GROCERY CEO’S WARN HIGHER FOOD PRICES

Recent cost pressures on the industry. Including the rising minimum wages in some provinces, increased fuel, and transportation costs. Furthermore, an ongoing trade war with the U.S. It will soon result in some price inflation. This was said by the chief executives of Metro Inc., Loblaw Companies Ltd., and Empire Co. Tuesday at Scotiabank’s back-to-school conference in Toronto.

Metro CEO Eric La Fleche said consumers should eventually see a return to more normal inflation levels.

“Exactly when and how — it’s all about competitive dynamics. Everybody is competitive. Nobody wants to lose any share. So, let’s see how things play out,” he said.

Metro is starting to see some price inflation already, La Fleche said.

He explained that the cost pressures have been building over the past year. Beginning with Ontario’s minimum wage hike from $11.60 to $14 an hour on Jan. 1. Hence, followed by rising fuel and transportation costs.

Then came the Canadian government’s retaliatory tariffs on July 1. Hence, on a wide range of American products, including coffee, maple syrup, salad dressing and other foods.

“Now, we’re having a, something I would describe it as ‘a tsunami’ of tariff-related request. This is for the purpose of cost increases from our supplier partners. This was said by Michael Medline, The Empire’s CEO.

The company, which is the parent to grocery chain Sobeys Inc. It held off on raising prices for some time. Hence, he said but is now reviewing these tariff-related costs.

Empire will pass the extra costs on to consumers where it makes sense in the market, he said, adding it will be careful not to give away any market share.

“We don’t like to pass on the cost, but there’s no way you can avoid it with the inflationary pressures that we are now seeing.” Price increases are likely to be moderate in a historical sense, said Loblaw CEO Galen Weston.

He predicted food inflation of one- to 1.5-per cent, which he said is in the normal range as opposed to the higher range in the five to six per cent level.

“We don’t yet see it moving into the mid-single-digit levels… We don’t think it is likely to do that.”

The chief executives also outlined their respective plans to grow their e-commerce business, specifically home delivery. Canada’s grocery owners have been slow to offer delivery but ramped up their efforts after Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market last year.

Metro already offers home delivery from seven stores in Quebec, which serves about 60 per cent of the province’s population, said La Fleche. It will start offering the service in Ontario in 2019, he said but did not provide details on specific locations.

The company relies on its existing assets to fulfil orders rather than partnering with a third party like its competitors have chosen to do.

“We’re going to e-commerce with a prudent approach,” said La Fleche, adding the company is scaling up and the company may consider using a dedicated facility if it reaches a certain level — but it’s not there yet.

Empire, on the other hand, decided to partner with British firm Ocado to build a fulfilment centre in the Greater Toronto Area that will be fully operational by the spring of 2020. The centre will house Ocado’s signature robotics that can fulfil customer orders within minutes.

Empire offers home delivery in Quebec and learned that their solution there is not scalable, Medline said, adding the company is excited that Ocado’s solution eliminates some logistical issues and is profitable.

Loblaw also partnered with another company to offer home delivery, opting for California-based Instacart but choosing to do so in a quicker fashion. Customers in 17 cities can now use the Instacart app to order groceries for delivery from Loblaw.

“Our view today is that rapid expansion and customer acquisition is the second most important thing to do in the first innings of the e-commerce online grocery world,” Weston said.

Read the related article: DELIVERING FOOD & DIVING INTO SERVICE QUALITY