Food & Drink

Why are groceries so cheap in GTA?

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  • May 27th, 2019 3:00 pm
Deal Guru
Dec 20, 2018
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Why are groceries so cheap in GTA?

I'm always amazed how cheap groceries are in GTA

I just bought skinless boneless fresh chicken breasts for $2.99 a lb, drumsticks for $1.28, blueberries are $1.50 a box and everything is just so cheap especially meat

Is there some oversupply going on due to trade wars?
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Jul 30, 2007
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$1.28 for drumstick is expensive Smiling Face With Open Mouth And Smiling Eyes

Asian markets sell them for $.78 on the low side. $0.99 as typical.
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Dec 20, 2018
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booblehead wrote: $1.28 for drumstick is expensive Smiling Face With Open Mouth And Smiling Eyes

Asian markets sell them for $.78 on the low side. $0.99 as typical.
I bought it from the "butcher" inside foodbasic and knuckle off

I am suspect of Asian grocery stores and their refrigeratation , but then I don't got down to Scarborough which im sure have even cheaper prices

But the fruits and veggies are so cheap now! Enjoying the $1.50 berries too lol

I just don't understand how it can be so cheap for groceries especially the basic meats/veggies. Though celery is still crazy expensive to me...4.99 I paid like few weeks ago
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Dec 3, 2009
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I always thought it was all logistics. Same thing how we all say how cheap a lot of products are in USA. Last time I went to a grocery store outside GTA, it was outrageously expensive.
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StatsGuy wrote: I'm always amazed how cheap groceries are in GTA
I just bought skinless boneless fresh chicken breasts for $2.99 a lb, drumsticks for $1.28, blueberries are $1.50 a box and everything is just so cheap especially meat
Is there some oversupply going on due to trade wars?
When you think about who owns what, Walmart has room to offer cheap groceries as long as the clothing is marked up just right (still low priced, but marginally higher to subsidize grocery loss)
Loblaws owns Joe Fresh, which quietly creeps into Loblaws stores for various reasons, instead of just being a grocery store. (ie a winter hat and mitts display as winter approaches)

I'm not sure how Metro and Sobey's are handling any losses though. (ie Metro owns Basics, Sobey's owns Freshco, both which match Walmart prices with no clothing store to absorb any losses)
Last edited by playnicee1 on May 12th, 2019 10:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Apr 2, 2007
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I don’t know what are you smoking... everything is expensive... or maybe I’m just too poor...Face With Medical Mask🤨
Even eating at restaurants is mad expensive plus tips...
Coffee,burgers,drinks,.... all increased....
Even my hydro bills increased Slightly Frowning Face🤬
Chinese Food+MSG=Good Food :rolleyes:
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Feb 9, 2012
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chinese zzz wrote: I don’t know what are you smoking... everything is expensive... or maybe I’m just too poor...Face With Medical Mask🤨
Even eating at restaurants is mad expensive plus tips...
Coffee,burgers,drinks,.... all increased....
Even my hydro bills increased Slightly Frowning Face🤬
I'm not finding that grocery prices are expensive, but then again, I also use public transit and shop at a few different stores instead of just doing it all in one trip at one store.
(public transit monthly pass is the same price no matter how much I use it, unlike the high price of gas)
I use coupons to eat at fast food places.
(or an app if a particular fast food place has one)
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playnicee1 wrote: When you think about who owns what, Walmart has room to offer cheap groceries as long as the clothing is marked up just right (still low priced, but marginally higher to subsidize grocery loss)
Loblaws owns Joe Fresh, which quietly creeps into Loblaws stores for various reasons, instead of just being a grocery store. (ie a winter hat and mitts display as winter approaches)

I'm not sure how Metro and Sobey's are handling any losses though. (ie Metro owns Basics, Sobey's owns Freshco, both which match Walmart prices with no clothing store to absorb any losses)
I find Walmart has expensive groceries and not that fresh

Their in store baked croissants (reg size ones) are actually really good though and made with real butter, made mistake of buying their mini ones thinking it would be same except smaller but it wasn't and read ingredients and it's margarine and not butter like the big one
Deal Guru
Dec 20, 2018
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chinese zzz wrote: I don’t know what are you smoking... everything is expensive... or maybe I’m just too poor...Face With Medical Mask🤨
Even eating at restaurants is mad expensive plus tips...
Coffee,burgers,drinks,.... all increased....
Even my hydro bills increased Slightly Frowning Face🤬
$2.99 for three big romaine hearts, 2.99/lb of boneless/skinless chicken breasts , $2.99 for a delissio (not good but great price/portion) etc is expensive to you? Yet you then talk about eating out?

Lol
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No Frills wrote: I always thought it was all logistics. Same thing how we all say how cheap a lot of products are in USA. Last time I went to a grocery store outside GTA, it was outrageously expensive.
Funny enough, I goto states and go-to their grocery stores and it's crazy how expensive it actually is compared to here for many things and not cheaper at all
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Walmart's hardly the cheapest on groceries or there would be no purpose to price matching. They have low prices on packaged goods because of their purchasing power and their ability to squeeze manufacturers, and I hardly think that they are taking losses there. They do make more money off of clothing/footwear and also seasonal stuff but margins on grocery are lower for everyone.

Walmart's clothing and home textiles are mostly polyester, often from recycled materials and that's why they make so much money off of it. It's not worth its price.

Independent especially ethnic grocery stores have a lot of low prices on stuff like drumsticks because it's the stuff mainstream buyers don't want and so they can get it cheaply.

Blueberries are cheap because they are in season in Chile right now. Celery is expensive because it's coming out of California because it is off-season everywhere else, and they are experiencing poor growing conditions, AND there is a celery juice craze right now so demand is up in the domestic market = less for Canada. Chicken breasts prices are set by the marketing board at $3.99/lb so they don't vary much and $2.99 may be a true loss leader.
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Population density.
Competition.
Infrastructure and logistics.
Center of the Universe.
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lecale wrote: Walmart's hardly the cheapest on groceries or there would be no purpose to price matching. They have low prices on packaged goods because of their purchasing power and their ability to squeeze manufacturers, and I hardly think that they are taking losses there. They do make more money off of clothing/footwear and also seasonal stuff but margins on grocery are lower for everyone.

Walmart's clothing and home textiles are mostly polyester, often from recycled materials and that's why they make so much money off of it. It's not worth its price.

Independent especially ethnic grocery stores have a lot of low prices on stuff like drumsticks because it's the stuff mainstream buyers don't want and so they can get it cheaply.

Blueberries are cheap because they are in season in Chile right now. Celery is expensive because it's coming out of California because it is off-season everywhere else, and they are experiencing poor growing conditions, AND there is a celery juice craze right now so demand is up in the domestic market = less for Canada. Chicken breasts prices are set by the marketing board at $3.99/lb so they don't vary much and $2.99 may be a true loss leader.
I haven't seen chicken breast above 3.99/lb for a long time, fluctuates between $2.99-3.88/lb for the skinless/boneless variety

What's the msrp of drumsticks? What price is it a loss leader so I should take advantage of?

How about extra lean ground beef? (Usually 2.88/lb is sale price that I will buy )

Lean ground chicken ($2/lb is sale price I buy at )?

Are these prices posted somewhere so I know when it's a sale or just reg price?
Deal Guru
Nov 15, 2008
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StatsGuy wrote: I haven't seen chicken breast above 3.99/lb for a long time, fluctuates between $2.99-3.88/lb for the skinless/boneless variety

What's the msrp of drumsticks? What price is it a loss leader so I should take advantage of?

How about extra lean ground beef? (Usually 2.88/lb is sale price that I will buy )

Lean ground chicken ($2/lb is sale price I buy at )?

Are these prices posted somewhere so I know when it's a sale or just reg price?
Well I am in SWO so the lowest prices are higher. Logistics I figure--e.g., in this area "fresh" fish is pre-frozen and defrosted for you and never-frozen fish costs a fortune. However Amazon Prime shipping is being newly extended to this area so if they can offer that level of service, maybe grocers will figure things out and fresh fish will come to here too.

You really have to start your own local price book--just write down what you paid in a spreadsheet and refer to that before you go shopping/look at the flyers. Note the date too and you will figure out the cycle of the sales.
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The Asian stores of which there are many in the GTA has become a player in flyer specials, ethnic foods and low prices on meats and fish.
Fruits and vegetables as well, but remain behind on shelf goods prices and imperishables in terms of price.
I prefer to buy my ground meats, cuts of meats, chicken breasts from the main supermarkets but do buy my fish and low priced chicken wings from the Asian stores.
Offal meats are fresher and more pleasant looking than what's available at places like Freshco too.
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There is a ton of competition in the grocery business in the GTA.
At the low priced end Chinese grocery stores with a few loss leaders like cheap chicken. (If I am in Markham I will stop at Sunfood Mart for inexpensive chicken, turkey and fresh salmon but their produce is deplorable crap)
In the low end of mainstream grocery stores we have Freshco, No Frills and Food Basics.
In the middle Loblaws, Metro and Walmart (falling somewhere between the No Frills/Freshco/Food Basics tier and the middle)
In the higher end of the middle Longos, Coppas, Highland Farms - wonderful produce but very expensive on staples like toilet paper and laundry detergent.
At the high end Pusateris.

In the USA there are typically 2 or 3 main grocery chains (Kroger, Wegmans, Tops, Giant, Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, Pathmark, Stop N Shop and Price Chopper etc) in a medium sized city taking up the middle tier, Aldi owns the discount tier and Walmart somewhere between the two tiers.

I find produce is typically higher in price in the USA than Canada with potatoes being double or more in price.
Beef is often the same price in USD. Baked goods are higher in price,
Dairy and Poultry are cheaper due to the absence of Marketing Board minimums (found in Canada).
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StatsGuy wrote: I find Walmart has expensive groceries and not that fresh
I may have made the mistake of thinking that all walmarts are on the same page with pricing. One walmart where prices are low is Dufferin mall because No Frills is right next door in the same mall.
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plymouthhater wrote: There is a ton of competition in the grocery business in the GTA.
At the low priced end Chinese grocery stores with a few loss leaders like cheap chicken. (If I am in Markham I will stop at Sunfood Mart for inexpensive chicken, turkey and fresh salmon but their produce is deplorable crap)
In the low end of mainstream grocery stores we have Freshco, No Frills and Food Basics.
In the middle Loblaws, Metro and Walmart (falling somewhere between the No Frills/Freshco/Food Basics tier and the middle)
In the higher end of the middle Longos, Coppas, Highland Farms - wonderful produce but very expensive on staples like toilet paper and laundry detergent.
At the high end Pusateris.

In the USA there are typically 2 or 3 main grocery chains (Kroger, Wegmans, Tops, Giant, Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, Pathmark, Stop N Shop and Price Chopper etc) in a medium sized city taking up the middle tier, Aldi owns the discount tier and Walmart somewhere between the two tiers.

I find produce is typically higher in price in the USA than Canada with potatoes being double or more in price.
Beef is often the same price in USD. Baked goods are higher in price,
Dairy and Poultry are cheaper due to the absence of Marketing Board minimums (found in Canada).
I find big spread in quality of lower end places for meats depending on what (if any) 3rd party butcher they have running the meat dept


I find staples, produce and non perishables very expensive in the states. I never really looked into their meats. But if it's only$3cad per lb of boneless/skinless chicken breast here ($2.25usd) and $1.28 cad for drumsticks here... it must be dumping price cheap in the states. They also get more yield from permitted usage of antibiotics/hormones and economies of scale too along with the big govt subsidies

Overall I find meats and dairy in North America artificially cheap compared to elsewhere in the world where it's free market and veggies/fruits are quite a bit cheaper than meat/dairy
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playnicee1 wrote: When you think about who owns what, Walmart has room to offer cheap groceries as long as the clothing is marked up just right (still low priced, but marginally higher to subsidize grocery loss)
But Walmart isn't cheap....
Loblaws owns Joe Fresh, which quietly creeps into Loblaws stores for various reasons, instead of just being a grocery store. (ie a winter hat and mitts display as winter approaches)
I suspect that it's
1) to compete with Walmart
2) there's a giant markup on clothing, especially when it's house branded. Sell a shirt for $20 that costs you maybe $2. Why wouldn't you?
Do you not have anything else to do rather than argue with strangers on the internet
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Walmart is not cheap. They have increased prices.

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