Since most grocers in Canada have internalized a large portion of the supply chain (and don't have to really compete with each other since there aren't many options) they have several ways to affect prices at multiple points in the supply chain.

"we only make 3% profits at retail!" while they jack up farm cost, processing cost, warehouse cost, distribution cost, etc etc. They are picking up profits from themselves, but counting it at a cost to obfuscate their margins as only being obtained once its bought at the end of the supply line (retail)

You can nationalize food by knowing how much real costs are throughout the supply chain and capping costs for consumers either through policy, or by mandating that prices for groceries are set by the government.

It can still be operated by a private business, but they would have to stop unlimited profits at the expense of the population for guaranteed, smaller profits to the benefit of everyone who eats food.

Let me tell ya, if I had the option to eat a capitalism apple at $8/each, or the same nationalized apple for $1/each I'm eating the nationalized apple.

The general population seems to hate taxes (mostly because the wealthy don't actually pay taxes and also receive subsidies) - but somehow don't associate profiteering as a wealth Tax that never returns to the public like real taxes, and instead often defend a businesses prerogative to profit seek, even at their own detriment.

Public taxes that pay for social systems? Bad!

Private taxes (excess profits) that exclusively benefit the wealthy? Good!

I think a good approach would be to create a nationalized not-for-profit option that the other chains would have to compete with. Maybe it wouldn’t have all the fancy stuff, but your bread, eggs, meat and produce would be cheap.

This would bring down prices all around and if you want to pay more for better stuff, you can do that at the private stores, and that’s where the capitalists can invest.