Supermarkets battle to attract customers
Everyone’s feeling the shock of higher grocery prices these days: you run in to buy a few basics, and 80 bucks later you leave the store wondering if there’s a hole in your pocket.
Grocery bills have actually risen about 2.3 per cent over the past year. But the worst may be over, says economist Millan Mulraine, pointing to lower import prices and a stronger dollar.
Better still, tough talk from Loblaw, Canada's largest grocery chain, has fuelled speculation that food sellers are gearing up for an old-fashioned price war this Christmas.But not everyone is convinced.
According to Kathleen Wong of Veritas Investment Research, Loblaw has been busy “rounding down" the prices of some items at its superstores, while boosting prices of many others. About two thirds of the 50 items reviewed were rounded up rather than down from their previous promotional price, she maintains.
The best way to win a price war, of course, is not to play in the first place. Instead, stores can compete in other areas: customer service or quality. But that doesn’t put money in your pocket.
In the meantime, try hitting the market on the right day of the week to snag the best deals, says Teri Gault, whose thegrocerygame site tries to help shoppers stretch their food dollars.
Typically, flyers that arrive in your local paper run their sales on a Friday to Thursday schedule. If you’re shopping the night before a sale expires, take the circular with you: the sale tags might already have been moved in anticipation of the next day's sales, she warns.
In fact, with a little legwork, savvy shoppers can keep their grocery bills at 2008 levels — if not lower, say the folks at SmartMoney. And here’s another price-shaving primer from the EverydayCheapskate blog.
All good advice. But for prices to really drop and stay there, companies' competitive juices have to really start flowing again.
So do you expect a high-stakes game of chicken in the shopping aisles anytime soon?
By Gordon Powers, MSN MoneyShare:
Posted by: rick smith | Nov 24, 2021 7:05:08 AM
the super store in chatham ont....the meat department..it is not good at all.... there price of tin goods way over priiced...for example ..a simple can of tomatoes that is growen by the tons....with six tomatos in the can for aprox..$1.50...... thanks for your time
Posted by: Don | Nov 24, 2021 12:51:09 PM
This is such garbage. Prices dont go down. The price of grain has dropped and the price of flour and cereal continues to rise. When the price of beef dropped into the toilet the prices never budged on the grocery store shelves. Where I live prices increased dramtically over the price of fuel.(transportation costs they said)..well the price of fuel has dropped but the prices have continued to rise. What ever will happen if the commodity prices go up once again. Basic food stuffs will be unaffordable for many.
There is always a way to justify the price increase. The problem is my memory to too good. I remember why they said they had to increase prices and even long after the reason is gone they keep the prices high.
Posted by: Sandra | Nov 25, 2021 11:40:30 PM
Prices have gone over the roof in the past two years, just readily risen. If there's going to be a war in prices, it better start soon, as of today, there are more people who can't even afford a bag of groceries. Have you seen the price of milk lately......
Posted by: Mac | Nov 30, 2021 4:48:25 PM
The war hasn't started in Alberta yet. The Xmas rush for higher prices has been noticeable again this year. I don't know where the 2.3% increase comes from. Try 20 to 30%. The increases are more than the coupon for buying the large grocery order. You only think that you are getting a good deal.
The retail prices of value added groceries doesn't go down after the perceived 'shortage' of the ingredients goes down. Items made with flour and rice are good examples.