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Thirty-five per cent of Albertans say they are less better off financially than they were a year ago, according to Nielsen’s April 2016 study, while 75 per cent were actively trying to spend less on their grocery bills.

As such, the market share of discount grocers such as No Frills grew seven per cent in the Prairies in 2015 to 31.4 per cent of the grocery market, stronger than in the rest of the country. The discount grocery channel in Canada grew four per cent in 2015, compared with zero market share growth at conventional full-line grocery stores.

Among Albertans, 64 per cent said they would switch stores in order to save money on food, and 87 per cent are engaging in what Allison refers to as “pantry loading” — stocking up on items such as tomato sauce and coffee when it goes on sale.

Dollar stores and warehouse clubs such as Costco also saw food sales soar in Canada last year, with each retail category growing their food sales by 10 per cent in 2015, compared with two per cent sales growth among traditional grocery retailers.

While Costco and Dollarama may have very different customer bases, an unquenchable thirst for savings is a constant among Canadians. What typically differentiates warehouse club food shoppers from dollar store food shoppers, Allison said, is average household income.

“I like to think of warehouse club shopping as discount shopping for the rich,” he said. “The average household income of a warehouse club shopper is $120,000, quite a bit higher than the Canadian average. You have to pay membership fees at warehouse clubs, and there are large cash register (totals).”