Inflation

[yrt+viva=1system]

Prices tend to fluctuate depending on what you're buying and from where as others above have said. My family tends to shop from different places depending on what's on the grocery list and this was always the case even before the pandemic. We're fortunate enough to live in an area that has a few grocery options available within a 10 minute walk (took a few decades for them appear lol): No Frills, T&T and Walmart. No Frills and Walmart for the basic staples such as bread, milk and juice. T&T tends to be for the Asian ingredients but it's usually of last resort as their prices tend to be much higher. Surprisingly we do venture out into Markham and Scarborough on a weekend basis to buy majority of our groceries for the week from independent ethnic supermarkets. Produce, meats and seafood tend to far cheaper and fresher than the giant mainstream places disregarding speciality. The only thing we noticed is that sometimes produce might not last as long in the fridge as if purchased from the mainstream giants. It's not a one stop shop for us.

 

[gabe]

Prices tend to fluctuate depending on what you're buying and from where as others above have said. My family tends to shop from different places depending on what's on the grocery list and this was always the case even before the pandemic. We're fortunate enough to live in an area that has a few grocery options available within a 10 minute walk (took a few decades for them appear lol): No Frills, T&T and Walmart. No Frills and Walmart for the basic staples such as bread, milk and juice. T&T tends to be for the Asian ingredients but it's usually of last resort as their prices tend to be much higher. Surprisingly we do venture out into Markham and Scarborough on a weekend basis to buy majority of our groceries for the week from independent ethnic supermarkets. Produce, meats and seafood tend to far cheaper and fresher than the giant mainstream places disregarding speciality. The only thing we noticed is that sometimes produce might not last as long in the fridge as if purchased from the mainstream giants. It's not a one stop shop for us.

Other than T&T i try to avoid the ethnic stores downtown. The stores in Markham, Scarborough, Brampton, have better quality and prices. Some of small ethnic shops downtown you really need to check the expiry dates. Some of the stock has been sitting there way past it's best before date. And another downside, items can be ridiculously expensive compared to the same items you can get at the chains.

 

[AlbertC]

"Galen Weston is the poster boy for excess": This economist blames supermarkets for astronomical food prices

Jim Stanford explains why corporate greed—not supply chain problems or inflation—is the reason for skyrocketing grocery bills

torontolife.com

 

[p_xavier]

Prices fluctuates from 40-60% on a week. It's ridicukous. Lays chips are about 2,49$ to 4,49$ depending on the week. How can't that be corporate greed?

 

[yrt+viva=1system]

Prices fluctuates from 40-60% on a week. It's ridicukous. Lays chips are about 2,49$ to 4,49$ depending on the week. How can't that be corporate greed?

So it's not just me that noticed. Saw Lay's going for $5.60 this past week at Loblaws. I said no and went to grab Dollarama's private brand chips...which are produced by Lays.

 

[afransen]

So it's not just me that noticed. Saw Lay's going for $5.60 this past week at Loblaws. I said no and went to grab Dollarama's private brand chips...which are produced by Lays.

Are they? I'm doubtful. Most of the private label chips are made by companies you likely never heard of.

Something is definitely rotten when NN Chips are maybe $1.50-$2.

 

[yrt+viva=1system]

Are they? I'm doubtful. Most of the private label chips are made by companies you likely never heard of.

Something is definitely rotten when NN Chips are maybe $1.50-$2.

Unless Lay's is operating as a third party vendor. I do see the Lay's delivery guy on a weekly basis stocking up the chips at Dollarama with Lay's owned brands and the Dollarama private brand. The Dollarama employees do not stock the chips from what I've seen.

 

[marcus_a_j]

Are they? I'm doubtful. Most of the private label chips are made by companies you likely never heard of.

Something is definitely rotten when NN Chips are maybe $1.50-$2.

No Name chips are $1.33 (when you buy 3) are No Frills. During the No Name price freeze they were $1 (when you buy 3). So those chips went up 33% when Loblaw's ended their NN price freeze. At Shoppers I think they're $2 or so.

After the Loblaw's / Lay's feud ended, it seemed like prices were at least 50% more. Haven't bought Lay's since (and I really miss Cool Ranch Doritos)

 

[just east of the creek]

One thing that should be part of any discussion of food costs are farm costs. In the years 2021 and 2022 only two of the roughly 13 or 14 categories of farm costs have run less than inflation. Most other costs - fuel, fertilizers, feed, repairs, equipment costs etc are running twice that of inflation. Farm wages are one of those inputs that run less than inflation, probably due to the fact that they are more negotiable, and many farmers and farm workers are owner/operators. So there is and will continue to be bottom up pressure on prices. I could care less what you pay for Lays, but how Can you eat those no name chips? Ugly. I’d like to see more of those profits flow back to the farmer, we could all use the income. But I recognize there are issues with rising food costs for fundamental nutrition and lower income earners.

 

[afransen]

One thing that should be part of any discussion of food costs are farm costs. In the years 2021 and 2022 only two of the roughly 13 or 14 categories of farm costs have run less than inflation. Most other costs - fuel, fertilizers, feed, repairs, equipment costs etc are running twice that of inflation. Farm wages are one of those inputs that run less than inflation, probably due to the fact that they are more negotiable, and many farmers and farm workers are owner/operators. So there is and will continue to be bottom up pressure on prices. I could care less what you pay for Lays, but how Can you eat those no name chips? Ugly. I’d like to see more of those profits flow back to the farmer, we could all use the income. But I recognize there are issues with rising food costs for fundamental nutrition and lower income earners.

What makes you think Lays provides greater income for farmers? The higher price goes to marketing and Pepsico bottom-line, not to the poor potato farmer (or his TFW employees).

 

[just east of the creek]

What makes you think Lays provides greater income for farmers? The higher price goes to marketing and Pepsico bottom-line, not to the poor potato farmer (or his TFW employees).

I am sure they do not; perhaps only to the extent of buying No1’s instead of 2’s. Canadian potatoe prices have been under pressure do to the issues with P.E.I. spuds, but I have no idea if that impacts Canadian chip production.

 

[yrt+viva=1system]

I'm starting to get a sense that the Bank of Canada is talking out of their derrière now. A couple of months ago they were laying the blame on higher wages for the high inflation, now they are pointing to profiteering.

Bank of Canada might need to raise rates if companies keep raising prices, Macklem warns​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/inflation-family-column-don-pittis-1.6750879

As people as diverse as Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell and Canadian labour economist Jim Stanford have noted, despite continued talk of a wage-price spiral, wages have not led the post-COVID bout of inflation. Wage hikes have steadily been below inflation. Latest Canadian jobs figures show wage hikes are declining, currently running at 4.5 per cent, more than a full percentage point below rising prices.

 

[AlbertC]

Galen Jr deserves the Beaverton treatment for this one:

Galen Weston defends $3 million raise by asking "Have you seen how expensive stuff is getting lately?"

Caledon, Ontario –Loblaws CEO Galen Weston defended his $3 million raise this week by noting that it's really not that much when you think of how expensive things are nowadays.

www.thebeaverton.com

Meanwhile, a couple other articles in contrast:

Two in five Canadians now dipping into their savings to make ends meet | Canada

Canadians have been hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis and the situation is getting worse, with many drawing on savings to make ends meet.

dailyhive.com

"All of a sudden chips cost five dollars": Bargain hunters share their tips for keeping grocery bills low

We asked thrifty Dollarama shoppers about their best dollar-store finds and how they're navigating the rising cost of living

torontolife.com

 

[AlbertC]

For the modern day Andrew Carnegie's of the world:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nyc/comments/12i4fot

 

[Northern Light]

For the modern day Andrew Carnegie's of the world:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nyc/comments/12i4fot

At first, I was just going to say that it was obviously an @AlbertC 'company expense account' lunch kinda thing.

But then I clicked through:

Self-serve, wrapped in cellophane....... for $29? Someone can go ......@#$# themselves. Seriously though, that there is some chutzpah! Clearly, unworthy of Albert's luxury budget from the boss!