New survey suggests people should check receipts before leaving grocery stores
Dalhousie University researchers conducted a survey earlier this month to learn more about shoppers' habits when it comes to their grocery store receipts.
They surveyed more than 5,500 Canadians from coast-to-coast. The poll revealed that the most common mistake reported is when the price of something in the aisle doesn't scan the same at the register.
Researchers said more than 75 per cent of people caught those discrepancies when they checked their receipts before leaving the store.
“If you look at your receipt every single time you go to the grocery store you’ll save $50 to $75 per year, which might not seem like a lot – but these days again – we need all the help we can get," said Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, director of Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
CTV News asked shoppers in Timmins, Ont. if they checked their receipts – most said it is not something they considered.
“Never thought about it,” said one shopper.
“You just take it for granted. Pay your bill, you walk out, put your groceries away and that’s it.”
Other shoppers said they have just accepted that grocery prices have gone up and even for the little bit you get you to have to pay a lot.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Another frequent error people found is on 'Enjoy Tonight' daily deals (items close to their best-before date), or when the cashier scanned an item too many times.
Charlebois said a receipt can also reveal other important details such as what foods are taxed.
“If you buy a box of granola bars and they went from 6 to 5 granola bars, that box is now a ‘snack’ and is taxable,” he said.
“Those are the things you want to know.”
Charlebois told CTV News that most Canadians complained when they noticed errors and were satisfied with the way grocers handled complaints.
Officials said the survey was done to encourage grocers to do better.
The full results of the customer service survey can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.