Average retail prices for food and other selected items

Prices for these items are collected as part of the
regular monthly CPI survey. Prices for the selected food, household supply
and personal care items are observed in food supermarkets and drug stores,
while prices for cigarettes are collected in supermarkets, department
stores, drug stores and tobacco shops. Prices for regular unleaded
self-serve gasoline are collected at gas stations. Average city prices for
each commodity are weighted by the population of cities to calculate each
commodity’s Canada average retail price. For regular unleaded self-serve
gasoline, average city prices are weighted by provincial volume supplied
and cities’ population to calculate the Canada average retail price.
Commodities that are priced can vary in quality between outlets or between
cities. Brands and outlets can also vary from month to month. Therefore,
average prices may not necessarily be fully comparable from one month to
another and should not be used as an appropriate measure of pure price
change through time. A matched commodity and outlet sample is used for the
CPI to determine the pure price movement of commodities through time.

For concepts and definitions, see publication 62-557
Your Guide to the Consumer Price Index, or publication 62-553 The Consumer
Price Index Reference Paper. Additional information can also be obtained
from: CPD Dissemination Unit, Consumer Prices Division, telephone: (613)
951-9606, toll-free: 1-866-230-2248, fax: (613) 951-2848, e-mail:
cpd-info-dpc@statcan.gc.ca.

The data is not available after September 1999.