Grocery shopping habits |
Canada’s relationship with food is shifting in ways that should concern all of us.
The latest Canadian Food Sentiment Index: Fall 2025, produced by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in partnership with Caddle, reveals a population still grappling with affordability pressures, changing habits, and diminishing trust in the food system.
Even as inflation cools on paper, Canadians simply aren’t feeling relief at the checkout.
Food remains the dominant financial stressor in Canadian households. More than four in five respondents say food is the expense that has increased the most for them over the past year – more than utilities, housing, transportation, or any other category.
Nearly one in three Canadians believes food prices have risen by more than 10% over the past twelve months – a perception that speaks to the disconnect between official inflation data and everyday experience.
Canadians are responding by adopting deeply frugal habits that increasingly define daily life. Nearly half actively seek out more sales and discounts. Store-brand products are surging. Consumers are switching to cheaper brands, visiting discount stores, and cutting back on non-essential items such as premium meats and ice cream. Coupon use remains widespread. Dining out has become a luxury – almost one-third of Canadians spend........