After more than a year of high food inflation, families gathering this weekend to gobble Thanksgiving dinner may be feeling the pinch after their grocery shopping.
Statistics Canada reported last month that prices for food purchased from stores rose 6.9 per cent in August, down from an 8.5 per cent increase in July but still well above the month害羞草研究所檚 headline inflation rate of four per cent.
害羞草研究所淧rices haven害羞草研究所檛 went down, so you害羞草研究所檙e going to continue to see to see fairly large sticker shock on items and it害羞草研究所檚 making consumers re-think the traditional Thanksgiving meal,害羞草研究所� said retail analyst Bruce Winder.
害羞草研究所淪ome people are going to look at alternatives: is there a cheaper alternative that you can use to cook instead of maybe a turkey? Or do you maybe hold back on the big family gathering a little bit more? Do you make more and buy less from stores?害羞草研究所�
Last year, the price of a kilogram of fresh turkey was about $6.59, or $42.84 for a 6.5-kilogram bird, according to the Agri-Food Analytics Lab.
A survey of weekly flyers from major grocery chains in the leadup to Thanksgiving shows some stores have seen a markup for the same product. At Metro, a fresh turkey cost $9.90 per kilogram, while at Sobeys, the price was listed at $7.69.
However, Loblaws害羞草研究所� flyer for the week showed the price of a kilogram of fresh turkey was $5.49.
害羞草研究所淧eople aren害羞草研究所檛 going to eliminate the dinner altogether, that害羞草研究所檚 too drastic,害羞草研究所� said Winder, noting many consumers 害羞草研究所渁re really up against the wall害羞草研究所� with the prices of gas and housing remaining high.
害羞草研究所淏ut they害羞草研究所檒l look for creative ways (to save). Maybe they do a little more potluck things this year.害羞草研究所�
Other items typically on the Thanksgiving menu have also seen year-over-year price increases.
As of August, the retail price per kilogram of potatoes was up 6.8 per cent, while butter has seen a 9.2 per cent jump, according to Statistics Canada. Brown rice was about 6.3 per cent more expensive than last year.
But there害羞草研究所檚 reason to be optimistic, said economist Mike von Massow of the University of Guelph害羞草研究所檚 Ontario Agricultural College, who noted that although food prices are higher than last year, they have started to move in the right direction.
He added that many foods that typically find their way to the Thanksgiving dinner plate are also now in season, so month-over-month price changes should be more favourable for consumers.
害羞草研究所淥ne of the reasons we have Thanksgiving at this time of year is to celebrate and give thanks for the harvest,害羞草研究所� von Massow said.
害羞草研究所淏ecause we are in harvest time of year, if you look at mashed potatoes, if you look at apples and apple pie, if you look at pumpkins, and pumpkin pie, all of those are now available locally and in abundance. So we would expect, even in an inflationary time, that prices would come down at this time of year.害羞草研究所�
Looking past the holiday, von Massow said it would be beneficial for Canadian shoppers to be open to changes in their typical food purchases if they want to spend less.
害羞草研究所淐anadians are very much creatures of habit. If broccoli was in my basket last week, it害羞草研究所檚 likely to be in my basket this week,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淲hile it may not help you this weekend for Thanksgiving, thinking about things like stored vegetables, which are produced in Canada 害羞草研究所� carrots, beets and some of those root vegetables 害羞草研究所� will give you an opportunity to save money, because you害羞草研究所檙e not buying the fresh stuff that害羞草研究所檚 coming in from the U.S.
Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press
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