, while many are counting pennies with coupons (74.8%), food-rescuing apps (52.8%), loyalty programs (79.2%) and “enjoy tonight” deals (41.4%). Just shy of half (49.7%) of Canadians have contemplated growing their own food.
"I believe that this survey sheds important light on the evolving challenges that Canadians face when it comes to their grocery shopping habits and their concerns about nutrition in the face of rising food prices. It's evident that these challenges are not just economic but also deeply tied to the daily lives and well-being of Canadians,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, in a statement.
Other finding from the survey include:
A smaller portion (18.5%) of respondents are frequenting farmers’ markets more often, while 17% have embraced online transactions for food purchases for over a year.
Private label brands remain popular with shoppers, as 63.8% of Canadians report buying store brands over national brands as a cost-saving measure.
A substantial 79.1% of Canadians assert that they have significantly reduced food waste in the past year.
Nearly half (49.2%) have reduced the quantity of meat or protein sources they purchase due to higher food costs, up from the previous year.
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