by MATT MCINTOSH
Canadian consumers spent less on food in 2012 compared to the previous year and one farm industry expert suggests the drop may be connected to the intense competition between grocery stores that has resulted in pressure on producers to reduce the price of their products.
According to Statistics Canada’s survey of household spending released in January, Canadian consumers spent an average of $7,739 on food in 2012, which is 0.7 per cent less than the average expenditure on food in 2011.
When broken down, consumers spent 1.8 per cent less at restaurants and 0.3 per cent less at grocery stores in 2012 than in the previous year.
“Assuming we didn’t eat less, the reduction means consumers are buying cheaper products, and obviously are not going out as much,” says Kevin Grier, senior market analyst at the George Morris Centre. “When people are in a pinch, more expensive food is often one of the first things to go.”
Grier also says that competition at the grocery store level contributes to lower prices for consumers, which could be a major reason why the amount of money consumers spend on food dropped in 2012.
Vinay Kanetkar, a professor of marketing and consumer studies at the University of Guelph, also says competition between retailers is a key factor affecting food prices. Just don’t call that competition a price war.
“There is evidence to suggest that food prices have remained fairly flat,” he explains. A price war, he adds in a Tuesday email, is usually described as having the following characteristics:
“1. The actions and reactions focus almost exclusively on the competitor instead of the consumer.
2. The pricing interaction as a whole is undesirable to the competitors.
3. The competitors did neither intend nor expect to ignite the price war through their preceding competitive behaviour.
4. The competitive interaction violates industry norms.
5. The pricing interaction occurs at a much faster rate than previous such interactions.
6. The direction of the pricing is "downward" spiral of prices.
7. Mainly: the pricing interplay is not sustainable”
Kanetkar does say that new entrants into the market – such as Wal-Mart Canada Corp. – and where those new entrants source their food may be the cause of some downward pressure on prices.
“Prices might have dropped a little due to normal responses to competition,” says Kanetkar. “From the farmer’s perspective, it can be a difficult thing since big stores often have their own supply chains and do not rely on local farmers.”
According to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture website, the local food movement may also encounter pressure to reduce prices to reach larger markets.
The website notes a recent survey sponsored by Farm Credit Canada “demonstrated that 95 per cent of respondents agreed that buying locally-grown food is a priority or preference; however, only 43 per cent are willing to pay more for local products.”
Mark Wales, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, notes Canada’s Food Freedom Day is a useful tool when looking at trends in food prices. Canadian Federation of Agriculture determines the day, which reflects the point in time when the average Canadian has earned enough to pay for their grocery bill for the year.
This year, it arrives Feb. 7, a week earlier than it was in 2013.
“Part of the reason for the earlier date could relate specifically to lower grocery store prices, or more generally consumers buying cheaper products,” Wales says.
The website said the consumer’s focus on cheaper products is also an issue for Canada’s food processing sector, which has seen the closure of over 80 processing plants – including Heinz and Kellogg’s – since 2007. BF
Comments
I think they should have quoted Ron Bonnet,President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture when he said,All of the things that people enjoy in life in Canada spin off from the fact they are not required to spend much on food"
According to the article, consumers appear to benefit more from competition at the retail grocery level, than they would appear to benefit from the efforts of farmers, especially dairy and poultry farmers who care not one iota about how much consumers have to pay for dairy and poultry products, and to a great extent, grains farmers, who don't care what ethanol mandates do to the price of food.
Therefore, the bumper stickers should be changed to say - "eat today, don't thank a farmer - thank a food retailer".
Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON
I hope you enjoyed your breakfast today
And enjoyed his glass of Milk !!
Yes, the food retailers have been hard done by over the last decade,the Pork and Beef producers will certainly attest to that!
Great post Glenn. I will also add that today's inflation is about 1.2%, according to government, and there is a concern of 'deflation' possibly taking place. The US fed announced today (as it has in the past) that they have a target inflation of 2.0% When I look around at the things I buy everyday, it is hard to find inflation, except when it comes to various forms of energy, and the supply management sector who rewards themselves with raises above the rate of inflation. Raube Beuerman
Canadians disposable incomes are at an all-time high,even with the recession dip of 2012.
Everything is relative,gas may have been $.35/gal back then but the kid pumping it wasn't making $10.00/hr either.A young family buying a $800,000 house in Toronto may seem like a lot to us farmers till you learn that both husband and wife are making over $100,000/yr.
New tractor sales are at an all-time high,RV sales are booming,the average gambling revenue pre person is now almost $600.00/yr,more than any other time.The only thing that is not a all time high(besides interest rates) is cost of food,Canada ranks 3rd lowest behind the USA and Great Britian on % of Annual income spent on food.
Comparing 1935 to todays income and expense is like comparing and apple to a watermelon . Go look in the stores and look at the amount of different things, it is insane at the tools, different kind of food( which by the way is mostly made up of chemicals, no real food), clothing and play toys. People back in 1935 paid for what they needed or done without and they worked for their money, not like today borrow all you can and there is ones that doesn,t want to even think of working( go to the mailbox). There is people out there that think every one else out there should give them a life without doing anything and I as a farmer believe that everyone should work to make Canada thrive and if its a 50 hour week so be it just do it so everyone wins. Talk about the prices of homes in the cities, look at the ones that sells their home and go out and buy a hobby farm with fair amount of land and still have lots of money left over for their retirement. Look at the wage of in town for a 40 hour week compared to a farmer working 7 days a week ( its a no Brainer) who is getting a better deal. Interest today is a steal, doesn,t matter what the price of the luxury items are, pay the house off then buy the luxury items then(compare the 20% plus interest to the 2 to 4% now) or the credit card today at 18% plus and look how you can save money big time.
In regards to your point on increasing productivity, the economies of scale are the best way to become more profitable in most business models. I recall a large dairy farmer saying the hardest part of his journey was getting to 100 cows , after that it was easy, of course everyone starts fro m different points so things can be different for others. While large operation don t appeal to some, most are financially successful. Thank you for your article, it was well prepared.
Some people farm most of their life with no job off farm and then you have the ones that start farming with a job off farm that doesn,t need to make a living on the farm just pay the bills. Why do these ones that have or had a off farm job think that the ones that farm full time with no other income think that they should farm at a lost so the other can come in and pick up their farm when they cannot afford to farm any more. I read a couple of years ago this Asian fellow with a huge amount of money own a farm over a couple of thousand acres in the Midwest States that had the biggest Bison herd in North America, do you think that this guy started the farm before his multi million dollar bank account I think not. The people out there that wants to start farming without outside jobs are really climbing a mountain upside down, because there is these people with an great paying job or company that think you should give your food away with very min. income from the farm.
I would say that your Globe report states that people are spending more on food . So why would you say we need to have less exspensive food ? Seems you have things backwards !
Most of the problem is the fact that people cut food costs mainly because they don't figure the cost of food as they would a car or mortgage payment when in fact they should should look at it the same way . Won't be long and people will be fuguring their hydro bills with as much importance as their car or house payment . Just wait till rent reviews start and rent prices are put up because of hydro costs .
The one thing no one ever figures is the cost the consumer pays for pork and beef through subsidies and still pay rip off prices at the store . At least with SM you know you are not paying for it twice . Rightly or wrongly there is a still a true cost of food in this country that SM has a handle on . Could you imagine how much in subsidies we would have to pay on export SM products . Sm products should get cheaper after 15 years or so . Under SM no one should be able to use quota as a way to keep young farmers from entering the system . The system should be there to help young farmers compete and get into agriculture . There needs to be a clawback of quota on some of the larger operations .
You seem to have your head stuck in the sand yourself .
There is more food available besides Sm produced products . You must have your rose colored anti SM shades on !
As for food banks there are many who use them that if they want could go out and get a job , get their ass off their couch and do some thing for them selves rather than work the system .
You likely would not believe the vehicles out side of the thrift stores . Not many are on their last leg . Way too many of these supossed poor people drive better cars and SUV's than many working stiffs do . I don't feel sorry for them at all . The problem is that many commoditties give to food banks when if they would not these people would get a job .
Gambling now generates $14 billion a year in revenues for Provincial Governments.The average Canadian now spends almost $600.00/yr on gambling,in fact Canada has among the highest per capita gambling revenues in the Western world.78% of Canadians gamble,with a good portion of those low-incomers.
We may have little left for nutritious food after the weekly visit to the Casino.
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