Grocery cart economics hits home
Stretching a dollar and feeding your family — it’s something shoppers are finding harder to do these days.
“When I came to Canada in 2018 I can do groceries for just $100 in one month, and now it’s almost double,” said Prem Peep who just stocked up at his local No Frills in East London.
Brandy Shaw was out for her weekly shopping as well. She said she’s also seeing the upward trend in food prices and she’s none too pleased about it.
“Probably by 25 per cent I noticed, compared to this time last year,” said Shaw.
It’s not just shoppers with the bottom blues. At Berries Market in south London, CEO and President Husam Mohammad said he gets hit with bigger bills from suppliers, which he in turn has no choice but to pass along to consumers.CEO and President of Berries Market, Husam Mohammad, Jan. 25, 2022. (Bryan Bicknell / CTV News)“Which is unbelievable for the customer,” he said. He added that he understands their frustration. “Usually in the market there’s five per cent, 10 per. cent, but for time being sometimes 100 per cent.”
And whether temporary or longer term, some items appear to be in short supply.
A quick tour through a major chain grocery store in London Tuesday revealed a number of nearly empty shelves — something most Ontario shoppers aren’t accustomed to seeing.
Mohammad said the problem is often worse for smaller grocers that don’t have the same buying power as their mega-sized competitors. He said many factors are at play.
“Lot of labour they don’t like to work at this time because of their health. Lines of production going down at a lot of factories. They have two, three lines, they have 50 per cent or less than that, even for Canadian factories too.”
At Brescia University College in London, professor Peggy O’Neil said while it may seem like it, the higher prices didn’t happen over night.
O’Neil, who teaches Food, Leadership and Social Change said the issues affecting food prices and availability have been simmering for some time.Dr. Peggy O'Neil speaks with CTV News London via Zoom, Jan. 25, 2022. (Bryan Bicknell / CTV News)
“Prices of feed were higher for farmers and we saw labour interruptions at processing facilities, as well as increase in wages.
”Further, O’Neil said what we may not always see in shopping cart economics is how food inflation affects those living on a lower income.
“If you’re struggling economically, it already adds another factor, so nutrition is an important factor when food prices do go up. You’ve got to look at food as an investment and not a transaction.”
Back at No Frills, shopper Brandy Shaw said to look for the deals.
“Try to get as many discounts as you can and build up your points and try to buy stuff on sale when you can because it’s going to affect everything.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
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.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.