Image depicting produce

Last updated on May 25, 2022

Canada has seen considerable fluctuations in food prices and consumption over the past few years, and grocery retailers are in a frenzy to determine what food items Canadians avoid or indulge in. 

According to StatCan, the average annual household expenditure on vegetables and vegetable preparations in Canada in 2019 amounted to 974 Canadian dollars.

Keeping this in mind, Caddle asked our Daily Survey Panel about their spending habits specifically related to produce. 

Let’s Not Buy That

Caddle asked their Daily Survey Panel what produce items out of the ones presented do they avoid buying at the grocery store because of their high price.  Fully 50% of respondents answered “Exotic Fruit” and this percentage is higher for those  living in the province of BC or Alberta. The other top categories of produce avoided due to high prices were “Strawberries” (31%) and “Raspberries” (29%). 

avoid purchasing produce due to high price

Will Canadians Buy Unfamiliar Products?

Caddle asked their Daily Survey Panel what produce items out of the ones presented would they avoid at the grocery store due to lack of familiarity. When asked, “Which of these produce items from the following list do you avoid purchasing because you’re unfamiliar?” Caddle discovered that 42% of Canadians would not buy Exotic fruit due to lack of familiarity, higher in the Atlantic provinces at 49%. The other top produce categories avoided due to lack of familiarity were Squash (13%)  and Strawberries (4%). 

With price uncertainty around groceries, it is understandable that Canadians are sticking to basics and not experimenting with exotic produce.

avoid purchasing produce due to lack of familiarity

Which Products are Canadians Unsatisfied with?

As food consumption fluctuates, Caddle also wanted to know if there is any produce from the ones presented that Canadians are not purchasing due to a previous unsatisfactory experience. The top categories of produce avoided due to past unsatisfactory experiences were “bagged salads” (18%), followed by “exotic fruit” (17%) and “strawberries” (13%). 

Bagged salads and exotic fruits were also the top two produce categories avoided by Canadians due to product safety concerns. 

avoid purchasing produce due to. unsatisfactory experience

Main Takeaways

No.1 |

Fully 50% of respondents answered “Exotic Fruit” as the top produce they avoid purchasing due to an increase in price, and this percentage is higher for those  living in the province of BC or Alberta. 

No.2 |

42% of Canadians would not buy Exotic fruit due to lack of familiarity, higher in the Atlantic provinces at 49%. 

No.3 |

Top category of produce avoided due to past unsatisfactory experiences was “bagged salads” (18%), followed by “exotic fruit” (17%) and “strawberries” (13%). 

Liked what you just read? Caddle has a lot more to offer, check out our blog on Canadians shift to frozen foods!

*Disclaimer: all data presented is owned by Caddle and has a Margin of Error of 1% or lower.

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