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
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.