The best grocery prices: 100grammes.ca's 2023 retrospective

To the point Find out how prices have changed at the grocery store in 2023, thanks to the year in review by 100grammes.ca, a website that helps its subscribers save money at the supermarket.

What is 100grammes.ca?

Our tip for maximum savings at the grocery store 1-Subscribe to 100grams.ca (available in french only) 2-Enroll in grocery store loyalty programs 3-Have the right credit card for groceries

2023 grocery prices Multiplying formats The cheapest and the most expensive grocery store Best grocery prices for 2023

Bottom Line

With inflation taking its toll everywhere, how have grocery prices changed in 2023? 100grammes has surveyed over 43,000 different grocery prices in 2023 to help us make better consumer choices and understand trends. Here are some interesting observations from the study and our top tips to help you save on your grocery basket in 2024.

What is 100grammes.ca?

The 100grammes.ca website compares the best prices at grocery stores.

The choice of the name “100grammes.ca” stems from its function of comparing prices in 100-gram increments. This enables consumers to quickly determine whether a grocery product does offer better value for money than others.

Every Thursday, 100grammes.ca undertakes a price analysis of the five major supermarkets in the Greater Montreal area: IGA, Maxi, Metro, Provigo and Super C.

With the end of Publisac distribution in many cities, the 100grammes.ca website is an excellent alternative for instant flyer browsing.

100grammes.ca subscribers have a unique opportunity to access the best deals of the week quickly. This allows them to save time by not sifting through all the local grocery store flyers while planning their food purchases. Read our complete guide to find out how to use this service and save money at the grocery store.

Our tip for maximum savings at the grocery store

Here are our three tips for saving three times over on groceries:

Subscribe to 100grammes.ca
Sign up for grocery store loyalty programs
Having the right credit card for groceries

1-Subscribe to 100grams.ca (available in french only)

Start using 100grammes.ca to find the best prices on the products on your list (tip: code MILES20 gives you 20% off your 100grams.ca subscription. The annual subscription costs $0.92 per week).

2-Enroll in grocery store loyalty programs

Then sign up for the loyalty program of the grocery stores you frequent and redeem your points to lower your grocery bill:

Maxi, Provigo and PC Optimum: 1,000 PC Optimum points earn $1 rebate
IGA and Scene+: 1,000 Scene+ points for $10 rebate
SuperC, Metro and the Moi program: 125 points earn $1 rebate

3-Have the right credit card for groceries

Use a credit card that gives you more points or cash back at the grocery store.

Credit card	Grocery store awards	Grocery stores concerned
American Express Cobalt^® Card	5 points per dollar	Super C, Metro and most IGA
Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card	Up to 6 points per dollar	Super C, Metro and most IGA
National Bank World Elite Mastercard	Up to 5 points per dollar	All grocery stores (including Maxi)
Scotia Momentum^® VISA Infinite* Card	4% Cash Back	All grocery stores (including Maxi)
CIBC Dividend^® Visa Infinite* Card	4% Cash Back	All grocery stores (including Maxi)

As an alternative, this credit card is accepted everywhere and for most consumers ($15,000 income): CIBC Dividend^® Visa* Card with 3% cash back at all grocery stores.

2023 grocery prices

With its extensive database of grocery prices, 100grammes.ca has unveiled its 2023 Retrospective!

So that you know, the following results compare prices for the same products at the same time in January 2023 and January 2024. We’re not talking about a change in the overall average, but about the same product, bought on the same day, one year apart, which can change as early as the following week. However, the 100grammes ratio gives an idea of year-round averages by product.

Several foodstuffs have seen a reduction in their grocery prices as of January 2023 compared with January 2024, for example these:

Pork tenderloin (-32%)
Salmon (-14%)
Orange (-38%)
Bacon (-22%)

Conversely, the prices of several products have increased as of January 2023 compared with January 2024, such as these:

Whole chicken (+38%)
Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, etc. (+49%)
Eggs (+37%)

Multiplying formats

Interestingly, there was a 24% increase in different cereal box formats between March 2023 (92 formats) and January 2024 (114 formats).

However, if you can, it’s always better to choose a brand’s largest format over its smallest. The price per 100 grams is 18% lower when we buy the big box of our favourite cereals compared to the smaller box.

With the multiplication of these different cans, it’s all the more important to look at the price per 100 grams. This information can be found on every product label. For a quicker view, 100grammes.ca instantly lists this price and offers you this shortcut to find the best format.

Over the same period, the dairy products department reported a similar trend. The diversity of formats is multiplying:

Yogurt: 12 to 16 different sizes
Cheese bricks: From 11 to 17 different sizes

Here again, larger formats are up to 20% cheaper.

The cheapest and the most expensive grocery store

The grocery stores analyzed are:

IGA
Maxi
Metro
Provigo
SuperC

The prices on the 100grammes.ca website led to the following results:

December 2023 : 14 products (48%) of the 29 basic products were most often less expensive at Maxi. Conversely, 13 of these 29 basic products (45%) were most often more expensive at IGA.
January 2024: 15 products (52%) of the 29 basic products were most often less expensive at Maxi. Conversely, 9 products (31%) of these 29 staples were most often more expensive at Provigo, Metro and IGA (tied).

Even if the trend shows IGA as the most expensive of these five supermarkets, IGA was still on par with or more affordable than the lower-priced grocery stores at certain times and with certain products:

P’tit Québec block cheese (400 grams) at $4.44 in January 2024;
Pork tenderloin at $1.77/lb in January 2024;
Greenhouse red tomato at $0.22/100 grams in December 2023.

Best grocery prices for 2023

Here are some other observations made possible by the 100grammes’ 2023 Retrospective.

The lowest price seen for a pound of butter was in March and June 2023 at Super C, at $4.44.

On very few occasions during 2023, the lowest price seen for a dozen eggs was $2.44, such as at Maxi in December 2023 and at Metro in October 2023.

The bargain for ground beef is $3/lb. at IGA and Provigo was effective at the beginning of 2023. But it hasn’t been seen at this low price since.

In 2024, if you see a 675-gram white sliced loaf for around $2.49, jump on this bargain! This exceptional price was only found a few times during the year at Maxi, IGA and Metro.

Finally, according to 100grammes.ca, the best deal for carrots in 2023 was $0.11 per 100 grams. At this price, in October 2023, Super C beat its competitors with a 3-pound bag for $1.44.

Bottom Line

According to the Annual Report on Food Prices in Canada, grocery baskets will cost up to 4.5% more in 2024. This represents an additional $700 for a family of four.

This was just an overview of the 2023 annual report created by 100grammes, we invite you to view the full retrospective here. To find the best deals week after week, from one grocery store to the next, subscribe to a site like 100grammes.ca and don’t forget to pay with an optimal credit card.

Traditionally, after February 1st, producers and major brands know they can raise prices, so it’s a good idea to check out 100grammes.ca to always get the best price!