Many Canadians scrutinize their grocery store receipts, and most get good results by reporting mistakes, reports a recent poll by Dalhousie University..Working with Caddle, Dalhousie’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab conducted a national survey of 5,525 respondents in early March that considered their shopping experiences over the past 12 months..How closely Canadians check receipts, what errors they encounter, and how stores handle them were among the issues explored..Two-thirds (67%) of respondents saw one or more mistakes on a receipt the last year. Residents of New Brunswick and Manitoba were least likely to have encountered mistakes (61%), while Newfoundland and Labrador residents were the most likely (84%)..Provinces Percentage of respondents who have noticed mistakes on receipts in the last 12 monthsNew Brunswick 61%Manitoba 61%Prince Edward Island 63%British Columbia 65%Ontario 66%Alberta 69%Quebec 69%Nova Scotia 74%Saskatchewan 77%Newfoundland and Labrador 84%.At 78.5%, the most common mistake was the displayed shelf price didn’t match what rung in at the till. Also, 35.3% of respondents said a daily discount was not applied, while 31.4% claimed the cashier accidentally scanned an item too many times..Nearly half of Canadians (49.5%) say they always check receipts for mistakes, and only 3.3% say they never do. A total of 15.2% said that for every four receipts, they find at least one mistake. Two-thirds (67%) of consumers check receipts for mistakes before they leave the store, while the rest do so at home. .A total of 84% of consumers complained after noticing a mistake on their receipt. Of those who did not complain, 39.4% felt it wasn’t worth the money, while 31.1% didn’t have the time..When consumers did show grocers the price error, most (87.1%) were either satisfied or very satisfied with the response. One-in-five consumers (20.6%) thought reporting mistakes saved them least $50 a year..More generally, three-in-four (73.9%) respondents visited a grocery store’s customer service desk regarding an issue. Of that group, most (81.7%) had a good or great experience. .Almost half (46%) of those in Newfoundland and Labrador were very satisfied with how their question or complaint was handled, while only one-quarter (25.8%) of those in Nova Scotia could say the same..ProvincesAre you typically VERY satisfied with how your question / complaint is handled by the grocery store?Newfoundland and Labrador46.0%Quebec40.4%Alberta39.1%New Brunswick33.0%Prince Edward Island32.2%Manitoba31.9%Ontario31.9%British Columbia31.8%Saskatchewan30.4%Nova Scotia25.8%.Many Canadians (64%) purchased a product which was damaged without noticing it at the grocery store. Half (50.4%) returned the product with their receipt, 33.2% threw out the product, while 10.7% ate it anyway..Seven-in-10 respondents purchased at least one recalled product. Of that group, 57% successfully returned their products with a receipt, but in 2.9% of cases, the grocer wouldn’t take the product back..“This report provides us with an interesting glimpse of how consumers and grocers react to issues and problems, while food prices are increasing at record levels,” said Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University..“Despite concerns about food prices, it is clear most Canadians are pleased with how complaints and problems are addressed by grocers. Consumers need all the help they can get.”.Receipts that mention the amount saved get people’s attention, though not their trust. While 82.2% of respondents said they notice these numbers, only 57.7% of that group believe the amount accurately reflects what they saved that day..Almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents noticed consumer surveys on receipts. Of that group, 24.7% always or usually fill them out, while 45.1% never do.
