2016 Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Award Winners Announced

TORONTO/October 18, 2016… The 54th Annual Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards Ceremony was presented tonight in Toronto, in front of a gala audience of over 500 leading grocers, suppliers, and distributors at Grocery Innovations Canada 2016, Canada’s premier grocery conference and trade show.

Each year, the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) Awards Program recognizes the success of outstanding independent retailers and offers insights into innovations that are changing and enhancing the way retailers compete.

The NATIONAL GOLD AWARD Winners for Top Independent Grocer of the Year for 2016 are:  

Longo’s – Woodbridge, Woodbridge, Ont. (Large Surface)

Longo’s – Bayview, Toronto, Ont. (Medium Surface)

Pape Market Foodland, Toronto, Ont. (Small Surface)

Yummy Market, Maple, Ont. (Specialty Category-David C. Parsons award)

Master Merchandiser 2016 Gold Winners are:

Dessureault Independent, Orleans, Ontario (Gold Large Surface)

Quality Foods Waterside Square, Parksville, British Columbia (Gold Medium Surface)

Sun Valley Supermarket Inc., Toronto, Ontario (Gold Small Surface)

The Canadian Master Merchandiser awards is a program that supports point-of-sale merchandising at the retail level. Grocery retailers have the opportunity to collaborate with supplier merchandising representatives to create exciting and consumer oriented in-store displays, CFIG annually recognizes exceptional grocer promotions with this award.  The promotions submitted in the Large, Medium and Small surface categories are adjudicated by a panel of industry executives.  One Gold winner will be selected from each size category.

SPECIAL AWARDS

CFIG is proud to announce that Jacques Dufresne and Michel Vincent of L. Dufresne & Fils Ltee  of Val-David, Québec, were awarded THE ARNOLD RANDS HERITAGE AWARD. The award is given to the year’s best multi-­generational store that is privately owned, and that has been in the same family for at least two generations, in the same community for 35 years. 

This year, CFIG is proud to announce the following grocers into the Hall of Fame:

Hamilton´s IGA of Ponoka, Alberta and Metro Plouffe de Sherbrooke (boul.Bourque) of Sherbrooke, Québec.

To be eligible for Hall of Fame induction, a store must win at least three Gold Awards or receive one Platinum Achievement Award and one Gold Award.

The Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year is the most prestigious award CFIG can bestow.

Here is the full list of 2016 Award Recipients.

About the Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards

Each year independent grocery stores from coast-to-coast in Canada compete for the coveted title in each of the specialty, large, medium and small surface categories. Each of the competing stores is visited personally by a highly respected retail management expert, who evaluates competing stores based on retailing excellence and innovation, store team performance, customer service, space utilization, freshness and cleanliness. The gala awards evening takes place annually at Grocery Innovations Canada, the premier grocery event in the country. Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | #GICShow2016

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For more information, interview opportunities, or exhibiting inquiries, please contact:
Nancy Kwon |416-220-3165|Nkwon@cfig.ca

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