In the midst of record food inflation, one local grocery store in Lanark County is actually cutting prices.
Since the beginning of March, Balderson Village Cheese has been lowering the prices of all its products in store by 15 to 35 per cent.
"I see people in our community, friends of mine, family, people walking into the store that are having trouble putting food on the table for their families. I thought, there's something we need to do about this," says Greg Black, owner of Balderson Village Cheese.
Black is going about it the old fashioned way, phoning up his suppliers and shipping companies to negotiate lower prices. Black says in many cases, the companies he works with were on board to make products more affordable for customers at the end of the supply chain.
"They all came back and said we'll be able to cut five per cent here, a little percent there, this much here, maybe we'll give you free shipping here, and we pass that on right to the customer," Black said.
In some instances, Black says it was removing fuel surcharges from when gas was above $2 a litre that was still on his bill. Other savings came from cutting shipping costs all together.
"Instead of spending $250 on shipping, I spend $80 on gas. That savings from shipping goes right to the customer."
Products like chips have been reduced from $7.99 to $5.99 and hot chocolate from $2.99 to $1.99.
Black has also committed to price matching any products that are found elsewhere at a lower price, and then reducing his price permanently.
While Black is in business to make money and create a living for himself and his family, he says reducing prices hasn't been bad for business.
"Our margins are less, absolutely. We pay our bills, everybody makes a modest paycheque, nobody is hurting."
The small village store owner is hoping his actions prove to big box grocers that steps to reduce food inflation can be made at relative ease.
"It's just the right thing to do," said Black.
"Sometimes you just have to hit the pause button and on that big corporate machine and say we need to stop charging what we're charging."
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