The Financial Post reports in its Wednesday, June 14, edition that high interest rates coupled with persistent inflation are causing Canadians to change their shopping habits, a trend that might continue as the economy teeters on recession. The Post's Bianca Bharti writes that Dollarama on June 7 said same-store sales, a metric that excludes figures from newly opened stores, grew by more than 17 per cent year over year for the quarter ended April 30. The number of transactions grew 15 per cent and the average size of those transactions ticked up 1.4 per cent in the quarter, suggesting customers are buying more products compared with last year. Total sales at the Montreal-based company reached $1.29-billion, up nearly 21 per cent. Chief executive officer Neil Rossy told analysts there is a "strong demand" for consumables, which includes groceries as well as items meant to be used and replaced quickly, such as paper, plastics, foils, cleaning supplies, basic health and beauty care products, and pet food. He said, "While we continue to experience strong demand for consumables in the context of persistent inflationary pressures, we are also seeing strength across our seasonal and general merchandise category."