Canadian Grocer March/April 2024

Denninger’s new CEO

Denninger Patrick

on what’s ahead for the 70-year-old business

THE

FUTURE OF WORK

MEET THE DUO BEHIND ARTE* SALADS

Our environmental hoofprint keeps on shrinking.

Compared to 2014, the Canadian beef industry has improved its carbon footprint.

Scan here to graze through more info

These stats are mooooving in the right direction.

15% LESS

Producing 1 kg of beef * now creates 15% less greenhouse gases.

Putting us on track to reach the 2030 Canadian beef industry goal of a 33% emissions intensity reduction.

*boneless and consumed

1.9 BILLION TONNES

Land used for raising beef cattle is estimated to hold 1.9 billion tonnes of soil organic carbon.

That is equivalent to the CO2 emissions of over two billion passenger vehicles over an entire year - that’s emissions from 58 vehicles per Canadian!

Wildlife habitat capacity has increased within land used for raising beef cattle.

Land used for raising cattle provides the majority of critical habitat that wildlife needs for both reproduction (74%) and to find food (55%) when all of Canada’s crop and pastureland is considered.

Brought to you by ¨

Source: CRSB National Beef Sustainability Assessment and Strategy, 2024.

Features

Departments

7 Front Desk

8 The Buzz

12 Feeling fresh Matt DuPerrouzel and Ezio Bondi find success in salads

15 Rising food costs: who’s the culprit?

Canadians are pointing the finger at grocers, supply chain and government

17 Big cheese A Q&A with Whole Foods’ category merchant Kristin Payne

19 Fresh focused How Federated Co-op is turning to tech to be best in fresh

22 Glitz and glory

The industry was out in support of the Night to Nurture fundraising gala and we’ve got photos! FRESH

66 Meating the moment

How to grow fresh meat sales AISLES

71 Supplemental growth

Canadians are taking control of their health and well-being

75 Smooth operators Yogurt, it’s not just for breakfast anymore

77 Tamarind: Four things to know It’s sweet, it’s sour, it’s growing in popularity

EXPRESS LANE

21 Global grocery News and ideas from the world of food retail

80 Number-crunching

Sklar Wilton’s Michael D’Abramo on how to handle data

Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP Sweet Chili Puffs*

CATEGORY: FROZEN ASIAN MEAL

CATEGORY: BETTER-FOR-YOU SAVOURY SNACK P.F. Chang’s Home Menu*

CATEGORY: PLANT-BASED CHICKEN

Gardein

SUPRÊME Chick'n*

CATEGORY: COOKING SAUCE

P.F. Chang's Home Menu*

If you’re of a certain vintage, you’re probably familiar with the adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Of course, a mere apple—as full of nutrients as it might be—is not a sufficient prescription for good health. Canada’s Food Guide and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) both encourage us to fill up—or at least fill half our plates—with fruits and veggies at mealtimes to stave off illness and promote good health.

Problem is, Canada has a consumption problem. The amount of fruit and veg we consume is declining and has been for some time. CPMA’s research reveals that between 2015 and 2021 the number of Canadians consuming seven or more servings of fruit and veg daily dipped from 17% to 10%, while those consuming a scant one or two servings increased from 24% to 34%. It’s a worrying trend for those in the business of selling fresh produce. According to our new Produce Operations Survey, 55% of retailers surveyed identified “how to increase consumption” of produce as a “very serious” concern, with 13% identifying it as “extremely” serious for their business. It’s a tricky problem to solve, but in this issue, we look at the many things retailers are doing to push produce—from ensuring quality and freshness to amping up communication with customers. (Turn to page 61 for the full story.)

Bondi, the dynamic duo behind arte*, a new Toronto-based salad kit company. Produce veterans, the resilient pair rebounded from a failed business venture to launch salads kits with a focus on local produce and innovative flavours. (Read their inspiring story on page 12.)

Finally, it’s that time of year when we’re looking for your inspiring stories. We’re calling for nominations for our 2024 Canadian Grocer Impact Awards. Don’t miss the chance to tell us about the good work you’re doing to make the industry and the world a better place! Visit cgimpactawards.ca to make your nomination before May 17. CG

Staying on the topic of produce, in this issue we meet Matt DuPerrouzel and Ezio

The Buzz

(Clockwise from left) Super C opens a 35,000-sq.-ft. store in St-Nicolas, Que.; Healthy Planet is opening its largest-ever store in Etobicoke, Ont.; and Ontario grocer Farm Boy brings its store count to 48 with the opening of a new location in Oshawa

OPENINGS

After several months of construction and a nearly $11-million investment, SUPER C’s 107th store opened its doors on Feb. 29, in a new building in St-Nicolas, Que. The large format, 35,000-sq.-ft. store offers a wide variety of fresh products and groceries, including meats, organic and natural items, a selection of craft beers and microbrews, as well as Première Moisson products.

Ontario grocer FARM BOY has upped its store count in the province to 48 with the March 14 opening of its new store in Oshawa, Ont. Located at 1280 Clearbrook Drive, the Empire-owned banner’s newest location features hundreds of Ontario-sourced fresh dairy, meat and grocery products; international and Canadian cheeses, local produce, hot bar and salad bar selections and, of course, a wide variety of Farm Boy private-label items.

HEALTHY PLANET plans to open its largest store in Etobicoke, Ont. towards the end of March, just around the corner from an existing Healthy Planet location. At 18,000 sq. ft., the new store will offer fresh organic produce, natural grocery items, dietary supplements, sports nutrition, natural beauty products and eco-friendly household products, as well as a Healthy Planet Kitchen and seating area.

Pattison Food Group has rebranded its Buy-Low Foods store in Kindersley, Sask. to SAVE-ON-FOODS . Led by manager Justin Overand and joining a network of nearly 180 Save-On-Foods stores across Western Canada, the newly named location will offer customers products and services unique to Save-OnFoods, according to a press release. This includes Darrell’s Deals, digital coupons offered through the grocer’s rewards program as well as online shopping.

Walmart Canada has made changes to its senior executive team in support of its “continued momentum as a leading omnichannel retailer,” the big-box giant said in a press release. As such, John Bayliss has been promoted to chief operations officer; Laurent Duray has been promoted to the role of chief growth officer; Matt Kelly has been named VP, supply chain; Joe Schrauder has been appointed VP, head of store operations, while Michon Williams has joined the Canadian leadership team as chief technology officer.

Mars Canada has appointed Derin Bello to general manager of Mars Food & Nutrition Canada. Bello, a 2023 Star Women in Grocery winner, joined Mars in 2006 and has since held roles of increasing responsibilities across all three of the company’s CPG segments: confectionery, pet and food. Most recently, Bello held the position of VP of sales for Mars Wrigley Canada.

PepsiCo Canada has announced Jason Blake will replace Mike Ruff as president of PepsiCo Beverages Canada as of April 1, overseeing all aspects of the business and leading more than 5,000 employees across the country. Blake has been an executive with the company for more than 16 years and most recently served as SVP, commercial for PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) south division. Ruff, meanwhile, will be stepping into the role of president of the PBNA north division, following Richard Glover’s retirement.

Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee has tapped former McCain Foods executive Danielle Barran as its president and CEO. Barran succeeds Fred Schaeffer, who announced his plans to retire last year. Prior to McCain, Barran spent 16 years with the J.M. Smucker Company as a VP in multiple business lines, including U.S. retail coffee, where she was responsible for multiple brands as well as the introduction of a single-serve capsule brand to the retail market.

Molson Coors has promoted Chantalle Butler to the role of president of its Canada business. Currently VP of sales finance for Canada, Butler steps into the role April 2. She joined the company five years ago and has served as a key leader of Molson Coors’ strategy, while overseeing fiscal activity nationwide. Prior to Molson Coors, Butler was VP, group controller, financial reporting at George Weston and VP of finance at Weston Bakeries.

The Quebec Produce Marketing Association (QPMA) has appointed Mario Lalancette as executive director. He succeeds Sophie Perreault, who held the position for the past 20 years. Lalancette was most recently the QPMA’s director of strategy and communications. He brings more than 25 years of experience in the agri-food, communications and public health sectors to the role.

Bel Canada Group has appointed Marie-Ève Robert as VP of marketing and CSR and Chantal Pelletier as brand director of GoGo squeeZ. Robert joined the company in 2013, serving as VP of marketing since 2020. Pelletier, meanwhile, has managed various brands since joining the company in 2015.

Tree of Life Canada has promoted Patrick Heffernan to chief operating officer. He will oversee sales, operations, foodservice, brand development and IT. Heffernan—previously EVP of sales, brand development and procurement—brings more than 25 years of retail and foodservice experience to the role, including stints at Sobeys, Metro, Rexall and Recipe Unlimited.

Carlton Cards has promoted Brittany Ford to director of sales. Formerly a senior account executive, Ford—a 2020 Star Women in Grocery winner—joined the company as an account manager in 2016. Prior to Carlton Cards, Ford held positions at Ricoh Canada and DAVIDsTea.

GET RECOGNIZED FOR MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT!

Canadian Grocer’s Impact Awards are back! We want to recognize the initiatives introduced by retailers, suppliers and solution providers that are making a meaningful difference in four areas: sustainability; diversity, equity & inclusion; supporting employees; community service/local impact/ giving back. Please take a few minutes to tell us about the great work being done at your company. It’s free to nominate and winners will be featured in our August issue. Visit cgimpactawards.ca by May 17 to nominate.

RETIREMENT

Carlton Cards’ president Rod Sturtridge (pictured) has retired from the company after 41 years. Sturtridge began his career at Carlton Cards in the sales division and held various roles within the company before his appointment to president in 2011. General manager Paul Werynski was named as Sturtridge’s replacement and stepped into the role on March 1. Werynski joined Carlton Cards in 2016 as director of sales for Western Canada and, over the years, has held several leadership roles.

Jason Blake

Derin Bello

John Bayliss

Danielle Barran

Chantalle Butler

Marie-Ève Robert

Patrick Heffernan

McLean Meats celebrates 20th anniversary with sincere gratitude

McLean Meats, a leading Canadian brand of preservative free and organic deli meats, marks two decades of dedicated service with heartfelt appreciation for their many supporters and loyal customers.

Founded in 2004 by Garth McLean along with business partners Michelle Neilson and Deanna Bell, McLean Meats has consistently upheld its commitment to providing clean food products that nourish Canadians while supporting natural, humane, and sustainable farming practices.

“It was a lot of work,” recalls McLean of those early years. “Building the brand into what it is today has truly been a passion, not a job, and I am so happy we were successful in fulfilling our dream with the support of our loyal employees, customers, and vendors.”

In 2018, Piller’s Fine Foods, a division of Premium Brands Holdings Corporation, invested in McLean Meats, supporting the brand’s growth and expanding its product offerings in the Natural and Organic food industry. McLean Meats remains Canada’s only national deli meat brand that is truly preservative free, and now offers over 25 certified organic products in its portfolio.

“We’re proud to celebrate this milestone with our team,” says Trent Hilpert, President of Piller’s Fine Foods. “McLean Meats pioneered the preservative free and organic deli meats category in Canada,” expresses Hilpert, “and we’re excited to continue to innovate and grow this space for many years to come.”

Throughout its journey, McLean Meats has stayed true to

its core values, encapsulated in the brand’s longstanding tagline, “Embrace food with gratitude.” In honour of the 20th anniversary, McLean Meats is launching a community-focused initiative titled “20 Acts of Gratitude.” Partnering with not-forprofit organizations across Canada, the brand plans to give financial contributions, product donations, and volunteer hours in support of their programs.

McLean Meats founders Michelle Neilson and Garth McLean

FEELING FRESH

How produce veterans

Matt DuPerrouzel and Ezio Bondi rebounded from a failed business venture to launch a salad kit company

By Andrea Yu

by Christie Vuong

Photography

Matt DuPerrouzel (left) and Ezio Bondi (right)

Matt DuPerrouzel an D e z I o Bondi’s experience in the produce industry stretches back to their teenage days. After becoming best friends in Grade eight, the two found part-time summer jobs working at Bondi’s family’s business, Toronto-based produce distribution company Bondi Produce. “We were sorting potatoes into bags, regrading tomatoes and sweeping floors,” DuPerrouzel recalls.

The pair went on to earn undergraduate degrees at different universities, with DuPerrouzel studying business administration at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia and Bondi studying commerce at Toronto Metropolitan University. After graduating in 2010, the pair found themselves back at Bondi’s family business, working in sales and as delivery drivers. After a few years, DuPerrouzel fell into a role in operations and procurement, while Bondi focused on sales and marketing.

Though Bondi Produce’s business is selling wholesale produce to foodservice companies, such as restaurants and cafeterias, Bondi and DuPerrouzel saw an opportunity to start a new venture in 2017. “Bondi [Produce] was getting a lot of requests for fresh-cut produce from their customers,” Bondi explains. “We looked at ourselves and said: ‘I think there’s a business here’.”

DuPerrouzel and Bondi started New Toronto Food Co. as a produce processor to create fresh-cut fruits and vegetables as well as repacking and blending produce for wholesale customers. Then, after becoming new parents—DuPerrouzel in 2018 and Bondi in 2020—the duo began thinking of a new product idea geared towards busy households.

“We watched the meal-kit business grow a lot over COVID,” Bondi says. “People want to save time.” Alongside recipe developer Rahul Tanna, the trio came up with the idea of veggie roaster kits—a tray with pre-cut vegetables, an accompanying sauce and a crunchy topping. They launched in May 2022 with three kits: Garlic Parm Brussels Sprouts, Piri Piri Potatoes and Mexican Street Corn, selling in 38 Real Canadian Superstores in Ontario. They called the venture arte*—an acronym for “almost ready to eat” and a playful nod to the creativity of the kits.

“We thought, ‘awesome. This is so easy. We’ve made it’,” Bondi says of the launch. “But, we knew nothing about selling into retail.” Bondi describes seeing their product in a less-desirable spot—the deli bunker, instead of the salad section, without any merchandising. After three months, due to low sales, their products were delisted.

It was a humbling moment for the duo. “We had to look deep inside of ourselves and say, ‘Are we going to go forward, or are we going to fold?” DuPerrouzel recalls. They opted for the latter, refocusing instead on a new product: salad kits. “They were ripe for disruption,” explains DuPerrouzel. Most salad kits are made by international companies using imported produce. Bondi and DuPerrouzel wanted to create an option using local suppliers, when in season. “For a portion of the year, we can help our local farmers get to a segment of the grocery store they didn’t really have access to,” DuPerrouzel explains.

Bondi and DuPerrouzel went back to the drawing board with recipe developer Tanna and came up with a line of four salad kits: Matcha Broccoli Crunch, Zesty Kale Caesar, Maple Tahini Crunch and Honey Yuzu Coleslaw.

By October 2023, DuPerrouzel and Bondi were ready to launch their salad kits in 200 Longo’s and Loblaws stores in Ontario. They kept the same name as their first endeavour: arte*. Determined to make their second launch a success, Bondi and DuPerrouzel invested heavily in the marketing, branding and merchandising of arte* salad kits. The strategy included in-store demonstrations, helping product managers set up appealing displays in-store and sending in their own sales teams to ensure shelves were full and inventory was fresh.

This time around, their investment paid off. After six weeks, arte* salad kit sales were showing consistent week-over-week growth. “Our partners were telling us that our products were doing great,” says DuPerrouzel.

The positive feedback put the duo at ease, allowing them to start working on their next move, which includes adding more Ontario specialty retailers to their roster and developing eight more salad flavours. By early 2024, DuPerrouzel and Bondi already achieved one of their goals: a new, back-to-basics line of chopped kale and shredded kale, which helped arte* break into 156 stores in Quebec and 59 stores in the Atlantic region, including Maxi and Atlantic Superstore. They hope to launch their full salad kit line into Quebec and Atlantic Canada by the end of the year.

While Bondi and DuPerrouzel feel accomplished seeing their venture succeed, they experience a unique sense of pride as consumers of their own product. “I love cooking with my son and getting him involved in making a salad,” Bondi explains. “He likes helping me squeeze the dressing, sprinkling the toppers and mixing the salad. The art of cooking is such a collaborative experience that brings families together.” CG

30 seconds with … MATT DUPERROUZEL & EZIO BONDI

What do you like best about your job?

EZIO: Every day is different. I love solving a new problem or challenge. I can wake up every morning and count on the fact I’m not going to do what I did yesterday. To me, that’s super exciting.

MATT: In produce, you’re always dealing with some type of issue. It’s fresh food— it’s highly perishable and extremely high-touch. I love the variety and the different problems we get to solve together on a daily basis.

What has been your best day in the business?

MATT: Seeing the first salads come off the line. When we did our first run, the pouches wouldn’t go in the bag and things were clogging. We had to do a lot of problem-solving. But once those bags started flowing off the line, holding it in your hand, no pun intended, it felt like a work of art—looking at this thing we created.

What’s the best career advice you received?

EZIO: Answer your emails fast. Be responsive to email!

What are your favourite products from your lineup?

MATT: The Honey Yuzu Coleslaw with any form of barbecue is my go-to summer meal.

EZIO: Mine is the Zesty Kale Caesar. I love buying a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, pulling it apart and throwing it on top of the salad. That’s my healthy lunch or dinner.

ALWAYS INNOVATING ALWAYS EVOLVING ALWAYS FINDING

A BETTER WAY

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CONSUMER SENTIMENT

RISING FOOD COSTS: WHO’S THE CULPRIT?

In CanaDIans’ mInDs, there’s plenty of blame to go around for sky-high grocery bills. A recent survey by Leger, Inflation at the Grocery Store, found Canadians generally attribute the increase in grocery prices to global economic phenomena such as inflation and supply chain issues (27%), followed by attempts by grocery chains to increase profit margins (26%), and the federal government (23%). Just 8% indicated higher prices demanded by food manufacturers are to blame. Consumers in British Columbia (30%) and Ontario (28%) are more likely to blame grocers for rising food costs, compared to 17% of Albertans, who are more likely to point fingers at the federal government (36%). Meanwhile, Quebecers are more likely to name global factors as the culprit (36%).

Even as Canada’s inflation rate slows (dropping to 2.9% in January 2024, down from 3.4% in December), nearly two-thirds (64%) of consumers believe the rate of inflation in grocery is getting worse. Just 5% believe grocery inflation is improving and

28% think it’s about the same. People in Atlantic provinces (77%) are more likely to think the situation is worse.

Canadians are looking to Ottawa for relief at the checkout. Nearly three-quarters (72%) believe the federal government should do more to help people with rising food costs, compared to 19% who say it’s not the government’s role, and 8% who aren’t sure. So, what do Canadians think of the federal government’s “grocery rebate” program? The program, which launched last July, was a one-time payment for low-income Canadians to help with higher food costs (between $234 and $628, depending on the size of the family). In the survey, 23% of respondents found the rebate program helpful, 52% did not find it helpful and 20% said they weren’t aware of the rebate.

Might a foreign competitor help trim the grocery bill? Just over half of Canadians (52%) believe the arrival of competitors in Canada will be helpful in reducing grocery bills, while one-third (34%) believe it will not be helpful.

—Rebecca Harris

TAKING THE LEAD:

BIG CHEESE

Whole Foods Market Canada’s

Kristin Payne talks specialty foods and what keeps her inspired at work

By Chris Daniels

It Isn’t easy to be cultured in the world of cheeses, as there are literally hundreds of varieties to learn about, from slightly sharp and nutty (Parmigiano Reggiano, for example) to tangy with sweet Swiss notes (Cabot Catamount Cheddar) to buttery and balanced (Rogue Creamery Organic Enraptured Blanc).

Kristin Payne is an expert in all things cheese. Introduced by her dad to diverse cheeses at just six-years old, Payne developed a palette for the varied flavour profiles, (she particularly loved gobbling up cubes of stinky blue cheese!). Since then, she has carried her love of the dairy product to her 16-year career at Whole Foods Market Canada, where she is the category merchant for the specialty department.

Payne is responsible for the placement, price, purchasing and promotion of cheeses, as well as olives and accoutrements, and loves when she can connect with producers and understand where her favourite foods come from. (Looking to try a new cheese? Payne recommends Stilton. “Don’t let blue cheese scare you, it’s actually delicious!” she tells Canadian Grocer.)

Here, Vancouver-based Payne explains how she has taken the lead in an intimidating category with a new team (following an internal shift) and how her love for her black Lab, Woodson, makes her a better leader at work.

How have you taken the lead as a cheese buyer and global category manager with a new team?

Most of the team members I work with come from a culinary background, so they are naturally more familiar with our prepared foods or bakery departments. Since they are newer to the specialty world (which includes cheeses, olives and other accoutrements), it was important for me, as a more seasoned specialty team member, to set a solid foundation.

They’ve hit the ground running in their new roles, working together to build on what previous teams started within our specialty program, while also figuring out how we’d like to continue to grow and show up in the Canadian market. I’ve worked to train, guide and support this new team on all aspects of the specialty business. Starting off on the right foot and being so engaged together has really set up our stores, team members and other stakeholders for continued success.

Tell us about a recent initiative you led and what you learned in making it a success. As a category manager, I’m always looking for inventive ways to grow the business. I’ve come to realize I can endlessly ideate to grow sales, but relying on our store-level team members to drive those initiatives is the key to success. Late last year, I initiated supplier-supported sales contests and, through these, not only have we seen sales growth, but the store team members have enjoyed the healthy competition. They are pushing themselves to engage in next-level merchandising, sampling and the customer service experience, while our supplier partners are seeing ongoing growth and increased store team member connection. It’s been a win-winwin strategy and one we will continue to implement for the foreseeable future.

Who has inspired you as a leader or in honing your leadership skills?

Since 2017, I’ve been fortunate to have three incredible team leaders who have inspired and motivated me to be the best leader I can be. I am thankful for each of them, but one has been especially inspiring. Cathy Strange, who is well known and respected in the industry, was my team leader for about four years. She was the global cheese buyer, then the vice-president of specialty and

is now our ambassador of food culture. Her leadership style is awe-inspiring: she leads through trust, passion, advocacy and empathy, which is also how she works with our supplier partners. She fosters success through her engagement and innovative thinking, while still holding producers accountable to Whole Foods’ quality standards. She’s changed many lives for the better in countless ways, including my own. I always think if I can make even a fraction of the impact Cathy has, I’m doing something right in this world.

What do you do outside of work that helps make you a better leader at work?

I am a huge animal lover with a dog and two cats at home. Cats are pretty self-reliant and tend to be their own boss, but dogs require a solid leader. A lot of my time outside of work goes to my animals, especially training, exercising and nurturing my dog, Woodson. He’s a very smart, kind, 11-month old black Lab rescue. Being a positive leader for a dog requires consistency, calmness, patience, trust and confidence. Working on these qualities for Woodson helps me maintain and hone them in my work also. Watching my dog flourish brings a sense of joy that crosses over to my professional life and, in turn, has made me a more effective leader.

In our new Taking the Lead series, Canadian Grocer is speaking to leaders from across the industry about a specific project or initiative they’re leading. Have a pitch? Send it to jmorgan@ensembleiq.com

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Fresh focused

To be best in fresh requires the right stock at the right time. Tech helps FCL achieve that

f or most gro C ers , offering the right assortment is a delicate balancing act, especially when it comes to fresh food. Too much product and you risk unsold items going to waste, too little and you risk an out-of-stock situation that will likely disappoint your customers— in both scenarios, sales are lost.

To tackle this challenge in its fresh departments, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) turned to technology. The retailer worked with Mississauga, Ont.-based tech firm Invafresh to implement a cloud-based solution, enhanced with AI and built-in analytics to improve product availability, freshness, profitability and the customer experience.

The Fresh Retail Platform “basically tells grocery retailers what they need to do and when to do it,” explains Stephen Midgley, vice-president of marketing at Invafresh. Considering several different factors such as historical sales cycles, the system generates a production plan that store employees can access through a device (tablet, mobile phone, etc.). The plan tells them exactly how much freshcut fruit, pizza or sandwiches, for example, to make at any given time, removing the guesswork so employees can focus on servicing customers.

“It’s got great utility when we’re thinking, for example, about how many loaves of bread or buns to make for the long weekend,” says Dave Pullar, FCL’s director, fresh food. Or, how much ground beef to grind in-store when it’s featured on the front page of the flyer, he adds. “It helps us anywhere in the store where we’re producing products for the consumer. It really is about freshness and being in-stock,” says Pullar. “You can have a two-day old hot dog bun on the shelf, but we’d rather not. We would rather make it just in time for the customer.”

Of course, it’s also about boosting the bottom line. Pullar says since the technology has been deployed, FCL has seen a sales lift in fresh-cut fruit and other items. “It varies by category, but it’s not unusual to see double-digit sales growth.”—Shellee Fitzgerald

SAINSBURY’S TESTING AI TO COMBAT THEFT

GLOBAL GROCERY

News and ideas from the world of food retail

Aldi’s big advance

To curb alcohol theft in its stores, U.K. retailer Sainsbury’s is turning to artificial intelligence (AI). At a handful of locations, the grocer is trialling AI-powered security cabinets from San Diego-based Indyme. According to Indyme, the units use AI to identify suspicious behaviours in real-time and trigger what it calls “active deterrence” through its touchscreen and built-in speaker. To access the higher-priced alcohol items locked away in the cabinets, customers are guided through four quick steps on a touchscreen after which they receive a response from the security centre alerting them that the cabinet will open and product can be removed. Unlike with other locked cases, customers don’t have to wait around for an employee to come and unlock it; according to Indyme, wait times that exceed just one minute leads to shopper dissatisfaction.

Whole Foods unveils small-format strategy

As part of its ongoing expansion, Whole Foods Market has announced plans to open small-format stores catering to urban dwellers. Called Whole Foods Daily Shop, the new stores will range from 7,000 to 14,000 sq. ft., considerably smaller than a typical Whole Foods that has a 40,000-sq.-ft. footprint. The compact stores will focus on convenience, offering grab-and-go foods, weekly essentials as well as an “ample” selection of fresh produce, meat, seafood, prepared foods, alcohol and a curated range of local specialties. The first small-format shop is expected to open later this year in New York City, with more to follow in other U.S. cities. Whole Foods operates 530 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom and has 75 stores “in the pipeline.”

Meal deals at Shoprite

Amid a cost-of-living crisis, South Africa’s largest supermarket chain, Shoprite, has introduced a meal under its Homegrown private-label range that feeds a family of four for just 20 South African rand (about $1.45). The grocer partnered with Pasta & Me, a local womenowned supplier to create the one-pot meal that includes noodles, soya chunks, spices and dehydrated vegetables. Shoprite, which bills itself as the country’s “lowprice leader,” says it has intensified its fight to help Africans stretch their money by continuing to offer staple items such as bread and sanitary pads for under five rand (36 cents).

Discount retailer Aldi has announced plans to add 800 stores to its U.S. network by the end of 2028. The expansion will happen through a combination of new openings and store conversions—the German-owned grocer recently completed its acquisition of Southeastern Grocers and its Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket banners, a “significant” number of which will be converted to the Aldi format. Aldi says it will invest more than US$9 billion over the next five years on the expansion.

JUMBO’S FRIENDLIER ANTI-SHOPLIFTING MEASURES

In the Netherlands, grocer Jumbo is attempting to take the sting out of random checks of customers’ bags at self-checkouts with its Jumbo Winwiel (win wheel). After customers pass a random bag check, they’re rewarded with a spin of the big wheel where they can win free products. Following a test run, the giant wheel started appearing in Jumbo stores in mid-March. The initiative comes as the retailer deals with an uptick of theft in its stores. Other measures introduced to curb shoplifting include more visible camera surveillance, and the grocer is testing AI solutions that recognize suspicious customer behaviour in its stores.

NIGHT TO NURTURE

GLITZ AND GLORY

In late January, members of Canada’s grocery industry “checked their swords at the door” in support of The Grocery Foundation’s 45th annual Night to Nurture gala, which raises critical dollars to fund breakfast programs in Canadian schools as well as to support the important work of Kids Help Phone.

Addressing attendees during the black-tie event in Toronto, Shaun McKenna, executive director of the Foundation, pointed out that on “any other day the companies and individuals in this room are fierce competitors in the grocery industry. But not tonight. Tonight, we come together, we hold hands and we form a circle around Canadian children and youth. Tonight, we form a community and I sometimes think we don’t realize quite how special that is.”

More than $2.2 million was raised during the event, which included a poignant performance from Canadian pop artist Carly Rae Jepsen with a symphony orchestra, a silent auction featuring a host of items including sports memorabilia, vacation packages, jewelry and a raffle for the chance to win a Lexus. CG

Opposite page: 1. A symphony orchestra performs on the Night to Nurture stage

2. The Night to Nurture reception

This page, clockwise: 3. Josie Fusco, Rob Shapiro (Rob Shapiro & Associates), Joe Fusco (Metro) 4. Canadian pop artist Carly Rae Jepsen performs at the 2024 Night to Nurture gala 5. Attendees walk the red carpet into the reception

6. Dian and Michel Manseau (Kruger), Melissa and Mike Rose (Metro), Steeve Lamontagne (Kruger) and Lucie Côté

7. 2024 Lexus 250UX 250H winner Jasper Megelink 8. Attendees enjoying dinner 9. Shaun McKenna, executive director, The Grocery Foundation

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WHAT’S NEW

Caffè, Your Way

Introducing the new Lavazza Caffè Decaffeinato ground coffee brick, a naturally decaffeinated blend Canadians can enjoy at any time of day. Caffè Decaffeinato is a smooth medium roast with the balanced flavour of dried fruit, crafted by the masters of coffee blending to preserve the signature taste of Classico blend. Recommended for French press, moka pot, and drip coffee preparations.

All The Flavour. All Without Dairy

Thin, Crispy, Healthy Treat!

This isn’t your ordinary chip! Woh Tempeh Chips are handcrafted in small batches using the finest certified non-GMO fermented soybeans and kettlecooked with love. The thin and crispy chips are a tasty and healthy treat, as they are high in protein, halal, gluten-free, and low-carb. The lineup includes six varieties: Original, Barbecue, Sweet Chili, Black Pepper, Black Truffle, and Sour Cream & Onion.

Who says Canadians have to compromise? Laughing Cow’s delicious and creamy Plant-Based Spreadable Cheese alternative combines almond milk and a whole lot of tasty garlic and herbs to make a vegan-friendly, dairy-free snack that doesn’t compromise on the flavour of a traditional garlic cheese spread.

Canadian Grocer is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Impact Awards to recognize the initiatives introduced by retailers, suppliers and solution providers that are making a meaningful difference in four categories:

• Sustainability (food waste, ethical sourcing, energy efficiency initiatives etc.)

•Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

•Supporting Employees

• Community Service/Local Impact/Giving Back

Tell us about the amazing work being done at your company! Winners will be featured in the August issue of Canadian Grocer.

Lactalis Canada

Kellogg’s

Conagra

Nestlé

Bimbo Canada

Freson Bros

P’tits Projets

Here are just some of our past winners. To see all the winners visit: cgimpactawards.ca

April 23–25, 2024

CANADA’S LARGEST FRESH PRODUCE EVENT

Connect with:

• Over 4,000 produce professionals

• Over 1,100 produce companies

• Canadian major retailers

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

A two-time Olympic champion, six-time World Champion, and the only Canadian team captain to lead her team to two Olympic gold medals.

Cassie Campbell-Pascall

Ron Lemaire, President Canadian Produce Marketing Association

With over 600 exhibit spaces representing over 270 companies, Fresh Week is a place to network, establish new connections, and grow your business in Canada.

Welcome

I am thrilled to welcome you to beautiful Vancouver for the 2024 Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s (CPMA) Annual Convention and Trade Show.

CPMA’s Annual Convention and Trade Show is Canada’s largest fresh fruits and vegetables show which attracts participants representing the entire fresh produce supply chain.

With over 600 exhibit spaces representing over 270 companies from across the globe, CPMA 2024’s Trade Show offers a conducive environment for networking, establishing new connections, and growing businesses in Canada.

Our convention program offers exciting business sessions where attendees have unique opportunities to hear from renowned speakers who will share their expertise on important issues impacting our industry.

This year, our speakers will engage with the industry on different topics including, sustainability, traceability, commercial trends, women in the produce industry, how to attract and keep emerging leaders, and more.

The event also features the New Product Showcase program which supports CPMA member companies in introducing their new products to the Canadian produce market. Sponsored by Canadian Grocer, the New Product Showcase program will this year help 37 companies launch 60 new products. A preview of these innovative products can be found in the next section of this issue of Canadian Grocer.

Lastly, I would like to thank Canadian Grocer for once again sponsoring CPMA’s New Product Showcase. For over 15 years, Canadian Groce r has supported this program and been instrumental in driving innovation within our industry.

I look forward to seeing you in Vancouver!

Ron Lemaire President, CPMA

Program at a Glance

BCfresh

Discover the culinary secret of Kennebec potatoes, cherished by West Coast chefs since the 1940s. Perfect for fresh-cut fries, their crispy peel and irresistible taste make them a must-have. Experience the unmatched flavour of Kennebec Potatoes today!

Church Brothers Farms

therealkennebec.ca Booth 1323

Canadawide

Discover Frescadel's latest innovation with our new top seal packaging designed to seal in the freshness of our premium fruits and vegetables. These eco-friendly packages embody our commitment to sustainability, offering a practical solution for those who wish to fill up on sunshine every day!

frescadel.com Booth 725

Cascades

At Cascades, our mission is to assist our customers in growing their businesses sustainably. We are proud to offer sustainable packaging alternatives with our brand-new corrugated cardboard produce baskets with flaps. Made from recycled and recyclable fibres, their design ensures product visibility and reduces handling. cascades.com/en/products-services Booth 739

Introducing the most comprehensive lineup of tender leaf salad blends in the industry: Tuscan Salads from Church Brothers Farms. Tuscan Salads offer versatile, sweet forkability and a superior variety base that holds up well to dressings and warm proteins. churchbrothers.com Booth 750

CKF Inc.

New CKF-Packright

16oz Mushroom Till minimizes rework, runs smoothly on weigh fill equipment, and is made from recycled PET in Canada. www.ckfinc.com Booth 1514

Domex

Superfresh Growers

PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled)

Bag, an innovative step forward in eco-friendly packaging. Designed with the environment and the modern consumer in mind, this bag is crafted from high-quality, post-consumer recycled materials, making it a standout choice for those seeking sustainable options without sacrificing quality or convenience. superfreshgrowers.com Booth 1121

Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc.

Farmers Fresh Mushrooms Inc

Vegan and Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

farmersfresh.com Booth 1159

Farmers Fresh Mushrooms Inc

Organic White and Brown mushrooms

available now in cardboard recyclable tils. farmersfresh.com Booth 1159

Del Fresco Produce Ltd.

DelFrescoPure®

The Original Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine are little bites of luxury, reigning supreme and bursting with a symphony of sweetness and flavour. Ripened and packed on the vine in peak perfection, these bright red tomatoes feature vibrant aromas, tantalizing all the senses. delfrescopure.com Booth 621

Derlea Foods

New Derlea

Diced Onion & Caramelized Onion. Save your time. Save your tears. No Peeling. No prep. No Mess. No Waste. Ready to use. Great tasting onion. Convenient like our Derlea Minced Garlic you trust & love to add flavour to your everyday meals. derlea.com Booth 752

Introducing celery dippers™, washed and ready-to-eat, bite-sized 2-inch celery sticks for snacking. Your shoppers will love the convenience of choosing between 8 oz. and 1.25 lb. resealable bag sizes for adding a bold crunch to their favorite snacks. Ideal for charcuterie boards and bento boxes. dudafresh.com Booth 1227

EarthFresh

Steamed fresh potatoes or vegetables in just 6 minutes in your microwave. At exactly the right moment, the “Sauce drops with the popTM ”, coating the potatoes or vegetables in gourmet, full-bodied flavours from clean ingredients. Convenient, fresh, and very tasty. earthfreshfoods.com Booth 314

First Genesis (Sunflower)

First Genesis introduces, Genesis HDR2, A High Clarity HDPE film designed to improve the recyclability of plastic film in produce and food packaging. Our mission is to enhance plastic recovery, improve recycling rates, and promote a circular economy without compromising strength, protection, and affordability. sunflowerpkg.com/Genesis-HDR2High-Clarity-HDPE-Food-andProduce-Packaging Booth 1518

Fresh Del Monte Produce (Canada), Inc.

Bring authentic restaurant recipes to your dining room table with P.F. Chang's®/MD salad kits. Packed with Mann’s fresh vegetables and tasty toppings, you can create a delicious and nutritious meal at home in minutes. Now available in Canada featuring Mandarin Crunch and Asian Caesar. veggiesmadeeasy.com/pf-changssalad-kits Booth 815

convention.cpma.ca

Gwillimdale Farms Ltd.

Introducing the next best potatoes on the line! With a comforting familiarity our grade 2 potatoes taste just as delicious as Gwilly’s Best and they come in unique shapes, with few beauty marks! We invested in equipment to divert edible food with slight blemishes. gwillimdalefarms.com Booth 831

Highline Mushrooms

Finally! 100% recycle ready mushroom packaging is here. With a Mono Layer Top Seal Film on clear till the entire package is now fully ready for recycling. highlinemushrooms.com Booth 1715

Highline Mushrooms

Also known as 'Breakfast Flats' in Europe and other parts of the world, their texture perfectly absorbs any flavor in the kitchen. Chefs and foodies will love the versatile ways to cook with White Flats as they transform ordinary dishes into culinary masterpieces. highlinemushrooms.com Booth 1715

Martin’s Family Fruit Farm Ltd

Our Apple Snack is made with our own apples and No Artificial Anything™. Apple Snack contains no added sugar or water, no ascorbic acid, and comes in a convenient, recloseable pouch, perfect for on-the-go! martinsapples.com Booth 545

Mastronardi Produce Ltd.

Exceptionally sweet and aromatic, organic strawberries do not compromise on flavour. These ultra-premium strawberries are packed with the same great flavour as our conventional WOW® strawberries, now certified Organic! The elevated brand design disrupts the category and stands out on shelf, capturing consumers’ attention. sunsetgrown.com Booth 1130

Mastronardi Produce Ltd.

TASTE THE TROPICS™! Bite into the bright flavours of Bahama Bombs™, the latest addition to the popular line of SUNSET® snacking tomatoes on-the-vine. Bahama Bombs are golden grape tomatoes that have a sweet taste, crunchy texture, and tropical aroma. sunsetgrown.com Booth 1130

Mastronardi Produce Ltd.

Naturally sweet and seedless, these one-bite mini peppers are one of a kind. Greenhouse grown without GMOs, put a little pep in your step with the ultimate healthy snack for the whole family. sunsetgrown.com Booth 1130

Mucci Farms

Our Natural Organic Grape Tomatoes are the quintessential salad and snacking tomato. Low in calories and high in vitamin C, potassium, antioxidants, and lycopene, they’re a great choice for kids and adults.

www.muccifarms.com Booth531

Mucci Farms

More details to come! Visit us at booth 531 to learn more.

www.muccifarms.com Booth531

Mucci Farms

Veggies-to-Go™ is the perfect healthy, kid-friendly snack for parents seeking convenient veggie options for lunches, road trips, picnics, and desk snacks – now rebranded with a modern look! Packed with Award-Winning Mucci Farms products, this healthy medley is sure to be a hit!

www.muccifarms.com Booth531

Mucci Farms

Indulge your culinary spirit with Savorries Sweet Strawberry

Tomatoes! Kept on-the-vine for maximum flavor and freshness, this picture-perfect variety will inspire food lovers and at-home chefs that love to entertain. Sweet like a strawberry, savoury like a tomato… a true foodies’ delight!

www.muccifarms.com Booth531

Nature Fresh Farms

The flavors of fresh are changing –and we’re growing it! Being carefully nurtured in our greenhouses, what we’ve got up our vines is game-changing – but you’ll have to wait to find out what new fresh flavors we’re bringing to market.

naturefresh.ca Booth 823

Nature Fresh Farms

Bursting with sweetness, our Organic Greenhouse Strawberries offer a splash of summer flavor, well beyond the summer months. Nurtured in our greenhouses, using clean farming methods, and shielded from outside elements, each one of our berries is as delightfully flavorful as the next. naturefresh.ca Booth 823

Naturipe Farms LLC

Sweet Selections Blueberries

- exceptional flavor and stellar quality that will have consumers clamoring for every berry!

naturipefarms.com Booth 1431

Omnia Packaging Inc

INNOVATIVE PAPER TRAYS GLUE FREE FOR YOUR FRESH PRODUCE!

Our trays are thermoformed without any glue! Top sealable: any top sealing machine running for PET trays is fully compatible with our paper ones. Four sides fully printable and see through decorations can be created. omniapackaging.ca Booth 345

Onions 52, Inc

Smileys™ are here to revolutionize your cooking game! Cultivated through decades of farming, Smileys will rock your taste buds without shedding a tear. With Smileys - the compounds that make you cry in regular onions decrease over time. Resulting in a SWEET & TEAR-FREE onion!

smileysonions.com Booth 510

Oppy

Oppy and Sun Grape USA have combined strengths to form Sun Grape California LLC — An Oppy Company, uniting their global resources to ensure year-round, high-quality grapes. This venture marks a significant share of California's grape industry, serving as a major vertically integrated supplier.

sungrape.oppy.com Booth 915

Oppy

This compostable net bag and label stands as an impressive eco-friendly innovation, designed to completely break down within just 12 weeks. Certified for home composting as well as marine degradability, it contains no microplastics nor petrochemicals, and is crafted from PEFC certified beechwood.

avoworks.com/bags Booth 915

Pure Flavor

Oronai™Charentais melons: A small, fragrant French inspired delight, renowned for their sweet, juicy, and floral-infused flesh. Prized for its sweet, succulent taste, the intensely fragrant Oronai™ Charentais Melon is personal in size with an orange flesh as vibrant as the summer sun.

pure-flavor.com/oronai Booth 1423

Pure Flavor

Delicately sweet no matter the time of year, Sweet Blooms® are sustainably grown in glass greenhouses to ensure consistency in berry quality & flavor. Bite-sized, juicy, and hand-picked in small batches, they are berriously delicious®.

pure-flavor.com/products/sweetblooms-strawberries Booth 1423

Pure Flavor

Tropically sweet and juicy, Tiki Tomatoes™ unleash a crunchy burst of fresh flavors, creating beach vibes with sunny & tangy waves—a taste that transports you seaside with every delightful bite.

pure-flavor.com/tiki Booth 1423

Red Sun Farms

Introducing Mini Mingles! The perfect fusion of classic dark green mini cucumbers and a new light green variety. Visit booth 1015 to learn more.

redsunfarms.com Booth 1015

Jalapeño Lime

Grab a handful of new Wh nderful Pistachios No Shells Jalapeño Lime when you’re feeling spicy. They combine bold jalapeño and sea salt with a twist of lime. Perfect for snackin’, they’re also a good source of protein.

RPE, LLC

Introducing an innovation in packaging, RPE & Tasteful Selections® are excited to present the trendiest bag style, Mesh Pillow Pack, in a larger 3lb size with your favorite varieties, Honey Gold®, Ruby Sensation® & Sunburst Blend™! Elevate your potato category with convenience & flair!

rpespud.com Booth 617

Sambrailo Packaging

ReadyCycle® sustainable packaging is introducing a new design for the mushroom fans! 6 oz basket is 100% recyclable, compostable, and fully customizable for your brand. ReadyCycle® is the leading choice for an alternative to plastics. Come by our booth to learn more! readycyclepackaging.com Booth 1543

Taylor Farms

Crunch, munch and dip away!

Taylor Farms

veggie-filled and hassle-free snack packs are the perfect way to refuel on the go, in the car, at your desk, on the field or at school. taylorfarmsca.com/en Booth 845

Trinity Fruit Company

Squeezed Juice is 100% juice, not from concentrate, with no water or sugar added, so you get all the essential vitamins and nutrients. It’s like getting delicious, freshsqueezed juice from your own backyard fruit tree, but without the hassle. squeezedjuice.com Booth 640

Volm Companies, Inc.

Compostable and recyclable pillow packs are designed in paper rollstock form for use on vertical form, fill, and seal equipment. Venting and windows provide breathability while showcasing your brand at the retail level. volmcompanies.com Booth 837

Westmoreland SalesTopline Farms

North America’s fastest-growing tomato category, now in a convenient 4oz format. Tailored to the on-the-go consumer, this reclosable pack fits effortlessly in a cupholder, purse, or lunch box. Stop by booth 1531 to grab a sample & learn more about this unique offering. toplinefarms.com Booth 1531

WestRock

Ideal for produce applications, WetTech® from WestRock is a recyclable, fiber-based alternative to traditional wax-impregnated packaging. Suitable for wet, high humidity environments and engineered to provide the right amount of moisture resistance, WetTech® offers flexible incorporation for a variety of corrugated footprints and designs. westrock.com Booth 1714

WestRock

EverGrow® punnets are a paper-based packaging solution designed to replace plastic. The punnets feature a widened flange for excellent film sealing and customizable ventilation patterns for high visibility of the product. The printable carton allows for vivid graphics to increase shelf presence at retail. westrock.com Booth 1714

Windset Farms

Introducing AMORE™ Sweet Tomatoes on the Vine! Greenhouse grown, these captivating, sweet gems will win your adoration. Each plump and heart-shaped beauty is carefully handpicked on the vine, for maximum flavour. Fall in love with AMORE™ Sweet Tomatoes on the Vine.

greenhousegrown.com Booth 231

Windset Farms

Discover the irresistible charm of YUM YUMS™ Cherry Tomatoes – a burst of natural sweetness set to become your new favorite snack. Greenhouse grown, these gems ensure a perfect balance of flavor, reminiscent of a sugary treat from your childhood days. greenhousegrown.com Booth 231

Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds

Filled with fiery flavour, these spicy pistachios are the perfect balance of jalapeño pepper, sea salt and a twist of lime that’s sublime!

getcrackin.com Booth 945

Baked Goods

Country Harvest

Herb & Garlic

WONDERBRANDS

Baked with herbs, roasted garlic and whole grains, this seasoned bread can be used for sandwiches or as a toasted snack. It’s a source of fibre and contains no artificial flavours or colours.

Breaded Chicken

Western Family Mango Chili Chicken

PATTISON FOOD GROUP

Made with 100% chicken breast meat with no artificial colours or preservatives, Western Family Mango Chili Chicken is fully cooked and comes with a packet of mango chili sauce.

SEAL OF APPROVAL

The people have spoken! A survey of 4,000 Canadian consumers conducted by Kantar determined the 39 winning products that will carry the 2024 Product of the Year Canada red seal. The program, which operates in more than 45 countries, recognizes and rewards manufacturers for quality and innovation.

“Over the past year, retail has seen significant changes, with the rise of immersive shopping experiences, and a shift towards sustainability and ethical consumption,” says Mike Nolan, global CEO of Product of the Year Management. “The iconic Product of the Year seal not only recognizes innovation, but also signifies a powerful endorsement in the modern retail era, enhancing the winners’ visibility and credibility in the marketplace.”

Here’s a look at the products that came out on top.

Breakfast Foods

Crave Scramble Kits

KRAFT HEINZ

An easy way to start the day! Consumers simply add one or two fresh eggs to a Crave scramble kit (complete with such fixings as cheddar cheese, onions, pepper and pork sausage), stir and microwave for 70 to 90 seconds.

Candy Nerds Gummy Clusters

FERRARA CANDY CANADA

A childhood classic reimagined—Nerds

Gummy Clusters are bite-sized, sweet gummies coated in tangy, fruity Nerd candies for a chewy yet crunchy treat.

Cereal

Reese’s Puffs Minis

GENERAL MILLS CANADA

This cereal from General Mills features crunchy mini corn puffs made with Reese’s peanut butter and Hershey’s chocolate flavours. Each serving is made with 16 grams of whole grain and contains no highfructose corn syrup.

Product of the Year

Cheese Balderson Aged Gouda

LACTALIS CANADA

Balderson Aged Gouda is a natural cheese made with 100% Canadian milk. Matured for a full year, it also features a sweet blend of caramel notes with a hint of hazelnut flavour.

Cheese Snacks

Saputo Cheese Fries

SAPUTO DAIRY PRODUCTS CANADA

These halloumi-style cheese fries can be ready in minutes and come in two flavours: Original and Hint of Jalapeño. They’re versatile, too. They can be served as an appetizer, a snack, a side dish or used as a salad topper.

Cheeseboard

Balderson Mature Tasting Trio

LACTALIS CANADA

Creating a charcuterie board just got easier. The Balderson Mature Tasting Trio includes three premium cheese selections: Balderson Old Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar and Gouda that can be paired with a number of accompaniments.

Chocolate

Cadbury Dairy Milk

Gift Box

MONDELĒZ INTERNATIONAL

Whether given as a gift or shared with friends, the first-ever gift box from Cadbury Dairy Milk offers an assortment of Milk Chocolate, Mini Eggs, and Fruit and Nut mini chocolate bars.

SUPERCHARGE YOUR MEAL WITH THIS WINNING SIDE DISH.

A MEDLEY OF 10 GRAINS, VEGETABLES, LEGUMES AND HERBS

NO ARTIFICIAL COLOURS, FLAVOURS OR PRESERVATIVES

FIBRE RICH BPA-FREE POUCH

Product of the Year

Digestive Health

Tums Chewy Bites

HALEON

Berry flavoured Tums Chewy Bites have a crunchy outer shell and soft chewy centre. Its makers say they offer the same relief for heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach and sour stomach as all Tums extra strength products.

Frozen Meals

True North Seafood Crab Dip

TRUE NORTH SEAFOOD

This dip is packed with wild-caught Uruguayan red crab meat and blended with a mixture of cream cheese, goat cheese and spices. It’s frozen and packed in an oven-safe and microwave-safe tray.

Functional Beverage Organika Electrolytes 60 Servings

ORGANIKA HEALTH PRODUCTS

Easy to mix with water, this sugar-free, caffeine-free powder offers a blend of electrolytes and key nutrients such as magnesium, potassium and sodium. It also offers 100% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.

Gluten Free Only Goodness Cauliflower

Pizza Crust Mix

PATTISON FOOD GROUP

Made with real cauliflower and ideal for pizza-loving customers with an intolerance to gluten, this crust mix is simple to prepare—just add water and eggs!

Gummies Supplements

Nature’s Bounty

Extra Strength Hair, Skin & Nails

NESTLÉ HEALTH SCIENCE

CANADA

These strawberry-cream flavoured gummies promote “thicker hair, healthier skin and stronger nails,” according to the company, and contain a blend of biotin and vitamins C, E, and A to help support immune function.

Ice Cream

Chapman’s Super Premium Plus

Cold Brew Coffee Ice Cream

CHAPMAN’S ICE CREAM

Aimed to appeal to coffee lovers, this premium ice cream is made with real cold brew from Indigenousowned Birch Bark Coffee Co., rich cream and fresh milk. It’s sold in 500-millilitre tubs.

Kids Health Centrum Junior MultiGummies

Tropical Fruit

HALEON

Available in pineapplemango, dragonfruit, and passion fruit flavours, these gummy vitamins are formulated for children and claim to offer immune system support.

Kids Snacks

iÖGO nanö 900mL drinkable yogurt

LACTALIS CANADA

Made with real fruit, iÖGO nanö drinkable yogurt is available in strawberry and vanilla flavours and sold in larger, 900-millilitre bottles that the company says “helps families reduce their plastic consumption.”

Nutritional Beverage BOOST Simply+

NESTLÉ HEALTH

SCIENCE CANADA

This ready-to-drink nutritional beverage contains 23 essential vitamins and minerals, 20 grams of protein and four grams of fibre per 325-millilitre serving. The beverage is lactose free, a source of omega-3 polyunsaturates and it’s available in chocolate and vanilla flavours.

Plant-Based Nutrition Nextmilk Whole

DANONE CANADA

Made from a blend of oats, coconut and soy, this dairy-free, low-sugar milk alternative contains such key nutrients as vitamin A, vitamin D and calcium, and has what the company describes as an “extra creamy texture” that is ideal for cooking and baking.

Product of the Year

Prepared Foods

Ben’s Original 10 Medley

MARS CANADA

Ben’s Original expanded its line of ready-to-heat rice to include grain, vegetable and herb medleys in four flavours: Chinese Style Five Spice, Caribbean Style, Smoky Southwest, and Tomato & Herbs. Sold in 240-gram, BPA-free pouches, each medley has at least 10 grams of fibre and 10 grams of protein, and is free of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

Seasonal/Limited Edition

Boursin Truffle Salt & Hint of Pepper

BEL GROUP CANADA

The Boursin brand of cheese elevated its offering last holiday season with the limited launch of Truffle Salt & Hint of Pepper. Made with 100% Canadian milk, the company describes it as “a fleshy and salty treat for an aromatic experience like no other.”

Ready-to-Eat Meat

Grimm’s Fine Foods

Jalapeño & Cheddar

Pepperoni Bites

DIRECT PLUS FOOD GROUP

An easy addition to any lunch bag or charcuterie board, these bite-sized, ready-to-eat, high-protein meat snacks are naturally smoked, gluten- and soya-free, and made with real pieces of jalapeño. They’re available in 125-gram and 300-gram packs.

Salty Snacks

Pringles Ranch Flavour

Potato Chips

KELLANOVA CANADA

Pringles Ranch Flavour potato chips know what it’s like to be popular. Initially introduced as a limited-time offering and added as a permanent SKU following its success, this chip flavour can be found on grocery store shelves in 156-gram cans.

Snack Bars

Nügabar

BISCUITS LECLERC

A combination of soft nougat, frosted crisp rice, oatmeal and real milk or dark chocolate, these snack bars are available in six flavours: Caramel & Real Milk Chocolate, Caramel & Real Dark Chocolate, Strawberry Sundae, Cookies & Creme, Chocolate & Fudge and Nanaimo.

Snacks

Mini Ritz

MONDELĒZ

INTERNATIONAL

Ritz are now bite-sized. The mini version of the buttery and flakey cracker is available in two sizes: 30-gram snack packs and a 200gram resealable bag.

MORE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR WINNERS …

Body Care

Dove Deep Moisture

Body Wash

UNILEVER

Cookware

Kilne Everything Pot

KILNE

Furniture & Appliances

Endy Adjustable Bed

ENDY

Health & Wellness

Marah Natural SAC-SG

MARAH NATURAL

Hybrid Mattress

Emma Hybrid Comfort

EMMA SLEEP CANADA

Mattress

Tempur-ProBreeze

TEMPUR-PEDIC

Oral Care

Philips Sonicare Power Flosser

PHILIPS CANADA

Packaging

KinsBrae Packaging –

KB Paper Bottle

KINSBRAE GROUP

Pet Product

Maytag Pet Pro System

WHIRLPOOL CANADA

Soups & Sauces

Boursin Cuisine Garlic & Fine Herbs

BEL GROUP CANADA

Co-manufactured in Quebec with 100% Canadian milk, Boursin Cuisine is a creamy cooking aid that can be used as a sauce, dip or meal enhancer.

Sparkling Water

Healtea Sparkling Premium Botanical Infusions

THE HEALTEA

Made using organic herbs, reverse osmosis water, lemon juice and maple syrup, this line of premium sparkling water is synthetic-free, caffeine-free and 100% organic. Available in Nettle & Rosemary, Hibiscus & Mango, Ginger & Chamomile, and Mint & Dandelion.

Skin Care

Nivea Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Specialist

Targeted Wrinkle Filler

BEIERSDORF CANADA

Small Appliance

Vida by Paderno 9-in-1

Stainless-Steel Digital Air Fryer

CANADIAN TIRE

Women’s Personal Care

Diva Reusable Menstrual Disc

DIVA

*Winner Frozen Food category. Survey of 4,000 people by Kantar.

*Based on an October 2023 survey of 913 Canadians when asked to agree or disagree to the following statement: When shopping for fresh beef at the grocery store or butcher, I prefer to purchase beef from Canada.

Partner with us.

The Canadian Beef logo represents a commitment to:

To become a Brand Partner, scan here or visit cdnbeefperforms.ca/partner-with-us FREE

PRIME RIB GRILLING STEAK

Canadian Beef Training

Retailer?

•Serving as an accessible, in-house training platform.

•Delivering practical, on-the-job training for current meat department employees.

•Providing video-based content, ideal for visual learners.

•Reducing the need for your organization to develop training materials, which can be costly.

•Allowing content customization, where

Learn More

Canada Beef is the national industry association that promotes beef on behalf of Canadian cattle producers. To learn more about the Canadian Beef Training Program contact:

Todd Van Eyk tvaneyk@canadabeef.ca

Presented by The Food Industry Association of Canada, The Golden Pencil is the grocery industry's most prestigious award honouring individuals who have made significant and worthwhile contributions to improving the Canadian food industry as well as their respective companies and communities. The ideal candidate should be actively involved with the Canadian grocery industry for a minimum of 10 years, achieving senior executive status.

Deadline to enter: May 24, 2024

Recipients will be recognized at the annual Golden Pencil Awards The Fairmont Royal York November 25, 2024

WORK IN PROGRESS

There’s lots of buzz around tech, but how is it really shaping the grocery workforce of the future?

By Danny Kucharsky

AS THE GROCERY industry evolves, so do the jobs needed to make it function. Whether it’s a greater demand for customer service, increased use of artificial intelligence (AI), the rise of in-store technology, hyper-personalization or a host of other factors, grocery jobs of the future are bound to change considerably, experts say.

Future grocery workforces must be significantly more digital, empowered, flexible and diverse to meet the evolving expectations of both customers and employees, says Janet Krstevski, managing director, Canada talent and organization practice lead for Accenture. Adaptability and the capacity to learn will be the top skills required of grocery employees, she says, whether they’re in-store or in the office. And grocers will have work to do to upskill these employees.

To prepare for the future, retailers such as Walmart have already accelerated their efforts to build a “regenerative

workforce” that is “prepared for the exciting and ever-evolving future of retail,” says AnnMarie Mercer, chief people officer at Walmart Canada.

For example, programs such as Walmart’s Live Better U (LBU), launched last September, “are removing financial barriers and ensuring we build a future-ready workforce.” The program is providing associates access to skills needed to be ready for in-demand roles within Walmart Canada today and tomorrow, she says.

LBU includes a $50-million investment over the next five years to cover the cost of tuition, books and course fees for associates taking career-driven learning and development programs at top-tier schools across Canada. Offerings include English or French as a second language as well as in-demand courses and certificates in areas such as data analytics, omni retail, e-comm, business communications and strategy. In LBU’s first six months, more than 2,400 associates have “taken that first step in adding new omni retail skills to their tool kit,” Mercer says.

Here’s a look at some of the trends impacting the future of work.

Leaning in to AI

AI is certainly having a moment—touted, in equal turns, as the great hope or the great undoing of humanity, depending on who you listen to. From a workforce perspective, there are fears AI will lead to a reduction in grocery jobs, but Charlotte Sobolewski, consumer digital transformation leader at EY Canada, maintains AI can play a role in upskilling and training employees to deliver better customer service.

Sobelewski says generative AI (AI capable of generating text, images or other content) can be integrated into grocers’ training programs to emulate customer interactions. Employees can interact with this AI for role-playing exercises, allowing them to handle scenarios such as dealing with difficult customers or explaining product details. The technology can also be used to personalize training for each employee,

Generation Next thinking

tailoring the program to address weak points, ultimately improving retention and eventually improving customer service.

Walmart Canada views automation and technology “as tools that serve our associates, not the other way around,” says Mercer, noting the company is investing in enabling associates to use technology to enhance productivity, capability and customer delivery. “We’re not shying away from technology like AI; we’re leaning in and embracing it,” she says.

Walmart, for example, recently launched My Assistant, an internal, secure, generative AI-powered tool that helps head office associates simplify daily tasks, such as summarizing meeting notes.

For all the promise of new tech, there’s also much wariness. Changes brought upon by generative AI, for instance, can bring about uncertainty and anxiety among workers, Krstevski warns. She points to Accenture research that found while 60% of workers are worried about the stress and burnout generative AI may bring, only 37% of leaders see that as a concern for their people. “That’s a big disconnect.”

The race for tech talent

The ongoing digital transformation of businesses has increased the demand for tech talent across most industries. Krstevski says this makes talent retention as important as talent attraction.

On the retention front, Walmart Canada is doing well in keeping salaried positions in-house, Mercer says: 84% of salaried positions in the company were filled internally last year. “We’re arming our associates with the skills, opportunity and benefits that can translate to meaningful careers at Walmart,” says Mercer. “Today’s hourly store associate could one day be our marketplace technology director.”

Bobby Gibbs, partner at consulting firm Oliver Wyman, says grocers will increase their adoption of technology solutions and will embed data scientists, data engineers and technologists in-house rather than hiring outside firms.

Generation Next thinking

The impact of hyper-personalization

Accenture’s Krstevski says a trend toward hyper-personalization is set to redefine the grocery experience in the future and will result in major workforce changes.

For example, a consumer is planning a dinner for six people and is stuck for recipe ideas because one guest is vegan and another has allergies. The consumer shops online at their grocery store and inputs these parameters. Using points of reference such as loyalty card data and social listening tools, the grocery store’s online chatbot delivers hyper-personalized recipe recommendations in seconds.

In-store, that consumer could be greeted by a robot that not only directs them to the right aisle, but also recognizes dietary restrictions, food allergies and preferences.

Behind the scenes, increased hyper-personalization will rely on employees with expertise in data analysis, language processing, cybersecurity, customer experience, marketing and many other areas, Krstevski says.

While these roles already exist today, she says, they will evolve as trends and technology evolve. For example, data analysis could soon be completely automated, meaning data scientists will have more capacity to work with the marketing team on what their data means, creating new insights for specific customers.

Krstevski also expects to see an increase in digital screens, smart carts and kiosks—and a corresponding increase in the employees needed to run them. “These will completely change the shopping experience, transforming how information is received and delivered, including customer preferences and promotions,” she says.

Additional specialist roles will continue to emerge in grocery to face trends regarding supply chains, sustainable and ethical sourcing and geopolitics, Krstevski predicts.

Ready to serve

Paul Tucker, HR transformation and technology leader at EY Canada, expects e-commerce will eventually become a more viable revenue stream for grocers. Despite interest and growth in online grocery shopping, he does not see an immediate drop of jobs in-store, as physical locations remain the preferred place to procure groceries (according to Canadian Grocer’s 2024 GroceryIQ Study, 98% of Canadians shop a grocery store at least once a month). But, he expects more daily necessities will be ordered online and specialty products picked up in stores. If this shift toward the purchase of more specialty goods in store is realized, he says grocers’ workshops, seminars and on-the-job training will need to focus more on amping up customer service.

It’s important to ensure human interaction is always part of the customer experience—there must be a balance with automation and technology given the tight labour market, Sobolewski says.

For his part, Kevin Ledversis, vice-president of sales at U.S.-based Newcastle Systems, which specializes in mobile powered carts and portable power stations, believes there will be an increased need for automation at grocery because of low birth rates and an increasing shortage of workers.

According to Ledversis, only about 20% of cash registers in the United States are fully utilized. As a result, he sees fewer jobs at conventional checkouts and more employees being deployed elsewhere in the store to help customers with using mobile checkouts.

“It’s all based around line busting—getting people out faster. Instead of people coming to you, you’re going to them,” he explains. “It’s all about speed and convenience and trying to keep the loyalty of the customer.” CG

Generation Next Thinking is an ongoing series that explores the cutting-edge topics that are impacting grocery retail today and in the future.

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Congratulations to Denningers’ on your 70th anniversary! Best wishes for continued success.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Denninger’s new CEO on the delicate balancing act of respecting the past while innovating for the future

By Shellee Fitzgerald • Photography Mike Ford

IT’S EARLY MORNING in February and inside Denninger’s Burlington, Ont., location there’s a flurry of activity. The specialty grocery store with strong European vibes, a nod to its German roots, has just opened for the day and staff is tending to displays of cheese and indulgent baked goods and filling the expansive meat cases. In the Bitehaus Bistro, prep is well underway as the store gets set for breakfast and lunch customers. As I walk through the store with Patrick Denninger, an employee stops to congratulate him, he smiles widely and thanks the employee. Denninger is still getting the hang of being the big boss; just days earlier (on Feb. 1) he officially became CEO of the 70-year-old company that bears his family name. He succeeds Mary Aduckiewicz, who retired after eight years at the helm. The succession plan, he explains, was in the works for about a year.

While new to the top role, Denninger is no newbie to the business. At just 34, the third-generation grocer has amassed two decades of on-thejob experience, starting out as many grocers do, with an afterschool gig as a teenager. He laughs as he recalls a recent staff party where “legacy” employees were honoured, “this time, my name got populated on the list.” Noting his 20 years with Denninger’s, he says, “I very much grew up in the business, worked all levels/positions and learned various operations.”

But it was working in the company’s purchasing department, earlier in his career, that got him hooked on the business. “I was able to travel to Germany and international food shows and meet international food suppliers,” says Denninger, “and the networking and relationship-building side of the business, with vendors, really gave me a lot of inspiration early in my career.”

VINTAGE

PHOTOS: DENNINGER’S

Today, the Hamilton-based business the new CEO presides over employs some 280 staff members across five stores (three in Hamilton, one in Burlington and another in Oakville) as well as a 60,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing plant in Hamilton, where the store’s signature foods are made. “We still call [the plant] our best-kept secret; however, the irony is we want people to know that we have our manufacturing plant and that we’re producing all of our products fresh.” The plant is divided into two sections—the sausage kitchen and the gourmet kitchen where 30-plus varieties of soup as well as prepared items such as cabbage rolls, lasagna, stroganoff and a variety of salads are made. “I don’t know, truly, of any other retailers or manufacturers that do the small-batch, European-style processing that we still do,” he says, adding that products are made each day and shipped out to the stores each afternoon. “Everything in our counters is extremely fresh, which is quite unique in the deli world.”

The meat of the matter

In a world that, in recent years, seems dominated by all-things plant-based, Denninger’s firmly leans into meat. Indeed, stroll the aisles of any Denninger’s store and meat figures prominently—from a wide array of fresh sausages to fresh schnitzels (pork and chicken), premium beef and pork cuts at the butcher counter to an expansive selection of Denninger’s-branded smoked and cured meats in the deli. At the Burlington location, a permanent sampling station situated near the butcher and deli counters allows customers to get a taste of the specialty sausages and other meats.

Denninger’s has longstanding expertise in meat. The Denninger family established the business at 283 King Street in Hamilton in 1954, soon after landing in Canada from Germany. In the old country, Rudolf and Frieda Denninger (Patrick’s grandparents) had operated three butcher shops in the Black Forest region and when they set off for Canada, some of their equipment accompanied them on the journey. “It gave them an upper hand, especially at those times, to have some of the sausage-making equipment, which really wasn’t known in Canada,” says Denninger. “It gave them a little bit of a competitive edge in the early days.” Herman Denninger (Patrick’s father, who passed away five years ago) served as the company’s head butcher and sausage maker for decades, developing many of the store’s

“core” recipes. “He went back to Germany to study and brought back lots of traditional recipes,” says Denninger. Today, sausages remain the store’s most popular items.

Denninger acknowledges that today’s consumers are eating less meat, but that reality is not deterring the company from continuing to “lead” with it. “It’s almost easier for us to lean-in to meat, because people [when they do eat it] want quality, and that’s what we’ve always stood by,” he explains, noting that Denninger’s sources all its chicken and pork in Ontario and 95% of its beef, and he’s personally visited many of the farms they source from and they share the grocer’s values. “[Consumers] may be eating a smaller portion of steak, but they still want a high-quality steak and that’s where they’re going to come to us.”

Pushing innovation

While meat is front-and-centre, Denninger’s is also focused on cheese, bakery and a curated selection of specialties (jams, confectionery, teas, crackers and scores of other pantry items) that shoppers won’t find anywhere else. But, the grocer also sees a growing opportunity in prepared meals and plans to continue its focus on this category.

“We launched what we’re calling Meals in Minutes,” says Denninger, adding that the lineup includes items such as butter chicken and Thai curry, but the meals that have really taken off are European favourites, including beef stroganoff (“by far the bestseller”). “For us, it really is the European recipes that seem to still hit hard with our customers,” he explains.

Denninger credits front-line employees for driving much of the company’s recent product innovations, and they’re encouraged to develop new ideas. In fact, Denninger’s has settled on a basic formula in the meals-to-go area, where 80% of products on offer are the core items that have proven popular with customers, leaving 20% for innovation and finding the next best recipe. “It’s our goal to find the winners,” he says. “And if an item becomes a strong enough seller, then we’ll even bring it back to our manufacturing plant and start making it” and send it out to all the locations. A recent winner is a chicken paprikash (a traditional Hungarian dish of chicken, peppers and tomatoes in a paprika-infused sauce) developed by an employee at the King Street location in Hamilton. “It’s delicious,” says Denninger. “Now we’re trying to launch it as a frozen dish company-wide.”

VINTAGE PHOTOS: DENNINGER’S

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Electronic Shelf Labels

Self Checkout Kiosks

Other product innovations include a recently launched beef jerky line, says Denninger, and “we’re going to be looking into more smoked meats and meat protein snacks and developing into that category.”

Fixed on the future

Though Denninger deeply respects the company’s heritage, he’s also very much focused on the opportunities ahead. For instance, much effort has been placed on striking up strategic partnerships that leverage Denninger’s as a food producer and get its products in the hands of more people. One important partnership is with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, with Denninger’s becoming the “official sausage” of the professional football team. “So now our sausages are being served in the stadium,” he says. Other recent initiatives include events with local craft breweries Nickel Brook Brewing Co. and Collective Arts Brewing, as well as partnerships that see Denninger’s products sold at unconventional locations such as St. Joseph’s Hospital in downtown Hamilton and Hamilton International Airport. “It’s those types of initiatives that will bring more brand awareness, get people to try our product and, ultimately, lead them into our stores,” explains Denninger.

The company’s brand is something Denninger says his team has been taking a hard look at over the last few years. “We were really trying to dive into what our core purpose and core values are as a company,” he says. After getting “tons” of feedback from employees and customers, the team settled on the core values of family, authenticity, quality and curiosity with the core purpose of “bringing a great food experience to life,” explains Denninger. As a result of the exercise, the old branding “Denninger’s Foods of the World” gave way to a new one, “Denninger’s—Experience Great Food.” “We felt [the former branding] wasn’t quite an accurate representation of who we are anymore. If anything, we’re more local than ever, having our production facility in Hamilton.”

Other company initiatives include a major revamp of the Upper James St. location in Hamilton. The store, built 24 years ago, is due for a refresh. Denninger says with the Upper James renovation the goal is to achieve the look and feel of the Burlington location—the newest in Denninger’s network of stores—which is bright, airy, fun and oozing European flair to attract new customers. At the time of its opening in 2018, the Burlington store marked the biggest investment in Denninger’s history. While there’s no firm date for the completion of the Upper James reno, Denninger says it’s a big strategic initiative that’s well underway.

A new store is also on the horizon, potentially in a new market. The grocer is considering expanding north to either Guelph, Cambridge or Kitchener or potentially to the Niagara region, where customers have requested Denninger’s set up shop. “It’s still a couple of years out,” Denninger says of the expansion. “So, no final decision yet, we’re still exploring.”

Other priorities include simplifying operations to bring more consistency across the five locations, and recovering lost business at its in-store bistros. “Since COVID, we’ve lost a lot of business there, especially at breakfast and dinner,” says Denninger, adding that pre-pandemic they had been making great progress during those dayparts, but have since lost a bit of traction. Lunch, on the other hand, has bounced back. “Everybody knows us as a lunch destination.”

Of course, setting up the company for the future also means tackling employee retention, which Denninger admits is the No. 1 challenge. The company’s success, he says, has been “built on having knowledgeable, passionate associates” that can guide customers on things such as building a charcuterie board, selecting the right cut of meat or completing a meal. That gets difficult, he says, when there’s high turnover. “But the key is to keep focusing on our people, because they’re the ones who got us here.”

When asked if leading the 70-year-old family business feels like a big responsibility, Denninger doesn’t hesitate, “It definitely does.” The big task in front of him, he says, is figuring out how to honour the traditions while staying relevant to new consumers. “How do we tweak enough to continue to grow for the next 30 years? That’s a fine line to balance.” CG

70 Years of Success Thank You, Denninger’s! From S&F Food Importers Inc.

Since 1976, S&F has been a proud supplier to Denninger’s, the shining star in our local community, offering quality goods and top-tier service.

CONGRATULATIONS on becoming a household favorite! Your commitment to excellence and partnership has made you the heart of our community. THANK YOU from all of us!

PushingPRODUCE

Our fifth-annual survey digs into the challenges facing grocers in the fresh produce department, and the opportunites, too

By Rosalind Stefanac

The good news is that produce sales are growing for many grocers across the country and most expect continued growth throughout this coming year, according to Canadian Grocer ’s annual Produce Operations Survey . The bad news? Key challenges prevail in this pivotal part of the grocery store. Those grocers who are finding success despite these pain points have learned to adapt to changing consumer tastes and have innovated to find new value-added revenue sources. Here are highlights from our fifth-annual survey along with insights from industry experts and grocery retailers on changing trends and opportunities in produce.

Produce operations survey

Changing behaviours

It’s no surprise that higher food prices are changing shopper behaviour at the grocery store, with produce being no exception. Most grocers surveyed (62% compared to 47% last year), said shoppers are buying more discounted items or items on promotion, and 46% versus 35% in 2023 said shoppers are switching to less expensive produce. Nearly one-quarter of grocers this year said consumers are buying less produce overall.

According to The Power of Produce Report 2024 released in March by U.S.-based The Food Industry Association (FMI), three-quarters of consumers believe fresh produce costs more despite below-average inflation. Price, ripeness and appearance are the biggest drivers in produce sales, with health benefits earning a six-point lead above nutrient content.

The fact produce servings have dropped to less than three per day from under four in 2022 is very concerning, says Ron Lemaire, president of the Ottawa-based Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA). “Not only relative to sales, [but] we know the long-term impact on consumer health,” he says. A CPMA report on the economic burden attributed to low fruit and vegetable consumption in Canada shows that a drop of even one serving per day will eventually equate to a billion dollars in increased healthcare costs.

CPMA has been working with dietitians, healthcare professionals and consumers across Canada to help quell high price perceptions around produce and educate shoppers on what they can buy for just $20. “We’ve seen consumers make purchasing decisions based on flyers, which really tells [the] industry how we have to look at our flyer program,” Lemaire says. “How are you meeting the sweet spot of reaching the price-sensitive consumer in a price-sensitive environment, while ensuring they stay in fresh … which is still a driver category for the entire store?”

Thomas McDonald, produce department manager and co-owner of The Village Grocer in Markham, Ont., says he spends significant time educating consumers about quality produce and why some items are worth paying a premium for. In addition to putting together a weekly flyer that “people read religiously,” he sends out a produce report every Thursday via social media to let shoppers know what they should and shouldn’t be buying at different times of the year. “In the videos I talk about growing conditions, quality and how to pick items when they come into the store,” he explains. “You can’t just put something with a giant

price tag on the produce floor and expect people will know what to do with it.” It’s clear these tactics are paying off. “We promote Spanish strawberries at $25 a flat and we can’t keep them on the shelves,” says McDonald.

Issues with supply, quality and shrink

On top of challenges around produce costs are the quality and consistency of supply, according to Canadian Grocer’s survey. “The most challenging part our department faces is the condition we receive our supply in,” said one survey participant. More than half of respondents said shrink is about the same as last year, with 20% noting it is increasing.

Will Willemsen, founder of Sunripe Freshmarket, says poor weather is always an issue in produce as it inevitably brings quality down and prices up. He has managed to offset quality issues to some extent by focusing on carrying only the best produce he can find for his three Ontario-based stores. “I go to the [Ontario] Food Terminal twice a week and pick everything myself to make sure the quality is consistent,” he says. “We also taste everything to make sure the quality is a step above.”

Willemsen believes the real innovation in produce is finding that delicate balance between having the right quality produce, the right displays and the right people to execute the store’s produce initiatives. “If you can click on all of those, that will drive produce sales,” he says.

To keep shrink down, Willemsen’s stores are also making more prepared/value-added items from produce, be it cut fruits and vegetables or store-made salsa and guacamole made from culled produce items. “This keeps the loop going and cuts down on waste,” he says. “Anything people can grab and eat without lots of prep is growing exponentially in our stores.”

More than half (57%) of grocery retailers we surveyed this year said they are reducing shrink and food waste by using excess produce in their fresh-cut program, followed by 52% who are using it as ingredients in their prepared foods, and 41% said they are relying on “ugly” produce sales. One survey respondent said: “We put ugly produce in discount bags for people to buy, while all unsellable produce is put in banana boxes and is available for farmers to pick up and use to feed their animals.” Another respondent said investment in bin programs has enabled them to push tonnage without any increase in shrink rates.

CHANGING BEHAVIOURS

As a result of rising food prices, what shopper behaviours have you observed in your produce department?

Shoppers are switching to less expensive produce items

Shoppers are buying more discounted items or items on promotion

Labour challenges prevail

Finding reliable, motivated staff is another key pain point across grocery these days and it’s especially challenging in the produce department. Three-quarters of respondents cited “not enough staff” as a somewhat serious or very serious challenge, with another 10% noting it as extremely serious.

There is a repetitiveness and attention to detail needed in produce that isn’t as urgent in other grocery departments, says Giancarlo Trimarchi, owner of Ontario-based Vince’s Market, whose four stores employ more than 270 people, 45 of whom are dedicated to produce. “The person doing it has to understand the different levels of quality for a produce item and know when it’s time to take it off the shelf and put it in the back room for processing,” he says. With produce accounting for 38% to 40% of total store sales, Trimarchi says there is a lot of effort put into training produce employees. “We also make sure they’re rewarded with a good compensation level compared to other stores and other departments and that has helped us develop and retain talent,” he says.

On a broader level, CMPA’s Lemaire says it’s essential for produce procurement and merchandising teams to work collaboratively so there is synergy across the supply chain. “The two have to work harmoniously to make sure decisions can be made quickly and effectively when trying to drive new or existing products,” he says.

As for front-of-store produce staff, Lemaire says proper training is essential. “How I am trimming product, displaying it and answering consumers’ questions is key because that front face of the produce department is the difference in someone picking up an extra head of lettuce or not.”

Further opportunities to grow sales

When asked about recent investments in the produce department, 42% of respondents said signage was top of the list, followed by energy-efficient lighting, more department staff and energy-efficient chill cases. In looking at the biggest opportunities to grow produce in the next six months, grocers had consistent supply and quality, more local offerings, more value-added items and aggressive flyer pricing on their list.

Kimberly Roberts, senior director of merchandising, produce & floral at Walmart Canada, says the demand for fresh produce continues to grow at Walmart stores and the retail giant

Produce operations survey

is focused on providing customers with both value and quality. “When they walk into a Walmart, we want them to be amazed by the freshness of our produce and the quality of the offerings, all at our everyday low prices,” she says. “We’re continuing to drive innovation and excitement in produce as we are across the store.” That includes introducing items to expand shoppers’ palates such as Your Fresh Market Smitten apples, a modern apple variety developed in New Zealand.

With snacking on the rise, the produce department is also a great way to give consumers new ideas for snacking, says Rick Stein, vice-president of fresh foods at FMI. The association’s The Power of Produce Report 2024 showed that 51% of produce shoppers said they would like tips on ways to incorporate fresh fruit and vegetable snacking. “There are a lot of produce items that fit really well into that, from Tom tomatoes to baby carrots, celery and dips,” he says.

With consumers looking at value beyond just price, he says grocers should be thinking about whether their produce departments are experiential enough, with locally grown items, product sampling and convenient ways to enjoy fruits and veggies, he says. “We can swing out of these doldrums everyone is feeling because the growth isn’t as great as it was before COVID, but only if we zero-in on how the consumer feels around value.”

More and more Canadian grocers are also recognizing the value in adopting more environmentally friendly tactics in their produce sections, with 45% of our survey respondents saying the use of plastics has decreased. Over the next 12 months, almost 60% said they were planning to implement policies reducing plastic packaging/waste in the produce department, too.

This increased environmental focus by grocers aligns with consumer stats from FMI’s report showing 47% of consumers prefer to purchase bulk produce over packaged. More size variety in purchasing pre-packaged produce is also gaining favour among consumers, especially gen Zs and millennials. The report shows package size variety could be a solution to address various household sizes, affordability and waste.

Technology in produce on the rise

When asked how they are using technology to improve efficiency in produce, Canadian grocers noted using it for forecasting, tracking shrink and just-in-time ordering. Some are also using shelf-tags, as well as real-time data to track

SHRINKING SHRINK

What efforts are you making to reduce shrink/food waste in the produce department?

Use for fresh-cut program

Use for ingredients in prepared foods

Use technology to better forecast and reduce any surplus

Nothing - not currently making any effort to reduce shrink/food waste

Other

Produce operations survey

productivity and production of value-added items.

FMI’s Stein expects technology to shine in many ways for produce in the future, starting with improvements in operations.

“It’s about how do I make sure I have the freshest produce on hand and on time,” he says. Online shopping is another element that has done pretty well in produce, says Stein. “There are some consumers who would rather pay someone to do their shopping for them and pick out the best bananas or avocados—they trust them better than they trust themselves.”

He adds that technology is a great tool with which to communicate with consumers to build loyalty and offer more value.

“What we’ve seen, overall, is that consumers are using apps in a pre-shop way to decide where they’re going to go,” he says.

Be it mobile apps or grocery websites, he advises grocers to use technology to educate consumers on meal ideas and nutrition information around produce.

“I think there is a lot of depth still to be realized in using technology in grocery,” he says. CG

PRODUCE PAIN POINTS

On a scale of “not serious at all” to “extremely serious,” how do you rate the seriousness of the issues facing your produce department?

Quality of product

Consistent

INVESTING IN PRODUCE

Energy-efficient lighting

Energy-efficient chill cases

Signage

Mobile merchandisers

Total department renovation

More produce department staff

Expanding floor space of produce department

MEATING THE MOMENT

Despite rising prices and changing consumer habits, there’s room for the fresh meat category to grow

By Matt Semansky

When it comes to getting consumers’ forks into fresh meat products, Canadian food producers and retailers are at a fork in the road. Yet, even as several notable headwinds are challenging the supremacy of meat at the centre of the nation’s dinner plates, new opportunities are emerging to maintain the health of the category.

Chief among the obstacles in the sector are the rising costs affecting every stage of the farm-to-table journey. For consumers, this means a 5% to 7% increase in meat prices this year, according to the 2024 edition of Canada’s Food Price Report from Dalhousie University, the University of Guelph, The University of British Columbia

and the University of Saskatchewan.

“Sixty-five per cent of consumers are comparing prices to manage inflation,” says Asad Amin, head of syndicated solutions at Ipsos, adding that this behaviour has led to declines in consumption—particularly for beef—since 2022.

According to data from NIQ, fresh meat sales increased 2.7% to $7.9 billion for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 30, 2023, while volume remained flat.

Michael Young, president of Canada Beef, acknowledges financially motivated changes in consumer habits. “It’s definitely affecting shopping behaviour,” he says. “To be honest, we expected it to happen a little

sooner, but it’s definitely happening now.”

Young says cost pressures are leading consumers to stock up on cheaper ground meat products and prompting the beef industry to promote “value cuts” such as the round, hip and chuck to retailers who are reducing the number of meat SKUs on offer. Chris MacDonald, director of operations at Metro’s Food Basics chain, adds that shoppers often look for larger family-size products to stretch their dollar.

Without question, inflation is putting the squeeze on everyone from farmers to consumers. But price is just one of several trends—from shifting demographics to sustainability-minded shoppers—shaping this moment in meat.

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCES

From his vantage point on the retail side, MacDonald has noticed the meat category growing beyond the traditional Canadian staples of beef, pork and poultry.

“Lamb, veal, goat, oxtail—the list goes on,” he says. “There is definitely more

Fresh

diversity in the meat selection, which is driven by two factors. One is the increase in new Canadians, who are seeking to prepare cultural dishes from their homeland. Then, there’s the Canadian-born consumer who’s seeking and exploring food from different parts of the world.”

Experts say this isn’t necessarily making itself apparent in raw numbers, but demographic trends point to an ever-increasing share of the market for what were previously niche meat products. Amin from Ipsos notes that “multicultural Canadians now account for 20% of our population—the size of Quebec.”

Matt Dill, director of category management, fresh for Empire-owned Farm Boy, says these demographic trends are shaping the grocer’s efforts both on the retail front and in the production of its private-label items.

“While globally, goat and lamb comprise around 5% of meat consumption, Canada reflects only approximately 1%,” Dill says. “However, with our nation’s growing cultural diversity, there’s a clear appetite for exploring new culinary horizons, driving interest in these unique meat varieties.”

As the Muslim population in Canada continues to grow, one trend in the meat category that has become particularly important is the development of halal-certified products. “It’s a big topic of conversation for a lot of our vendors,” says MacDonald from Food Basics.

Dill says Farm Boy has responded by making halal a staple of its private-label offerings. “We currently carry a variety of halal-certified veal, lamb and chicken products, and recently we bolstered our halal offerings with some beautiful Wagyu steaks,” he says. Wagyu frankfurters are also among the chain’s halal items.

But, the influence of global cuisine goes far beyond halal. “New innovation like Parmesan Rapini Sausage and Piri Piri Flattened Chicken are a direct benefit from learning about the unique demographics and food cultures here in Ontario,” explains Dill.

Canada Beef is also seeing and responding to Canadians’ expanding culinary palates. “Next year, we’re going to be rolling out a whole new marketing strategy. We’re going to look at eight or nine different ethnic groups that are growing

rapidly in Canada. In about 10 to 15 years our target market is going to be new Canadians and their offspring,” says Young. “We’re preparing information for retailers about how to merchandise and cut beef that is going to be culturally acceptable to new Canadians, because we want to get a jump on it.”

Indeed, Dill sees the category continuing to evolve over the coming years. “These trends underscore the dynamic nature of meat consumption and the importance of staying attuned to our customers’ preferences,” he says. “Canadians seem to be all about the idea that the world is like a big buffet of flavours just waiting to be tasted.”

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

Canadian consumers are mindful of the ethical and environmental impacts of the meat they eat. Retailers, food producers and industry-watchers alike point to the rising importance of how meat dishes arrive to the plate.

“More than ever, consumers are seeking to do good through what they eat,” explains Patrick Lutfy, senior vice-president, marketing at Maple Leaf Foods. Lutfy touts Maple Leaf’s use of 100% recyclable trays made with 95% post-consumer recycled content for its fresh chicken products. “We are also the largest producer of raised without antibiotics fresh meat in Canada.”

Canadians of all ages say they care about ethics and sustainability, but the emphasis they put on these factors differs by generation. “Older people do care about the environment, but they are less likely to change their diet or pay more for environmental reasons,” says Joel Gregoire, associate director, food and drink at the research firm Mintel.

However, the preferences of young consumers are becoming increasingly important for an industry seeking to remain relevant—and profitable—into the future. “It’s a clear standout area of interest among younger cohorts,” says Amin. “They are more driven by environmental, sustainability and governance factors than other cohorts.”

MacDonald believes the values of these emerging generations are pushing producers to make meaningful change. “You see the meat industry offering grass-fed

options, antibiotic-free options, and the meat industry as a whole focused on improving animal welfare, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring packaging is made from 100% recyclable materials,” MacDonald says. “The millennials and gen Z, they’re on the ball and they’re challenging the industry. I think it’s making everyone more accountable and transparent.”

THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY

When it comes to transparency, Mintel’s Gregoire says the industry could benefit from showing even more of its work, allowing consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions. He says a lack of information leads today’s consumer to emphasize recyclable packaging over the total carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions that go into meat production. “It’s hard for people to make that connection between what they’re eating and cow farts.”

“One thing we do see in terms of what people are open to is something like we do with nutrition,” says Gregoire. “If you can have something independently verified that has a lower carbon footprint and is better for the environment, consumers can look at that and make an informed decision. But, if you don’t have that, how can the average shopper know?”

Canada Beef has taken an innovative step in this direction. During the COVIDera, Young says the organization began work on a hand-held scanning tool it calls the Canadian Beef Information Gateway. Now launched in retailers across the country, it relays product information to consumers when they scan the on-pack UPC code using their mobile device.

“It gives you information about everything: nutrition, grading, sustainability— anything you want to know about beef when you’re deciding what product to try,” explains Young. “Hit the button to say, ‘allow your phone to read the UPC code,’ and you can find recipes and cooking videos.”

Canada Beef is now partnering with individual retailers on custom versions of the tool that incorporate bespoke branding elements. It’s all part of a bet that, in a meat industry facing challenges on multiple fronts, an informed consumer will be a loyal one. CG

Verified Canadian Pork™ Farm-to-table Quality Assurance

The Verified Canadian Pork™ brand is built on a foundation of on-farm food safety, responsible animal care and mandatory traceability. It’s raised without the use of growth hormones (like all pork produced in Canada) and is processed at participating federally approved HACCP plants across Canada.

Offer your customers premium quality.

Food safety

Canada’s on-farm food safety and quality assurance systems promote and ensure best on-farm management practices.

Responsible animal care

The National Farm Animal Council codes promote sound management and welfare practices for housing, care, transportation and other animal husbandry practices.

Traceability

Canada is the only country in North America to implement a national swine identification and traceability system with mandatory participation by all producers, ensuring the highest level of herd health and safety.

No added hormones

Like all Canadian pork, Verified Canadian Pork™ is raised without added growth hormones.

Processing quality and safety assurance systems

Verified Canadian Pork™ processors maintain the highest standards for freshness, quality and safety.

Download the Ultimate Canadian Pork Burger demand-building guide to learn how to create unique pork burgers for your meat case.

Canada Pork offers retail point-of-sale material support for the meat case including on-pack labels, shelf talkers, service meat case clings and tags, customer booklets, and more.

The Advantages Of Canadian Pork Burgers

FLAVOUR

Canadian pork consists of many different cuts that combine to produce a rich and savoury flavour, creating a unique burger taste.

VERSATILITY

Canadian pork burgers can be formed and seasoned in a variety of ways, offering a range of merchandising options.

TEXTURE

Canadian pork burgers have a tender texture that pairs well with many toppings and accompaniments.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

Canadian pork provides high-quality protein, energy and key vitamins and minerals, offering a nutritious meal option for your customers.

Aisles

NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS

SUPPLEMENTAL GROWTH

A look at what’s helping drive the vitamins and supplements boom

By Chris Daniels

Talk abouT a healthy category—both for shoppers and grocers. Amid stressors such as global conflict, the economy and threat of illness (including COVID19), consumers are turning to vitamins and supplements to help manage their overall health and well-being.

Canada, in particular, is a huge market for non-prescription remedies, according to Innova Market Insights. The global market researcher’s 2022 Health and Nutrition Survey found daily supplement users in Canada represent 41% of the population, far exceeding the global average at 26%. A further 14% of Canadians take supplements at least once a week.

Grocers are taking notice and are broadening their assortment of supplements. Jyne Greenley, dispensary department purchaser at The Big Carrot Community Market in Toronto, says there was a time you could only find a selection of supplements in specialty stores. Not now. “It’s in mass grocers and even discount retailers because a lot of money can be made in this market,” she says. “People are looking for alternatives to drugs with side effects, now more than ever.”

Why, specifically, are Canadians turning to vitamins and supplements for their health and wellness needs?

Well, according to Innova’s Health and Nutrition Survey conducted in 2023, 60% of Canadian respondents said, “It helps me stay healthy.” That was followed by, “it helps me to boost immunity” (40%), “it helps in preventing diseases” (27%), “I have health problems and I need supplements” (22%), “it helps me sleep well” (20%) and “it helps me to be energized/alert” (19%).

Here’s a look at three factors driving growth and awareness in the vitamins and supplements category.

FOLLOWING THE FADS

Adaptogens (herbs, plants and mushrooms that are said to help the body respond to stress, anxiety and fatigue) are becoming increasingly popular in the supplements space.

A particularly buzzy adaptogen is ashwagandha—a herb that is quickly gaining popularity for its perceived cognitive health benefits such as managing everyday stress and promoting better sleep.

Herbaland, the maker of vegan, sugar-free and low-sugar nutritional supplements sold in compostable packs, launched an ashwagandha gummy last year.

To address its strong, rooty flavour, Herbaland added an orange tea taste to the gummies. “You cannot detect the ashwagandha, making it easier for consumers to take them every day,” says Francesca Raleigh, marketing lead at Herbaland, in Richmond, B.C. Ashten Buck, education manager at the Healthy Planet chain of natural health stores, says ashwagandha is gaining profile among its customers. “It’s a really unique word, so that’s part of it, but it also helps with the kind of stress a lot of people are feeling—tired but wired,” she says. “Because ashwagandha is nourishing, it brings a wired state back down to

a normal equilibrium, so we’re not overstimulated and so tired.”

SUPPLEMENTS ON SOCIAL

Last year, Orange Naturals, a brand of naturopathic health products, saw its magnesium supplement—considered by experts to be a cure-all for a range of inflictions including muscle pain and insomnia—register a massive 60% increase in year-over-year sales in 2023.

“As crazy as it sounds, it was because of a massive movement last year on TikTok about magnesium’s benefits,” says Christina Barrett, medical director, Orange Naturals and its national director of food, drug and mass merchandising.

Healthy Planet’s Buck, who developed the Healthy Planet University, a training and education program for staff, agrees that social media is a significant driver of awareness of vitamins and supplements.

“Customers come in after they’ve heard about a particular supplement on TikTok, YouTube Shorts or Instagram,” she says. “That is why we do a lot of ongoing in-house training, so that we can keep up on everything and properly educate customers when they come in to learn more about something.”

MERCHANDISING HEALTH

Experts recommend merchandising supplements and vitamins together that solve specific consumer needs such as improved immunity, digestive health, mental clarity, sleep and women’s health.

“Cross-promotion in health and wellness is a play that can yield great margins,” agrees Amar Singh, Toronto-based senior director, consulting with the global consultancy Kantar.

Think whey protein, B vitamins such as thiamine and niacin and “even small fitness equipment” strategically merchandised together for someone looking for muscle-strengthening, suggests Singh.

Metro recently moved Bio-K+, a brand of certified gluten-free, organic and nonGMO probiotics, to the dairy section with yogurts. “There’s been big debate about where to put probiotic supplements and while we were a bit skeptical, the move has done really well for us and positions Bio-K+ around everyday health and wellness,” says Viviane Lemire, marketing director, Canada, Bio-K+. “More traffic comes to dairy and our brand also benefits from yogurt brands like Activia doing a lot of promotion around probiotics.”

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Smooth operators

As an indulgent treat, a healthy snack or a protein boost, Canadians are sweet on yogurt

By Danny Kucharsky

TRADITIONALLY SEEN AS a breakfast staple, yogurt has become an all-day affair, with high-protein yogurts standing in for other ingredients and indulgent yogurts serving as dessert replacements.

All these things are helping boost sales in the category: According to Statista, revenue in Canada’s yogurt market should hit $3.2 billion this year and the market is expected to grow annually by 4.5% to 2028.

“We’re starting to see Canadian’s consume more yogurt later in the day,” confirms Nichola Forsyth, director marketing, Lactalis Canada. Yogurt is being used as an ingredient for lunch or dinner, as a healthy and tasty dessert, or as an evening snack, she says.

Bellevue, Wash.-based research firm The Hartman Group is following the yogurt snacking trend stateside. The Group has found 54% of U.S. consumers have eaten yogurt as a snack in the past three months, up from 45% in 2020. “Yogurt is a permissible, indulgent snack that is often selected for its convenience and satiating properties,” explains Shelley Balanko, the firm’s senior vice-president. It “can be very flexible for the consumer because it covers so many different varieties and formats.”

SIMPLE SWAPS

High-protein, plain yogurts are “great” substitutes that can replace cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise. That versatility has buoyed the growth of large tub formats, despite the growing number of one- and two-person households, Forsyth says.

Indulgent yogurts are growing, despite being typically higher in fat and sugar content, because they are “a permissible treat” and a healthier alternative to desserts such as cake, Forsyth adds. “Consumers feel better about having a little bit of a sweet treat,” she says.

Because of its calcium and vitamin content, yogurt is considered a healthy snacking alternative, says Éric Maffert, senior director, marketing, yogurt category at Danone Canada. In addition, consumers are increasingly seeking yogurts that offer health benefits such as probiotics for gut health as well as options that are high protein and lower sugar content, Maffert says. That’s why sugar content in Danone yogurts has been reduced by an average of 30% since 2018, without consumers “really realizing it,” he says.

Also, in 2022, Danone launched a Greek yogurt called Two Good that offers eight grams of protein and only two grams of

sugar in each 95-gram serving. It’s available in a range of flavours including lemon, coconut, plain, vanilla and strawberry.

PROTEIN POWER

High-protein yogurt, which includes Greek and skyr varieties, is the largest segment within the yogurt category in Canada and the fastest growing in terms of dollars, percentage and tonnage, according to Forsyth.

Given the inflation of recent years, high-protein yogurt is a more affordable option than meat for Canadians seeking an easy way to get protein into their diet, adds Forsyth. They’re popular with consumers seeking a feeling of satiety or looking to build muscle mass.

Plant-based yogurts can also contain a healthy dose of protein, typically derived from almonds, cashews, flaxseed, soy and peas. Danone Canada’s new Silk protein plant-based Greek-style yogurt, for example, contains 12 grams of Canadian pea protein per 175-gram serving. It’s available in key lime and vanilla flavours.

Jennifer Beauchamp, director of marketing at Quebec-based Maison Riviera, says taste has been the biggest barrier to plant-based yogurt. However, in February, Maison Riviera introduced fruit at the bottom plant-based yogurts in strawberry and pineapple passion flavours.

“In dairy, the fruit at the bottom experience has been synonymous with indulgence and more pleasure in taste,” she says. “This was a nice way to bring an experience that a lot of consumers are used to in dairy with the fruit at the bottom, which is very popular in Greek-style and more indulgent yogurts, to the plantbased category.”

LOCAL INFLUENCES

Merissa Myles, co-founder of Tree Island Yogurt—a small-batch dairy processor in Courtenay, B.C. that specializes in artisan yogurts—says consumers are increasingly looking to connect with where their yogurt comes from. Tree Island yogurts use grass-fed milk sourced from local farmers, allowing the company to sport Dairy Farmers of Canada’s “100% Canadian milk” logo on its packaging, something many competitors do not.

“There’s a portion of the market that does not want their yogurt from a big industrial dairy,” explains Myles. “They want to know that there’s farmers behind the product.”

1 TANGY ENTHUSIASM

The fruit of a tropical tree native to Africa and harvested in India, South Asia, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, tamarind has gained fans for the tasty caramel-hued, thick sticky flesh found inside its pod-shaped shell.

Tamarind contains a nutrientrich, fibrous pulp that has a unique sweet-sour flavour. “There is nothing like it, though a Meyer lemon comes close,” explains Jo-Ann McArthur, president and founding partner of Nourish Food Marketing.

4 FOREIGN FLAVOUR

McCormick, which manufactures, markets and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavouring products, declared tamarind its “2024 Flavour of the Year.” Hadar Cohen Aviram, McCormick’s executive chef and senior manager of culinary development, says tamarind’s “tang elevates dishes to make them more craveable.”

And as a beverage sweetener, it adds “brown flavour notes like raisin and molasses,” she says.

Tamarind is typically sold as a chutney, dip or marinade, Nourish’s McArthur notes. For instance, Farm Boy’s privatelabel line includes an Indian Appetizer Trio of mini samosas and pakoras with a tamarind dipping sauce. Voilà by Sobeys offers Mitchell’s Tamarind Sauce, Shan Tamarind Chutney and Divya Seedless Tamarind. Some Loblaws locations carry KFI Tamarind Hot Sauce and a Tamarind Soup Base from Knorr.

2 SWEET SUBSTITUTE

Tamarind Four things to know

By Chris Daniels

3 EXTRACTLY RIGHT

The global market for tamarind extract is forecasted to grow 6.9% between 2022 and 2032, topping US$792 million, according to a study from Fact.MR.

While Asia Pacific is the largest tamarind extract market, demand in North America is expected to “gain traction on the back of the surging trend of veganism in the U.S.,” the study notes.

It also notes the cosmetic and personal care sector is a “major driver of demand” for tamarind products due to their anti-aging and hydrating properties.

Tamarind is rich in vitamin C and is high in fibre and magnesium, and its consumption has been linked to lower blood sugar levels of individuals with diabetes. “It has a great nutritional profile,” says McArthur of Nourish.

McCormick’s Cohen Aviram loves that the tropical fruit’s sweetness can be used as a

Caribbean Corner in Toronto’s Kensington Market sells tamarind as a paste, juice, dried and in the shell. “You can break the shell and either put the pulp in a glass jar with some hot water and shake it to make tamarind juice or remove the fruit from the seed and roll it in sugar to make candy,” says Joannah Grant, who owns the specialty grocer with her mother.

“A staple food for certain countries and Canadians from the Caribbean,” Grant adds that it’s “especially popular at this time of year as people look to ward off colds.”

Last year, tamarind was the fastest-growing flavour for Jarritos, a brand of fruit-flavoured Mexican sodas that launched in Canada 10 years ago and is sold at retailers such as Metro, Real Canadian Superstore and Zehrs. Walmart Canada will carry the brand starting in May. The distribution of its tamarind flavour in Canada is not yet as big as better-known flavours such as lime and mango, but it grew “close to triple digits in 2023.” As for the rise in popularity, Santiago Behar, country manager for Jarritos Canada, credits what he calls “dream keepers”—people who “love to embrace other cultures. As such, we have seen more and more acceptance of Mexican flavours in the Canadian market.”

Compared to the international aisle, “the brand sells way more when we are in the soda section,” says Behar. “We struggled with it being categorized as a beverage for the Hispanic community, but have been able to change the buyer’s mindset and let them know that we belong in the craft soda section.”

substitute for sugar and “its natural acidity to cut some sodium out,” making dishes healthier, but still tasty.

It’s one of the reasons McCormick developed the Tamarind and Pasilla Chile Seasoning. Currently only available in the United States, the company has not ruled out a Canadian launch.

Aisles

New on shelf!

1 HEALTHY CRUNCH COCONUT

SUGAR CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Made with only three ingredients— cocoa paste, coconut sugar and cocoa butter—Healthy Crunch’s new Coconut Sugar Chocolate Chips in dark chocolate are an allergy-friendly, school-friendly baking and snack alternative. They’re dairy free, soy free, kosher and are produced in a tree nut-free, peanut-free and gluten-free facility.

2 GARDEN VEGGIE FLAVOUR BURST

TORTILLA CHIPS

Made with non-GMO corn and five vegetables (spinach, beet, red bell pepper, carrot and tomato), Garden Veggie Flavour Burst Tortilla Chips are free of artificial flavours and preservatives. They’re available in Nacho Cheese and Zesty Ranch and sold in 56-gram, 170-gram and 283-gram bags.

3 DOVE VITAMINCARE+ DEODORANT

Dove vitamincare+ deodorant is aluminum-free and, according to the brand, “delivers 72-hour odour control, while providing new levels of skincare for your underarms.” Fortified with vitamin B3, the deodorant is available in four scents: Coconut & Shea Butter, Raspberry & Rose, Lavender & Chamomile and Cucumber & Melon.

4 MUSKOKA BREWERY’S VEER HAZY

IPA NON-ALCOHOLIC BEER

Muskoka Brewery’s Veer Hazy IPA is a buzz-free beer that the Ontario-based microbrewery says is refreshing, light bodied and offers “aromas of juicy melon, pithy grapefruit, and a touch of fresh-cut grass with a biscuity backbone.” It’s sold in a four-pack of 355-mililitre cans.

5 DEMETRES ULTRA-PREMIUM

ICE CREAM

Demetres has launched a line of ultra-premium ice cream at grocery stores across Ontario. Available in such flavours as Honey Vanilla, Roasted White Chocolate, Dulce & Banana, and Maple Pecan Crunch, the line is made using rich, high butterfat and is sold in 500-mililitre tubs. CG

The latest products hitting shelves

NUMBERCRUNCHING

Most businesses have more data than they know what to do with. Now what?

By Kristin Laird

GOOD DATA. BAD DATA. BIG DATA .

Rich data. Retail is an industry obsessed with numbers, but managing and mining the ever-growing data stream can be a challenge. We recently spoke with Michael D’Abramo, managing director, research at Sklar Wilton & Associates—a strategy and insights consultancy in Toronto—about what it means to be a data-driven company, how data can be used to improve the in-store experience and why delivering relevant offers can be a challenge. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Can you explain what it means to be a data-driven company?

Well, I would say the decisions that businesses make are based upon data first and other factors second. And that’s the, shall we say, literal definition. But I think a greater way of looking at it is that it’s a commitment—you invest in the right tools, you commit time to what matters. So, to be data-driven, you have to invest in it. You have to prioritize your data. What do you have? What don’t you have? What do you need? What’s the quality of that data and the resourcing around it?

What does it take to commit?

Data needs to be set free in organizations. Anyone using data analytics needs to be trained to do so. And you also need to commit to the technology, the dashboards and other digital tools that set that information free. We make a lot of dashboards for our clients and that allows them to run simulations and the like, and

that’s really powerful. But, unless you have the good data going in and you have people trained to decode it, it’s not going to work for you. You need to get into it and think about it all the way through.

Why, with so much data, are companies having difficulty delivering relevant offers? I would put it this way, we’re in the adolescent phase. We’re awkward, our voices are cracking, but we’re growing up. The progress for the most part is positive, but let me try to address the macro picture here. Accusing the data of being the problem may be the mistake. We’ve seen, over the years, that lots of people use a shared account—a husband and wife, a family. How are the individuals sharing the account different? Are we connecting our offers to the real people behind this account? Are we missing a mark? And the final thing I’d say is the human element. I spend a lot of time in qualitative research. I’ve done the focus groups, interviews and shop-alongs; I can tell you a likely explanation for a lot of the failures of these offers is customers who are short on time, distracted or forget to check their offers. Yes, it’s important to commit to the data, but you also need to commit to understanding how the customer behaves or understand how the [user experience] of an app works. All those things matter.

What about smaller, independent players?

How can they best commit to data?

You do whatever you can to generate access to insights. An independent store

can use point of sale, loyalty programs or anything else they have access to. The first thing you do is inventory data sources. What is available to you? A lot of independent stores service a specific physical community or an ethnic community. So, be more ingrained in those communities. This is where, shall we say, a good marriage of classic market research interviews and surveys working with the data you have is going to be more powerful. Use what you have, inventory what you have, use it as best you can and combine it with the other resources you have available.

How can grocers use data to improve the in-store experience?

One of the ways to look at it is using the data to experiment with different displays and layouts. Find a pilot store or a store you can play with to see how different possibilities open opportunities for new sales—stocking products in combination, different side-by-side products, having a section for all the sale items, working with suppliers to better predict demand. There are a bunch of things worth doing, but I’d love to see more experimentation. I think sometimes people think data is some sort of science, but the science only works when it connects to the human experience. Your question at its core is how do I take the science and put it in the real world? I think the answer is ... You have to experiment. CG

VAN-WHOLE PRODUCE CELEBRATES

40 years

In the ever-changing world of produce, one wholesaler proves to be a constant force

Congratulations on your 40 th anniversary

Van-Whole Produce

Few companies in Canada can say they’ve played an active role in helping grow and evolve produce wholesaling in Western Canada. But after 40 years in business, Van-Whole Produce has demonstrated what it takes to be a key part of history on Vancouver’s Produce Row, while staying relevant to this day.

The Vancouver-based company has become a formidable force in produce wholesaling because of its ability to fulfill customers’ needs even as demographics and tastes change, says vice-president and general manager Leonard Jang. “As an independent we have stood out among other wholesalers by constantly evolving to meet market demands and our customers’ needs, from small specialty retailers, to neighbourhood markets to large chains,” he says. “We adapt and pivot without jeopardizing on service and quality—and we have suppliers from the very beginning who have grown right along with us to prove it.”

Van-Whole Produce first opened in Vancouver in 1984, sourcing specialty fruits and vegetables along with produce staples. It was acquired by the Jim Pattison Group in 2001, which enabled more opportunities for growth. Today the company has 240 employees, a fleet of over 40 trucks, and has expanded its physical footprint into Vancouver Island and Calgary, making it one of Western Canada’s largest produce wholesalers. As Vancouver is the Pacific gateway for imported products, Van-Whole has been well positioned to send imports from overseas to major cities across Canada, reaching as far east as Quebec. The partnership with specialized food distribution companies extends the reach of Van-Whole’s service to remote and under-served areas.

Jang, who has been with the company for 37 years, says every day is new and dynamic in the world of produce wholesaling. “Once produce is in your blood, it never leaves you,” he says.

Congratulations to Van-Whole on your 40th anniversary from your friends at Taian Hongtaiyang Food

The secret to long-term success

Surviving and thriving for four decades in the often-volatile produce sector is no easy feat. On top of unpredictable weather patterns, labour challenges and escalating fuel costs, there are economic and demographic factors that affect consumer preferences year to year. At Van-Whole, the buying team has always recognized the importance of expanding its network of suppliers as a means to mitigate risks associated with weather and supply chain disruptions.

Thanks to alliances with suppliers and growers all over the world, Van-Whole offers more than 1,000 different items from 40 countries, but also maintains long-term relationships with local growers as essential sources of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Raymond Tsang, purchasing manager at Van-Whole, says the buying team is committed to striking that delicate balance between quality and price to maximize value for its customers. “By staying attuned to shifting dynamics in the marketplace, the team can

Our biggest competitive advantage is our company culture and our people.”

—Leonard Jang

proactively adapt procurement strategies to meet evolving customer demands and preferences,” he says. “By meticulously evaluating every aspect of our procurement processes—from supplier selection to product specifications—we endeavor to identify opportunities for refinement and optimization.”

In fact, he says through this iterative process of continuous improvement, his team can ensure that customers receive “nothing short of the best value, quality, and stability in every purchase they make.”

With the goal always being to maintain longterm relationships with valued suppliers, he

Please scan to meet some of our farm families that proudly support your success!

on 40 years of success

says Van-Whole’s suppliers are like family who have grown up in the industry together. “It is easy to source new suppliers based on price. However, our relationships with long-term suppliers are also based on trust and integrity; we have common interest,” says Tsang.

It also helps that Van-Whole and its suppliers hold the same values in being consistent and adaptive to change. “Consistent product quality and an adaptive marketing approach leads to healthy and long-term business relationships,” he says.

Service with Quality

The Van-Whole team points to an emphasis on quality products and customer service that goes the extra mile as key ingredients for success in the produce sector. “In this day and age with so many demands on businesses, it’s easy to lose sight of how important customers are,” says Jang. “But we know without

our customers we’d be nowhere, and they are absolutely what keeps us in the game.”

That’s why he says it’s so critical to ensure customers are happy with the produce provided.

“In a world where technologies and processes can fulfill the basic duties of a purchaser, it over simplifies the importance of knowing what you are purchasing,” says Jang. “It starts at the source and that’s where we’re asking detailed questions about things like variety, size, colour, growing conditions, when it was picked and when it’s arriving.”

He says Van-Whole customers now expect to get an array of interesting, top-quality produce to choose from, be it citrus from Pakistan, mangos from India or freshly picked local peaches and apples. “Our customers know we’re reliable as we always strive for consistent quality to meet the end consumer’s demands.”

By the same token, at Van-Whole the goal is to help customers stay competitive via qual-

FARMER-OWNED SINCE 1893

Congratulations to VAN-WHOLE PRODUCE ON 40 YEARS!

Gosal Trucking Ltd. would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Van-Whole Produce Ltd. on 40 years of dedication and hard work.

Your contributions have been invaluable to the success of our business. Here’s to many more years of shared achievements!

ongratulations to Van-Whole on hitting the 40 year milestone! We appreciate their support and the journey of working together. heers to many more years of partnership and success.

At Northwest Freightways we strive to provide fast, efficient and safe freight solutions across anada and the United States.

Serving the following lanes:

Within anada: B to AB/SK/MB

Across the Border: B to WA/ID/OR/ A/NV/AZ

C ntact us t day t see h e can be f serv ce t y u

604-5 7-8000

Windset Farms® would like to congratulate Van Whole Produce on 40 years of success!

We deliver proactive customer experiences, anticipate customers’ needs and drive to go above and beyond.”

—Samuel Chui

ity product selection and price. “We deliver proactive customer experiences, anticipate customers’ needs and drive to go above and beyond,” says sales manager Samuel Chui. This means making regular customer visits and checking inventory to find their perfect produce fit, he says, as well as keeping them well-informed on market trends and industry news. “We try and bring in the best-quality produce we can find and make sure the prices are very competitive in order for our customers to compete in their market areas.”

Chui says it’s common for him to work with his other team members whose expertise

is in buying, packing and shipping, to make sure customers are well looked after. “We also focus on customer feedback so if any problems arise, we immediately come together as a team to find and implement solutions,” he says.

If Van-Whole customers are having labour challenges, for example, Chui says the VanWhole team can offer packaging solutions. Van-Whole also offers a complete line of products to provide a one-stop shopping experience for its customers. “Our customers’ employees can better focus on taking care of the store and providing better service to their end consumers,” he says.

Emerging markets are top of mind

On top of nurturing these relationships with retailers, Chui says the team is always on the lookout for new markets to penetrate, whether that’s working with juice bars, restaurant chains or other food processing companies. “We also focus on new emerging demographics, such as the growth of new Canadian immigrants from different ethnicities,” he says. “What kinds of foods and customs do they bring? How can we bring in those items that remind them of home?”

From a purchasing perspective, participation in market visits and trade shows serves as another valuable avenue for expanding supplier networks too, says Tsang. “These platforms provide unparalleled opportunities for networking, forging new partnerships, and discovering innovative solutions,” he says.

On top of that is a willingness to embrace experimentation, he adds, which includes adopting a mindset that encourages explora-

—Samantha Chan “

With 40 years’ worth of history and customer data, We conduct in-depth analysis and develop strategies to satisfy demands from different demographic segments.”

tion and risk-taking. “By being open to trying new approaches, technologies and suppliers, organizations can unlock untapped potential and access a wider pool of resources.”

As the business development strategist and food safety program leader at Van-Whole Produce, Samantha Chan also plays a key role in helping both purchasing and sales groups get a better handle on emerging markets. “With 40 years’ worth of history and customer data, we conduct in-depth analysis and develop strategies to satisfy demands from different demographic segments,” she says, noting that this information also highlights where there are strengths in-house to go above and beyond. “It supports our decision-making processes so we can always stay competitive and flexible to meet market demands.”

Given that the produce industry is such a dynamic area in the food sector, Chan says it is essential for the entire team to “stay sharp and in tune” with changes in the market every day. “Our customers’ requirements are constantly changing as they adjust to their end-consumer’s ever-changing purchas-

ing habits,” she says. What hasn’t changed though, she adds, is the end-consumer’s demand for quality and value. “That’s why our focus for strategy development has constantly been to ensure we offer the best quality produce while passing the value along to the end consumer,” says Chan.

The power of teamwork

Just as important as the suppliers and customers who have helped Van-Whole Produce thrive for the past 40 years, is its team of employees made up of drivers, packers, receivers, repackers, warehouse and office support staff, and management—many of whom have been with the company for more than 10 years. A collaborative culture throughout Van-Whole has enabled the company to deliver on its promise of consistent quality and service. “We have total team involvement here, and while the work can be demanding, there is a great work ethic in place where we’re all striving to be and do the best we can,” says Jang. “Our biggest competitive advantage is our company culture and our people.”

To facilitate collaboration and ongoing connection between team members, Jang says

there is a strong emphasis on frequent in-person meetings when possible. “By doing this, we don’t lose the dynamic of speaking to each other face to face,” he says.

In fostering an equitable work environment where all team members can thrive, VanWhole also recognizes the value of diverse voices and inclusivity. Over time, the company has evolved to include team members from various cultures and backgrounds. Having this diversified team provides opportunities for all staff members to learn and adapt to the fast-changing environment in produce wholesale, while bringing in new perspectives, creative ideas and solutions to help refine processes.

A favourite company tradition is Van-Whole’s annual service awards ceremony to celebrate staff members who have demonstrated their dedication and long-term commitment to the business. In addition to opportunities for learning and growing within the company, there is also time allotted for festive fun. Holiday functions, summer picnics and department celebrations are important events where employees and their families can spend quality time together. To mark the

company’s 40th anniversary, a special celebration was held earlier this year with all staff to share excitement around reaching such a significant milestone.

In building a successful wholesale business over the last 40 years, Van-Whole Produce has also been consistent in giving back to its community. “Our charity work is extremely important to us and always has been,” says Jang. In fact, the company has consistently supported various charitable groups for more than two decades. Every year, a large number of Van-Whole’s staff and their families participate in the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s Race for the Kids to raise money to support children’s health. The company also supports many community-based, non-profit organizations by donating fresh produce to help them with their programs.

As for the future of Van-Whole Produce, the mission to provide a broad range of best value, quality produce and excellent service continues, says Jang. “We are committed to keep on doing what we have done best in the past 40 years, and we’re excited for this next phase, wherever future opportunities will take us.”

Company Party

Service Awards Ceremony

SCAN

Conference: 8:45AM - 11:00AM

Trade Show: 11:00AM - 4:30PM

Conference: 7:00AM - 11:00AM

Trade Show: 11:00AM - 4:00PM

WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR

WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR OF GSF WEST

Innovations, connections, and more business opportunities – these and more awaits all of grocery at the 35th edition of Grocery & Specialty Food West – Grocery Redefined! Canada’s premium one-stop grocery exhibition and conference in western Canada will allow for a grocery week to take place with all segments of the business meeting during the week of the event, April 22 – 23, 2024 at the Vancouver Convention Centre East Building.

Every category is offered at the show exhibition – from AI, to equipment, packaging, services, both local and global offerings from around the world.

This year’s pavilions are reflected of the diversity of the grocery supply chain, with not to miss pavilions: Sustainability Sentral, First Timers, Canada Connect, Choose Ontario, Buy BC and more!

Kick off the mornings with exclusive sessions targeted at gaining new insights and hearing from experts in the field to grow your business. From the US grocers panel to hearing about the new and the latest Western data from Carman Allison at NielsenIQ. These are must-attend speaker sessions that will help you in your businesses. A variety of workshops on Tuesday will also provide food for thought with topics ranging from how to compete as an independent with McMillanDoolittle’s Amanda Lai, to an overview of the trends, risks, and opportunities for the food industry from FCC’s Chief Economist, JP Gervais.

GSF is the only show where you can have face to face meetings on site with grocers, with the use of the Show App. There are also numerous free networking events designed to introduce you to decision makers after hours including the Sunday opening reception and Monday Mix and Mingle on the Trade Floor.

Meet myself and other retailers at the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers’ booth in the entrance to the trade show and find out how the association can assist your business goals.

See you at GSF!

Sincerely,

JAMIE NELSON, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, PATTISON FOOD GROUP

CONTENTS

CHAIR, CANADIAN FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT GROCERS | FÉDÉRATION CANADIENNE DES EPICIERS INDÉPENDANTS WWW.CFIG.CA SCAN

GENERAL INFORMATION

CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW ATTIRE–BUSINESS CASUAL

BADGE COLOURS

RED...................................RETAILERS/WHOLESALERS

GREEN .............................MANUFACTURERS/SUPPLIERS

RESTAURANT/FOODSERVICE

YELLOW ..........................DISTRIBUTOR/IMPORTER/EXPORTER

BLUE EXHIBITORS

GREY MEDIA

EXHIBITOR & ATTENDEE REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION DESK AND SELF CHECK-IN KIOSK

VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE, EAST BUILDING, 999 CANADA PL, VANCOUVER BC

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 .................................

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

MONDAY, APRIL 22

TUESDAY, APRIL 23 ....................................

8:00AM – 5:00PM

8:00AM – 4:00PM

6:30AM – 6:30PM

6:30AM – 3:30PM

CFIG STAFF

THOMAS SHURRIE, President & CEO

ANDREA ALMARZA, Executive Assistant to the President & CEO and to the VP of Finance and Administration

LAURA COLLATON, Senior Vice President & COO

GARY SANDS, Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Advocacy

FRAN NIELSEN, Vice President, Finance & Administration

NANCY KWON, Vice President, Marketing & Communications

DIANA STEVENSON, Director, Conference & Events

ROLSTER TAYLOR, Director, Sales & Operations

SUZANNE REGIMBAL, Account Manager, Member Services

IRMELI KOSKINEN, Coordinator, Member Services

TYSON SMITH, Representative, Accounts

CINDY SUH, Operations Coordinator, Trade Show

1-800-661-2344 | WWW.CFIG.CA Visit us at CFIG Members'

2024 CFIG BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) is governed by a Board of Directors elected from the membership and reflecting a regional distribution. A national office consisting of the President and staff implement the federation's operations in a manner consistent with the policies established by the Board. The Board and the President also receive ongoing input from advisory committees consisting of members established across Canada.

*DAN BREGG Honorary Past Chair, Pattison Food Group, Langley, BC

GENE COLEMAN Coleman Group of Companies, Corner Brook, NL

JIM HAMILTON Hammy’s AG, Ponoka, AB

NATALIE COUTAYAR Denninger’s Foods of the World, Hamilton, ON

PAT PESSOTTO Longo Brothers Fruit Markets, Vaughan, ON

BROOKE KYNOCH Safety Mart Foods, Chase, BC

*JAMIE NELSON Chair, Pattison Food Group, Langley, BC

*ERIN HIGDON Vice Chair, Powell’s Supermarket Ltd., Bay Roberts, NL

JUSTIN SCHLEY Quality Foods, Errington, BC

NEIL KENNEDY Sobey’s Strathmore, Strathmore, AB

*RICK RABBA Member at Large, The J. Rabba Company Ltd., Mississauga, ON

*Executive Committee

BRAD FLETCHER The Village Grocer, Markham, ON

*DOMINIC ARSENAULT Secretary, IGA Coaticook, Coaticook, QC

*BRIAN BRADLEY Treasurer, Stong’s Markets LP, Vancouver, BC

CHRISTOPHER LEE Southside Market AG Foods, Revelstoke, BC

*THOMAS SHURRIE President & CEO, CFIG Toronto, ON

MIKE SHARPE Sharpe’s Food Market, Campbellford, ON

DEBBIE UNICK Federated Co-op, Saskatoon, SK

Co-operation and communication between supplier and retailer have become increasingly important in grocery retail. CFIG’s Associate Members’ Council (AMC) has in turn become more integral to the direction of the federation as a whole. The Associate Members’ Council is a group of senior executives representing a variety of Canadian grocery product companies. The AMC meets quarterly and provides professional guidance to the Board of Directors on industry news and trends.

ROBERT

PETER

STEEVE

VINCENT

TIM

JOHN

MICHAEL BATKE

TOM SZOSTOK Sr. VP Sales, Lactalis Canada

LANCE WADE VP, Customer Development, PepsiCo Foods

KOSTAS KAPRALOS VP, National Sales, Lassonde

*SCOTT LORIMER Chair, Sr. VP Retail Sales, Maple Leaf Foods Inc.

SAM MAGNACCA VP & GM, Acosta Canada

GREG COLES Chief Customer Officer, Nestlé Canada Inc.

PATRICK HEFFERNAN

TRACI

GROCERY & SPECIALTY FOOD WEST 2024

APRIL 22-23, 2024 | VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE, EAST BUILDING (999 CANADA PLACE)

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

5:00PM – 7:00PM OPENING RECEPTION - ALL WELCOME

BALLROOM B, C | EAST BUILDING

SPONSORED BY:

MONDAY, APRIL 22

*MORNING CONFERENCE & WORKSHOP SESSIONS

BALLROOMS B, C | MAIN STAGE | EAST BUILDING

8:45AM – 9:10AM BREAKFAST

SPONSORED BY:

9:10AM – 9:15AM WELCOME & REMARKS

CFIG President & CEO Tom Shurrie

9:15AM – 10:00AM THE FUTURE OF FOOD INNOVATION

SPONSORED BY:

10:00AM – 10:45AM SPECIAL SESSION

SPONSORED BY:

11:00AM – 4:30PM TRADE SHOW EXHIBITION

VCC EAST - HALLS A, B, C

INSIGHTS & INNOVATIONS TRADE FLOOR STAGE SESSION

*PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Amanda Lai, Director of the Food Industry Practice, McMillanDoolittle, leads a panel discussion with U.S. independent grocers Nancy Lebold, CEO of New Seasons Market and Lauren Redman, CEO and President of Rudy’s Markets to learn practical approaches to how they differentiated themselves from the big players, to drive sales and customer loyalty.

LIVE! Taping of the Chatter that Matters podcast, hosted by Tony Chapman. Tony’s guest is Jay DeMerit. You will know him as the former Captain of the Vancouver Whitecaps. If you a fan of overcoming the odds to chase your dreams, you will love Jay's story of sleeping in attics to chase his dream of playing professional soccer and making it to the premier league. Jay will talk about what it takes for you to create a winning culture, and to motivate today’s younger generation.

SPONSORED BY: I

2:00PM – 2:30PM Maple Leaf Foods’ Chef Sam Lazuric, Head of Culinary, Retail, showcases Crispy Pancetta (Feat. VIAU Fantino & Mondello) Spring Salad inspired by 2024 trends. This meal style salad application will tempt the consumer through textures and umami. Come experience the signature feature!

NETWORKING EVENTS

4:15PM – 5:00PM MIX AND MINGLE NETWORKING RECEPTION

INSIGHTS & INNOVATIONS STAGE – ALL WELCOME

SPONSORED BY:

6:00PM – 9:00PM *MONDAY EVENING EVENT *PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

WEST BUILDING | SUMMIT ROOM 3RD FLOOR - 1055 CANADA PL., VANCOUVER, BC

6:00PM RECEPTION

SPONSORED BY:

6:30PM DINNER & ENTERTAINMENT

Cohosts: Laura Collaton & Tony Chapman Entertainer: Wes Barker, Magic, Comedy & Stunts

DINNER SPONSORS:

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

*MORNING CONFERENCE & WORKSHOP SESSIONS- *PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED

BALLROOMS B, C | HALL A | EAST BUILDING

7:00AM BREAKFAST

SPONSORED BY:

7:30AM – 8:00AM IN THE KNOW: WHAT CONSUMERS ARE THINKING

Tony Chapman, Chatter that Matters, looks at research platform Crewasis.ai that uses AI to unlock the power of data by delivering game-changing insights on the grocery category. Hear what is at the top of consumers' minds and how it will impact your business of doing business.

8:00AM – 8:05AM WELCOME & REMARKS

CFIG Chair Jamie Nelson

8:05AM – 8:50AM TOP U.S. GROCERY TRENDS IN 2024

This thought-provoking panel discussion with Jennifer Rojas Cline, category sales manager, prepared foods and grocery staples, Bi-Rite Family of Businesses and Lauren Redman, CEO/President, Rudy's Markets, will explore the key strategies driving growth in the U.S. market. Topics will include ROI of technology investments, automating pricing and promotions, foodservice differentiation, private brands, fresh perimeter innovation, “adaptive” customer experience. Moderator Progressive Grocer magazine Editor-in-Chief Gina Acosta.

SPONSORED BY:

8:50AM – 9:25AM VALUE VS. VOLUME: GETTING BACK TO REAL GROWTH

Since every sales opportunity ends with the consumer, it is important that we understand how the consumer in Western Canada continues to evolve. Inflationary pressures over the past two years have reset consumer priorities with more consumers still uncertain about their future spending power. Carman Allison, NielsenIQ, will discuss how do we get back to real growth now that rising prices have subsided.

SPONSORED BY:

9:25AM – 9:35AM NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK

SPONSORED BY:

9:35AM – 10:40AM CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS

EAST BUILDING | HALL A | BALLROOMS B, C

9:35AM – 10:05AM WORKSHOP #1 | INNOVATING AS AN INDEPENDENT GROCER

CHOOSE ONE WORKSHOP ▼ MAIN STAGE | BALLROOMS B, C

Amanda Lai, Director of the Food Industry Practice, McMillanDoolittle, explores key trends and winning concepts shaping the industry that will keep independents competitive in the grocery game.

WORKSHOP #2 | POLICY UPDATE

EAST BUILDING | HALL A

Join Gary Sands, CFIG for key government-related issues affecting our business - Grocery Code of Conduct, single-use plastic, credit card fees, supply management, Competition Act changes and more.

WORKSHOPS SPONSORED BY:

10:10AM – 10:40AM WORKSHOP #1 | 2024 ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

CHOOSE ONE WORKSHOP ▼

MAIN STAGE | BALLROOMS B, C

Trends, risks, and opportunities for the food industry.

Presented by JP Gervais, Vice-President and Chief Economist, FCC

WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY:

WORKSHOP #2 | TECH & GROCERY

EAST BUILDING | HALL A

Let tech do the work for you! Ex-Googler Rachel Loui shows how to Identify diversified local opportunities through data big and small, and best leverage free online resources to maximize your business opportunities.

WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY:

11:00AM – 4:00PM TRADE SHOW EXHIBITION

VCC EAST | HALLS A, B, C

INSIGHTS & INNOVATIONS TRADE FLOOR STAGE SESSIONS

SPONSORED BY:

1:00PM – 1:30PM Buying through the heart and brain: how consumers use quantitative and qualitative signals to purchase (and how you can use technology to identify them).

Presented by Ex-Googler Rachel Loui.

2:00PM – 2:30PM Fresh Insights! Making your fresh department the best restaurant in town with Progressive Grocer’s Editor-in-Chief Gina Acosta presents grocery insights to grow your business.

EXHIBITOR LISTINGS

CFIG Member ✪ Show Special

ABURI MARKET

1350 Marine Drive

West Vancouver, BC V7T 0B5

T: (604) 926-4411

E: info@aburimarket.com

www.aburimarket.com

Presented by Miku and Minami restaurants, we offer premium Japanese grocery products, graband-go items, fresh seafood, and A5-grade Wagyu from Japan.

Booth #308

✪ ACOSTA

2700 Matheson Blvd East, East Tower, Suite 101

Mississauga, ON L4W 4V9

T: (905) 238-8422

E: tal.dovas@mosaic.com

www.acosta.ca

We are the sales & marketing powerhouse behind the most recognized brands and a proven resource for top retailers all across U.S. and Canada.

Booth #1314/1315

ADVANTAGE SOLUTIONS

1200 W 73rd Ave.

Vancouver, BC V6P 6G5

T: (800) 268-3425

E: customerservice@ advantagesolutions.net

www.advantagesolutions.net

Booth #915

✪ AELO EXPERTLY

HANDCRAFTED COCKTAILS

PO Box 37585 The Quay PO North Vancouver, BC V7M 0G4

T: (604) 970-2976

E: hello@drinkaelo.com

www.drinkaelo.com

Booth #1415

✪ AJI GOURMET PRODUCTS LTD. (DYANA’S AJI)

6198 131A Street

Surrey, BC V3X 1P8

T: (778) 874-9641

E: team@ajigourmetproducts.com

www.ajigourmetproducts.com

Dyana’s Aji is a BC based, womanowned family business that makes unique chunky hot sauces, guacamole, mixes, and pre-made guacamole.

Booth #1507B

✪ AKIS FINE FOODS LTD.

151-1895 Clements Rd.

Pickering, ON L1W 3V5

T: (905) 428-3500

F: (905) 428-9300

E: akis@bellnet.ca

www.akisfinefoods.com

Manufactures variety of exotic condiments. Chutneys, Pastes, BBQ Marinades and Pickles. 2nd Generation family owned business.

Booth #304B

A LASSONDE INC.

170, 5e avenue

Rougemount, QC L0L 1M0

T: (888) 477-6663

E: info.sales@lassonde.com

www.lassonde.com

Lassonde is the North American leader in development, manufacture and sale of fruit and vegetable juices, beverages and snacks.

Booth #701

✪ ALRIYABI TRADING LLC

2503-2077 Rosser Ave

Burnaby, BC V5C 0G6

T: (778)325-1945

E: ayman@alriyabitrading.com

www.alriyabitrading.com

Booth #1207

AMERLUX, LLC

178 Bauer Drive

Oakland, NJ 07436 USA

T: (973) 882-5010

F: (973) 882-2605

E: info@amerlux.com

www.amerlux.com

Manufacturer of innovative lighting solutions that captivates, inspires, and commands attention. Enhancing retail, commercial, hospitality and supermarket environments while focusing on quality and service excellence. Booth #600

✪ AM/PM SERVICEPOINT OF SALE SOLUTIONS

2237 Hawkins Street, Unit 1110

Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 0M2

T: (800) 336-2622

E: inquiries@ampmservice.com

www.ampmservice.com

Booth #1411

ARBUTUS FOODS

201-1497 Admirals

Victoria, BC V9A 2P8

T: (250) 952-7100

E: info@jadefinefoods.com

www.arbutusfarms.ca

Booth #804

ARNEG CANADA

18 Richelieu

Lacolle, QC J0J 1J0

T: (289) 795-5012

E: sfeere@arnegdml.com

www.arneg.ca

Arneg Canada is proudly manufacturing refrigeration cases and compressor multi racks in Canada for the food and grocery industry. Booth #601

✪ ASSOCIATED GROCERS

7100 44 Street SE/

19580 Telegraph Trail

Calgary/Surrey

T2C 2V7 / V4N 4H1 AB / BC

T: (800) 242-3182

E: infor@associatedgrocers.ca

www.associatedgrocers.ca

Booth #1109

AVANTE KIOSKS

4725 Iris Road

Okanagan Falls, BC V0H 1R2

T: (205) 497-5110

E: sales@avantekiosks.com

www.avantekiosks.com

Booth #407

BANK OF MONTREAL

595 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC

T: (778) 879-6784

E: tasaday.pollesel@bmo.com

www.bmo.com

Booth #604

BARAKAH EATS

220-8322 130 St

Surrey, BC V3W 8J9

T: (778) 990-1950

E: info@barakaheats.com

www.barakaheats.com

Barakah Eats manufactures frozen, gourmet, South Asian, Halal ready to eat products available for retail, food service and private label.

Booth #300

BEATRICE BAKERY CO.

201 South 5th Street

Beatrice, NE 68310 USA

T: (402) 223-2358

E: michelle@beatricebakery.com

www.granmasbakeryshoppe.com

Booth #1605

✪ BEST BRANDS MARKETING INC.

Unit 105-9295 198th Street

Langley, BC V1M 3J9

T: (604) 888-0193

E: sales@bestbrandsmarketing.com

www.bestbrandsmarketing.com

Asian specialty foods & beverages

imported from Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam. Instant noodles, sauces, soups, snacks, rice, soy free soy sauce, coffee.

Booth #1523

✪ BEVERAGE INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR

7409 Range Road 30

Cypress County, AB T0J 1V0

T: (780) 831-6692

E: ddola@bidwine.ca

www.bidwine.ca

Booth #1304

✪ BIG MOUNTAIN FOODS

904 Cliveden Avenue

Delta, BC V3M 5R5

T: (604) 325-7853

E: hello@bigmountainfoods.com

www.bigmountainfoods.com

Booth #1501B

BIMBO CANADA

2 International Boulevard, Suite 100

Etobicoke, ON M9W 1A2

T: (800) 465-5515

E: BC.ConsumerEngagement@ grupobimbo.com

www.bimbocanada.com

Booth #608

BOB BAKERY WORLD LTD. #210 20285 Stewart Cres

Maple Ridge, BC V2X 8G1

T: (778) 233-9081

E: bob@bobakeryworld.com

www.bobbakeryworld.com

Booth #1211

BOXMASTER

#100, 880 Belgrave Way, Delta, BC, V3M 5Y8

T: (604) 521-4715

www.boxmaster.com

The scope of business has always been the same for Boxmaster from the beginning; service all industries with quality and uniquely designed products. Booth #1302

BRANDT MEATS

1878 Mattawa Ave

Mississauga, ON L4X 1K1

T: (905) 279-4460

E: info@brandtmeats.com

www.brandtmeats.com

Booth #515

BURNBRAE FARMS LTD.

940 Matheson Blvd. E.

Mississauga, ON L4W 2R8

T: (190) 575-1500

E: ebeauchemin2burnbraefarms.com

www.burnbraefarms.com

Booth #1736

BUY BC (B.C. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD)

5th Floor, 545 Superior Str.

Victoria, BC V8V 0C5

T: (778) 679-4751

F: (250) 356-0385

E: BuyBC@gov.bc.ca

www.BuyBC.gov.bc.ca

Booth #1510

BUY BC PAVILION MEETING AREA

5th Floor, 545 Superior St.

Victoria, BC V8V 0C5

T: (778) 679-4751

E: BuyBC@gov.bc.ca

www.buybc.gov.bc.ca

Booth #1508

CANADA VOLUMES

IMPORT/EXPORT INC.

2630 Croydon Drive, Unit 106

Surrey, BC V3Z 6T3

T: (604) 761-7895

E: Canada_volumes@shaw.ca

www.canadavolumes.com

Booth #1608

CANADIAN GAY AND LESBIAN

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

100 University Avenue, 5th Floor/ 100, avenue de l’Université, 5ème étage

Toronto, ON M5j 1V6

T: (514) 743-0030

E: chris@cglcc.ca

www.cglcc.ca

Booth #304A

CANADIAN GROCER

20 Eglinton Ave West, Suite 1800

Toronto, ON M4R 1K8

T: (416) 400-2065

E: vpeters@ensembleiq.com

www.canadiangrocer.com

Canadian Grocer is the #1 magazine, website and enewsletter for grocery retailers in Canada. With an audience of 200,000+ readers, we can help you reach the decision makers who can impact your business. Booth #7

CAVENDISH FARMS

100 Midland Drive

Dieppe, NB E1A 6X4

T: (506)-858-7777

www.cavendishfarms.com

Booth #720

CHAEBAN ARTISAN

390 Osborne Street.

Winnipeg, MB R3L 1Z9

T: (204) 881-6698

E: joseph@chaebanartisan.com

www.chaebanartisan.com

Chaeban Artisan makes every batch of cheese using wholesome and local dairy that’s sourced right here in Canada. Booth #1205

CITY SODA

2719 Byron Road North Vancouver, BC V7H 1L9

T: (604) 619-4378

E: info@getcitysoda.ca

www.getcitysoda.ca

Western Canada’s CO2 refill exchange provider for consumer home carbonation machines.

Booth #1516

COCA-COLA CANADA

BOTTLING LIMITED

335 King Street East

Toronto, ON M5A 1L1

Booth #901

CONAGRA BRANDS CANADA

2920 Matheson Blvd. E

Mississauga, ON L4W 5R6

T: (416) 679-4200

E: lauren.gilpin@conagra.com

www.conagrabrands.ca

Conagra Brands is a company that combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus and entrepreneurial spirit!

Booth #1515

CONCORD NATIONAL LLP

2515 Meadowpine Blvd., Unit 2

Mississauga, ON L5N 6C3

T: (905) 817-0403

E: tony.dalleva@concordnational.com

www.concordnational.com

At Concord National, we build great brands. Our sales, marketing and management experience spans virtually every product category and nearly every corner of the world.

Booth #1400

CONGLOM

2600 ave Marie-Curie St-Laurent, QC H4S 2C3

T: (438) 951-9975

E: ksande@conglom.com

www.conglom.com

Conglom specializes in food packaging. From aluminum foil, take-out, zipper bags, kraft boxes and so much more.

Booth #1004

CONSULATE GENERAL OF HUNGARY

701-808 Nelson Street

Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H2

T: (604) 258-9658

E: trade.van@mfa.gov.hu

www.toronto.mfa.gov.hu

Booth#1770

CRAFTY RAMEN

85 Willis Way Unit 119

Waterloo, ON N2J 0B9

T: (151) 984-1318

E: adam@craftyramen.com

www.craftyramen.com

Crafty Ramen brings restaurantquality ramen to the frozen aisle for consumers to enjoy in the comfort of their home in just 7 minutes.

Booth #518

DAIRY FOUNTAIN

1080 Fewster Drive, Unit 14

Mississauga, ON L4W 2T2

T: (905) 238-0000

E: forhan@dairyfountain.com

www.dairyfountain.com

Dairy Fountain crafts superior dairy products for food service and retail, excelling in branded and private label products with a commitment to excellence.

Booth #505

DANONE

100 Rue de Lauzon

Boucherville, QC J4B 1E6

T: (450) 655-7331

E: serviceclientele-canada@danone.com

www.danone.ca

Activia, Oikos, Two Good, Danino, Silk, International Delight, Stock, and So Delicious sampling. Barista station served with Danone’s coffee creamers. Booth #808

✪ DIAMOND PACKAGING SUPPLIES LTD

1210 Lorimar Drive, Unit 3

Mississauga, ON L5S 1R3

T: (647) 832-3585

F: (416) 352-7545

E: jacob@dpsl.ca

www.dpsl.ca

All kinds of packaging supplies related to Food processing industries & Grocery chain stores.

Booth #321

DIGI CANADA INC.

87 Moyal Ct

Concord, ON L4K 4R8

T: (905) 879-0833

E: sales@ca.digi-group.com

www.digisystem.com/ca/en

DIGI Canada is a proven global leader in the food industry offering a complete line of food equipment for over 25 years. We offer across-thestore solutions from quality weighwrap labelling equipment, POS machines, consumables to industrial machines. Booth #914

DISTRIBUTION CANADA INC.

3425 Harvester Rd., Suite 102c Burlington, ON L7N 3N1

T: (905) 681-3933

E: admin@distributioncanada.ca

www.distributioncanada.ca

DCI is a national organization of retailers and wholesalers that fosters collaborative selling relationships between its members, manufacturers, and key stakeholders in Canada. Booth #4

DON CHENDO PRODUCTS INC.

102-6994 Greenwood St.

Burnaby, BC V5A 1X8

T: (177) 831-7144

E: zaira@donchendo.com

www.donchendo.com

Don Chendo Products is a wholesaler and distributor of Mexican food products for restaurants and stores.

Booth #420

DR. BEE

17617 Ford Detour Road

Pitt Meadows, BC V3Y 0A7

T: (604) 460-8889

E: sales@drbee.ca

www.drbee.ca

Honey and Honey Bee Products.

Booth #1215

✪ DSL LTD.

14520 128 Ave. NW

Edmonton, AB T5L 3H6

T: (800) 665-1125

E: info@dslinc.com

www.dslinc.com

Innovative food service equipment solutions & service. Franke automatic espresso machines, Henny Penny fryers & combi ovens, Ubert hot food display cases, & Taylor desserts/grills.

Booth #1614

✪ DYNA-PRO ENVIRONMENTAL

575 Roseberry Street

Winnipeg, MB R3H 0T3

T: (204) 774-5370

E: larryj@dyna-pro.com

www.dyna-pro.com

Dyna-Pro Environmental has provided Ultra-Pure’s reverse osmosis water dispensing machines, water treatment systems, and customized solutions to water problems across Canada for over 30 years.

Booth #1522

FEDERATED INSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA

2540 boul. Daniel-Johnson, suite 110 Laval, QC H7T 2S3

T: (514) 730-6781

F: (450) 687-6663

E: mauro.ditullio@federated.ca

www.federated.ca

Federated Insurance is committed to working closely with our partners and members like you to develop tailored solutions that meet your unique needs. Call 1.844.628.6800

Booth #606

FMS SOLUTIONS LTD.

800 Corporate Dr. Ft Lauderdale, FL 33334 USA

T: (416) 587-0537

E: joe.sawaged@fmssolutions.com

www.fmssolutions.com

FMS provides a comprehensive suite of financial applications specifically for the retail grocery industry including critical accounting functions, payroll services, and retail inventory management.

Booth #908

✪ FRAKTALS CHOCOLATE

145 Industrial Pkwy S., Unit 1

Aurora, ON L4G 3V5

T: (905) 727-7279

F: (905) 727-7482

E: info@fraktals.com

www.fraktals.com

fraktals Chocolate-handmade

artisan product. Aurora, ON fraktals Chocolate Cashew Buttercrunch and Sea Salt Caramels: both in Milk & Dark Chocolate.

Booth #504

✪ FRASER VALLEY WIRELESS

A100 – 19715 96th Avenue

T: (416) 716-0000

E: rogerspreferred@fvwireless.com

www.fvwireless.com

Booth #1407

FUSE AND SIP

PO Box 2079

Garibaldi Highlands, BC V0N 1T0

T: (604) 848-4779

E: info@fuseandsip.com

www.fuseandsip.com

Booth#1502B

GBS FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT INC.

2871 Brighton Rd.

Oakville, ON L6H 6C9

T: (905) 829-5534

E: pdouglas@bscooks.com

www.gbscooks.com

Canada wide stocking distributor of foodservice equipment focused on the retail/grocery HMR channel. GBS is your one stop resource.

Booth #909

GENERAL MILLS

1875 Buckhorn Gate, Suite 201

Mississauga, ON L4W 5N9

T: (905) 212-4000

E: tobias.boudreau@genmills.com

www.generalmills.ca

We make food the world loves! Join us at our booth to discover the latest exciting products we are bringing to you and your customers. Booth #1309

✪ GHALLEY HOLDINGS LTD.

DBA LEHAR AND VIJS FOR YOU

7711 164A St.

Surry, BC V4N 0L5

T: (778) 551-2271

E: andyghalley.re@gmail.com

www.lehar.ca

Indulge in the diverse and authentic South Asian flavours with Lehar’s comprehensive range – from Indian cookies to savoury snacks and sweets. Booth #1610

✪ GINGER GOAT HOT SAUCE

634 Strasburg Road, Unit #6

Kitchener, ON N2E 2G8

T: (519) 904-4628

E: hay@gingergoat.ca

www.gingergoat.ca

Heat, Flavour, and Fun…For Your Mouth! All natural big bold flavours free of artificial thickeners, preservatives, and excess salt & sugars. Booth #523

GLOBAL TRADING NETWORK LTD.

#107-3060 Norland Ave.

Burnaby, BC V5B 3A6

T: (604) 299-2965

F: (604) 299-2975

E: gtncanada@gmail.com

www.thegtn.ca

JONGGA has been supplying traditional Korean food since 1987, and JONGGA Kimchee boasts the best quality kimchi in the world.

Booth #1219

GOLDEN FOOD & MANUFACTURE LTD.

241 Snidercroft Road

Concord, ON L4K 2J8

T: (905) 660-3233

E: gfmproducts@gmail.com

www.goudas.ca

We are a food manufacturing company consisting of over 800 products for more than 30 categories and supplying to various individual stores, wholesalers, and retail stores. Booth #501

✪ GOLESTAN WHOLESALE BAKERY

168 14th St W

North Vancouver, BC V7P 1J8

T: (604) 971-2253

E: golestanbakery.ca

Baked goods made with local, organic and fresh ingredients.

Booth #402

GOLDEN VALLEY FOODS/ EGGSOLUTIONS-VANDERPOL’S EGGS

3841 Vanderpol Court

Abbotsford BC V2T 5W5

(604) 857-0704

E: info@lhgray.com

www.lhgray.com

Golden Valley Eggs. Sparks Eggs. Gray Ridge Eggs. EggSolutions. EggSolutions-Vanderpol’s Eggs. Together, we’re L. H. Gray & Son: All Things Eggs In Canada. Since 1934. Booth #1308

GREENHOUSE

3543 Nashua Dr. Mississauga, ON L4V 1R1

T: (289) 456-0175

E: sales@greenhouse.ca

www.greenhouse.ca

Greenhouse is a proudly Canadian company producing organic plantbased functional beverages. They became the first beverage brand in Canada to be certified plastic neutral. Booth #511

✪ GROWCER

891 Boyd Avenue

Ottawa, ON K2A 2E2

T: (833) 476-9237

E: info@thegrowcer.ca

www.growcer.ca

Growcer designs, builds, and delivers turn-key vertical farms in modular containers. Grow local greens yearround on-site in our retail-specific solutions. Booth #306A

✪ HAPPYORNOT BY LOYALTORS MARKETING

3497 Capilano Road

North Vancouver, BC V7R 4H9

T: (778) 802-6456

E: germanv@loyaltors.com

www.loyaltors.com

Enhance customer experience with HappyOrNot’s Smiley Terminals for real-time feedback, analytics, and actionable insights. Measure and boost satisfaction and loyalty effortlessly. Booth #1300

HOBART CANADA

105 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 801

Toronto, ON M2H 3P8

T: (888) 334-2371

E: marketing@hobart.ca

www.hobart.ca

Hobart Canada offers the broadest line of equipment including cooking, food preparation, refrigeration, bakery systems, ware washing and waste systems, and weighing, wrapping, and labeling systems.

Booth #704

HOME HARVEST BY HOUWELING

NURSERIES LTD.

2776 64th Street

Delta, BC V4L 2N7

T: (604) 946-0844

E: info@houwelings.com

www.houwelings.com

Ready-to-Harvest Living Culinary Herbs and Lettuce, Grown Locally Year Round in our Greenhouse.

Booth #1108

HON’S

13600 Maycrest Way

Richmond, BC V6V 2W2

T: (604) 688-0871

F: (604) 254-6220

E: info@hons.ca

www.hons.ca

Hon’s offers quality Asian comfort food staples like noodles, potstickers, dim sum, and desserts, providing authentic flavors for easy home cooking.

Booth #1766

HORIZONTE IMPORTS INC.

#112 – 13030 76 Ave.

Surrey, BC V3W 2V6

T: (604) 503-3311

E: mario@horizontegroup.com

www.horizontegroup.com

Horizonte Imports Inc. is the largest importer in Western Canada of Mexican and Latin American food products. We also manufacture fresh gluten free corn tortillas.

Booth #923

HOWELL DATA SYSTEMS

103 – 3011 Underhill Ave.

Burnaby, BC V5A 3C2

T: (800) 410-6871

E: sales@howelldatasystems.com

www.howelldatasystems.com

Howell Data Systems with 21 Canadian offices provides, Enterprise Management, Point-of-sale (POS) Self-Checkouts, Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) Smartphone Loyalty Apps, E-Commerce, Gift Cards, and Digital-Video, Surveillance.

Booth #706

✪ INFUSION PREMIUM FOODS INC.

2438 Colonial Drive

Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 5I6

T: (778) 938-0237

E: jason@jmsales.ca

www.infusionsoysauces.com

Soy Sauces Which are the lowest sodium in Canada, Gluten Free, Sugar Free. Infused with Ginger, Garlic, Sriracha, Wasabi. Made in B.C. Booth #1509B

IN-STORE WATER SYSTEMS

112 Oakdale Rd.

Toronto, ON M3N 1V9

T: (800) 508-7125

E: sales@instorewatersystems.com

www.instorewatersystems.com

Introducing Prodew Misters, Foggers & humidifiers, and Waterline POU systems. Continuing to supply and service Store-Use water treatment, refill machines, coolers, POE systems and softeners. Booth #1700

✪ INTERCITY PACKERS

MEAT & SEAFOOD

1900 No. 6 Road

Richmond, BC V6V 1W3

T: (778) 875-0873

E: info@intercitypackers.ca

www.intercitypackers.ca

Discover NEW products for your fresh and frozen aisle from brands trusted by your customers, including Certified Angus Beef, North Country Cookhouse and Bayside Seafood. Booth #707

✪ ITALIAN TRADE COMMISSION

480 University Avenue, Suite 800

Toronto, ON M5G 1V2

T: (416) 598-1566

E: toronto@ice.it

www.ice.it

The Italian Trade Commission is the government agency promoting the internationalization of the Italian companies Worldwide, providing assistance services for Italian companies entering the Canadian market. Booth #1750, 1752, 1754

ISHIDA CANADA INC.

2220 Argentia Road, Unit 7

Mississauga, ON L5N 2K7

T: (888) 517-1556

E: info@ishidacanada.ca

www.ishidaCanada.ca

Ishida Canada is a world leader in the design, manufacture, and installation of complete weighing and packaging solutions. Supplier of Proluxe and Watanabe food equipment. Booth #805

JACK LINK’S PROTEIN SNACKS

2476 Argentia Road, Suite 103

Mississauga, ON L5N 6M1

T: (905) 369-2016

E: info@jacklinks.com

www.jacklinks.ca

Protein Snacking for On-The-Go or at Home. Booth #414

JIMMY ZEE’S DISTRIBUTOR’S INC.

119 1551 Broadway St. Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 6N9

T: (604) 945-9337

E: sales@jimmyzees.com

www.jimmyzees.com

Maple Buds and Rosebuds are back at long last, check out all our Retro Candy, and TikTok Trending Items and Guy Gifts at www.Jimmyzees.com. Booth #1760

✪ JRTECH SOLUTIONS

2365 Guenette Montreal, QC H4R 2E9

T: (514) 889-7114

E: info@jrtechsolutions.ca

www.jrtechsolutions.ca

JRTech Solutions is the original and leading Canadian electronic shelf label (ESL) provider since 2008 with over 1200 installations and 15 million active labels. Booth #614

KING RETAIL SOLUTIONS

3850 W 1St Avenue

Eugene, OR 97402 USA

T: (541) 686-2848

E: business.relationships@kingrs.com

www.kingrs.com

We specialize in the development of brand strategies and environmental designs tailored specifically for the grocery store sector, encompassing custom builds and installations.

Booth #821

✪ KNEDLA

1168 14th Street W

North Vancouver, BC V7P 1J8

T: (778) 994-1979

E: knedla.info@gmail.com

www.knedla.ca

Sweet dumplings with a gooey centre in many, many delicious flavours. Booth #415

KRAFT HEINZ

207 Queens Quay W, 700

Toronto, ON M5J 1A7

T: (416) 441-5000

E: info@kraftheinz.com

www.kraftheinzcompany.com

Kraft Heinz provides high quality, great taste, and nutrition for all eating occasions. Kraft Heinz’s iconic brands include Kraft Peanut Butter, Heinz Ketchup, and KD.

Booth #715

KRUGER PRODUCTS

2 Prologis Blvd, Suite 500

Mississauga, On L5W 0G8

T: (437) 577-8372

E: matteo.tiberia@krugerproducts.ca

www.mykrugerproducts.ca/en-ca

Kruger Products Inc. is a leading Canadian supplier of household tissue products that make everyday life more comfortable.

Booth #815

✪ KULA FOODS

1370 East Georgia Street

Vancouver, BC V5L 2A8

T: (604) 240-8490

E: info@kulakitchen.ca

www.kulakitchen.ca

KULA focuses on creating nourishing Afro-Caribbean plant-based food products. Our current product lineup features 6 items, including 3 sauces and 3 meat alternatives.

Booth #1503A

KYSOR WARREN EPTA US

1 Corporate Ridge Parkway Columbus, GA 31907 USA

T: (706) 780-7431

E: marketing@kysorwarren.com

www.kysorwarren.com

Kysor Warren Epta US is a leading brand of refrigerated display cases & refrigeration systems in North and Central America.

Booth #922

LA COCINA FOODS

Box 54 Grp 15 RR1

Ste. Anne, MB R5H 1R1

T: (403) 462-5480

E: greg.szabo@lacocinafoods.ca

www.lacocinafoods.ca

Our Authentic Stone Ground Gluten Free Tortilla Chips are more than food, they are a gateway to the soul!

Booth #1414

LACTALIS CANADA

1939 Centre Avenue SE

Calgary, AB T2E 0A8

T: (800) 563-1515

E: contactus@lactalis.ca

www.lactalis.ca

With nearly 140 years of brand heritage in the Canadian dairy industry, Lactalis Canada is committed to the health and wellness of Canadians.

Booth #1015

LEAFFILTER

1772 Broadway St

Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 2M8

T: (778) 214-2481

E: events@leaffilter.com

www.leaffilter.ca

Canada’s #1 Gutter Protection company! Focusing on assisting homes in maximizing optimal rainwater harvesting techniques.

Booth #315

L.H. GRAY & SON

644 Wright Street

Strathroy, ON N7G 3H8

T: (800) 387-0087

E: tjames@eggsolutions.com

www.thgray.com

All things eggs since 1934. Providing quality eggs and egg products from Golden Valley Eggs, Sparks Eggs, and EggSolutions Vanderpol’s.

Booth #1308

LIQUIDS+SOLIDS

1695 Franklin St

Vancouver, BC V5L 1P5

T: (604) 537-5605

E: info@liquidsandsolids.ca

www.soupetc.ca, www.rosabellas.ca

Liquids + Solids is a Vancouver based food manufacturer featuring our marquee Soup Etc! and Rosabella’s Table (sauce) brands.

Come visit! Booth #1503B

✪ LIVING TREE FOODS

1025 Royal Ave.

New Westminster, BC V3M 1K3

T: (647) 643-2491

E: emily.wilson@livingtreefoods.ca

www.livingtreefoods.ca

Booth #1500B

LOBLAW COMPANIES LTD.

1 PC Circle

Brampton, ON L6Y 5S5

T: (514) 210-3404

E: hugo.turenne@loblaw.ca

www.freshmart.ca

The Affiliated independent Team at Loblaw takes great pride in serving independent grocery retailers across the country. Booth #1101

✪ LOCALCOIN ATM

102 – 1377 The Queensway

Etobicoke, ON M8Z 1T1

T: (187) 741-2264

E: sales@localcoinatm.com

www.localcoinatm.com

Get paid to host Canada’s largest Bitcoin ATM in your store. Visit our booth 1201 to learn about the latest innovations I Bitcoin ATMs.

Booth #1201

✪ LUCIFER’S HOUSE OF HEAT

1682 Davie Street

Vancouver, BC V6G 2K9

T: (604)240-4364

E: andrew@lucifershouseofheat.com

www.wholesale.lucifers houseofheat.com

We are the best source for all the top brands of hot sauce, spicy condiments and specialty items.

Booth #1600, 1602

MAPLE LEAF FOODS

6897 Financial Drive

Mississauga, ON L5N 0A8

T: (905) 285-5000

E: daisy.samaniego@mapleleaf.com

www.mapleleaffoods.com

As we pursue our vision to become the most sustainable protein company on Earth, we work to reconnect families with the goodness of food.

Booth #1115

M-C DAIRY COMPANY

106 North Queen St.

Etobicoke, On M8Z 2E2

T: (647) 225-1173

E: sales@futurebakery.com

www.futurebakery.com

Booth #514

MCCAIN FOODS

439 King Street West

Toronto, ON M5V 1K4

T: (416) 955-1700

E: consumer.affairs@mccain.ca

www.mccain.ca

Real Food for Real Life: French Fries & Specialty Potatoes, Desserts, Breakfast and Snacking products. A proudly home grown, Canadian and family-owned success story.

Booth #1121

✪ MINDFUL FÜD

1608 Richmond St

Kelowna, BC V1Y 3T7

T: (778) 968-7080

E: venessa@minfulfud.com

www.mindfulfud.com

Hunnie: Certified organic vegan honey alternative made from rescued apples, perfect for sweetening and enhancing recipes sustainably. Booth #1504A

MONERIS

3300 Bloor Street West

Etobicoke, ON M8X 2X2

T: (855) 502-6227

E: associationteam@moneris.com

www.moneris.com

Canadian leader in payments supporting more than 325,000 merchant locations across Canada for 20+ years. Booth #602

MOON’S GOURMET FOODS LTD

101-45300 Luckakuck Way

Chilliwack, BC V2R 3C7

T: (778) 688-2109

E: moonsgourmetfoods@gmail.com

www.moonsgourmetfoods.com

Our sauces are a great accompaniment to your cooking efforts. Made with real and natural ingredients, no harsh preservatives or coloring. LOCAL! Booth #306B

✪ MOTOROLA VALUE

ADDED DISTRIBUTOR

633 Granite Court Pickering, ON L1W 3K1

T: (905) 831-6555

E: mvanderkooi@lenbrook.com

www.lenbrookcanadasolutions.com

Lenbrook is the Canadian Value

Added Distributor for Motorola Two-Way Radios and Body-Worn Cameras. Visit us to learn about the new digital licence free ecosystem! Booth #819

✪ MRAKOVIC FINE FOODS INC.

80 Galaxy Blvd, Unit 1-3

Toronto, ON M9W 4Y8

T: (416) 675-5656

E: info@mrakovic.com

www.mrakovic.com

Mrakovic Find Foods Inc. is a leader producer and distributor of highquality meat products. We specialize in products originating from the Balkan region. Booth #520

MURRY MARKET NATIONAL

6416 64 St.

Delta, BC V4K 4E2

T: (604) 952-6025

E: info@murraymarketinternational.com

www.murraymarketnational.com

Booth #1744

NATURALIGHT FOODS INC.

109-2955 Acland Rd

Kelowna, BC V1X 7X2

T: (250) 491-9800

F: (250) 49109810

E: naturalight@telus.net

www.naturalightfoods.com

Our Pure and Organic Vanilla Extract is produced through a careful extraction process, using only the best certified alcohol and fair trade Madagascar vanilla beans.

Booth #718

NESTLÉ CANADA INC.

25 Sheppard Ave. W.

North York, ON M2N 5S8

T: (416) 512-9000

F: (416) 218-2654

E: consumer.care@ca.nestle.com

www.madewithnestle.ca

Booth #615

NORTHAM BEVERAGES

501-68 Water Street

Vancouver, BC V6B 1A4

T: (604) 657-1445

E: janet@northamgroup.com

www.northambeverages.com

Canada’s Favourite RTD Brands, now available in Non-Alcoholic format. Stop by to try Hey Y’all Iced Tea, Lonetree Cider and Cabron Tequila Mocktails!

Booth #1623

NORTHERN DANCER SALES

1146 Glenridge Dr.

Oakville, ON L6M 2K7

T: (416) 705-0807

F: (905) 825-2761

E: gingriselli@northerndancersales.com

www.northerndancersales.com

We pride our success on passion for the business, integrity, honour, and truth. We align the consumers’ needs with the manufacturers we represent. Brands: Yummy Doh, Importations Papille, Galloni, Martelli Foods, Victory’s Kitchen, National Pasta, Wildly Delicious, Garofalo Pasta, Harney & Son’s Fine Tea, and Saquella Coffee.

Booth #522

NOVOLEX

26 Victoria Cres.

Brampton, ON L6T 1E5

T: (519) 260-4476

E: pp-inquiries@novolex.com

www.novolex.com

Novolex develops and manufactures diverse packaging products for the grocery, foodservice, delivery and carryout, food processor and industrial markets.

Booth #1301

NUOVO FOODS

9012 Walnut Grove Drive

Langley, BC V1M 2K3

T: (160) 436-0369

E: info@nuovofoods.ca

www.muovofoods.ca

Booth #1618, 1620, 1622

OK FROZEN DOUGH

4145 Spallumcheen Place

Armstrong, BC V0E 1B6

T: (205) 546-0311

E: info@okfrozendough.com

www.okfrozendough.com

For over 30 years OK Frozen Dough has been producing quality frozen Bread, Bun, and Pizza Dough. Better Dough, Better Results, Better Service

Booth #623

ONTARIO MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

1 Stone Rd.

Guelph, ON N1G 4Y2

T: (226) 971-1994

E: stephen.p.smith@ontario.ca

www.omafra.gov.on.ca

Growing Ontario’s agri-food sector and supporting rural communities, helping to create a stronger economy for the province.

Booth #596

✪ OOMÉ

12791 Clarke Pl Unit 120

Richmond, BC V6V 2H9

T: (604) 369-1302

E: info@thisisoome.com

www.thisisoome.com

oomé is a premium smoked tofu company. Our products are marinated, naturally smoked, locally manufactured and ready to eat!

Booth #1501A

✪ PAPER E. CLIPS INC

132 Railside Road, Unit 5

Toronto, ON M3A 1A3

T: (416) 510-1494

E: benny@papereclips.com

www.papereclips.com

Since 1985, we’ve been distributing and supply award-winning greeting card brands exclusively in Canada to thousands of specialty stores, independent grocers and national chains. Booth #319

PEAK PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS

6956 Columbus Rd.

Mississauga, ON L5T 2G1

T: (416) 674-7325

E: info@pppinc.ca

www.pppinc.ca

Peak is a national distributor that brings innovative and in demand brands to Canadian Grocers. Categories include Natural Health and Wellness, Better for you Grocery and Snacks, Supplements, High Protein, Low Sugar and much more.

Booth #1305

✪ PETPARKER

610 East 21 Ave.

Vancouver, BC V5V 1R7

T: (604) 312-9508

E: adi@petparker.ca

www.petparker.ca

Backed by a fully managed service, the turnkey innovative pet stations transform customer experiences and safety, boosting customer loyalty and increasing visit frequency and revenues. Booth #1417

PEPSICO CANADA

2095 Matheson Blvd E

Mississauga, ON L4W 5R7

T: (800) 376-2257

E: info@PepsiCo.ca

www.PepsiCo.ca

Pepsi Beverages, Quaker, and Frito-Lay will be present to share what’s new and exciting across their Beverage, Snack, Foods and Nourishing Food categories.

Booth # 409

PRATTS FOOD SERVICE

291196 Wagon Wheel Road

Rockyview, AB T4A 0E2

T: (587) 747-2739

E: info@pratts.ca

www.pratts.ca

Retail, Convenience, Food Service grocery, frozen grocery, cooler, produce, packaging, beverage warewash, smallwares, equipment.

Booth #1423

PROCTER & GAMBLE INC.

4711 Yonge St.

Toronto, ON M2N 6K8

T: (416) 730-6830

E: calugareanu.g@pg.com

www.pg.com

P&G has been doing business in Canada for more than 100 years. We are strongly committed to providing branded products and services of superior quality. Booth #800

✪ RAIMAC INDUSTRIES

9744 197B Street

Langley, BC V1M 3G3

T: (604) 324-1466

F: (604) 327-1334

E: reception@raimac.com

www.raimac.com

Booth #301

REISER (CANADA) CO.

1549 Yorkton Court, Unit 4

Burlington, ON L7P 3B7

T: (905) 631-6611

E: rbelcot@reiser.com

www.reiser.com

Reiser is a distributor of processing and packaging equipment for the grocery industry. Visit Reiser at our booth or at www.Reiser.com

Booth #823

REUVEN INTERNATIONAL LTD.

1881 Yonge St., Suite 201

Toronto, ON M4S 3C4

T: (416) 929-1496

F: (416) 929-1499

E: paularmitage@reuven.com

www.reuven.com

Reuven is dedicated to providing Globally Sourced, Premium Quality, Fully Cooked, Halal Certified, Innovative Poultry and Beef solutions for the Canadian Retail marketplace. Booth #405

RIVERCITY INNOVATIONS

210 – 116 Research Drive

Saskatoon, SK L7N 3R3

T: (306) 986-8888

E: support@rivercityinnovations.a

www.rivercityinnovations.ca

Booth #618

✪ RJS CRAFT WINEMAKING

441 Courtneypark Drive East

Mississauga, ON L5T 2V3

T: (800) 663-0954

E: info@rjscraftwinemaking.com

www.rjscraftwinemaking.com

RJS Craft Winemaking offers premium kits for crafting highquality wines at home, providing all necessary ingredients and equipment for a professional winemaking experience.

Booth #508

✪ ROLL UP

1460 The Queensway Toronto, ON M8Z 1S4

T: (647) 616-2225

E: sales@rollup.com

www.urollup.com

Roll Up brings you the most sustainable and stylish personal care products.

Booth #323

SALTSPRING KITCHEN CO

1-319 Upper Ganges Rd.

Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 1R7

T: (250) 931-6000

E: info@salkspringkitchen.com

www.saltspringkitchen.com

Booth #1511B

✪ SAMROK CANADA INC

#6, 4500-Street NE

Calgary, AB T2E 7C3

T: (403) 241-3207

F: (403) 241-3216

E: office@samrok.com

www.samrok.com

“New” Twilight LED Golf balls, cake fountains, Sparklers, USB Fans, Colorful fire, Canada day party items.

Booth #1409

SAPUTO DAIRY PRODUCTS CANADA GP

1889 Kingsway Avenue

Port Coquitlam, BC V3C 1T1

T: (604) 420-6611

E: salescanada@saputo.com

www.saputo.ca

Manufacturer & distributor of a vast range of dairy brands such as Dairyland, Milk2Go Armstrong, Joyya, Alexis de Portneuf, and our plantbased line Vitalite.

Booth #609

SASKATCHEWAN TRADE & EXPORT PARTNERSHIP

1801 Hamilton Street

Regina, SK S4P 3C6

T: (306) 933-6551

E: tgao@sasktrade.sk.ca

www.sasktrade.com

Herbal supplements/tea, kimchi & kraut, BBQ spices, non-alcoholic beer, plant proteins, & other snacks.

Booth #1401

SECOND HARVEST

120 The East Mall

Toronto, ON M8Z 5V5

T: (416) 408-2594

E: fooddonors@secondharvest.ca

www.secondharvest.ca

Canada’s largest food rescue charity. Our mission is to keep food where it belongs: on plates and out of landfills. Booth #9

✪ SHELF EDGE SOLUTIONS

2524 Matheson Blvd. East, 8th Floor

Mississauga, ON L4W 5K4

T: (416) 419-3296

E: sales@shelfedgesolutions.com

www.shelfedgesolutions.com

Shelf Edge Solutions is a fullservice provider of electronic shelf label technology. ESL provides a centralized, integrated solution that enhances your business workflows and operations. Booth #400

SHICKEN FOODS

Unit 4 Dartford Trading State, Victoria Road

Dartford, Kent DA1 5X5

UNITED KINGDOM

T: (075) 089-1439

E: jonny@shickenfoods.com

www.shickenfoods.com

We offer plant-based alternatives for everyday favourite meat-based foods, without sacrificing taste, texture and the enjoyment of eating the food they love.

Booth #1611

SHOES FOR CREWS

4515 Chesswood Dr., Unit P

Toronto, ON M3J 2V6

T: (877) 667-5477

E: danr@shoesforcrews.com

www.shoesforcrews.ca

Shoes For Crews is the leading innovator in the design and manufacturing of safety protective solutions since 1984. We provide high quality slip-resistant footwear.

Booth #806

SILO PULSES & GRAINS

Box 5

Richardson, SK S0G 4G0

T: (306) 522-1668

F: (306) 522-1669

E: orders@silofoods.ca

www.silofoods.ca

Canadian Prairie grown, processed lentils, chickpeas, split peas and flax in biodegradable consumer packaging. Booth #1519

SIR SOLUTIONS

3565 Rue Jarry E, 650

Montreal, QC H1Z 4K6

T: (514) 758-5175

E: scunningham@sirsolutions.com

www.sirsolutions.com/en

SIR Solutions is a Canadian endto-end point of sale and retail management software company. We offer self-checkouts, Electronic Shelf labels, PS, E-commerce and professional services.

Booth #1223

SLEEVE IT

Unit 202 – 590 Ebury Place

Delta, BC V3M 5K7

T: (604) 522-5431

E: rbertoama@sleeveit.ca

www.sleeveit.ca

Sleeve It, your packaging partner, offers sleeving and labelling services for various types/sizes of containers at very competitive prices.

Booth #1514

SMART LABEL SOLUTIONS INC.

#105 – 3738 North Fraser Way

Burnaby, BC V5J 5G7

T: (604) 434-0882

E: marketing@ppinc.ca

www.smartlabelsolutions.com

Smart Label Solutions helps businesses large and small improve operations, management, and the consumer experience through e-paper technology, such as electronic shelf.

Booth #309

SMITH’S QUALITY MEATS

1434 Church Ave.

Winnipeg, MB

T: (403) 863-7392

E: jasoncarruthers@ smithsqualitymeats.ca

www.smithqualitymeats.ca

Booth #1421

SOBEYS WHOLESALE

1020 64 Avenue NE

Calgary, AB T2E 7V8

T: (403) 730-3500

E: don.mckinlay@sobeys.com

www.sobeyswholesale.com

Sobeys Wholesale is a progressive Canadian food distribution group committed to offering our customers quality products and services in a mutually beneficial partnership.

Booth #809

SOLMAZ FOODS INC.

16 Jutland Rd.

Etobicoke, ON M8Z 2G9

T: (647) 822-2255

E: e.alkan@sundistribution.ca

www.solmazfoods.ca

Solmaz Food, established in Toronto, offers a wide range of halal-certified meats and deli products certified by SQF. Booth #519, 521

✪ SONRAY SALES LTD.

#1-801 West 1st Street

North Vancouver, BC V7P 1A4

T: (604) 986-3401

E: sales@sonray.com

www.sonray.com

Taking niche, quality brands to international markets. Distribution, import and export, and marketing services to bring your products to new markets safely and securely.

Booth #620

ST-ALBERT CHEESE CO-OP INC.

150 rue St-Paul P.O. Box 30

St-Albert, ON K0A 3C0

T: (613) 987-2872

E: sales@fromagestalbert.com

www.fromagestalbert.com

St-Albert cheese, Canada’s biggest cheddar cheese curd maker, find us nationally in retail and food service channels. Booth #503

SUNDANCE SEAFOOD

17350 56th Ave, 1 Cloverdale, BC V3S 1C3

T: (604) 315-9498

E: khamill@westcoastselect.ca

www.westcoastselect.ca

Gourmet Quality Wild Smoked Salmon Products. Featuring a large line of frozen and shelf stable retail items. Booth #310

✪ SUNSHINE PICKLES

20043 Jane Rd.

Thamesville, ON N0P 2K0

T: (510) 692-4416

E: www.info@picklesplease.ca

www.picklesplease.ca

Grown and processed in Ontario. Co-Packaging and Private Label available. Conventional and certified organic products available.

Booth #500

TAIWAN WAY KITCHEN

1140-551 Sherling Pl

Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 0J6

T: (778) 388-4628

E: info@taiwanway.ca

Discover sophisticated innovation, blending authentic Taiwanese flavours with Western-style fusion culinary delights. Offering hasslefree meal preparation with our fresh, convenient, time-saving selections. Booth #1604

T-BROTHERS FOOD AND TRADING

68 Brigantine Dr. Coquitlam, BC V3K 6Z6

T: (604) 540-0306

E: info@t-brothers.com

www.t-brothers.com

Manufacturing and supplying authentic Korean food to Canada for 30 years. SQF certified Kimchi production. Importing and distributing 3,000+ products to Costco, Save-On-Foods and more.

Booth #605

TEJA GLOBAL LTD

(DBA TEJA FOOD GROUP AND CANADIAN TRADE HOUSE)

3048 – 9th Street SE

Calgary, AB T2G 3B9

T: (403) 660-5255

F: (403) 243-8989

E: mikem@tejafoods.com

www.tejafoods.com

Calgary based Distributor of Seafood, Meat, Appetizers, Prepared Meals and Sandwiches, Bakery, Beverages and more to the retail deli/HMR and foodservice trades in Canada. Booth #904

✪ THE GOOD CHOCOLATIER

1978 W Broadway

Vancouver, BC V6J 1Z2

T: (605) 655-4508

E: mara@thegoodchocolatier.com

www.thegoodchocolatier.com

We make healthy & ethical craft cacao bars while creating inclusive employment for neurodiverse adults.

Try what real GOODness is all about!

Booth #1505A

THE GROCERY PEOPLE (TGP)

13232 170th St,

Edmonton, AB, T5V 1M7

T: (780) 447-5700

E: TGPInfo@fcl.crs

www.tgp.crs

The Grocery People (TGP) is a fullservice distributor that delivers groceries and creates programs for independent retail grocers.

Booth #711

✪ TIRRO

1027-11111 Twig Pl

Richmond, BC V6V 0B7

T: (604) 326-0404

E: info@tirro.ca

www.tirro.ca

Single Serve Beverages, pd based tea, coffee and beyond Retail, Co-packing, Private Label and Hospitality.

Booth #1504B

TREE OF LIFE CANADA

6185 McLaughlin Rd.

Mississauga, ON L5R 3W7

T: (905) 512-3642

E: serene.martin@treeoflife.com

www.treeoflife.ca

We are curators of unique brands, bringing elevated food and beverage experiences to Canadians.

Booth #801

TRIO BAKERY

3750A Laird Rd. @2-5

Mississauga, ON L5L 0A6

T: (416) 782-0306

E: info@triobakery.ca

www.triobakery.ca

Borek Bites, Borek Twist and Borek Layers could be used as appetizers, or full meal. Cheese, Cheese and spinach, halal beef or chicken and apple. Booth #507

TRUE NORTH NUTRITION

88 East Beaver Creek Building A, Unit #1

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4A8

T: (403) 909-2652

E: dricci@truenorthnutrition.com

www.truenorthnutrition.com

For 25+ years, True North Nutrition as provided Canadian Retailers with Industry Leading Sports & Nutritional Supplements: Featuring Mammoth Supplements, SINFIT Nutrition and Mars Protein.

Booth #1615

TRUE REFRIGERATION CANADA ULC

2001 East Terra Lane O’Fallon, MO 63366

T: (636) 240-2400

E: trcinfo@truemfg.com

www.truemfg.com

Environmentally friendly, selfcontained refrigeration for restaurants, hotels, grocery and convenience stores. Glass door uprights, impulse, prep-tables, under counters and retail merchandising.

Booth #1708

TURNSTILE SECURITY

40 Erin Park Dr, Erin, ON, N0B 1T0

T: (226) 246- 5657

E: sales@turnstilesecurity.com

www.turnstilesecurity.com

Turnstile Security Systems had a steadfast vision of creating pedestrian control products that are durable, reliable, and backed by a service department dedicated to the customer’s interests.

Booth #918

✪ ULTIMATE CUP OF COFFEE

1751 Boundary Rd.

Vancouver, BC V5M 3Y7

T: (604) 326-3333

E: info@espressodolce.ca

www.espressodolce.ca

Specialty Coffee roaster, coffee equipment dealer, coffee equipment sales and service, office coffee service. Booth #1418

UNILEVER CANADA

160 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400

Toronto, ON M4W 3R2

T: (888) 568-7644

E: scott.mcalpine@unilever.com

www.unilever.ca

Unilever is one of the world’s leading consumer goods companies, with 400+ brands in over 190 countries. Exhibiting 2024 innovations and offering ice cream samples! Booth #905

UNITEX SALES LTD.

102 – 30720 Simpson Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2T 6C7

T: (604) 855-1850

E: info@unitexsales.com

www.unitex.ca

Get Noticed and stand out from the rest with professionally branded corporate clothing and promotional products. We will match your goals with custom solutions designed to elevate your brand.

Booth #910

UPFIELD CANADA INC.

480 University Ave, Suite 803, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V2

T: (613) 890-7387

www.upfield.com

Upfield is a global leader in plantbased foods – across our four core categories – Plant-based Butters and Spreads, Creams, Liquids and Cheeses Booth #1217

VANILLABLOSSOM FLAVORS INC.

21-6809 Kirkpatrick Crescent

Saanichton, BC V8M 1Z8

T: (250) 893-9962

E: info@vanillablossom.com

www.vanillablossom.com

Vanillablossom Flavors is a Canadian small business on Vancouver Island, offering premium vanilla products and spices at accessible prices.

Booth #1001

VILLA RAVIOLI

8495 Du Creusot

Saint-Leonard, QC H1P 2A2

T: (514) 648-4552

E: claude.gagne@villaravioli.com

www.villaravioli.com

Based in Montreal Villa Ravioli offers a wide variety of pasta, fillings, and sauces, using only the highest quality ingredients. For retail, food service, industrial.

Booth #1609

WA-BAGEL BY ABURI

Unit No. B09 – 666 Burrard Street

Vancouver, BC V6C 2X8

T: (604) 416-4900

E: info@wabagel.com

www.wabagel.com

Booth #308

WANZL NORTH AMERICA

700 Technibilt Drive

Newton, NC 28658 USA

T: (800) 351-2278

E: bill.narchos@wanzl.com

www.wanzl.com/na

Wanzl is the leading global supplier of B2B solutions for Retailers and offers a portfolio of diverse products, solutions, and innovations.

Booth #1718

WEBER MARKING SYSTEMS CANADA

6180 Danville Road

Mississauga, ON L5T 2H7

T: (905) 564-6881

F: (905) 564-6886

E: info@webermarking.ca

www.webermarking.ca

Weber Marking Systems Canada is a leading manufacturer and supplier of high-quality labels, innovative labeling systems, and reliable coding products to the Canadian marketplace. Booth #1726

WESTERN GROCER MAGAZINE

675 Berry Street Unit L

Winnipeg, MB R3H 1A7

T: (204) 954-2085

E: rbradley@mercurypublications.ca

www.westerngrocer.com

Serving the grocery industry since 1916! Drop by our booth and tell us about your business and what makes it so special.

Booth #8

WESTERN REFRIGERATION

1232 32nd Ave NE

Calgary, AB T2E 6M8

T: (403) 250-9656

E: info@wr.ca

www.wr.ca

Canada’s Leading Distributor of Food Store & Beverage Equipment – Since 1946! Booth #401

WORKSAFEBC

PO Box 5350 Stn Terminal

Vancouver, BC V6B 5L5

T: (888) 621-7233

E: retail@worksafebc.com

www.worksafebc.com/en

The mission of WorkSafeBC is to prevent workplace injury, illness and death, and support injured workers through fair compensation and effective rehabilitation.

Booth #1209

EXHIBITORS BY CATEGORY

ADVERTISING/MEDIA/ MARKETING PROGRAMS

Associated Grocers

Avante Kiosks

Buy BC (B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food)

Buy BC Pavilion Meeting Area

Canadian Grocer

Distribution Canada Inc.

HappyOrNot by Loyaltors Marketing

Italian Trade Commission

PetParker

Western Grocer Magazine

AUTOMATION SYSTEMS

JRTech Solutions

Rivercity Innovations Ltd.

Shelf Edge Solutions

BAKED GOODS:

FRESH/ FROZEN/REFRIGERATED

Beatrice Bakery Co

Bimbo Canada

Canada Volumes Import/Export Inc.

Consulate General of Hungary

Golestan Wholesale Bakery

Horizonte Imports Inc.

Inform Brokerage

OK Frozen Dough

Raimac Industries

Reiser (Canada) Co.

Wa-Bagel by Aburi

BAR CODING EQUIPMENT/SYSTEMS

JRTech Solutions

SIR Solutions

Weber Marking Systems Canada

BEAUTY & PERSONAL CARE

Roll Up

Unilever Canada

BEER/WINE/CIDER

Aelo Expertly Handcrafted Cocktails

Beverage International Distributor

NorthAm Beverages

Raimac Industries

RJS Craft Winemaking

BEVERAGES

Acosta

Aelo Expertly Handcrafted Cocktails

A Lassonde Inc.

Buy BC (B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food)

Dairy Fountain

Fuse and Sip

Golden Food & Manufacture Ltd.

Greenhouse

Horizonte Imports Inc.

Inform Brokerage

Murray Market National

Nestlé Canada Inc.

NorthAm Beverages

Nuovo Foods

RJS Craft Winemaking

Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership

Tree of Life Canada

CANNABIS

Raimac Industries

CARDS Paper E. Clips Inc.

CEREAL

General Mills

CHECKOUT EQUIPMENT

AM/PM Service-Point of Sales Solutions

CLEANERS & SUPPLIES

Advantage Solutions

LeafFilter

COFFEE & TEA

Advantage Solutions

Best Brands Marketing Inc.

Fuse and Sip

Kraft Heinz

Raimac Industries

Tirro

Ultimate Cup of Coffee

CONDIMENTS & RELISHES

Aji Gourmet Products Ltd. (Dyana’s Aji)

Akis Fine Foods Ltd.

Consulate General of Hungary

Ginger Goat Hot Sauce

Infusion Premium Foods Inc.

Kraft Heinz

Lucifer’s House of Heat

Moon’s Gourmet Foods LTD.

Nuovo Foods

CONFECTIONERY

Advantage Solutions

Knedla

Murray Market National

Nestlé Canada Inc.

Raimac Industries

The GOOD Chocaltier

CONSULTING SERVICES

Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

Fraser Valley Wireless

HappyOrNot by Loyaltors Marketing

Raimac Industries

DAIRY & EGGS

Burnbrae Farms

Dairy Fountain

Lactalis Canada

L.H. Gray & Son

Raimac Industries

St-Albert Cheese Co-op

DISPLAY CASES

Avante Kiosks

Raimac Industries

True Refrigeration Canada ULC

DISTRIBUTOR/ WHOLESALE

Alriyabi Trading LLC

Associated Grocers

Best Brands Marketing Inc.

Bob Bakery World Ltd

Canada Volumes Import/Export Inc.

City Soda

Conglom

Consulate General of Hungary

Don Chendo Products Inc.

Ghalley Holdings Ltd. DBA Lehar and Vijs For You

Global Trading Network Ltd.

Horizonte Imports Inc.

Knedla

Lucifer’s House of Heat

Motorola Value Added Distributor

Naturalight Foods Inc

Raimac Industries

Samrok Canada Inc

Sleeve It

Sonray Sales Ltd.

Teja Global Ltd (dba Teja Food Group and Canadian Trade House)

Ultimate Cup of Coffee

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Raimac Industries

Second Harvest

EQUIPMENT

Wanzl North America

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Bank of Montreal

Federated Insurance Company of Canada

Italian Trade Commission

Localcoin ATM

Moneris

FIXTURES: STORE

King Retail Soutions

Raimac Industries

FOOD PREPARATION EQUIPMENT

DSL Ltd.

Raimac Industries

Reiser (Canada) Co.

Western Refrigeration

FOOD SAFETY & SANITATION

Raimac Industries

Rivercity Innovations Ltd.

FOOD SERVICE

Aji Gourmet Products Ltd. (Dyana’ Aji)

Akis Fine Foods Ltd.

Arbutus Foods

DSL Ltd.

Dyna-Pro Environmental

fraktals Chocolate

Nuovo Foods

oomé

Raimac Industries

Reiser (Canada) Co.

Solmaz Foods Inc.

Tree of Life Canada

Villa Ravioli

FOOD SERVICE EQUIPMENT

DSL Ltd.

Dyna-Pro Environmental

Raimac Industries

Western Refrigeration

FOODS: BABY

Nestlé Canada Inc.

FOODS: CANNED

Consulate General of Hungary

Golden Food & Manufacture Ltd.

Horizonte Imports Inc.

Inform Brokerage

FOODS: DELI

Arbutus Foods

Brandt Meats

Consulate General of Hungary

Maple Leaf Foods

Nuovo Foods

Reiser (Canada) Co.

SaltSpring Kitchen Co

Solmaz Foods Inc.

St-Albert Cheese Co-op

FOODS: DRY

Acosta

Buy BC (B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food)

Consulate General of Hungary

Conagra Brands Canada

Don Chendo Products Inc

General Mills

Golden Food & Manufacture Ltd.

Horizonte Imports Inc.

Silo Pulses & Grains

Sonray Sales Ltd.

T-Brothers Food and Trading

FOODS: ETHNIC

Arbutus Foods

Barakah Eats

Best Brands Marketing Inc.

Canada Volumes Import/Export Inc.

Consulate General of Hungary

Don Chendo Products Inc.

Hon’s

Horizonte Imports Inc.

Knedla

KULA Foods

Nuovo Foods

Reiser (Canada) Co.

Silo Pulses & Grains

Solmaz Foods Inc.

Trio Bakery

FOODS: FROZEN

Barakah Eats

Cavendish Farms

Conagra Brands Canada

Consulate General of Hungary

Hon’s

Knedla

KULA Foods

L.H. Gray & Son

Living Tree Foods

McCain Foods

Mrakovic Fine Foods Inc.

Nestlé Canada Inc.

Reuven International Ltd.

T-Brothers Food and Trading

Trio Bakery

Unilever Canada

Villa Ravioli

FOODS: HEALTH

Alriyabi Trading LLC

Big Mountain Foods

Consulate General of Hungary

Dr. Bee

Home Harvest by Houweling

Nurseries Ltd.

Infusion Premium Foods Inc.

Nestlé Canada Inc.

True North Nutrition

FOODS: KOSHER

Naturalight Foods Inc

Sonray Sales Ltd.

FOODS: NATURAL/ ORGANIC

Alriyabi Trading LLC

Big Mountain Foods

Consulate General of Hungary

Dr. Bee

Ginger Goat Hot Sauce

Global Trading Network Ltd.

Living Tree Foods

Murray Market National

NorthAm Beverages

oomé

Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership

Sundance Seafood

The Good Chocolatier

Tirro

Tree of Life Canada

FOODS: PREPARED

Arbutus Foods

Barakah Eats

Beatrice Bakery Co

Big Mountain Foods

Hon’s

Intercity Packers Meat & Seafood

L.H. Gray & Son

Maple Leaf Foods

McCain Foods

FOODS: SNACK

A Lassonde Inc.

Arbutus Foods

Beatrice Bakery Co

Bimbo Canada

Conagra Brands Canada

Consulate General of Hungary

fraktals Chocolate

General Mills

Ghalley Holdings Ltd. DBA Lehar and Vijs For You

Jack Link’s Protein Snacks

La Cocina Foods

McCain Foods

Nestlé Canada Inc.

True North Nutrition

FOODS: SPECIALTY

Acosta

Akis Fine Foods Ltd.

Arbutus Foods

ABURI Market

Beverage International Distributor

Big Mountain Foods

Brandt Meats

Consulate General of Hungary

fraktals Chocolate

Ginger Goat Hot Sauce

Global Trading Network Ltd.

Home Harvest by Houweling

Nurseries Ltd.

Hon’s

Horizonte Imports Inc.

KULA Foods

Living Tree Foods

Moon’s Gourmet Foods LTD.

Nuovo Foods

SaltSpring Kitchen Co

Sonray Sales Ltd.

St-Albert Cheese Co-op

Sundance Seafood

The GOOD Chocolatier

Upfield Canada Inc.

FOODS: SPREADS

Consulate General of Hungary

Dr. Bee

Nuovo Foods

SaltSpring Kitchen Co

GARDEN/FLORAL/SEASONAL

Home Harvest by Houweling

Nurseries Ltd.

LeafFilter

Raimac Industries

Samrok Canada Inc

HVAC & FREEZERS

Kysor Warren Epta US

Raimac Industries

True Refrigeration Canada ULC

Western Refrigeration

IMPORT/EXPORT

Consulate General of Hungary

Ghalley Holdings Ltd. DBA Lehar and Vijs For You

Sonray Sales Ltd.

T-Brothers Food and Trading

JUICES

A Lassonde Inc.

Greenhouse

Raimac Industries

LABELING & PRICING EQUIPMENT

DIGI Canada Inc.

Ishida Canada Inc.

JRTech Solutions

Raimac Industries

Shelf Edge Solutions

Weber Marking Systems Canada

LIGHTING

Amerlux, LLC

MEAL SOLUTIONS

Hon’s

Kraft Heinz

Nuovo Foods

oomé

Teja Global Ltd (dba Teja Food Group and Canadian Trade House)

Trio Bakery

MEAT PROCESSING

Brandt Meats

Maple Leaf Foods

Reiser (Canada) Co.

Solmaz Foods Inc.

MEAT: BEEF

ABURI Market

Intercity Packers Meat & Seafood

Reuven International Ltd.

Solmaz Foods Inc.

Smith’s Quality Meats

MEAT: PORK

Raimac Industries

Smith’s Quality Meats

MEAT: POULTRY

Reuven International Ltd.

MEATS: OTHER

Mrakovic Fine Foods Inc.

Raimac Industries

Smith’s Quality Meats

MEAT PROCESSING

Raimac Industries

NATURAL PRODUCTS

Aji Gourmet Products Ltd. (Dyana’s Aji)

Infusion Premium Foods Inc.

Roll Up

Silo Pulses & Grains

Sonray Sales Ltd.

MONEY /CURRENCY

HANDLING SYSTEMS

Localcoin ATM

PACKAGING

Conglom

Diamond Packaging Supplies Ltd

DIGI Canada Inc.

Hon’s

Ishida Canada Inc.

Raimac Industries

Sleeve It

Weber Marking Systems Canada

PAPER PRODUCTS

Conglom

Kruger Products

Paper E. Clips Inc.

Roll Up

Sleeve It

PET FOOD & SUPPLIES

PetParker

POINT OF SALE SYSTEMS & EQUIPMENT

AM/PM Service-Point of Sales Solutions

Avante Kiosks

DIGI Canada Inc.

Ishida Canada Inc.

SIR Solutions

True Refrigeration Canada ULC

PRIVATE LABEL

Akis Fine Foods Ltd.

Arbutus Foods

City Soda

St-Albert Cheese Co-op

Tirro

Ultimate Cup of Coffee

Villa Ravioli

SEAFOOD

ABURI Market

Intercity Packers Meat & Seafood

Raimac Industries

Teja Global Ltd (dba Teja Food Group and Canadian Trade House)

SECURITY SYSTEMS & EQUIPMENT

Fraser Valley Wireless

PetParker

SIGNAGE & GRAPHICS

King Retail Solutions

Pratts Food Service

Shelf Edge Solutions

SIR Solutions

SPICES & FLAVOURINGS

Consulate General of Hungary

Lucifer’s House of Heat

Naturalight Foods Inc

Nuovo Foods

Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership

STATIONERY SUPPLIES

Paper E. Clips Inc.

Samrok Canada Inc

STORE FURNISHINGS & DESIGN

King Retail Solutions

Raimac Industries

Wanzl North America

TECH/ IT

HappyOrNot by Loyaltors Marketing

Fraser Valley Wireless

Rivercity Innovations Ltd.

TRADE ASSOCIATION

Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

Consulate General of Hungary

Distribution Canada Inc.

Italian Trade Commission

TRADE PUBLICATIONS

Pratts Food Service

Western Grocer Magazine

TRAINING

Associated Grocers

TRANSPORTATION

Second Harvest

UNIFORMS

Shoes For Crews

VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS

Nestlé Canada Inc.

Unilever Canada

WAREHOUSING

Pratts Food Service

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Second Harvest

WATER

City Soda

Dyna-Pro Environmental

LeafFilter

Nestlé Canada Inc.

OTHER

Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

Buy BC Pavilion Meeting Area

Fuse and Sip

Growcer

Localcoin ATM

Moon’s Gourmet Foods LTD.

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Raimac Industries

RJS Craft Winemaking

Upfield Canada Inc.

WorkSafeBC

EXHIBITORS BY BOOTH

KIOSKS 409 PEPISCO CANADA 414 JACK LINK’S PROTEIN SNACKS

KNEDLA 420 DON CHENDO PRODUCTS INC. 500 SUNSHINE PICKLES 501 GOLDEN FOOD & MANUFACTURE LTD. 503 ST-ALBERT CHEESE CO-OP INC.

504 FRAKTALS CHOCOLATE

505 DAIRY FOUNTAIN

507 TRIO BAKERY

508 RJS CRAFT WINEMAKING

511 GREENHOUSE

514 M-C DAIRY COMPANY

515 BRANDT MEATS

518 CRAFTY RAMEN

519, 521 SOLMAZ FOODS INC

520 MRAKOVIC

522 NORTHERN DANCER SALES

523 GINGER GOAT HOT SAUCE

596........................... ONTARIO MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD, AND RURAL AFFAIRS 600 AMERLUX, LLC

BANK OF MONTREAL

T-BROTHERS FOOD AND TRADING

FEDERATED INSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA

608 BIMBO CANADA

609 SAPUTO DAIRY PRODUCTS CANADA GP

614 JRTECH SOLUTIONS

615 NESTLE

618 RIVERCITY INNOVATIONS

620 SONRA

623 OK FROZEN DOUGH

701 A. LASSONDE INC.

702 CAVENDISH FARMS

704 HOBART

706 HOWELL DATA SYSTEMS

707 INTERCITY PACKERS MEAT & SEAFOOD

711 THE GROCERY PEOPLE

715 KRAFT HEINZ

718 NATURALIGHT FOODS INC.

720 CAVENDISH FARMS

800 PROCTOR & GAMBLE

801 TREE OF LIFE CANADA

804 ARBUTUS

805 ISHIDA CANADA INC.

806 SHOES FOR CREWS

808 DANONE

809 SOBEYS

815 KRUGER PRODUCTS

TEJA

UNILEVER CANADA

HORIZONTE IMPORTS INC.

VANILLABLOSSOM FLAVORS INC.

LACTALIS CANADA

HOME HARVEST BY HOWELING NURSERIES LTD.

ASSOCIATED

BOB BAKERY WORLD LTD.

GLOBAL TRADING NETWORK LTD.

BEVERAGE INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR

PEAK PERFORMANCE

GENERAL MILLS

ACOSTA 1400 CONCORD NATIONAL LLP

SASKATCHEWAN TRADE & EXPORT PARTNERSHIP 1407 FRASER VALLEY WIRELESS 1409 SAMROK CANADA INC

1411 AM/PM SERVICE-POINT OF SALE SOLUTIONS

1414 LA COCINA FOODS

1415 AELO EXPERTLY HANDCRAFTED COCKTAILS

1417 PETPARKER

1418 ULTIMATE CUP OF COFFEE

1421 SMITH’S QUALITY

1423 PRATTS FOOD SERVICE

1500B LIVING TREE FOODS

1501A ...................... OOMÉ

1501B BIG MOUNTAIN FOODS

1502B FUSE AND SIP

1503A KULA FOODS

1503B LIQUIDS+SOLIDS

1504A MINDFUL FÜD

1504B TIRRO

1505A THE GOOD CHOCOLATIER

1507B AJI GOURMET PRODUCTS LTD. (DYANA’S AJI)

1508 BUY BC PAVILION MEETING AREA

1509B INFUSION PREMIUM FOODS INC.

1510 BUY BC (B.C. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD)

1511B SALTSPRING KITCHEN CO

1514 SLEEVE IT

1515 CONAGRA BRANDS

1516 CITY SODA

1519 SILO PULSES & GRAINS

1521 INFORM BROKERAGE

1522 DYNA-PRO ENVIRONMENTAL

1523 BEST BRANDS MARKETING INC.

1600 +1602 LUCIFER’S HOUSE OF HEAT

1604 TAIWAN WAY KITCHEN

1605 BEATRICE BAKERY CO

1608 CANADA VOLUMES IMPORT/EXPORT INC.

1609 VILLA RAVIOLI

1610 GHALLEY HOLDINGS LTD. DBA LEHAR AND VIJS FOR YOU

1611 SHICKEN FOODS

1614 DLS LTD.

1615 TRUE NORTH NUTRITION

1618, 1620, 1622 NUOVO FOODS INC.

1623 NORTHAM BEVERAGES

1700 IN-STORE WATER SYSTEMS

1708 TRUE REFRIGERATION CANADA ULC

1718 WANZL NORTH AMERICA

1726 WEBER MARKING SYSTEMS CANADA

1736 BURNBRAE FARMS

1744 MURRAY MARKET NATIONAL

1750, 1752, 1754 ITALIAN TRADE COMMISSION

1766 HON’S 1760 JIMMY ZEE’S DISTRIBUTORS INC.

Grocery & Specialty Food West 2024 thanks the following companies for their support *As of April 4, 2024