Most Canadians expect food prices to rise in 2024 and most will look for grocery sales to handle the increase, according to a new report from Dalhousie University.The survey of 5,000 Canadians conducted by Caddle found 80.3% of them expect food prices to continue to rise in the new year. For categories, 70.4% believe meat products will increase significantly, followed by produce at 62.2% and dairy at 42.1%.Many Canadians expect to change how they approach grocery shopping in the new year. A total of 43.3% said they will focus more on promotions to cope with higher food prices, followed by 34.6% who will use more coupons, 33.6% who will use loyalty programs more often and 30.6% who will compare prices at stores to get better deals.Canadians also explained their criteria for switching stores. Three-quarters (77.9%) look for lower prices, 50.9% look for quality and 42.7% want something close to home. Only 10.4% expect to shop online more.Few Canadians will be looking for premium products, but 14.9% intend to buy more organically grown produce and 12% intend to buy more fair trade products.Data from the National Youth Council suggests an average Canadian household generates 140 kilograms of food waste annually, costing $1,300. Across all households, this suggests 2.3 million tons of food wasted annually at a cost of $20 billion.The latest survey suggests many Canadians will waste less food in 2024. Almost half (48%) of Canadians intend to better plan meals and shopping lists, 36.2% intend to eat leftovers more often, 32.7% intend to use food preservation methods such as freezers and canning more often, 24% intend to buy food products with a longer shelf-life and 21% will serve smaller portions.Many Canadians also plan to cut back on buying certain products. Snacks and convenience foods are the top choice at 43.2%, followed by meat for 30.5% of Canadians, alcoholic beverages for 28.2% and fish and seafood for 16.3%. Rounding off the list, fresh produce and dairy products were each the choice of 12.9% percent.Prices in restaurants have gone up, so 38.3% of Canadians plan to eat out less often, though 6.4% plan to dine out more and 12.2% say they won’t eat out at all next year.For people who intend to eat out, 39.4% say they’ll choose more budget-friendly restaurants. Another 24.2% of Canadians will not order side dishes or alcohol and 13.7% intend to share meals.Eating healthier and making better food decisions is the number one choice for new year’s resolutions on food at 14.9%, followed by cooking more at home (13.7%). Drinking more water and staying hydrated is the third most popular choice, followed by more exercise to work off the pounds.Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, director at Dalhousie’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, said the findings are part of a significant trend.“Our latest research highlights a growing concern among Canadians about rising food prices and their consequent shift in food consumption habits,” said Charlebois.“This change is more than just economic; it's a cultural shift in how we approach our food choices and consumption patterns.”Janet Music, research manager at the lab, said the findings revealed a “significant shift” and “an increased emphasis on sustainability, health, and local sourcing…indicative of a deeper transformation in the Canadian food industry, signalling a growing consciousness among consumers about the broader impacts of their food decisions.” For more information and access to the full report, please visit https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food.html.Disclosure: Funding for the survey was provided by Dalhousie University and Caddle.
Most Canadians expect food prices to rise in 2024 and most will look for grocery sales to handle the increase, according to a new report from Dalhousie University.The survey of 5,000 Canadians conducted by Caddle found 80.3% of them expect food prices to continue to rise in the new year. For categories, 70.4% believe meat products will increase significantly, followed by produce at 62.2% and dairy at 42.1%.Many Canadians expect to change how they approach grocery shopping in the new year. A total of 43.3% said they will focus more on promotions to cope with higher food prices, followed by 34.6% who will use more coupons, 33.6% who will use loyalty programs more often and 30.6% who will compare prices at stores to get better deals.Canadians also explained their criteria for switching stores. Three-quarters (77.9%) look for lower prices, 50.9% look for quality and 42.7% want something close to home. Only 10.4% expect to shop online more.Few Canadians will be looking for premium products, but 14.9% intend to buy more organically grown produce and 12% intend to buy more fair trade products.Data from the National Youth Council suggests an average Canadian household generates 140 kilograms of food waste annually, costing $1,300. Across all households, this suggests 2.3 million tons of food wasted annually at a cost of $20 billion.The latest survey suggests many Canadians will waste less food in 2024. Almost half (48%) of Canadians intend to better plan meals and shopping lists, 36.2% intend to eat leftovers more often, 32.7% intend to use food preservation methods such as freezers and canning more often, 24% intend to buy food products with a longer shelf-life and 21% will serve smaller portions.Many Canadians also plan to cut back on buying certain products. Snacks and convenience foods are the top choice at 43.2%, followed by meat for 30.5% of Canadians, alcoholic beverages for 28.2% and fish and seafood for 16.3%. Rounding off the list, fresh produce and dairy products were each the choice of 12.9% percent.Prices in restaurants have gone up, so 38.3% of Canadians plan to eat out less often, though 6.4% plan to dine out more and 12.2% say they won’t eat out at all next year.For people who intend to eat out, 39.4% say they’ll choose more budget-friendly restaurants. Another 24.2% of Canadians will not order side dishes or alcohol and 13.7% intend to share meals.Eating healthier and making better food decisions is the number one choice for new year’s resolutions on food at 14.9%, followed by cooking more at home (13.7%). Drinking more water and staying hydrated is the third most popular choice, followed by more exercise to work off the pounds.Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, director at Dalhousie’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab, said the findings are part of a significant trend.“Our latest research highlights a growing concern among Canadians about rising food prices and their consequent shift in food consumption habits,” said Charlebois.“This change is more than just economic; it's a cultural shift in how we approach our food choices and consumption patterns.”Janet Music, research manager at the lab, said the findings revealed a “significant shift” and “an increased emphasis on sustainability, health, and local sourcing…indicative of a deeper transformation in the Canadian food industry, signalling a growing consciousness among consumers about the broader impacts of their food decisions.” For more information and access to the full report, please visit https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food.html.Disclosure: Funding for the survey was provided by Dalhousie University and Caddle.
