Posthaste: Canadians are planning to fight back against higher grocery prices in 2024

financialpost.com:

Canadians who spent the past year watching their grocery bills climb ever higher appear to be resigned to even more pain ahead in 2024, but they’re also planning to fight back.

Just over 80 per cent of Canadians think food prices will continue to rise next year, according to a new report from the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, in partnership with Caddle. Many expect staple items to be hit hard, with almost three-quarters predicting meat prices will soar, while 62.2 per cent think they’ll be paying more for fruits and vegetables. Another 42.1 per cent believe prices of dairy products, such as milk, cheese and butter, will spike.

But just because people expect higher prices doesn’t mean they aren’t plotting ways to save money. Many are planning to transform how they shop and eat to find some much-needed relief on their grocery bills.

“Canadians are adapting in diverse ways to manage their food expenses,” Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, said in a release. “This change is more than just economic; it’s a cultural shift in how we approach our food choices and consumption patterns.”

For example, one way people are planning to cope is by shopping sales, and more than 40 per cent say they’ll put more focus on promotions in the new year. Another 34.6 per cent plan to use coupons to control costs, while 33.6 per cent say they’ll make more use of loyalty programs, some of which allow customers to exchange points for discounts on grocery bills.

One-third of Canadians also aren’t opposed to switching food stores if it means finding a better deal, the survey said. But they also appear to need a good reason to shop somewhere new, and will only do so if they can be wooed by lower prices,