How Do Canadian and Mexican Consumers Feel About U.S. Grocery Products?
Consumers in Mexico and Canada, two of the United States’ largest agricultural trading partners, are expressing their reluctance to buy U.S. grocery products this year, according to the latest Consumer Trends Tracker from customer data science company dunnhumby.
The report found that 71% of Canadian and 43% of Mexican consumers plan to buy fewer U.S. grocery products in 2025, with 84% of Canadians and 77% of Mexicans citing U.S. tariffs as the most important factor for doing so. The political climate between the United States and the respondents’ country was the second-most-cited reason for the pullback.
“Canadians and Latin Americans are shifting their shopping behavior to spend their money where their values align,” said Matt O’Grady, president of the Americas at dunnhumby, which has U.S. offices in Cincinnati; Rochester, N.Y.; and West Sacramento, Calif. “That has implications for all brands and retailers, as they need to truly understand their customers to make sure they are living up to the standards expected of them.”
Other key findings from the report include the following:
- U.S. retail mass and chain stores in Canada had, on average, a 3% drop in sales penetration compared with dunnhumby’s latest reporting quarter.
- Nearly 25% of Canadians and Latin Americans who are buying less from the United States this year said this would become permanent behavior in the future.
- While consumers in Canada and Latin America aim their protectionist behavior at the United States, American shoppers exhibit little interest in retaliating against tariffs levied by countries in the Americas.
- Channel penetration of discount and dollar channels shifted the most for Canadian and U.S. consumers, with U.S. shoppers more likely to explore discount and dollar stores due to concerns about finances.
“Although consumers, retailers and brands are navigating uncertain times, there are concrete steps all can take in the midst of this disruption. For consumers, that may mean rapidly changing their behaviors so they protect their wallets, but for retailers and brands, it means they should be turning to data insights to determine which strategic actions they need to take to stay ahead,” said O’Grady.
As part of this report, dunnhumby surveyed 8,500 grocery shoppers across Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile and the United States.
