Montreal, April 19, 2023 - Option consommateurs today unveils the results of the second edition of its Industry Confidence Barometer which shows that consumers are more wary this year of the food sector, which has dropped two places to the bottom of the pack.
The Barometer, based on a survey conducted on behalf ofOption consommateurs by Léger, shows that Canadians' confidence in the eight industries with which they regularly interact is down slightly compared to the survey conducted at the same time in 2022.
These eight industries are retail, travel, banking and financial institutions, insurance, food, car sales, real estate and telecommunications.
Food now ranks 7th, just ahead of telecommunications, dropping from 54% confidence in 2022 to 49% in 2023. In fact, only 40% of respondents (versus 61% in 2022) have a good opinion of retailers in the industry, and 75% of those surveyed have noticed, always or often, that the size, quantity or quality of certain products has decreased, while the price has remained the same.
"These results are directly linked to the meteoric rise in the number of grocery baskets over the past year, and the substantial profits made by grocers. We can clearly see that consumers are losing confidence in this industry," points out Christian Corbeil, General Manager ofOption consommateurs.
The Barometer uses four main themes to determine the level of consumer confidence. Respondents were asked about the accuracy of information received by the merchant, the clarity of contracts, respondents' general opinion of the industry, and the level of trust placed in companies to adequately protect personal data held.
The travel sector also dropped two places in the ranking, from second to fourth place, no doubt due to the difficulties experienced by travellers with cancelled flights, lost luggage and numerous delays at airports.
The Barometer was built using survey data from a randomly selected sample of 2,502 Canadians via Léger's LEO web panel, from February 20 to March 7, 2023.
The survey also revealed that respondents are even more concerned about their financial situation than last year, and that three quarters of them are worried about rising food costs.
The results of the Barometer and other aspects of the survey are available on the Option consommateurs website.
About Option consommateurs
Option consommateurs is a non-profit association whose mission is to defend the rights and interests of consumers. It focuses on issues related to personal finance, business practices, financial services, privacy, energy, debt and access to justice.
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For more information or an interview :
Marie-Ève Dumont, Communications Consultant
514-777-6133
