The popular food delivery app SkipTheDishes wants to help its customers find cheap, nutritious food and has launched a new website that monitors the price trends of food.
On Tuesday, the company announced the new digital resource Inflation Cookbook which tracks the top ten items trending downwards and upwards in price and uses it to select better-priced groceries. The results are brand-agnostic and are regionally dictated. The Inflation Cookbook was developed along with the marketing agency Dentsu Creative Canada.
It is artificial intelligence-powered and accessible via a web browser. It tracks around 400 products ranging including produce, whole grains and dairy products. Users can also curate their results based on household size and budget. Ingredient substitutions are also offered to account for dietary restrictions.
In addition to launching the Inflation Cookbook, the company is expanding its partnership with Food Banks Canada.
All surplus food from Skip’s 23 Skip Express Lane fulfillment centres will be donated to local food banks across the country. To mark the launch of this partnership, SkipTheDishes is donating $100,000 to Food Banks Canada, which will provide 200,000 meals to Canadians in need. Local food banks will also receive monthly food donations from Skip Express Lane locations throughout the year.
Food Banks Canada CEO Kirstin Beardsley said that high inflation and the resulting cost-of-living crisis have made it challenging not only for individuals who depend on food banks but also for the food banks themselves.
“At this critical time, we’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with SkipTheDishes, which will now help more families access the fresh food they need, whether it be through the Inflation Cookbook or the ongoing donations to food banks across Canada from Skip Express Lane,” Beardsley added.
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Last March, the chief executives of Canada’s major grocery chains appeared before a parliamentary committee to defend themselves against accusations of being responsible for high food prices and engaging in price gouging.
The leaders of Loblaw Companies Ltd. (TSE:L), Metro Inc. (TSE: MRU), and Empire Co. Ltd. (TSE: EMP.A) operating as Safeway, Sobeys and FreshCo– argued that food inflation is a global issue beyond their control.
A study conducted by Dalhousie University found that Canada’s top three grocers had higher profits in 2022 than their average performance over the previous five years. It also found that an average family of four can expect to spend as much as $16,288.41 per year on food, which is an increase of up to $1,065.60 from the previous year.
“As a proud Canadian company, we understand the important role we play in creating positive change for our industry, our communities, and our environment,” SkipTheDishes CEO Steve Puchala said in a statement.
“In the face of rising food costs in Canada, Skip is committed to continuing to fight food insecurity by expanding our partnership with Food Banks Canada to help provide hunger relief from coast-to-coast,” he said.
