Almost two-thirds of Canadians think grocery store inflation is getting worse. A new survey has revealed that they feel this way even as food inflation has eased.
According to a Ledger survey, about 30 percent of Canadians believe grocery stores’ efforts to increase profit margins are the primary cause of food inflation. 26 per cent of Canadians blamed global economic factors. But one in five Canadians surveyed blamed the federal government.
The grocery inflation rate was 1.4 per cent in April, which helped bring overall inflation down to 2.7 per cent, Statistics Canada said. Although low inflation means prices are still rising. And grocery prices have increased by 21.4 percent in the last three years.
Major grocers said they did not make unfair profits from inflation.
A group of consumers organized a boycott of Lobal-owned stores in May, complaining of high prices and industry centralization.
Seven in 10 Canadians surveyed said they were aware of the ongoing boycott. 58 percent said they support it. But only 18 percent of Canadians surveyed said they or a family member had joined the boycott.
The survey focused on rural and urban residents’ views on exclusion. That said, it’s difficult for out-of-towners to join the Lobal-owned grocery store exclusion program. Urban residents who participated in the survey expressed support for the exclusion program more than suburban and rural residents. Participation in this exclusion program is also high among them.
Only half of Canadians surveyed said it was unfair to target Lobbal for exclusion. Nearly two-thirds of Canadians surveyed don’t think the boycott will have any effect on grocery prices. Those who believe that the exclusion program will help to reduce prices are mainly urban citizens. As almost three-fourths of the rural population, the exclusion program will have no impact on the price of grocery products.
Note that the survey was conducted on 1,519 Canadians from May 17 to 19.
