Grocery flyers illustrate climbing Calgary grocery prices
原始发布日期： 2016-01-15 发布者：李方字变大 字变小
In some cases, even when prices have risen, retailers have made an effort to offer the same deal. Grocery bills are creeping higher and higher as the loonie continues its plunge, breaking below 70 cents US this week for the first time since 2003. 
It’s estimated that Canada imports around 80 per cent of the fresh fruit and vegetables consumed by its citizens. Consequently, Canadians see a sharp rise in grocery store prices any time the loonie takes a dive. And this time is no exception. We took a look at flyers from major grocery retailers in Calgary, handily archived by the fine folks over at smartcanucks.ca, to check out how much prices have changed in the last year. Using flyers published in a two-week window from the beginning of January, we compared prices on the same items from 2015 and 2016. Unsurprisingly, prices had generally climbed from a year ago, but not across the board. The biggest jumps were seen in produce, especially vegetables, but there were modest increases in fruit and meat, too. Across a sampling of about 50 different items, including produce, meat, bread, dairy and frozen foods, we found prices had increased by an average of 6.7%. In some cases, even when prices have risen, retailers have made an effort to offer the same deal. And at Sobeys, a deal for limes remains the same from year to year at 2/$1, even while the underlying price has increased from $0.59/each to $0.69/each. Here’s how the categories broke down. We have omitted breaking out categories where there were too few items to offer a clear picture on pricing. Meat: 10 listings, average change +4.58% Fruit: 9 listings, average change +4.71% Vegetables: 10 listings, average change: +19.86% All others: 21 listings from dairy, bread & frozen food: +2.31% We’d like to hear from you. Have you noticed an increase in your grocery bills? Are there any foods you’re avoiding to keep your costs down? Share your experiences and tips with us. You can leave a comment below, or send us an email at smartphone@calgaryherald.com. — With files from Jamie Dirom, Zoey Duncan and Shelley Wallis Calgary Herald |