Sylvain Charlebois says that Canadians may not realize that the prices on the shelves and what's scanned might be different, and that there's sometimes an opportunity for compensation if there's been an error.
Grocery retailers in Canada are experiencing a "crisis of confidence" according to Sylvain Charlebois, who explains negative feedback to a recent photo of pricey chicken breasts.
Sylvain Charlebois says that major food chains continue to pay bonuses to their leaders as if nothing has happened -- a serious blunder, especially with inflation and a crisis in the loss of consumer confidence.
'The Food Professor' talks about the industry's relationship with the Competition Bureau, its profitability, supply chain issues, labour shortages, rising food prices, and consumer behaviour.
Sylvain Charlebois says that Loblaw is arguably the most hated grocer in the world as consumers revolt at inflationary price increases and remember the bread scandal.
Consumers are already trusting grocers less, says Sylvain Charlebois, following the highly publicized bread price-fixing scheme that went on for years.
Some price hikes have been difficult to explain according to Sylvain Charlebois, raising questions about grocery retailers in Canada as consumers struggle.
Sylvain Charlebois talks about how bad inflation has gotten in Canada, why it's happened, where the costs have risen, what can consumers do, what can grocery stores do, and what the future looks like.
Sylvain Charlebois says that food inflation numbers tell us several stories as consumers grapple with price increases, with light at the end of the tunnel.
The Food Professor says that he thinks that food inflation in Canada may have already peaked, though headwinds may create some uncertainty in months to come.
Sylvain Charlebois says that the government's efforts are ill-directed and insufficient at a time when many consumers are precariously stretched financially.
Sylvain Charlebois says that "it's about time" that the relationship ended, and that loyalty will probably be the next battleground for Canadian grocers.
Sylvain Charlebois says that since the start of the pandemic, more Canadians are using self-checkouts with differences among younger vs older demographics.
Differing dynamics between Canada and the US means things are different -- but many Canadians don't know about a Chinese connection which poses a threat.
Industry expert Sylvain Charlebois says that as consumers begin going out again, dining at home is seeing a downward trend following pandemic isolation.