New report suggests grocery stores in midst of transformation
Grocery stores are in the midst of a great transformational change as owners look to adapt to the needs of consumers.
That's according to a new report from Deloitte Canada entitled 'The future of food: a Canadian perspective.'
The study looks at food consumption patterns, preferences and how things have accelerated for owners under the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"When I think about the grocery store, there's no doubt over the past year or so that it's rising to become a much more important place for people in the community to get what they need, especially during this very tough time. So what we see is a lot of shifting around," said Deloitte Canada partner Marty Weintraub.
According to the study, 25 per cent of Canadians ordered online curbside pickup for the first time in the past year.
When it comes to Canadians who are shopping for food online, 68 per cent said it was because of home delivery, 59 per cent said it was because of convenience and 47 per cent said time savings.
"What we know is the customer is king, the customer will pull the retailer in the direction they want to be pulled," said Weintraub.
"That is a big shift from what we saw five or 10 years ago where we saw the retailers maybe pave that path a little more aggressively. But right now there's no doubt about it -- the customer is calling the shots."
The study also found consumers are making healthier choices and basing a lot of those choices on environmental sustainability.
One of the people seeing the increase in online shopping is Roger Beaulieu. His store, Roger's Valu-Mart in Dowling, added online shopping or PC Express only a few months ago.
"There are still more people concerned with Delta and other variants coming out so some are still not comfortable with going into public places yet and that's why online shopping is great," said Beaulieu.
Beaulieu said he's seen a noticeable uptick in the number of people taking advantage of the program and said it's moving at a pace the store can keep up with. For that, he's grateful.
"I think it's also great for camp, if you're doing one-stop shopping and you want to keep going it's fantastic," he said. "And if it's COVID concerns, it's also fantastic. You just drive up to the side and you don't even have to get out of your car."
Beaulieu said they were already moving in this direction but the pandemic helped speed things along.
According to the report, the impact can be seen at the grocery store through things like product assortments, changing formats and also reimagining interiors.
In the meantime, both Beaulieu and Weintraub said trends like online shopping at the grocery store is here to stay.
"The grocery store is always a great place to shop, meet your friends, have a breath of fresh air," Beaulieu said.
"I like to have that ambiance, so I think that will never go away -- I hope it never does because it's my job … But the online part, I think that's never going away, as well. There's a lot of people that like the convenience as well as the protection from COVID."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.