Many Canadians are choosing to head south of the border when it comes to buying their groceries. Several of the large U.S. supermarkets located near the border cater to Canadian shoppers that specifically travel there to stock up on lower-priced foods and better product selection.
On the other hand, the value of the Canadian dollar has recently fallen to about 76 cents U.S., affecting the number of people that cross the border from Canada to do their shopping in the States.
This has in turn made some of the American grocers worried because they’ve become so accustomed to the vast traffic coming in from both sides of the border.
In the meantime, according to a spokesperson from Western New York’s two largest supermarkets, Canadian shoppers make up a considerable portion of the clientele at stores near the Canadian border.
Retailers are making their best efforts to continue to attract Canadian shoppers by posting signs like, “Welcome, Canadians!” and proudly displaying the Canadian flag. They are also finding that Canadians are most drawn to great deals on dairy products like milk, butter, cheese, yogurt and ice cream. The average price for a three-liter bag of milk on Canadian soil is about $6.47 while a gallon at Wegmans is $2.39, meaning that a litre of milk in Canada is about $2.15 compared to 60 cents in the U.S. Similarly, a pound of butter retails for $5 north of the border, and $2.54 per pound in the States.
