Several new surveys have found Canadians are feeling very stressed from soaring inflation rates, including the rise of grocery products. Statistics Canada writes, “Canadians pay 9.7% more for food at stores compared to a year ago” – the largest increase since September 1981. The FP Canada Financial Stress Index survey says that 38% of respondees…
The province’s COVID-19 rapid antigen test program that was supposed to carry on for eight weeks, originally set to wrap up in April, will be continuing to offer free rapid test kits until the end of July, a government official has confirmed. “These tests will provide another layer of protection, support the province’s efforts to…
COVID-19 has brought to light aspects of food retail that most consumers had formerly taken for granted. The period of panic-buying has curbed as consumers have become accustomed to the “new normal” of grocery shopping. New shopping patterns, with higher reliance on online and delivery options, have become commonplace. With customers’ expectations in grocery shopping…
Many grocery workers, once hailed heroes, are struggling with anxiety as they continue to go to work as stay-at-home orders are in place. Called essential workers at the start of the pandemic, now supermarket employees are feeling forgotten. The vaccine rollout is scheduled but workers are still eager to get their shots, which aren’t due…
2020 has challenged all Canadians in many ways, but none so much as the front-line workers, who have been just awarded the Nation Builder of the Year Award. Food retailers and their frontline workers have done an incredible job continuously adapting as protocols shift and change in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging Canada. After…
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we go about our daily lives. It has affected how we travel, work, interact and of course how we shop. Within a short period of time, grocery shopping, once a routine errand has now become a strange and unfamiliar experience. From buying more online to searching out local products,…
Successful businesses have always known the importance of aligning their operations with trending consumer behaviours. As society progresses, the needs and expectations of consumers often adjust as well. From new information becoming accessible to the growth of social influence, there are numerous reasons for why we might change the way we consume. The outbreak of…
What can grocers expect after COVID-19? Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, grocery shopping has changed from being a routine errand to a logistical minefield. With social distancing and an emphasis on safe sanitary practices, grocery stores have had to adapt to alterations in the shopping landscape. Before the pandemic, food from bars, cafes, coffee shops…