Mobilizing Consumer Protection and Empowerment at the Grocery Store
Consumers Council of Canada has launched a special initiative to strengthen representation of the consumer interest in the marketplace for groceries.
The Council is responding to the elevated level of concern being expressed nationally about:
- food price inflation,
- marketplace practices and misconduct, and
- how you can best be supported to make the choices important to you or your family about what goes in your grocery basket.
As always, the Council is working towards an improved marketplace for consumers in Canada – one that is efficient, equitable, safe and effective.
A top Council priority is to learn what you – a consumer in Canada – sees as good conduct in the grocery marketplace.
The views and priorities of Canadian consumers will help the Council set priorities for this initiative.
The Council will investigate and share knowledge, views and ideas for action concerning topics like:
- Shrinkflation
- Skimpflation (also referred to as ‘dequaliflation’)
- Food fraud
- Unit pricing practices
- Future opportunities for protection and empowerment of grocery shoppers
The Council is consulting a wide range of stakeholders. It is studying consumer views and concerns, industry practices and options for marketplace improvements.
The Council is inviting Canadian residents to join its Public Interest Network and to participate in this initiative. Click here to participate.
Residents of Canada interested in participating and following the Council’s work should also:
- Bookmark and read the Council’s news blog (or subscribe to it using RSS
- ‘Favourite’ the Council’s free Apple News channel: Consumers Council of Canada News
Consumer-interest, civil-society organizations should:
- Request terms of reference to participate in an online, interactive advisory panel. Joining in will bring your voice to a national information sharing effort and conversation among Canadian and international consumer groups. Contact us.
Consumer protection and empowerment professionals and their employers in government and industry interested in the progress of this special initiative should:
- Bookmark and read the Council’s news blog (or subscribe to it using RSS)
- ‘Favourite’ the Council’s free Apple News channel: Consumers Council of Canada News
- Subscribe to the Council’s e-periodical, Think Consumers, for in-depth reporting
- Subscribe to Public Interest Network questionnaire reports
- Seek standing to contribute knowledge to a consumer group panel formed as part of this initiative. Contact us.
Recent Developments
New Grocery Code Boss Emphasizes Steady Supply
Canada’s new voluntary Grocery Sector Code of Conduct (GSCC) is of “huge interest” to consumers, said Karen Proud, who was appointed to be the initial President and Adjudicator of the Office of the GSCC. She will work to make sure that Canadians understand the Code...
The Short-Weight Meat Reaction: A New Web Page
Several published reports from CBC News Investigations found that grocers short-weighting packaged meat and poultry is common, spread across Canada and long-standing. And though the Canadian Food Investigation Agency was satisfied to let retailers deal with the...
Listeria Outbreaks Show Multiple CFIA Roles
Four recent listeria-related product recalls highlight the multiple ways the government agency responsible for food safety can address problems. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued recalls on plant-based milk products (in July), frozen pancakes and...