Pricebook 2011: Edmonton Food Prices...going up...

So it has begun... economists and main stream media have been announcing since the New Year, food prices across the board will be increasing... from Loblaw's to Tim Horton's to George Weston; all have announced price increases due to world commodity and food prices increasing.... By next year, Canadians will be paying 5-7% more for their groceries.

Don't know if anyone has noticed but prices at all the grocery stores in Edmonton has been creeping up as of late including those at Costco and Superstore especially meat, bread, and milk. for instance, top sirloin steaks on my Feb. 21st Pricebook was $8.99/kg at Costco, now it is $10.99/kg; Striploin NY cut steaks at Costco were $15.99/kg, now $16.99/ kg; Superstore has increased their Old Mill bread 2 cents per loaf; and, lean ground beef at Superstore increased 49 cents per kg.

For this month's Pricebook grocery comparison, I only looked at 3 stores: Superstore was always the runaway winner in Max's Food Basket and CTV's Calgary Grocery Comparison; so, a head-to-head battle with Costco, our last month's winner. Sobey's is included in the list to give an idea where the rest of the other stores such as Safeway and Save-On Foods and Walmart should be as their prices are comparable to Sobey's.

All items were adjusted accordingly to the same per unit sizing as indicated on the chart. Items were selected to be the same brand in each store to the best of my ability or the cheapest warehouse package pricing I could find at the time. Keep in mind these prices are for the given date and include all sales, coupons, and membership pricing programs. All items were priced at Edmonton west-end locations and prices may vary between chain-store locations.

So, once again our clear cut winner is Costco, where the total cart amounted to $248.44.

The same items at Superstore cost $252.67 and at Sobey's they were $286.88.

Best deals of the weekend: Sobey's has striploin NY cut steaks for $21.14/kg but they are selling them buy one, get one free this weekend (1.5kg trays). Sobey's has great deals on chicken drumsticks and thighs with skin are $4.39/kg and strawberries (2lb) are $2.99 each and banana are $0.49 per lb.

Costco has bacon 4x500g packs for $11.29. Most everything else is their regular pricing.

Superstore has a great promotion on bathroom tissue: Royale 24 double rolls for $8.97; cereal are $5.98 for jumbo sized boxes; and the best deal on pork sausages at $5.18/kg.

Ed's Pricebook; Edmonton grocery price Comparison March 18, 2011

This month I've taken items such as Claritin, Tylenol, and Advil off the list; and added more food items such as striploin steaks, salmon fillets, lean ground pork, Tropicana orange juice, chicken wings, etc.; just for the fact most people would be more apt to buy those food items on a weekly basis than they would over the counter medicine; plus Costco's bulk drugs blew all other competitors away hence skewing our comparison.

In the coming months I hope to track increasing food prices the same way; with a head-to-head comparison between Costco and Superstore and throw one of Safeway, Save-On Foods, Walmart, or Sobey's in the mix. Also, I will attempt to add more dry goods items such as peanut butter, ketchup, etc.