Buyers change stores or drive further to seek out higher deals
Some Canadians can get monetary savings on their grocery shopping by switching stores. Major grocers have recognized this and have expanded their discount offerings to fulfill demand for higher deals.
Some shoppers travel barely further for his or her grocery shopping and even visit multiple stores to make the most of all of the special offers, while others attempt to spend their money primarily at independent grocers.
Craig Treulieb of Kitchener, Ontario, said he not does most of his shopping on the superstore but has diversified his shopping trips. He now takes somewhat more time and visits Food Basics and native independent stores.
“We didn’t used to care so much about bargains and generally found the prices at Superstore to be OK, good enough. And it was convenient to make just one purchase,” he said.
Treulieb has also signed up for a weekly box of fresh vegetables and buys them in bulk from Costco.
Michael Ianni of Vancouver said he was frustrated with prices at his nearby Safeway, so he began driving further distances to go to small, independent stores in his area.
“I take a nice walk along Commercial Drive and find other stores, and sometimes the prices there are cheaper or comparable,” he said.
“For me, it just feels better to support them. And sometimes you can find better deals if you look.”
