Appetite for a bargain: Rising food costs fuel boom in discount grocery stores | CBC Radio

"With the cost of living soaring, Ron Robinson is determined to save wherever he can starting with his grocery bill. It's why the Montreal man shops at Liquidation Marie, an ultra discount grocery chain where prices can be as much as 50 per cent less than a regular grocery store. He recalls purchasing steaks for about six dollars each. "If you go to a big box store, you're going to pay maybe $20, $25 for a pack of three," Robinson told Cost of Living."

"Breton says the secret to her store's super low prices isn't really a secret at all. Like any other liquidator, she says they buy unwanted food products from major retailers at steep discounts and resell them to consumers at rock-bottom prices. A liquidator may have a contract with Walmart, for example, says Breton. "They remove the product on the shelf. It's not because it's no good, but they have to get rid of the stuff.""

Canadians facing rising food costs are turning to liquidation-style grocery stores that sell surplus, mislabeled, or discontinued items at deep discounts. Chains such as Liquidation Marie, Bianca Amor's Liquidation Supercentre and The Grocery Outlet have expanded locations to meet growing demand. Liquidators obtain unwanted products from major retailers at steep discounts and resell them cheaply, allowing shoppers to buy items like steaks for a fraction of typical prices. Store owners attribute low prices to contracts and bulk liquidations from large retailers, and many shoppers are using these outlets to stretch household budgets amid high food inflation.

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