Canada’s grocery pricing practices are getting a fresh look, and shoppers have a practical reason to pay attention. Canadian Grocer and CP24 reported on September 25 that the Competition Bureau expects to publish a call for information on retail grocery pricing policies on September 28. The move is part of its broader examination of competition across Canada’s food supply chain, launched in June. For households, the important question goes beyond whether a shelf price has risen: are package sizes, reward conditions or product changes making value harder to compare? This is not an announcement of lower grocery prices or a new discount program. It is a timely prompt to look more closely at what your grocery money actually buys.
Know what the review can do. The bureau’s official examination notice identifies production and processing, transportation and distribution, and retail pricing as its three areas of focus. The retail portion includes loyalty programs, algorithmic pricing, shrinkflation and skimpflation. Crucially, the bureau says this examination is not a law enforcement investigation and does not examine specific allegations of wrongdoing. It also says it does not have authority to decide the right price for a product. Its published timeline anticipates a report in spring 2027, subject to changes. That distinction matters: closer scrutiny does not mean a retailer has broken the law, and a future recommendation is not an immediate price cap. Keep planning around prices available today rather than anticipated regulatory savings.
Start with the amount inside the package. The bureau defines shrinkflation as reducing a product’s size or quantity while keeping its price unchanged. A familiar-looking cereal box or bag of frozen vegetables can therefore offer less value even when the sticker seems reassuringly unchanged. Check the net weight or volume, then compare prices using the same unit across competing products. Where shelf labels provide unit prices, make sure they use matching units before choosing. Where they do not, a phone calculator can help. Record the package size alongside the price for staples you buy repeatedly; a receipt alone may not show enough detail. The bureau’s 2023 grocery report recommended accessible, harmonized unit-pricing requirements. That historical recommendation should not be mistaken for a new nationwide rule announced this week.
Treat loyalty offers as conditional prices, not automatic savings. Loyalty programs are explicitly within the examination’s scope, but the bureau has not declared that every member offer is harmful. For your own basket, separate the amount payable at checkout from points that might be useful later. Read whether an offer needs activation, applies only to selected sizes, requires a minimum spend or has quantity limits. Then compare the actual member price against another store’s ordinary price for an equivalent item. Buying an unneeded product to unlock rewards can raise the grocery bill even when the promotion works exactly as advertised. If a program is difficult to use without an app, make that inconvenience part of your decision rather than assuming the advertised benefit is available to everyone.
Check quality as well as quantity. The bureau describes skimpflation as reducing a product’s quality while keeping the same price. Unlike a smaller net weight, a quality change may not be obvious from a shelf tag. For products you buy regularly, compare ingredient lists, preparation instructions and relevant nutrition information when the packaging or your experience changes. A different recipe is not automatically worse, and a disappointing purchase is not proof of misconduct. The useful shopping question is whether the product still meets your household’s needs at that price. Compare like with like: a cheaper substitute that nobody will eat, or that requires extra ingredients to serve, may not be a worthwhile replacement. Try unfamiliar alternatives in a manageable quantity before committing to a large pack.
Keep a small, factual price record. Because pricing technology is among the practices being examined, it is worth separating what you can observe from what you cannot. A different online price is not, by itself, evidence that an algorithm is targeting you personally. When comparing offers, note the date, store location, shopping channel, package size and membership conditions. Include delivery or pickup charges when those affect the order. Save a screenshot of the actual offer and check the receipt before discarding it. If a charged price differs from the displayed offer, ask the retailer to explain the discrepancy and its applicable policy. This creates a useful record without assuming a cause, and it can reveal whether changing stores or channels genuinely improves your total bill.
Watch the next announcement without confusing it with the earlier consultation. As of September 25, the bureau’s main examination page lists September 4 as the deadline for its earlier feedback form, while the news reports describe a further pricing-information call expected September 28. Check the official examination page for updated participation instructions rather than relying on an old deadline or assuming a new form is already open. Meanwhile, choose a manageable group of household staples and compare their size, usable quality, checkout price and offer conditions. Add travel costs and likely waste before making a special trip. The immediate takeaway is simple: judge the whole purchase, not just the biggest promotional number, while the broader competition work proceeds.
Source trail: Canadian Grocer — Competition Bureau seeks information on retail grocery pricing policies (September 25, 2026): https://canadiangrocer.com/competition-bureau-seeks-information-retail-grocery-pricing-policies ; CP24 — Canada’s grocery pricing practices face fresh scrutiny (September 25, 2026): https://www.cp24.com/news/money/2026/09/25/canadas-grocery-pricing-practices-face-fresh-scrutiny/ ; Competition Bureau — Notice: Behind the price tag: Examining the food supply chain: https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/how-we-foster-competition/notice-behind-price-tag-examining-food-supply-chain ; Competition Bureau — Behind the price tag: An examination of the food supply chain: https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/how-we-foster-competition/behind-price-tag-examination-food-supply-chain ; Competition Bureau — Canada Needs More Grocery Competition (June 27, 2023): https://competition-bureau.canada.ca/en/how-we-foster-competition/education-and-outreach/canada-needs-more-grocery-competition