The Shopper
POV
From price to loyalty to prepared foods and more, our exclusive research reveals what’s on the minds of Canada’s grocery shoppers
Read on to learn some key findings from the study
“Know thy shopper” remains a retail imperative, but in today’s shifting grocery landscape, it’s no longer enough to understand who shoppers are. Retailers must also have a handle on what they want, when they want it and how they prefer to buy. In this, our 2026 GroceryIQ Study: Checking Out the Latest Grocery Shopper Insights, we delve into where and how shoppers in Canada are procuring groceries—and what they truly think of everything from the service they receive to the value of their store’s loyalty program and how much appetite they have for supermarket prepared foods.
About the study
Back to basics
The healthy shopper
Sizing up the store
Loving loyalty
In-store and online
What shoppers are buying
Waning interest in prepared foods
Introduction
Overview & Methodology Survey sample: 1,000 grocery shoppers Respondents were required to be age 18+, reside in Canada, shop at grocery stores at least once a month and are the primary or shared decision-maker for household grocery shopping Quotas were established to accurately represent the population distribution of Canada
X
In-store and Online
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GroceryIQ 2026 | The Shopper POV
There’s no question, Canadians are feeling squeezed. According to the latest Bank of Canada survey of consumer expectations, anxiety around higher prices and economic uncertainty remains elevated—and it’s shaping how people shop. While discounters have a slight edge over traditional chain stores (54% versus 52%) in terms of how frequently those surveyed visit, our research points to a broader retrenchment. A growing number of shoppers report never shopping at specialty/natural stores, ethnic shops and online stores, suggesting a back-to-basics shift in priorities. As Canadians grapple with the cost of living, it’s no surprise that price continues to be the dominant driver for 82% of shoppers when choosing a grocery store. Price is especially important to boomers, with 87% naming it as the most important consideration, followed by women shoppers (85%) and gen-Xers (84%). Other top factors shoppers consider is product quality (72%), sales/promotions (71%, up from 69% last year) and product freshness (70%). Less important to shoppers is store organization (32%, versus 40% a year ago) and healthy/better-for-you products (19%, down from 24% last year).
12% never shop
27%
Dollar store
7% never shop
41%
Supercentre/mass merchandiser
5% never shop
52%
Traditional chain grocery store
9% never shop
54%
Discount chain grocery store
Price Remains Paramount Once again, price is the most important factor to shoppers when choosing where to buy groceries
22%
12% + 3pts
18%
31% + 5pts
17%
34%
26%
15%
40% + 6pts
14%
12%
49% + 5pts
8%
49% + 7pts
6%
Never shop
Shop once/week+
Where Canadians are buying groceries Shop at store once a week or more
Price is especially important for female shoppers (85%), gen X (84%) and boomers (87%)
82%
72%
71%
70%
67%
65%
56%
50%
39%
37%
32% - 8pts
19% - 5pts
Note: + and - Statistically significantly higher/lower at the 95% confidence level versus last year. Due to rounding, in some charts, percentages may total 99% or 101%
PREVIOUS
Grocery shopping frequency by store type
We also asked shoppers to rate their primary grocery store across a range of factors. The good news is that six in 10 shoppers indicated a high level of satisfaction with store cleanliness and variety of products offered, consistent with last year. And more than half of those surveyed gave their store an “excellent/very good” rating for organization, helpfulness and friendliness of employees. Grocery shopping, however, continues to be regarded as a chore for most, with just 39% (down from 42% last year) agreeing that their store is fun to shop. While shoppers generally report positive experiences at their primary grocery store, there’s room for improvement. Shoppers pointed to out-of-stock products (particularly products on promotion), pricing and friction at the checkout as their biggest peeves. Respondents also complained of too few cashiers during peak periods and lax enforcement at the “10 items or less” lanes. The message is clear: keep shelves stocked and checkouts moving to maintain shopper satisfaction. We also asked shoppers to rate the reputation of their grocery store. Responses mirrored last year’s results, with 57% of shoppers rating their store’s reputation as good and 31% calling it excellent. It’s worth noting that Costco Canada stands out, earning an “excellent” rating from 59% of respondents.
Biggest Pet Peeves at the Grocery Store Areas where improvement is needed
13%
11%
23%
7%
4%
While loyalty programs deliver a spectrum of perks, shoppers have clear favourites. Points redeemable for groceries tops the list as the most-valued loyalty program feature among 69% of shoppers. Exclusive discounts, while still important, have lost favour (43%, down from 49%), though they are more valued by women shoppers (47%) and Quebecers (54%). Cash back and personalized offers resonate with a sizable number of shoppers, but online catalogue-based rewards lag far behind, valued by just 19% of shoppers surveyed. For shoppers disinterested in grocery loyalty programs, the biggest barrier is a requirement to sign up for a credit card, cited by 28% of respondents, a five-point jump from a year ago. Other barriers include too many purchases required to earn rewards/points (21%) and the store demands too much information to enrol in the program (20%). What about flyers? Our survey revealed that more deal-seeking grocery shoppers (54%, up from 50% last year) are taking a look at digital flyers before they head off to the store. Print flyers, however, continue their decline, with just 31% (down eight points) looking at them before shopping. And 19% of shoppers report not using flyers at all.
Locking in consumer loyalty is a powerful lever for all retailers. Grocers with strong loyalty programs get shoppers through the door more frequently, enjoy bigger baskets and have better data to personalize offers. With the stakes high, grocers have stepped up their efforts to woo shoppers and, for their part, shoppers are keen to participate in programs that serve up benefits and provide some relief at the checkout. In fact, the 2026 GroceryIQ Study revealed a significant uptick in the number of shoppers (73%, up from 69% last year) enrolled in and actively using a grocery store loyalty program. Participation is even stronger in Quebec, where 87% of shoppers actively use a loyalty program, and among boomers, with 79% of those shoppers participating. And shoppers have a favourable view of grocers’ loyalty schemes with an impressive 94% (up from 92% last year) indicating some level of satisfaction. Just 6% of survey respondents reported being dissatisfied with the loyalty program offered at their primary store.
73% Yes-enrolled and actively use + 4pts
7% Don’t know + 3pts
2% No-and would not enrol
7% No-but would enrol - 3pts
7% Yes-but not enrolled
4% Yes-enrolled but do not use - 3pts
A LOOK AT LOYALTY Active loyalty program use has increased significantly versus last year
SATISFACTION WITH GROCERY STORE LOYALTY PROGRAMS
AWARENESS AND ENROLMENT IN GROCERY STORE LOYALTY PROGRAMS
6% Not very/not at all satisfied
33% Somewhat satisfied
61% Extremely/ very satisfied
94% HAVE SOME LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WITH THEIR LOYALTY PROGRAM
84% OF GROCERY STORES SHOPPED MOST OFTEN OFFER A LOYALTY PROGRAM
Active usage is highest among Quebecers (87%), boomers (79%)
LOYALTY PROGRAM FEATURES SHOPPERS CARE ABOUT MOST
19%
69%
43% - 6pts
36%
28%
Exclusive discounts are most important to female shoppers (47%) and Quebecers (54%). Quebecers also place high value on cash back (55%)
Millennials value reward points for redemption from an online catalogue (30%) and the mobile app (41%) more than older generations
In-store shopping continues to dominate. Nearly all shoppers (98%) visit a store at least once a month to procure groceries, and our survey revealed a significant increase in the frequency of in-store shopping trips. In fact, 90% (up from 86% a year ago) of shopping trips were completed in-store. The uptick is driven by males, millennials, generation Xers and Ontario shoppers. Online grocery is a more challenging story. Unchanged from last year, 19% of shoppers reported using “buy online for in-person delivery” at least once a month, while other e-comm methods such as curbside pickup and in-store pickup both saw a decline (from 14% to 11%). Further, when asked about future shopping behaviour, a growing number of grocery shoppers anticipate they will not use in-store pickup and curbside pickup services a year from now. Additionally, satisfaction with online shopping fell significantly with just 40% of shoppers indicating they are “completely/very satisfied” with the experience, down from 50% a year ago. Fees, out-of-stocks, poor substitutions, dissatisfaction with product quality and order picked incorrectly are persistent peeves for these shoppers. In verbatims captured by the survey, respondents had the following complaints: “website is designed poorly,” “it takes a long time to place an order … scrolling through all the pages,” and an “obligation to tip driver before order is fulfilled.”
Satisfaction with online shopping is dropping
98%
Shopping in-store + 4pts
Buy online for in-person delivery
Buy online for curbside pickup
Buy online for in-store pickup
90%
5%
2%
% WHO USED METHOD IN THE PAST MONTH
Who is driving the in-store shopping increase from last year to this year? Males: from 85% to 91% Millennials: from 76% to 83% Gen X: from 87% to 91% Ontarians: from 82% to 88%
Millennials more likely than older generations to online shop in past month: Delivery: 34%, In-store pickup: 23%, Curbside pickup: 19%
IN-STORE AND ONLINE SHOPPING In-store shopping increased significantly versus last year
REASONS SHOPPERS ARE NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING
13% Not very/not at all satisfied
40% Completely/very satisfied -10pts
47% Somewhat satisfied
SATISFACTION WITH ONLINE SHOPPING
42%
33%
29%
24%
20%
10%
SHOPPER BEHAVIOUR - TODAY AND TOMORROW SHOPPERS ARE PLANNING TO COOK MORE FROM SCRATCH IN 2026, PERHAPS INFLUENCED BY RISING COSTS AT THE GROCERY STORE
32%
38%
Spontaneous meal plan
Predicted*
Strict meal plan
Today
46%
58% + 5pts
21%
25%
55%
Convenient meals
Cooking from scratch
43%
31%
44%
35%
Spend much less on groceries
Spend much more on groceries
Neutral
Agree more with statement on top
Agree more with statement on bottom
* Predicted means one year from now
Strict meal plan higher for males (27%) versus females (19%)
Private-label products are gaining in popularity with shoppers. According to our survey, more shoppers (53%, up from 48%) are reporting “always, or often” adding store-brand items to their baskets, with 38% “sometimes” doing so. Seventy-eight per cent of shoppers (up from 74% last year) say the main reason they’re purchasing private label is to save money. Other reasons given include the quality is similar to a name brand (52%), the store brand is better than the name brand (14%), and that their preferred name brand was out-of-stock so they grabbed a private label as a substitute (11%).
Few grocery shoppers turn up at grocery stores without a list or an inkling of what they’re going to buy; in fact, just 2% do. Most (82%) arrive with a list in hand, but despite a tightening of household budgets, our survey shows 63% of shoppers are leaving room for spontaneity, permitting themselves to go off-list at the store and add additional items to their carts. The types of foods shoppers are adding to their carts is consistent with last year, but notably more shoppers (86%, up from 83%) purchased dairy. This puts it in the top spot and overtaking fresh produce, which is purchased by 83% of shoppers, unchanged from last year. Also making gains are salty snacks, coffee, cereal and deli meat. On the other hand, fewer shoppers are purchasing alcoholic beverages, organic foods and frozen desserts. In the non-edible categories, paper products, laundry detergent and personal care items are the most popular among shoppers surveyed, consistent with last year. Flowers and plants, however, showed a significant decline, perhaps indicating a shift away from non-essential items.
THE GROCERY SHOP Shoppers less likely to switch stores for out-of-stock items, better deals
LIKELIHOOD OF VISITING ANOTHER STORE TO FIND A MISSING ITEM
27% Very likely
41% Somewhat likely
25% Not very likely
7% Not at all likely
68% SWITCHERS DUE TO STOCK LIMITATIONS - 6pts
32% LOYALISTS DESPITE STOCK LIMITATIONS + 6pts
LIKELIHOOD OF SWITCHING STORES FOR A BETTER DEAL OR PRICE
13% Not at all likely
12% Very unlikely
34% Neutral
17% Very likely
25% LOYALISTS NOT SWITCHING FOR BETTER DEALS + 7pts
42% SWITCHERS DUE TO BETTER DEALS - 7pts
25% Somewhat likely
Most likely to be loyalists: Boomers (39%), Quebecers (43%)
Boomers are most likely to be loyalists (33%)
We also asked shoppers in what ways they’ve changed their shopper behaviours to cope with high grocery prices. About half (47%) reported buying reduced price or clearance items, while 40% are buying fewer impulse items and 32% are buying fewer groceries overall. Perhaps influenced by high prices, a growing number of shoppers (58%, up from 53%) also told us they plan to cook from scratch in the year ahead.
23% + 4pts
HOW GROCERY SHOPPERS ARE COPING WITH INFLATION
47%
40%
30%
25% - 5pts
20% - 5pts
17% - 3pts
9%
21% - 4pts
Most likely to have not changed grocery shopping behaviour: Quebecers (33%) Males (31%) Boomers (30%)
Despite employing tactics to save money, about half of shoppers surveyed (55%) say they are spending more on groceries versus last year, with 23% indicating they’re spending “a lot more.” Among women shoppers, that figure jumps to 27%. Thirty-two per cent of shoppers report to be spending “the same amount” of money on groceries, compared to the year prior, but in Quebec that figure jumps to 44%. Just 9% of shoppers report spending “a bit less. Amid a tariff tiff with our southern neighbour, the buy local movement has received a boost in the past year. According to our survey, among those shoppers who purchase local products, 33% say they are doing so more frequently (up from 25% a year ago). This figure jumps to 36% for women shoppers. For 65% of shoppers, the main reason for buying local is a desire to support local businesses, while 53% say they feel local products are of better quality.
Private label is having a moment
Change in purchase frequency of private label
7% Rarely/never
38% Sometimes
53% Always/often + 3pts
2% Don’t know
78% + 4pts
11% - 4pts
Purchase frequency of private label
Reasons for purchasing private label
30% More
66% About the same
5% Fewer
Fewer shoppers are using expanded services offered at the grocery store
37% Use expanded services -5pts
1%
3%
Quebec shoppers are least likely to use expanded services (24% use)
In recent years, grocers invested heavily in prepared foods and consumers were eating them up. But shoppers’ appetite for these convenient foods is waning. According to our survey, fewer shoppers (62%, compared to 66% a year ago) reported purchasing prepared foods at a grocery store at least once over the course of a month, and those shoppers are buying slightly less frequently (1.7 purchase occasions versus two a year ago). Price is the main reason shoppers are turning away from prepared foods, with 48% reporting they’re too expensive. Other barriers to purchase include a preference to cook at home and dissatisfaction with the selection of prepared foods on offer.
Prepared Foods Purchases of prepared foods dipped versus last year, with shoppers citing costs and a preference for home cooking as main reasons
62% Purchased prepared food at grocery store in the past month -4pts
1.7 Average prepared food purchase occasions in the past month
43% of boomers and 47% of Quebec shoppers don’t buy prepared food
48%
Entrees are the most popular choice among shoppers who purchase prepared foods, with 62% adding them to their baskets. However, both hot and cold sides have taken a hit with significantly fewer shoppers (just 19% for cold sides, down 7 points and 15% purchasing hot sides, down 5 points) reaching for these items. Grab-and-go refrigerated foods are the most popular prepared foods format, purchased by 51% of prepared food shoppers, followed by made-to-order (28%) and a combination of both (21%). As with other categories at the store, in these strained times, price and value are the most important considerations for shoppers—this is even more pronounced among boomers and gen-Xers—followed by quality, freshness and taste.
Prepared food shoppers are shifting away from sides, though entrees remain strong
FACTORS MOST IMPORTANT TO SHOPPERS WHEN PURCHASING PREPARED FOODS
Ontario shoppers most likely region to say “not available where I shop” (19%)
15% -7pts
19% -7pts
62%
16%
51%
64%
TYPES OF PREPARED FOODS PURCHASED AT GROCERY IN THE PAST MONTH
Boomers (72%) and gen X (67%) have the highest scores for price/value
Boomers have the highest scores for food quality (66%) and freshness (67%)
No surprise, health-minded shoppers are focused on product freshness, sugar, sodium, non-processed foods, fat and protein. Breaking it down by demographics, women shoppers (48%) reported being more concerned about freshness than males (39%), while boomers also reported higher than average concerns about sodium and ingredients they can understand and pronounce. When asked what health-focused offerings/services were most important to them, an in-store pharmacy was named by 26% of shoppers, while 17% named healthy recipe cards at shelf. Other expanded offerings such as a healthcare app or healthy cooking classes declined in importance suggesting these offerings are no longer valued by shoppers.
Three-quarters (74%) of grocery shoppers in Canada identify as “health conscious”—among Quebecers and boomers this figure jumps to 87% and 79%, respectively. Clearly, good health and well-being are important to Canadian shoppers, which is good news for grocers who have stepped up efforts in recent years to position themselves as a partner ready to help with health. However, the number of shoppers reporting being “very satisfied” with their grocer’s selection of better-for-you foods has declined significantly (34%, compared to 39% a year ago). The bulk of shoppers (59%) fall into the “somewhat satisfied” camp, suggesting there’s room for grocers to win over these important shoppers.
74% OF SHOPPERS AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT: “I AM HEALTH- CONSCIOUS”
HEALTH AND WELLNESS While most shoppers report being health-conscious, those indicating they are ‘very satisfied’ with the healthy options at the store have declined
Highest scores: Quebecers 87% Boomers: 79%
7% Not very/not at all satisfied
59% Somewhat satisfied + 7pts
34% Extremely/ very satisfied -5pts
93% OF SHOPPERS HAVE SOME LEVEL OF SATISFACTION WITH THEIR STORE’S HEALTHY OFFERINGS
SATISFACTION WITH SELECTION OF HEALTHY/BETTER-FOR-YOU FOODS AT GROCERY STORES
Shoppers’ top health and wellness interests
% INDICATING CONCERN OR INTEREST IN HEALTH-RELATED ASPECT
9% -3pts
8% -5pts
Boomers concerned about sodium (39%), ingredients I can understand/ pronounce (24%)
Female shoppers concerned about freshness (48%) more than males (39%)
Millennials concerned about caffeine (11%), functional/vitamin- enhanced (9%)
6% Don’t know
40% Sometimes
43% Always/often
11% Rarely/never
FREQUENCY OF PURCHASING LOCAL PRODUCTS AT GROCERY STORES
53%
REASONS FOR BUYING LOCAL
CHANGE IN PURCHASE FREQUENCY OF LOCAL PRODUCTS IN PAST YEAR
33% More + 8pts
63% About the same
4% Less
36% of female shoppers say “more” (versus 30% of males)
Boomers (49%) score highest for “always/often”
Boomers want to support local (72%) and perceive local to be better quality (61%)
