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For additional information relating to this article, please contact:

Thomas Storring	Director – Economics and Statistics
Tel: 902-424-2410	Email: thomas.storring@novascotia.ca

April 08, 2020
STUDY: RETAIL TRADE: GROCERIES AND COVID19, MARCH 14, 2020

As Canadians prepare for COVID-19, increased consumer demand and sales on grocery items, and social distancing for an indefinite period, Statistics Canada is releasing data on the impact of consumer purchasing patterns.

Canada Sectors 

Retail Trade: Grocery sales in the week ending 14 March 2020, increased 38% over 2019 average sales. Compared to the same week in the previous year (52-week % change), sales increased by 46%.

 

Sector increases:

• Personal care and household cleaning products, with hand sanitizers leading the way, increased faster than all other grocery items.
• Dry goods, with Rice leading the way, increased faster than fresh goods and frozen goods
• Frozen goods, with frozen vegetables leading,  grew faster than fresh goods.
• Potatoes lead fresh goods, and fresh fruit had the lowest growth rate.

 

 

 NOTES 

• Items included in this study are derived from transaction data and are not necessarily priced as part of the Consumer Price Index.
• Data are experimental and are subject to revision.
• Consumer Prices program, special tabulation.
• Over the next few weeks this study will be updated to incorporate more products of interest to the Canadian population.
• Although concern has been raised about the possibility of price-gouging with new legislation being passed in Ontario on March 28th,Note retailers have made promises to Canadian consumers that they will not engage in predatory practices.Note Statistics Canada’s ongoing work informing Canadians through data products such as this index and the Consumer Price Index will help give context to uncertain economic times, and enable data users to make informed decisions.

 

MORE NOTES

• Transaction data for grocery products are used to calculate a sales index, which is to say, a series of weekly sales divided by the average weekly sales of a reference period. The year-over-year sales relative is also calculated, which compares the sales in each week to the sales of the comparable week in the previous year. 

• Kirby, J. March 10, 2020. The economics of the toilet paper panic - and why more stockpiling is inevitable, Macleans.
  Wray, M. March 13, 2020. People hoard essentials as coronavirus fears rise, but panic buying isn’t necessary: experts, Global News. 

• Osman, L. March 2, 2020. Advice to stockpile supplies can cause undue concern over COVID-19: Tory MP, National Post. 

• Ferah, M. 13 mars, 2020. Panique dans les magasins: « On ne prévoit aucune pénurie de nourriture », assure Legault, La Presse; Jackson, H. March 17, 2020. Canadians ‘do not need to panic’ about food shortages amid COVID-19, experts say, Global News; Silcoff, S. March 12, 2020. Plenty of toilet paper to go around, Canada’s biggest producer says, Globe and Mail. 

• Ontario Government. March 28, 2020. News Release: Ontario Protecting Consumers from Price Gouging. 

• March 3rd 2020 letter from Galen Weston.

 

 

Statistics Canada References

Grocery retail sales, select product groups for the week ending March 14th, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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