The impact of COVID-19 on food retail and food service in Canada: A second assessment

COVID-19 continues to impose a series of unique challenges on the food retail and food service sectors in Canada. In May 2020, the expectation was that the public health crisis shutdowns of the restaurant sector would be temporary. Although we may still be in a much longer temporary than was originally envisaged, it is becoming clearer that permanent restructuring may also have happened. Grocery stores have solidified their changed realities through an increased focus on multiple channel retailing rather than a complete choice between either bricks and mortar or online. Increased costs, resulting from the pandemic, are continuing to filter through the food system and we have a growing problem with food security for some Canadians given that employment in January 2021 was found to be at its lowest level since August 2020. Unemployment moves directly with lockdowns that are varied across the country.

Automated summary

The impact of COVID-19 on the food retail and food service sectors in Canada includes temporary shutdowns of the restaurant sector, possible permanent restructuring, and increased focus on multi-channel retailing by grocery stores. Rising costs from the pandemic continue to affect the food system, with a growing issue of food security for some Canadians due to declining employment levels.