Articles

National Restaurant Association survey shows local sourcing and environmental sustainability remain hot trends (Washington, D.C.) The National Restaurant Association (NRA) annually explores the top menu trends for the coming year. For this year’s What’s Hot culinary forecast, the NRA surveyed nearly 1,600 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) – to …

By Anne-Marie Hardie As we continue to progress towards a cash free culture, technology becomes increasingly more important. When it comes to the convenience and gas store sectors, consumers are seeking out an environment that is both fast and convenient. This is particularly true as the increasingly savvy millennials and …

We have all heard and experienced how the weaker Canadian dollar is making it much more difficult for retailers to keep prices low on anything purchased in U.S. dollars—produce in particular has risen exponentially in recent months. While there has been some encouraging news that meat prices are beginning to …

When the first fledgling on-line grocery companies started up, many considered them the future of grocery shopping. However, most of the early enterprises failed and since there have been few successful fully on-line grocery retailers. The recent announcement from Amazon that they would be getting into the on-line grocery game …

By Karen D. Crowdis The food manufacturing industry will see many 2015 themes hang over into 2016 as the food trend pendulum continues to hover over them. Trendy 2015 ideas will be solidified as staple expectations with consumers. That will influence reformulating top performers and how new products are created …

‘Tis the season: Lines, lines everywhere. But shoppers are getting better at putting that down time to good use, studies show, by shopping online with their phones. SocialCentiv, whose software helps companies find customers on Twitter, has some holiday marketing tips to help marketers maximize their e-commerce and mobile campaigns; …

Retail managers constantly juggle consumer demand for variety, shelf space, and profits. Gluten free products can seem like another demand. Instead, it is a growing segment. When managed properly, a gluten free section can build consumer loyalty and profits. Excluding non-medical shoppers, seven of 100 shoppers are looking for gluten …

Social media is about sharing, not selling. If you want to sell, then try advertising. For businesses, social media should be a forum where you would be sharing your expertise by positioning yourself as the expert. And as the expert, would you not want to share your expertise? As an …

Pasta manufacturers will challenge you to find a more versatile product in the grocery aisle. From a homemade mac n’ cheese, to a suave seafood linguini, pasta can be dressed up or dressed down to meet any everyday or special occasion. Looking to fill up on fibre? There’s a noodle …

Changes to B.C.’s liquor policy could mean a windfall for grocers. It may be only one store in a pilot project, and the only product available so far is local VQA wine; but the long-standing dream of brewers and distillers to sell to grocers in B.C. has finally made the jump to reality. And even …