TORONTO — Consumers will dig deeper into their wallets for food produced closer to home, according to a new survey.
Six in 10 Canadians make buying local food a priority and nearly half are willing to pay a 15- to 30-per-cent premium, said an online survey of 1,646 people in May conducted by LoyaltyOne, which oversees coalition loyalty programs, such as the AIR MILES reward program.
The survey found 87 per cent would also boost their monthly grocery budget if they could more easily find local options.
Price wasn’t the sticking point.
Only 23 per cent of survey respondents blamed higher prices for their hesitation in buying local, compared to 60 per cent who couldn’t find a wide enough selection at chain grocers. Another 39 per cent cited lack of in-store promotion and 36 per cent found it hard to identify local products by their packaging.
The survey also revealed that nearly three-quarters of those who buy local — 72 per cent — were mainly motivated by supporting their local economy.
