Retail pricing / a worked example
Where ten Toronto grocery items differ in price
A dated five-banner comparison shows how a short, carefully defined product list can focus a grocer’s next pricing review.
A grocer’s next price review can start with a short list: which items have a meaningful gap, and which comparisons need a closer look before a pricing decision?
In a retained Toronto extract from October 1, ten selected food specifications totalled $36.35 at FreshCo and $42.16 at Loblaws. The spread was $5.81 for one recorded package of each selected item. All five banners had observations for the ten entries, so these selected totals use observed prices throughout.
Define the products before comparing the numbers
We selected products with the same stated package size in all five recorded listings: butter, eggs, cheddar, spaghetti, long-grain white rice, flour, canola oil, diced tomatoes, whole-wheat bread and white bread. The listings can use different brands. This is a food-specification comparison, while a branded competitor check needs its own identity review.
| Food / pack size | Loblaws | No Frills | Superstore | Fortinos | FreshCo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butter, Salted, 454g | $5.99 | $6.00 | $4.97 | $5.99 | $5.99 |
| Large Eggs, 12-pack | $3.93 | $3.93 | $3.93 | $3.99 | $3.93 |
| Cheddar Cheese, Medium, 400g | $4.99 | $4.99 | $5.49 | $5.99 | $5.00 |
| Pasta, Spaghetti, 900g | $2.29 | $2.00 | $1.97 | $2.79 | $2.00 |
| White Rice (Long Grain), 2kg | $6.49 | $4.49 | $4.99 | $5.49 | $4.99 |
| All-Purpose Flour, 2.5kg | $3.00 | $3.79 | $3.00 | $3.99 | $3.00 |
| Canola Oil, 946mL | $6.50 | $4.29 | $4.49 | $4.79 | $4.29 |
| Canned Tomatoes, Diced, 796mL | $2.99 | $1.79 | $2.50 | $2.29 | $2.19 |
| Whole Wheat Bread, 675g | $2.48 | $2.48 | $2.50 | $2.29 | $2.48 |
| White Bread, 675g | $3.50 | $3.00 | $3.29 | $3.99 | $2.48 |
| One package of each selected item | $42.16 | $36.76 | $37.13 | $41.60 | $36.35 |
Use the spread to focus a review
The salted-butter listings ranged from $4.97 to $6.00 for a stated 454 g package. That gives the buyer a specific row to investigate. It does not establish a retailer’s margin or an appropriate price for another grocer’s stock.
For a real competitor project, start with the grocer’s priority products and preferred locations. Retain the competitor listing, brand, package and capture date. Separate exact branded matches from food-specification comparisons, then keep mismatches out of any headline total.
Evidence and scope
Source: a fixed extract of GroceryPulse’s historical advertised-price observations for Toronto. Every price shown here was captured October 1, 2026; the retained extract and literal product/package facts were reviewed October 7. Store names, listing titles, package descriptions and dates remain in the downloadable CSV.
These ten entries are a selected example, not a representative nutritious basket or the complete shopping list of a household. Brands can differ. The total uses one package of each selected food specification. Advertised prices may differ from a location’s checkout prices.
The observations are historical examples for evaluation and citation with GroceryPulse attribution. Full feeds and custom collection have separate scopes and licensing terms.
For reporting and reuse
A one-page data brief and reusable chart accompany the source CSV. Prices were observed October 1, 2026; these media assets were prepared October 8. Cite GroceryPulse and retain the observation date and comparison scope.
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