Shoppers at Kensington Market weigh their options
Toronto consumers keep a close eye on food prices ahead of CPI report
Shoppers check out the display at a Kensington Market butcher. Core inflation, which strips out volatile items such as energy and some fresh foods, is expected to accelerate from the current 2.1 per cent to as much as 2.3 per cent, the fastest since 2008.
Statistics Canada releases its inflation data for November on Tuesday in Ottawa. Food and energy prices are expected to be the main drivers. Above, fruit on display at downtown Toronto's Kensington Market.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Shoppers in Kensington Market hunt for bargains. Because of a softening labour market, wage gains have fallen behind inflation for millions of Canadians.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
A clerk prepares a customer's order at Sanagan's Meat Locker in Kensington Market. Although the price of food and energy are still high, both have stabilized after the spikes of the spring and summer.
A recent report from the University of Guelph suggests retail food prices won't rise more than 2 per cent next year because of growing competition among grocery chains.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
A shopper chooses among dairy products at a Kensington Market shop. The updated Consumer Price Index will be released on Tuesday.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Rick Carreiro delivers a lamb carcass to a Kensington Market butcher on Monday.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Food and energy prices are still higher than many households can handle without cutting back on other items, economists say.The Globe and Mail