Cheese continues to be a successful category and the object of desire for many. Canadians take their cheese seriously, with 86% saying that cheese is a planned purchase and if their preferred brand is not available, they will wait until it is back in stock.1
Pasta, rice, noodles and starches are the perfect base ingredients to make comforting meals that can be both nutritious and delicious.
While individual financial well-being will dictate consumer behavior, general trips to the grocery store have become more strategic with the focus on making the most of their budgets.
Despite inflationary pressures, product innovation continues to be a key driver of consumer traffic and sales volume.
In the past four years the grocery industry has seen seismic shifts to supply chains, transportation channels, and economic uncertainty that has evolved consumer behaviour and ultimately the retail landscape.
Health is top of mind for many Canadians, with 45% adopting a forward-looking outlook on their personal health and stating that they are always looking for ways to improve their health.
Organic has moved from a niche market to mainstream and the organic consumer has also evolved, mainly due to a post-pandemic renewed focus on personal health, climate change and sustainability.
More than half of Canadians view themselves as being more open to eating international foods than they were a few years ago, with more than three quarters (77%) also viewing international foods as being more mainstream than they used to be.
Consumers have been cooking at home more often, developing new meal preparation skills and eating out less often. This was kick started by the pandemic and continues with the rise of inflation.
For the vast majority of Canadians, sweet and savoury baked goods are part of their regular diets. Virtually all Canadians (98%) have eaten baked goods in the past three months.