As food costs rise, our grocery shopping habits are changing

Shoppers are switching stores or travelling farther for better deals

For some Canadians, saving money on groceries involves switching stores—something the major grocers have taken note of, as they’ve been expanding their discount store footprints to capture demand for better deals. 

Some shoppers are travelling a little farther for their groceries, even going to multiple stores to take advantage of all the available promotions, while others are trying to prioritize spending their money at independently owned grocers.

Craig Treulieb in Kitchener, Ont., said instead of doing the bulk of his shopping at Superstore, he has diversified his shopping trip. He now takes a bit more time, hitting up Food Basics and local independent stores. 

“We used to not be super concerned about shopping deals and generally found Superstore’s prices to be OK, good enough. And it was convenient doing one shop,” he said. 

Treulieb has also signed up for a weekly farm vegetable box, and is buying more in bulk at Costco. 

Michael Ianni in Vancouver said he grew frustrated with the prices at his nearby Safeway, and has started travelling farther to go to independent small stores in his area.

“I go and take a nice stroll on Commercial Drive, and I find other stores, and there’s sometimes cheaper prices or comparable,” he said. 

“For me, it just feels better to support them. And sometimes if you look, you can find better deals.”