The FPSC Grocery Retailer Survey reveals the major challenges and trends shaping Canada’s grocery sector, from labour shortages to shifting consumer expectations, providing critical insights for retailers and food processors alike.
The FPSC Grocery Retailer Survey offers a deep dive into the state of grocery retail in Canada, highlighting workforce challenges, hiring trends, and consumer behavior shifts. Conducted in October 2023, the survey gathered responses from 401 grocery retailers nationwide and compared findings with 1,501 Canadian consumers and 39 food processors. The report explores recruitment struggles, labour shortages, wage trends, diversity initiatives, and how grocery retailers perceive consumer preferences versus what shoppers actually prioritize. These insights provide a roadmap for businesses navigating the evolving grocery landscape.
Grocery retailers face severe labour shortages, with a 27% vacancy rate—more than double that of food processors—despite offering higher wages and relying heavily on temporary staffing agencies.
Despite hiring challenges, 80% of grocery retailers remain optimistic about the future, believing in the sector’s resilience and growth potential.
Retailers and consumers have a major disconnect on food inflation, with 80% of retailers believing it’s slowing, while only 11% of consumers agree.
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