WHAT’S ON THE MINDS OF SHOPPERS? Our research reveals how Canadians feel about grocery shopping

AgA inst A b Ackdrop of a higher cost of living, economic uncertainty and with the pandemic still hovering in the background, what kind of a mood are Canadians in? And how is this shaping the way they shop for groceries?

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jennifer Litterick

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CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Ann Jadown EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT & COMMUNICATIONS Joe Territo

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To get a clearer picture of what’s going on with shoppers, we worked with the research team at Canadian Grocer parent EnsembleIQ to survey Canadians across the country and bring you our 2023 GroceryIQ Study: Taking Stock of Grocery Shopper Attitudes and Behaviours . For three years now we’ve been using this study to take the pulse of Canadian shoppers, and what have we learned? Well, among this year’s findings we know that shoppers are firmly focused on price, they have a favourable view of loyalty programs (especially those that reward them with cash or groceries), they’re loading their carts with private-label products and they’re hungry for meal solutions. (Turn to page 23 for more insights from the study.)

Canadian shoppers surveyed also told us they’re a health-conscious bunch; in fact, 73% define themselves as such. With grocery stores already brimming with nutritious foods, they’re the natural destination for the health-minded. In this issue, writer Rosalind Stefanac looks at how shoppers are increasingly turning to grocers to help them in their quest to live healthier (page 34) and the huge opportunity this serves up for grocers who can deliver on these needs.

And in the latest instalment of our ongoing Generation Next Thinking series (page 39), we explore how food tech is taking over the dinner table, while at the same time tackling some of the planet’s big problems. For instance, advances in tech are making lab-grown meat and other foods (like coffee) a reality, while innovative firms like Germany’s Infarm have devised a way to produce wheat indoors with its vertical farm system, and innovative new solutions are taking a bite out of food waste. According to one analyst quoted in the report “It’s the golden age of food science and technology.” CG

Shellee Fitzgerald Editor-in-Chief sfitzgerald@ensembleiq.com