Grocery gloom: The most outrageous food prices Canadians spotted this year
The quest for affordable grocery prices has been fruitless for many Canadians this year.
Countless Canadians have taken to social media to put grocers on blast for exorbitant prices.
From steep costs on basic grocery items to supermarkets being accused of “shrinkflation” and “predatory” pricing, there was no shortage of headlines about crazy food prices.
So much so, that This Hour Has 22 Minutes made an all-too-relatable, hilarious skit about Canadians’ grocery shopping experience.
So, let’s take a look back at some of the most outrageous grocery prices Canadians spotted this year.
The viral $40 for five chicken breasts at Loblaws
After being called out for selling five pieces of chicken breasts for almost $40, Loblaws’ marketing team worked on damage control.
Unfortunately, their social media posts showing packs of more reasonably priced chicken breasts with prices ranging from $13 to $16 didn’t work.
A quick scroll through the comment section showed that attempts to placate consumers fell flat.
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Shocking prices for basic grocery items
No item is safe. From $9 cauliflower to “f*cking absurd” prices for prepackaged food, Canadians are seeing high costs in every aisle.
Not-so-discounted prices at discount grocery stores like No Frills
Even discount supermarket chains like No Frills were put on blast for overpriced basic items like raspberry jam and frozen raspberries.
Chipflation
In May, a Redditor pointed out how they were “old enough to remember when chips only cost 99 cents (a year ago).”
Attached to the post is a photo of No Name all-dressed chips, which are priced at two for $5 or $2.99 each at Loblaws.
Shrinkflation
Loblaws drew the ire of customers after one TikToker discovered that his bag of No Name onion rings weighed far less than stated.
Daily Hive did an investigation of our own, and the results may surprise you.
“Predatory” pricing at Safeway
Safeway wasn’t safe from the scrutiny of Canadian shoppers.
One person posted a photo of a price tag at Safeway on the Edmonton subreddit that had customers fuming.
The photo shows a price tag that seems to be advertising a sale on 1-litre Schwepps Gingerale bottles, but a closer look at the fine print says otherwise.
“Buy four and they are 88 cents each. Buy five or more and they are now a dollar each,” read the post. “Way to be sneaky, Safeway, to make people buy more thinking it’s on sale when they are actually paying more than they should.”
Remember to read the entire price tag.
byu/lordthundercheeks inEdmonton
Non-Canadians shocked by sky-high grocery prices
German, UK and US residents aren’t impressed by Canada’s outrageous prices. Daily Hive has written several stories of people comparing grocery costs to their hometown, most concluding that the prices here in Canada are “unreasonable.”
Depressing grocery hauls
If you search for “groceries” on TikTok, you’ll see Canadians sharing hauls and how much they cost.
Many are visual representations of how expensive life currently is in Canada.
@nataliecrystalle Omg this inflation tho… #groceryhaul #groceryshopping #inflation #fyp #foryoupage #discoverpage #viral ♬ original sound – Natalie Crystalle