Liberal claims of “making life more affordable” since 2015 is hogwash
By Franco Terrazzano and Kris Sims There was a clash between reality and the federal Liberal Twitter account last week. The self-congratulatory tweet claimed Liberals have been “making life more affordable” since 2015. When Canadians look at gas prices, grocery store receipts and mortgage payments, that claim might raise eyebrows. Does life feel more affordable…
Buying only what we really need eases our budgets, simplifies our lives and cools the economy
Inflation is a relatively new concept to younger people, who have never experienced the onslaught of rising prices. It’s chilling to those who have lived through or learned of times when hard-earned and well-saved money depreciated in value. Monetary policy in Canada aims to keep inflation at or under two per cent. The latest rate…
Industry facing headwinds as the economy trends back to normal
Meal kits are to food what IKEA is to furniture: all you need to do is put things together. Meal kits empower consumers to feel like chefs, if only for a while. They have been popular, especially throughout the pandemic. Meal kits provide ideas, ways to manage your meals and some greatly needed inspiration for…
The entire planet will be impacted, one way or another
It’s funny how sometimes we take the simple things in life for granted. Cooking oil, or vegetable oil, is certainly one of them. Our appreciation for vegetable oil will likely reach new levels in months to come. Oil prices have increased by 25 per cent in just the last six months. While palm oil went…
Demand is booming. It’s supply that is lacking
This time it’s different. That statement should usually be taken with a grain of salt. But right now, it’s a very good description of what’s happening in the business environment. Market economies function by balancing supply and demand for goods, services and inputs such as labour. When trouble arises, it’s usually in the form of…
When it comes to price-fixing, the U.S. acts. Canada, not so much
A Quebec-based group is leading a class-action lawsuit aimed at major federally-licensed beef packers. Cargill, JBS Foods, Tyson Foods and National Beef Packing are all accused of colluding and inflating beef prices since 2015. So if you’re a consumer in Quebec who’s been buying beef since 2015, you can be part of the claim. The…
The pandemic was just a dress rehearsal for what’s about to happen
United States President Joe Biden was the first G7 leader to admit publicly that many parts of the world will soon experience food shortages and even famine. The world will be short of many commodities. Regions like the Middle East and northeastern Africa already have dangerously low food inventories. The world will soon discover that…
Move raises questions about motive and why the announcement was so quiet
All eyes are on inflation these days, especially at the grocery store. Food is the one thing we need every day and the food choices we make matter a great deal to our budget. To know what's going on with food prices, we turn to Statistics Canada for details. But without fanfare, we just learned…
Compared to Americans, Canadians have far fewer options to save on groceries
The food inflation rate in Canada in February was 7.4 per cent, the largest yearly increase since May 2009. With much higher food inflation, consumers are desperate to find new ways to save at the grocery store. In the United States and Canada, consumers are increasingly using food rescuing apps, going for the “enjoy tonight” deals, trading…
PepsiCo’s move signals that the sector is tired of - and desperate to stop - supply-chain bullying
We recently learned that Frito-Lay, a brand owned by giant PepsiCo Canada, stopped selling to Loblaws after the retailer refused requests by Frito-Lay to increase their prices. Food manufacturers, when selling products to grocers, suggest retail prices. With low profit margins, labour shortages, packaging issues and supply-chain woes, inflation has been violently disruptive to manufacturers.…