Grocery Prices Still Higher as Inflation Rate Moderates in July

The price of groceries continued to climb in July, even as the broader Canadian inflation rate moderated. 

A Statistics Canada’s consumer price index on Tuesday pegged the July inflation rate at 7.6%, down from the near four-decade high of 8.1% notched in June. It was the first month-over-month decline in the inflation rate in a year. However, prices for food purchased from stores were up 9.9% in July, compared to the 9.4% advanced posted in June.  

Prices for bakery products (+13.6%) continued to rise at a faster pace as wheat prices remained elevated, StatsCan said. Higher input costs and global supply uncertainty related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine continued to put upward pressure on global wheat prices amid an already constrained supply. 

Other food items also exhibited faster price growth, including non-alcoholic beverages (+9.5%), sugar and confectionery (+9.7%), preserved fruit and fruit preparations (+10.4%), eggs (+15.8%), fresh fruit (+11.7%), and coffee and tea (+13.8%).