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They say not all heroes wear capes, some wield pens (or nowadays, keyboards). As the cost of groceries has become a hot topic, there has been an increase in entertainment-based media sites joining the conversation. 

BuzzFeed, an online media company that touts itself as “home to the best of the Internet” posts articles on a wide variety of topics. Recently on their food-focused subset, Tasty, they have been creating or resharing articles that showcase different cost-saving measures for meals. They have even reached out to their audience to share their “favourite budget recipes.” This relevant and timely information demonstrates that BuzzFeed understands their readers’ situation, and aims to provide assistance. Reactions seen on their social media platforms have been generally positive, and comments filled with people sharing their go-to low-budget meals.

The Canadian sketch comedy show, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, often uses current trends and topics in their show, but perhaps none have hit home as much as their video on grocery prices. The show released a video on their TikTok channel that compares the pain of the prices to giving birth. The hilarious skit features a woman buying ingredients for a charcuterie board as her in-laws will be visiting. As she lets out pained moans mimicking labour pains, the clerk provides supportive comments much like that of a doctor. This light-hearted short provides an outlet for some chuckles, as well as draws attention to just how much pain are possibly feeling. 

Take a watch: 

@thishourhas22minutes what to expect when your in-laws are expecting charcuterie #parody #sketchcomedy #satire #groceries #shopping #inflation #delivery #22minutes ♬ original sound – This Hour Has 22 Minutes

Overall, the reaction to the video demonstrates that it’s been well received by their audience. More than 8,000 comments have been posted since the video’s release on Nov. 9.

As the grocery store scanners beep in a symphony, Loblaws and Metro, two of Canada’s largest grocery corporations, are seeing dollar signs dance. Both corporations are reporting record-high profits (up 11% and 32% in revenue respectively compared to the same quarter in 2022 ). 

In a press release on Nov. 15, Loblaws shared how it’s had another quarter of “strong operational and financial results,” while simultaneously declaring that they are dedicated to fighting inflation and bringing down prices. Metro’s statement on Nov. 15 included a quote from their president saying that they are “pleased” with the results despite a “5-week strike.” Understandably, these corporations have boards and shareholders to appease, but the statements and the timing of the HungerCount Report make the organizations appear insensitive to the plight of their customers. Additionally, it’s not made clear how they are bringing down prices.

Corporations cite various reasons why the cost of groceries has continued to grow, and even outpace inflation; including diverting the responsibility to the food suppliers. In the same earnings press release, Loblaws directly stated it was their supplier’s fault that the costs were so high, and several media outlets, such as the Financial Post picked this up. 

Food production corporations do have some responsibility for the price increases; however, some are attempting to avoid changing their prices by shrinking the product amount. This has led to the term, shrinkflation. Journalists have played an important role in bringing awareness to the public about this issue, with many news stories addressing this topic, especially from the consumer’s perspective. 

In instances where a spokesperson is quoted, some corporations are taking the approach of ‘we are not doing anything wrong’ as they are abiding by the labelling laws indicating the product amount. This was noted in recent BBC and CBC articles. Unsurprisingly, consumers are feeling tricked, with one CBC story quoting Ellyn Newall of Edmonton:

“The first thing you think is, like: ‘How could they do that to us?’ You feel upset. You feel deceived,”  Source: Sophia Harris, CBC News, Oct. 18, 2023

There are limited examples of those on the production side embracing transparency about the change in quantity. Ben & Jerry’s released a statement updating their consumers on the rationale behind the decrease in tub size from 500ml to 473ml. However, there is no mention of the additional consequence for the consumer, namely that sales tax (GST) in Canada applies to snack products that are considered “single serving” (contains less than 500ml or grams), which their product now falls under. 

Carrefour, a grocery store chain located throughout the world, has started posting notices identifying products that have changed the amount. This notice attracted international attention and appeared in several media stories, including BBC and Reuters. Interestingly, the company has not addressed this initiative on their social media channels (Twitter and LinkedIn) or website (as of Nov. 11, 2023.). 

Corporations would be well advised to embrace this type of transparency as it tends to increase customer understanding and loyalty.  

 

For the Canadians who thought 2022 would be their year after enduring a pandemic and seeing glimmers of hope of “returning to normal; they were instead greeted with 40-year record-high levels of inflation. At an average of 6.8% (4.8% above the target of 2%), the Bank of Canada had to take drastic measures, and have since imposed 11 rate hikes to curb inflation. While prices have come down in some categories, such as gasoline and travel-related services, many Canadians are still feeling a pinch when it comes to the cost of living, especially food.

A report from Statistics Canada found that in the last two years, grocery item prices have increased 20% on average. The same report found that 4 in 10 Canadians were impacted more by grocery prices than rises in other areas, such as shelter and transportation. 

Food insecurity isn’t a new challenge. The first food bank in Canada opened in 1981 in Edmonton, AB, in response to growing levels of poverty. That number has grown to more than 4,750 food banks and doesn’t include smaller initiatives like pantries operated by local community organizations. 

The annual Food Banks Canada’s HungerCount report measures the number of people accessing food banks every March. The 2023 report, issued in late October 2023, found that there were more than 1.9 million visits to food banks. This was a 32% increase compared to the previous year, and a whopping 79% increase compared to 2019. A new concerning statistic shows 1 in 6 (17%) of those accessing the service are employed. This is up 5 per cent after being in between 11 and 12 per cent for more than 10 years.    

This elevated demand for food banks and programs has left Food Banks Canada fed up with the current situation, and lack of solutions from the federal government. 

In conjunction with the report, the organization released a statement from their Chief Executive Officer, Kirstin Beardsley, who said “..we must ask: when is it enough before we act?” This statement launched their “When is it enough?” campaign with a dedicated website, whenisitenough.ca. The site is a simple landing page encouraging Canadians to write to their local MP to let them know that “enough is enough.”

EE found the website made sending a letter an easy process. Food Banks Canada has a pre-templated letter that visitors can send directly from the site with the option of customizing it. If the visitor doesn’t know who their MP is, if the website has access to their location it’ll populate it for them. If not, visitors can search by inputting their postal code. There is also a “Share” option on the letter submission for participants to share it on their social channels or by email. The campaign has received substantial national media attention, including CBC, CTV News, and Newswire Canada. In addition to media outreach, the campaign used eye-catching visuals and infographics on their website and social media. They paid for advertising on Meta and procured out-of-home advertising in high-traffic areas. Given these initiatives, it’s expected that they have increased awareness amongst their audience, but as only a month has passed since its launch, there has not been any follow-up in regards to its effectiveness for action. 

This campaign is the second time Food Banks Canada has diverged from a focus on a call for donations; often using storytelling to share the difference those dollars make to someone in need to foster feelings of empathy. In 2022, the organization’s creative campaign featured a “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” type monster eating holes through the downtown of a major Canadian city. However, it does raise the question of how much money are they bringing in that they can create such cinematic advertisements.