Articles

Last September, an Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) article, Today’s Supermarket Special: Transforming the Store, indicated that, while convenience is still a priority for shoppers, the definition has changed. “Convenience isn’t just about getting in and out of the store quickly or going to the store nearest to you,” says Laurie Demeritt, CEO of The Hartman Group, which partnered …

Discovery Organics is Committed to Organics and Fair Trade  In July, Discovery Organics’ new 20,000 square foot headquarters in East Vancouver was still being prepped for occupation. But Annie Moss, who founded Discovery in 1998 with partner Randy Hooper, could be found wandering through the bare facility, looking like the proverbial kid in the …

Functionality is the new Paradigm With carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) declining at an annualized rate of four per cent (IBIS World), a fundamental shift is occurring in Canada’s $2.5 billion beverage market that natural health retailers are in a prime position to take advantage of. Today, the cutting edge beverages are less about simply thirst …

We’ve seen plenty of changes in the past two years. Will we see more? For all of us involved in the grocery industry in Western Canada, it has been a wild ride over the past two years. There have been lots of big opportunities for some and challenging times for many on both the retailer and supplier side …

Health-high with Spreads Despite relatively stable retail volume sales, the Canadian retail value for spreads grew three per cent in 2014 to reach $589 million. The Euromonitor International Country Report goes on to describe the category as “very mature” and “saturated with limited growth opportunities.” That being said, the three leading players in the …

Mexican Food Undergoes Category Expansion There was a time when the term ‘Mexican Cuisine’ meant tacos and salsa. But the landscape of ethnic cuisine has changed and along with it consumers’ desires when they hit the ethnic aisle. Mexican foods have seen significant category expansion over the years. “Mexico has been a very prevalent …

Make your customers at ease by placing those frequently purchased products — tape, gift cards, cards, wrapping paper, flowers and chocolate — front and centre. There is no better opportunity to maximize your sales than in the holiday season. Typically, grocery retailers see a two-four per cent sales increase during the period with many products see their biggest spike in …

Recently, I came across a blog from Barry Feldman1 of Feldman Creative. In his blog, he discusses an annual report called the “2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report 2 “ by the Social Media Examiner that includes data summaries collected from their extensive surveys, along with insights. One of the discussion topics included the “Top …

Canadians drink almost 10 billion cups of tea each year — so reports the Tea Association of Canada. The association goes on to cite that Canadian grocery tea market as being worth $403 million in 2014. The four western provinces accounted for a collective $158 million of that amount. “Growing consumer interest in health …

As we move into the Fall and into Joint Business Planning Season, whether you’re working for a retailer or a vendor, think about how the decisions or recommendations that you make influence the retailer’s financial statement. Not sure? That’s what this article is about. This perspective can help you make better decisions and recommendations by better understanding what the retailer …