food prices canada

The most outrageous food prices Canadians spotted this year

The quest for affordable grocery prices has been fruitless for many Canadians this year.

Countless Canadians have taken to social media to put grocers on blast for exorbitant prices.

From steep costs on basic grocery items to supermarkets being accused of "shrinkflation" and "predatory" pricing, there was no shortage of headlines about crazy food prices.

So much so, that This Hour Has 22 Minutes made an all-too-relatable, hilarious skit about Canadians' grocery shopping experience.

So, let's take a look back at some of the most outrageous grocery prices Canadians spotted this year.

The viral $40 for five chicken breasts at Loblaws

After being called out for selling five pieces of chicken breasts for almost $40, Loblaws' marketing team worked on damage control.

Unfortunately, their social media posts showing packs of more reasonably priced chicken breasts with prices ranging from $13 to $16 didn't work.

A quick scroll through the comment section showed that attempts to placate consumers fell flat.

Shocking prices for basic grocery items

No item is safe. From $9 cauliflower to "f*cking absurd" prices for prepackaged food, Canadians are seeing high costs in every aisle.

Not-so-discounted prices at discount grocery stores like No Frills

Even discount supermarket chains like No Frills were put on blast for overpriced basic items like raspberry jam and frozen raspberries.

Chipflation

In May, a Redditor pointed out how they were "old enough to remember when chips only cost 99 cents (a year ago)."

Attached to the post is a photo of No Name all-dressed chips, which are priced at two for $5 or $2.99 each at Loblaws.

Shrinkflation

Loblaws drew the ire of customers after one TikToker discovered that his bag of No Name onion rings weighed far less than stated.

"Predatory" pricing at Safeway

Safeway wasn't safe from the scrutiny of Canadian shoppers.

One person posted a photo of a price tag at Safeway on the Edmonton subreddit that had customers fuming.

The photo shows a price tag that seems to be advertising a sale on 1-litre Schwepps Gingerale bottles, but a closer look at the fine print says otherwise.

"Buy four and they are 88 cents each. Buy five or more and they are now a dollar each," read the post. "Way to be sneaky, Safeway, to make people buy more thinking it's on sale when they are actually paying more than they should."

Remember to read the entire price tag.
byu/lordthundercheeks inEdmonton

Non-Canadians shocked by sky-high grocery prices

German, UK and US residents aren't impressed by Canada's outrageous prices. There have been several stories of people comparing grocery costs to their hometown, most concluding that the prices here in Canada are "unreasonable."

Depressing grocery hauls

If you search for "groceries" on TikTok, you'll see Canadians sharing hauls and how much they cost.

Many are visual representations of how expensive life currently is in Canada.

Lead photo by

Niloo/Shutterstock


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Eat & Drink

Toronto restaurant has permanently closed due to financial pressures

Toronto restaurant posts Travis Kelce photo ahead of Taylor Swift concert

Toronto bar forced to make changes after someone complained to City officials

Another Canadian coffee chain to stop charging for oat milk and other non-dairy drinks

Viral cucumber TikToker visits Toronto and gives food review of a local spot

Loblaw grocery empire sees profits soar by $156 million since last year

Highly-anticipated Toronto restaurant requires $200 deposit for reservations

Bystanders stopped busy DVP traffic in Toronto to help out a confused raccoon