As food prices continue to rise and Canadians raise concerns about practices at large retailers, some shoppers may be wondering if there’s an alternative to Big Grocery.
The cost of food has skyrocketed in the last few years, with Statistics Canada reporting that as of July 2025, Canadians were paying 27.1 per cent more than they were in July 2020.
Meanwhile, Canada’s top three grocers continue to make profits — $3.6 billion in 2022 on more than $100 billion in sales.
In many parts of the country, alternatives are scarce, and the big players dominate the market. Just five companies control 76 per cent of the Canadian grocery market share: Loblaw, Sobeys, Metro, Costco and Walmart.
Consumer concerns go beyond price tags, with questions raised about labelling, weighing practices, price discrimination, anti-competitive conduct and security at some of the country’s biggest chains.
But is another world possible? Some say yes.
There are already examples in Canada of other food retailing models, including co-ops, non-profits, sliding-scale stores and farmers’ markets. In the U.S., New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has even mused about opening city-owned grocery stores to provide cheaper options to those living in food deserts.
I would completely support Canadian stores. I recently tried to find interfacing for a sewing project. There is nowhere in my city left that sells it. I had to resort to Amazon—and then had to send it back because it didn’t even work. I’m trying to do everything I can to distance myself from the USA, Amazon, conglomerates. It’s getting harder and harder. I went to Cloverdale Paint to buy 1 gallon of paint for my very small bathroom. It was double the price of American made brands. I guess I’m not painting my bathroom.