Latest news with #MikeVonMassow
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Grocery prices are rising again. Here are a few ways you can save money
The cost of groceries has been steadily rising over the last few months, but there are still ways in which Ontarians save some money at the tills. The latest data from Statistics Canada shows that food purchased from stores increased by 3.8 per cent year-over-year in April, compared to a 3.4 per cent increase the prior month. It marked the third straight month in which grocery price increases exceeded the nationwide inflation rate and it likely brings back bad memories from 2023 when there were double-digit price increases at the grocery store. Though the prices have not yet updated for April, the cost of beef ribs has soared in Ontario since January—going from $25.50 to $37.56 per kilogram in March. The price of striploin has also steadily scaled in price, starting at $27.73 in January and reaching $33.93 per kilogram by March. StatCan noted that fresh or frozen beef was one of the biggest driving factors for pricier groceries last month, rising by 16.2 per cent compared to April 2024. Why are groceries more expensive? As we head into barbecue season, food economist Mike von Massow says the higher demand is causing a bit of a spike as the supply is lower than what it has been due to a bout of dry summer weather in western Canada and the U.S. in recent years. Von Massow says prices for beef will stabilize once more calves are born and can rebuild Canada's cow population following a bout of dry summer weather within the last few years. 'We essentially are having an echo of bad weather from a few years ago,' von Massow told CTV News Toronto in an interview on Thursday, adding there was less feed available for cows out grazing in the field then. 'The farmers kept fewer cows and so if you have fewer cows, you have fewer calves, which means less beef.' It will take some time to rebuild Canada's cow population, von Massow says, but once it does, then the price for beef will come back down. Coffee and tea also propelled grocery costs as their prices soared by 13.4 per cent from April last year. For example, the average price of 340 grams worth of roasted or ground coffee in Ontario started at $6.90 in January, climbing to $7.54 by March. Though notably, Ontario's tea prices wavered from $4.22 for 20 bags at the start of the year to $4.19 for the same amount in March. The price of coffee has risen for a variety of reasons, von Massow notes, as not only is it highly susceptible to temperature changes, it is also one of the products Canada laid retaliatory tariffs on amid a broiling trade war with the U.S. 'The Canadian dollar has also gotten a little bit weaker and because we buy coffee from other places, because we don't grow a lot of coffee here in this country, then that means our buying power is a bit lower,' von Massow said. So how can I cut costs at the till? With the summer months ahead of us and Ontarians dusting off the grill for barbecue season, marketing professor David Soberman told CTV News Toronto that if beef must be part of the menu, try to look at other proteins or opt for a cheaper cut. 'One thing you can also do is you can trade within a category downward,' Soberman said. 'Obviously, if you want to have a porterhouse steak that's going to be more expensive than if you have ground meat (but) you can also have things like sausages, which are ways to sort of economize—if what you really want to do is barbecue.' Vegetables have also risen by 3.7 per cent in price from April last year, but von Massow says buying seasonal produce is a way of trimming your grocery bill. 'It means you have to be a bit more flexible,' von Massow said. 'Being willing to explore other products that are seasonal is a way to save money because there's variation as to when it comes into production.' Ontarians can look to the province's availability guide to see what locally-grown produce are at their peak freshness based on the month or season. For example, in May, vegetables like asparagus, radishes and spinach are in season, while bok choy, kale and peas are freshest in June. Opting for frozen vegetables is also another way to get your daily produce intake that can also save on costs without sacrificing nutritional value, von Massow notes. 'I'm of a generation where I remember frozen vegetables and canned vegetables to be soft and soggy and not very good but with flash freezing technology, the nutrition is exactly the same and the texture is very close to the same,' the food economist said. Von Massow also suggests scouring your grocery store for special deals they may have on offer. 'As an example, I'm a big yogurt eater—I never pay full price for yogurt. Now, I don't stick with one brand, I buy whatever is on sale,' von Massow said. 'Buying stuff when it's on sale and storing it or freezing it is another way to save money.' On top of searching for sales, Soberman says it also pays off comparing costs across stores to see which establishment has the cheaper product and perhaps sacrificing convenience to go somewhere where prices don't strain your wallet. 'It's sometimes quite surprising the amount that you can save, like you might not realize it but you go to Loblaws just down the block and you buy the 10 things that you need, and then you go to the FreshCo store and find that it's $5 or $6 cheaper—that can make a big difference when you're sort of on a tight budget,' Soberman said.
CTV News
20-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Grocery price increases outpace overall inflation for third straight month: StatCan
Despite the annual pace of inflation cooling last month, Statistics Canada says consumers continue to pay higher costs for groceries as food prices rose faster in April than they did the previous month. A sign advising that products from the U.S. affected by a tariff will be marked with a symbol at the shelf is seen beside a display of Canadian products in a grocery store in Ottawa, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Despite the annual pace of inflation cooling last month, Statistics Canada says shoppers continue to see the cost of groceries rise at a faster rate. The agency reported Tuesday that prices for food purchased from stores increased 3.8 per cent on a year-over-year basis in April, up from a 3.2 per cent year-over-year increase in March. It marked the third straight month that grocery price increases have outpaced the overall inflation rate, which was 1.7 per cent in April. Statistics Canada said items that contributed most to the year-over-year price acceleration included fresh vegetables, for which prices rose 3.7 per cent, fresh or frozen beef at 16.2 per cent growth, and coffee and tea at 13.4 per cent. Prices for food purchased from restaurants also rose at a faster rate in April, increasing 3.6 per cent year-over-year after a 3.2 per cent hike in March. Shoppers feeling the weight of their growing grocery bills have likely noticed it most at the meat counter, said University of Guelph professor and food economist Mike von Massow, noting that beef, in particular, was noticeably more expensive. That's partly because demand for beef is higher at this time of year, as families dust off their barbecues for the summer grilling season, but von Massow said it's mostly the result of recent supply disruptions. 'We had some dry weather in the last few years and lower profitability, so in that case cow herds decrease in size and it takes awhile for those numbers to come back,' von Massow said. 'Cow herds are the factory of beef production. So if you have fewer cows, you have fewer calves. If you have fewer calves, you have less mature beef that is being harvested and processed into beef.' Meanwhile, coffee prices are rising as some producers experience lower yields due to extreme weather or changes in temperature, he said, noting 'coffee is kind of the canary in the coal mine relative to climate change.' 'Coffee is very temperature dependent,' von Massow said. He added that a weak Canadian dollar doesn't make matters better. Coffee is produced elsewhere, meaning a weak loonie make it more expensive to import. It's also a product subject to Canada's retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. While the U.S. doesn't produce a lot of coffee, he said some of the brokers that Canada relies on to buy coffee from are based in that country. 'I expect that Canadians will start buying coffee from other places rather than from the U.S. in order to avoid those tariffs, but that adjustment takes some time,' he said. Von Massow said the effect of the ongoing trade war has been quite limited on Canada's grocery inflation overall so far, but that could start to change in the coming months. Some of Canada's large grocers have warned of looming price hikes due to added costs from U.S.-Canada tariffs. Loblaw Cos. Ltd. chief executive Per Bank said last week that the number of tariff-hit products at the grocery store could soon spike as pre-tariff inventory runs out. Loblaw has been aggressive in marking products on display affected by tariffs, a tally that last week reached over 1,000 items. But Bank said the total will rise to more than 3,000 by next week and could peak at double that number within the next two months. While he said he was pleased that Ottawa has adjusted its counter-tariff policies to limit the charges to finished food products coming from the U.S., Bank said pressures from the trade war still linger. 'While the tariff situation might be improving between the U.S. and other countries, that's not yet the case here in Canada,' he said in a May 14 LinkedIn post. 'In fact, we'll be facing a large wave of tariff-related increases in the weeks ahead.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 20, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:L) Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press
CTV News
13-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Have you been asked to tip somewhere you didn't expect? We want to hear from you
The list of places you could be asked to tip keeps growing: self-checkouts, drive-throughs, even bakeries. For many consumers, the latest tip-related irritant at checkout is a new phenomenon known as 'tip creep.' Across Canada and the U.S., tip creep is when prompts asking for tips pop up in unlikely places, including bottle shops and jewellery stores. That's a shift from tradition, where gratuities are typically reserved for dine-in restaurants and bars. Experts say the trend has emerged partly due to the proliferation of digital payment systems. 'To me, the strongest social norm is tipping in a sit-down restaurant,' University of Guelph professor and food economist Mike Von Massow told 'The rest have been sort of fuzzy in the past and have become more broad in recent years, particularly I think because (payment) machines can now make it easy to ask for it.' In countries like Canada and the U.S., many service workers often rely on tips for a significant portion of their income, unlike their counterparts in countries like France, Japan or China, where tipping is almost non-existent. During the COVID-19 pandemic, tipping surged amid a groundswell of gratitude for restaurant staff, delivery drivers and other front-line service workers, who helped keep businesses stay afloat. But that generosity began to fade as soaring inflation eroded consumers' purchasing power. As cash-strapped households sought discounts, many became more leery of extra costs like tips. Meanwhile, businesses continued to encourage higher tips, fuelling the rise of the now-popular term 'tipflation.' Many Canadians have cut back on tipping in recent years. According to a recent survey by H&R Block, 90 per cent of Canadians believe tips are too high, while 82 per cent say tipping is expected in more places than ever before. Almost one in four surveyed say they have been asked to tip 'in places or situations that felt uncomfortable or unexpected.' Among survey respondents, a reasonable tip on average is just nine percent, well below what is usually suggested by most businesses. In response to mounting public frustration, the Quebec government has recently passed a new law meant to improve transparency in service and consumer transactions. Businesses in the province are now required to calculate suggested tips based on the price before tax. That means if your dinner costs $100 before tax, a 15 per cent tip will now be $15 — not $17.24, which includes Quebec's combined sales and federal taxes. The new rules also require restaurants and cafes to display suggested tip options neutrally, with no bolded or highlighted choices. Tipping will also remain optional. Have you been asked to tip somewhere that you didn't expect? Do you draw the line at tipping at certain establishments? What's the highest percentage you feel comfortable tipping? Share your questions by emailing us at dotcom@ with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a story.
