AI Analysis: Monthly average retail prices for selected products

Executive Summary

Statistics Canada's Table 18100245 tracks monthly retail prices for 110 products across 13 Canadian regions from January 2017 to February 2026, revealing a 45.9% average price increase over the period — from $4.54 to $6.62. Prices are right-skewed, with a median of $3.95 and a mean of $5.58, indicating that a small number of premium products (up to $58.68) pull the average upward significantly. Most product prices move together over time (average absolute correlation of 0.617), reflecting broad inflationary trends, though 202 statistical outliers point to notable supply or demand disruptions across the decade.

Key Findings

• Average Canadian retail prices rose 45.9% over the study period, climbing from $4.54 in January 2017 to $6.62 in February 2026, with acceleration particularly evident in the post-2020 period.
• Prices span a wide range — from $0.30 to $58.68 CAD — with a mean of $5.58 and a median of $3.95, confirming a right-skewed distribution where most everyday staples are modestly priced.
• The middle 50% of Canadian retail prices fall between $2.82 and $5.72 (IQR), while a high standard deviation of $5.47 reflects the outsized influence of a small number of premium or specialty products.
• Most product prices are moderately to strongly correlated (average absolute correlation of 0.617), with the strongest pair being Cereal (400g) and Deodorant (85g) at r=0.932, both rising steadily with inflation.
• Almonds stand out as the most independent product, showing a slight negative correlation with Canned Soup (r=-0.203) and near-zero correlations with most other items, suggesting unique supply or demand drivers.
• 202 data points were flagged as statistical outliers (Z-score > 3), capturing both unusually high and low price anomalies likely tied to supply chain disruptions, seasonal demand shifts, or commodity price shocks.
• The dataset covers 1,308 unique time series across 110 products and 13 geographic regions — including all major provinces plus Whitehorse/Yukon and Yellowknife/Northwest Territories — providing broad national coverage over nearly a decade.