Buy Canadian could return to grocery aisles as trade review nears
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتسابIndustry experts say the "Buy Canadian" push that surged through grocery aisles last year could gain fresh momentum as the Canada-United States-Mexico trade agreement review approaches this year, amid renewed attention on tariffs and trade rhetoric.
A Canadian Press report said the movement has cooled in recent months, with many shoppers reverting to the cheapest option regardless of origin as cost-of-living pressures and food prices strain household budgets.
The report cited Amar Singh, senior director and head of Canadian retail insights at Kantar, as saying the direction of trade talks could bring that fervor back into shopping decisions.
It also quoted SKUFood founder Peter Chapman as saying heightened sovereignty-related rhetoric can influence consumer sentiment, pushing some shoppers toward local suppliers and away from U.S. products, even if the rebound is less intense than the initial wave.
The report noted that major grocers strengthened supply chains and expanded in-store cues to help shoppers identify Canadian-linked products, including maple-leaf shelf signage. Loblaw, it added, previously used a "T" symbol to flag items that saw price increases tied to tariffs.
While patriotic purchasing has eased from spring highs, pricing remains decisive for many households. Statistics Canada reported that prices for food purchased from stores rose 5.0% year over year in December, keeping pressure on grocery budgets.
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