Supermarket prices jump 4.6% in January, Stats Can says
Across the country, fresh fruits and vegetables are up by about 15% overall
While the price of beef is going down, there's been a sharp jump in the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables.
According to the latest consumer price index from Statistics Canada, supermarket prices climbed 4.6 per cent in January, compared to the same month a year ago.
Across the country, fresh fruits and vegetables are up by about 15 per cent overall.
Mount Royal University economist Halia Valladares Montemayor said while overall inflation is perhaps not a cause for concern, it's the inflation in specific areas that will alarm consumers.
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"Many people also right now are unemployed, and they keep eating, obviously, so they need to consider better what they consume and maybe buy different products," said Valladares Montemayor.
"People cannot buy with the same salary, the products that they used to."
Apples are up 17 per cent, onions up 19 per cent, and it'll cost 28 per cent more if you want grapefruit.
The price of imports is increasing thanks to the weakening Canadian dollar.
"It gets to a point where the supplier, like Sobeys, Superstore, cannot absorb those costs and they start transferring those costs to the consumer," said Valladares Montemayor.
She said consumers may want to consider consuming imported products less often.