From May 17 to May 19, 2024, we surveyed Canadians to find out their opinions and perceptions on the impact of inflation in grocery stores and the Loblaws Boycott.
Some of the key highlights of our survey on grocery stores boycott and inflation…
- Almost two-thirds of Canadians (64%) feel as though the rate of inflation at the grocery store is getting worse compared to a year or two ago. This proportion remains stable compared to the results obtained in February 2024. Women (74%), Canadians living in a rural area (71%), and Canadians living in the Atlantic provinces (76%) are more likely to think it is getting worse.
- Over one in four Canadians (29%) blames the rising cost of groceries on an attempt by grocery chains to increase their profit margins. In comparison, around one in four Canadians (26%) think global economic phenomena could mainly explain it, and one in five Canadians (20%) puts the blame on the federal government. Compared to February 2024 results, this new survey sees a slight shift (-3) from blaming the federal government to blaming the stores (+3).
- Seven out of ten Canadians (70%) were aware of the boycott of Loblaws grocery stores. Although more than half of Canadians (58%) support the boycott, only a little under one in five (18%) have personally joined the boycott or have someone in their household who has.
- Around half of Canadians (48%) think it is unfair that the boycott only targets Loblaws stores, and almost two-thirds of Canadians (65%) think the boycott will make no difference on grocery prices.
Methodology
This web survey was conducted from May 17 to 19, 2024, with 1.519 Canadians aged 18 or older, randomly recruited from LEO’s online panel. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey. For comparison, a probability sample of 1,519 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.5 %, 19 times out of 20.
