Price gouging: Shortages real or are some fabricated?

[George Orwell 1984]

Yes shrinkflation is very real , we noticed it on several products . For example Pearl Milling pancake syrup ( formerly Aunt Jemina-but that’s another story) raised the price ,the bottle got taller and less content. We noticed because it no longer fit on shelf where it always had been. The next was Sunlight dish soap - smaller bottle and the liquid is thin like water. Cans of tuna are another one . Did they think it wouldn’t be noticed ? A feeble attempt at price increase/ gouging , whatever you want to call it . BTW Whatever happened to a pound of coffee ?

[Noisy Boater]

I am concerned that my Timmy Ho choclate chip muffin is noticeably smaller than it used to be. Just sayin

[Catsumi]

Yes shrinkflation is very real , we noticed it on several products . For example Pearl Milling pancake syrup ( formerly Aunt Jemina-but that’s another story) raised the price ,the bottle got taller and less content. We noticed because it no longer fit on shelf where it always had been. The next was Sunlight dish soap - smaller bottle and the liquid is thin like water. Cans of tuna are another one . Did they think it wouldn’t be noticed ? A feeble attempt at price increase/ gouging , whatever you want to call it . BTW Whatever happened to a pound of coffee ?

The new and improved packaging [snort] is there just to fool the eye of the purchaser. We’ve all seen the comparison videos by now where they use tall skinny cups vs short, squat cups. The human brain is baffled.

Then, to make matters more confusing they use odd measurement devices as in a small box of peaches for example. Used to be sold by weight, now done in pints. What?? You’re better off counting the peaches and dividing it by the cost….chances are you’re going to pay a premium price for each peach.

The inside of an airfryer is not calculated by cubic inches or cubic feet (or metric flat equivalents) but in quarts!!! Quarts were supposed to be gone but now are resurrected as a measurement of space volume. Just who was the wizard that dreamt that one up?

I can hardly believe that these are the metrics we must rely upon now when shopping.

This situation is no different from ‘how many angels can sit on a pinhead’?

Makes me nuts!

[George Orwell 1984]

We are saved ! Now that jt has clamped down on the grocers with his policies to prevent price gouging people now are forced to food banks……. Problem solved.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/45 ... use#451035

[nepal]

.
A large Canadian trucking logistics company recently reported an $11m decrease in profits in their most recent financial report.

A main reason for the profit they had previously been reporting, was Fuel Surcharges that they had been collecting even after fuel prices had dropped, They kept charging for Fuel Surcharge even after the need was gone! (Now they can’t get away with it because the trucking market, post Covid, is back to being competitive.)

Why were they pocketing the Fuel Surcharge after fuel prices had dropped? They took advantage of a tight trucking market when stores were re-stocking after Covid, when they could add on any charges, even if not justified, and get away with it.

Profit gouging over fairness for consumers. Maybe that’s smart business.

[lesliepaul]

Not sure if anyone noticed in the past 10 days or so..............Olive Oil has skyrocketed in price. We buy the Costco 2 litre Kirkland (Italy) Virgin Olive Oil and have for quite a while. Before the covid gouging in 2020 it was about $16.00 a bottle. For the last couple of years it has been about $23.99. When I did my weekly Costco run about 10 days ago it was at $32.99............along with every other olive type oil............

[George Orwell 1984]

Not sure if anyone noticed in the past 10 days or so..............Olive Oil has skyrocketed in price. We buy the Costco 2 litre Kirkland (Italy) Virgin Olive Oil and have for quite a while. Before the covid gouging in 2020 it was about $16.00 a bottle. For the last couple of years it has been about $23.99. When I did my weekly Costco run about 10 days ago it was at $32.99............along with every other olive type oil............

Online is showing 36.99 now .

[Bsuds]

Not sure if anyone noticed in the past 10 days or so..............Olive Oil has skyrocketed in price. We buy the Costco 2 litre Kirkland (Italy) Virgin Olive Oil and have for quite a while. Before the covid gouging in 2020 it was about $16.00 a bottle. For the last couple of years it has been about $23.99. When I did my weekly Costco run about 10 days ago it was at $32.99............along with every other olive type oil............

It will go even higher because there are big problems with the olive trees in Italy.

at least that's what I have been reading.

[Veovis]

The Spain 2022 drought certainly had an effect since they make 80% of the worlds extra virginolive oil

[nepal]

Not sure if anyone noticed in the past 10 days or so..............Olive Oil has skyrocketed in price. We buy the Costco 2 litre Kirkland (Italy) Virgin Olive Oil and have for quite a while. Before the covid gouging in 2020 it was about $16.00 a bottle. For the last couple of years it has been about $23.99. When I did my weekly Costco run about 10 days ago it was at $32.99............along with every other olive type oil............

It will go even higher because there are big problems with the olive trees in Italy.

at least that's what I have been reading.

Devaluation of $Cdn is also part of the problem, for imports. Canada is diluting our currency into oblivion, printing more and more money for government and corporate welfare.

[liisgo]

It will go even higher because there are big problems with the olive trees in Italy.

at least that's what I have been reading.

Devaluation of $Cdn is also part of the problem, for imports. Canada is diluting our currency into oblivion, printing more and more money for government and corporate welfare.

Great to see others understand and appreciate how the failure to manage our $cdn has been contributing to this. We are heading for far more trouble when we try to change out our proven and regular form of economies for a dream economy. No way can we be competitive with other countries on the same level, on the same products. We have resources and need to base our economy on them.
Our lack of management of our $cdn has contributed to inflation, and caused zero confidence in it and its only gonna get worse.

[nepal]

Devaluation of $Cdn is also part of the problem, for imports. Canada is diluting our currency into oblivion, printing more and more money for government and corporate welfare.

Great to see others understand and appreciate how the failure to manage our $cdn has been contributing to this. We are heading for far more trouble when we try to change out our proven and regular form of economies for a dream economy. No way can we be competitive with other countries on the same level, on the same products. We have resources and need to base our economy on them.
Our lack of management of our $cdn has contributed to inflation, and caused zero confidence in it and its only gonna get worse.

Yes. Canada now has a $Trillion in debt, and Norway has a $Trillion in the bank. All because of two Trudeau prime ministers, who both squandered our previously strong currency.

Also, Canada can’t compete on labour, due to ample low-cost labour elsewhere. Canada’s wealth comes from exporting resources….oil, gas, logs, mining, electricity, grain, a few cars. Having said this, some low-cost countries are getting into the resource game too and they have cheap labour, so we may become uncompetitive in resources too. (To add labour population here would be a losing concept, when up against India, Asia, Mexico, etc. We will never be competitive on labour). As for high wage settlements, those will simply be replaced by AI and offshoring, so even fewer actual jobs as a result, for those already here and the tons of immigrants on the way.

[GordonH]

Great to see others understand and appreciate how the failure to manage our $cdn has been contributing to this. We are heading for far more trouble when we try to change out our proven and regular form of economies for a dream economy. No way can we be competitive with other countries on the same level, on the same products. We have resources and need to base our economy on them.
Our lack of management of our $cdn has contributed to inflation, and caused zero confidence in it and its only gonna get worse.

Yes. Canada now has a $Trillion in debt, and Norway has a $Trillion in the bank. All because of two Trudeau prime ministers, who both squandered our previously strong currency.

Also, Canada can’t compete on labour, due to ample low-cost labour elsewhere. Canada’s wealth comes from exporting resources….oil, gas, logs, mining, electricity, grain, a few cars. Having said this, some low-cost countries are getting into the resource game too and they have cheap labour, so we may become uncompetitive in resources too. (To add labour population here would be a losing concept, when up against India, Asia, Mexico, etc. We will never be competitive on labour). As for high wage settlements, those will simply be replaced by AI and offshoring, so even fewer actual jobs as a result, for those already here and the tons of immigrants on the way.

Due to cost of living in Canada is so high, lowering wages isn’t an option.

[liisgo]

Great to see others understand and appreciate how the failure to manage our $cdn has been contributing to this. We are heading for far more trouble when we try to change out our proven and regular form of economies for a dream economy. No way can we be competitive with other countries on the same level, on the same products. We have resources and need to base our economy on them.
Our lack of management of our $cdn has contributed to inflation, and caused zero confidence in it and its only gonna get worse.

Yes. Canada now has a $Trillion in debt, and Norway has a $Trillion in the bank. All because of two Trudeau prime ministers, who both squandered our previously strong currency.

Also, Canada can’t compete on labour, due to ample low-cost labour elsewhere. Canada’s wealth comes from exporting resources….oil, gas, logs, mining, electricity, grain, a few cars. Having said this, some low-cost countries are getting into the resource game too and they have cheap labour, so we may become uncompetitive in resources too. (To add labour population here would be a losing concept, when up against India, Asia, Mexico, etc. We will never be competitive on labour). As for high wage settlements, those will simply be replaced by AI and offshoring, so even fewer actual jobs as a result, for those already here and the tons of immigrants on the way.

And theres more. Our work base and labour is seeing very concerning trends. A drastic lowering of weekly per hr of work per person. A drastic increase in sickness time and cost is applying a huge amount of financial pressures. A 33 percent increase from before pandemic. Governments new taxes and all that has contributed to new manufacturing, builds and shipping burdens. With all this listed in this topic we clearly have damaged our competitive chances.

[fluffy]

The Spain 2022 drought certainly had an effect since they make 80% of the worlds extra virginolive oil

Not to mention wildfires in Greece, another major supplier on the world stage.