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11 Grocers Navigated the Future at Annual Conference & ExhibitionGrocery Innovations Canada held its 54th annual showcasehighlighting trends and insights from the grocery sector.

13 2016 Edition of SIAL Paris Exceeds ExpectationsAt a time when food is expected to perform, inspiration is SIAL’s inimitable trademark.

27 Global Farming - Fair Trade

33 Oh Naturel - Sweeteners

35 Calling on LocalMeeting growing consumer demands for local products means looking in our own backyard for suppliers.

43 Holy Cow! – Dairy

47 More Than a Pretty Face Packaging that works for the retailer.

51 Keeping Up with the Trends A specialty strategy.

55 If You Bake It They Will Buy Clean ingredients key to in-store bakery success.

57 The Good News While other industries may be in a slump, Manitoba’s food producers and grocery retail sector is going strong.

WWW.WESTERNGROCER.COM 5

On Our Cover

Publisher & Editor, Frank Yeo; Associate Publisher & National Account Manager, Robin Bradley; Western Account Manager, Melanie Bayluk; Editor/Editorial Production Coordinator: Nicole Sherwood; AdvertisingProduction Manager, Marsha Coombe; Creative Manager, Sarra Burton; Circulation Department e-mail: [email protected]; Advertising Consultants: David Bastable, Sheilah Davila, Loren Fox, ElaineDufault, Edna Saito. Publisher: Western Grocer Magazine is published bi-monthly by Mercury Publications Limited Head Office: 1313 Border Street, Unit 16, Winnipeg, MB R2H 0X4 Tel: (204) 954-2085 Fax: (204) 954-2057 www.mercury.mb.ca • e-mail: [email protected] Associated Publications: C-Store Canada Magazine, Votre Dépanneur, Commerce & Industry Magazine, Western Hotelier, Western Restaurant News, Health& Wellness Retailer, Western Food Processor and Bar & Beverage Business. Circulation: Western Grocer Magazine serves the grocery and allied non-food industries. Readership includes distributors, brokers,manufacturers, wholesalers, independent grocers, food processors, bakeries, supermarkets, convenience stores, principal food service outlets, food researchers and consultants, government, voluntary groupsand co-ops in the four Western Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Northern Canada and the Northwest Ontario area. Subscription Rates: $45.00 for one year, $63.00 fortwo years, $93.00 for three years; $5.00 for single copy, plus 7% GST. Canadian rates only. Advertising: Deadline is 25th of the first month. Editorial: The contents of this publication may not be reproduced inwhole or in part without written consent of publisher. Photo credits not given unless requested in writing along with photo submission.

Publication Mail Agreement No: 40062509. ISSN# 0705-906X. Return Undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept. at 1313 Border Street, Unit 16, Winnipeg MB R3H 0X4 e-mail: [email protected] Printed in Canada

14 Boundless Potential

Diverse trends drive the pasta & sauce category.

Cover Photography: shutterstock.com

Departments

In this Issue

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 • VOLUME 102 , NO.5

Serving Western Canadians for 100 Years

27

35

55

6 Market Update8 Calendar of Events45 Category Management60 In the Bag

62 Taking Stock

These are heady days for Canada’s food industry. HealthCanada has announced significant overhauls will be madeto the Canada food guide in conjunction with asimplification of food labels, adding front-of-packaginginformation, and more concerted effort to promote healthyeating, including a national ban on advertising unhealthy foods to children.

For health professionals, these changes have been long overdue. The last updateto Canada’s Food Guide was in 2007. The changes are part of an effort to improve theeating habits of Canadians, highlighting key nutrients such as sodium, sugars andsaturated fats, and make the food guide more accessible and easier to understand.

These initiatives come in the context of a burgeoning “food movement” in Canadathat encompasses the efforts of groups such as Food Secure Canada and the Centrefor Food in Canada. This last October, Food Secure Canada held its ninth nationalassembly under the theme “Resetting the Table” where issues of food security werewidely discussed in the hope of influencing the development of the new nationalfood policy for Canada. The conference addressed issues such as how we combat thecrisis of food insecurity in northern Canada; what can we do about the four millionCanadians who struggle to put food on the table; and how can we support the nextgeneration of farmers who have innovative and sustainable practices?

The Centre for Food in Canada also held its fifth annual Canadian Food & DrinkSummit this November 28th and 29th in Toronto, exploring the future of Canada’sfood sector and how to leverage new opportunities to enhance the food sector’sperformance.

A big topic for both groups is the question of providing a guaranteed basicincome. This is seen as a fundamental issue because it is linked to basic healthand wellness-which in turn is tied to range of other issues such as education,workplace productivity and health care costs.

The problem is that a basic guaranteed income is also the most difficult toaccomplish. Would it mean that every person who earned under a stipulatedamount would receive a subsidy from the government? Would this be shoulderedby taxpayers or would higher wages become mandatory for employers?

Either way, it would represent a largetransfer of wealth and will not begreeted well, however noble the cause.

Frank Yeo,Publisher & Editor

Canada’s Food System Under Review

publisher’s perspective

Robin Bradley

Associate Publisher &National Account Manager

[email protected]

Melanie Bayluk

Western Account Manager

[email protected]

51

4 WWW.WESTERNGROCER.COM

14

market update


Canadian Independent Grocer of the YearAward Winners Announced

The 54th Annual Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards Ceremony took placein front of a gala audience of over 500 leading grocers, suppliers, and distributors at GroceryInnovations Canada 2016 Canada’s premier grocery conference and trade show.

Each year, the Canadian Federation of IndependentGrocers (CFIG) Awards Program recognizes the successof outstanding independent retailers and offers insightsinto innovations that are changing and enhancing theway retailers compete.

The NATIONAL GOLD AWARD Winners for Top Inde-pendent Grocer of the Year for 2016 are:

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

Longo’s – Bayview, Toronto, Ont. (Medium Surface)Pape Market Foodland, Toronto, Ont. (Small Surface)Yummy Market, Maple, Ont. (Specialty Category-David C. Parsons Award)

Master Merchandiser 2016 Gold Winners are:Dessureault Independent, Orleans, Ontario

(Gold Large Surface)Quality Foods Waterside Square, Parksville, BC(Gold Medium Surface)Sun Valley Supermarket Inc., Toronto, Ontario

(Gold Small Surface)

Jacques Dufresne and Michel Vincent of L. Dufresne &Fils Ltee of Val-David, Québec, were also awarded THEARNOLD RANDS HERITAGE AWARD. The award is given tothe year’s best multi-generational store that is privatelyowned, that has been in the same family for at least twogenerations and in the same community for 35 years.

This year, CFIG inducted the following grocers into the Hall of Fame:Hamilton’s IGA of Ponoka, Alberta and Metro Plouffe de Sherbrooke (boul.Bourque)

of Sherbrooke, Québec.

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

Cori Boninaof Stong’s to Receive LifeMember Designationfrom CFIG

Cori Bonina of Stong’s in VancouverB.C., is a 2016 recipient of CFIG’s LifeMember Award in the Independent Gro-cer category.

You could say the grocery business isin Bonina’s DNA. As the great-grand-daughter of Carson Stong, who openedhis first Vancouver store in 1931, she hasworked in various aspects of the busi-ness since age of 10. As Bonina’s partic-ipation in the family business grew, sodid her reputation as a businesswomanand leader in a male-dominated industry.

In 2008, Bonina launched a new busi-ness, Cori’s Kitchen, producing Cori’sKitchen Brand of ready to serve foods.And in 2001, she was named president ofStong’s. In 2010, Cori Bonina becamechair of the Canadian Federation of Inde-pendent Grocers, the first female chair inCFIG’s 50-year history.

“A fourth-generation grocer, Cori Boninaand her team have just opened a new stateof the art store in North Vancouver andwill be opening a second new storeacross the street from her long-timeDunbar street location in December,” said

Thomas A. Barlow,president and CEOof Canadian Federa-tion of IndependentGrocers. “Bonina isa tireless advocatefor independent gro-cers in Canada. Bon-ina was a long-termboard member ofthe Canadian Feder-

ation of Independent Grocers, rising tobecome the association’s first femalechair. However, gender did not play apart in her success with CFIG, Bonina’senergy, creativeness and candid andopen personality made her an ideal can-didate to lead the association.”

Under her leadership, Stong’s hasbeen voted the number one grocerystore in Vancouver 11 times, won aCFIG Diamond Pin, three gold and oneplatinum Canadian Independent Gro-cer of the year awards, the ArnoldRands Heritage Award and CFIG’S Hallof Fame Award.

Pete Luckett Receives Life MemberDesignation from CFIG

Pete Luckett of Pete’s Fine Foods, Luckett Vineyards, in Nova Scotia, is a 2016recipient of CFIG’s Life Member Award in the Independent Grocer category.Thomas A. Barlow, president and CEO of CFIG said: “Pete Luckett is recognized asa leader in the Eastern Canadian grocery business. Luckett and his team at Pete’sFine Foods created a loyal following by staying ahead of their competition andbringing new and unique offerings to their customers. Some of these include a

power juice bar, a gourmet fruit and gift basket shop, a European delicatessen, a gourmet butcher andfish shop, a British specialty food emporium named Best of Britain, plus a wine shop.”

Van Houtte Brand Gets a Makeover Van Houtte, the premium Canadian coffee brand founded by Albert-

Louis Van Houtte in 1919, has revamped its logo in preparation for itsupcoming hundredth anniversary. More than ever, the new logo reflectsthe company’s heritage and extensive know-how. Some things are here tostay however, and the brand’s characteristics remain unchanged: VanHoutte still selects the best coffee beans and roasts them in small batches todeliver premium quality coffee to its customers.

“Since the very beginning, the Van Houtte brand has constantly evolved, developing its cultureand expertise to help consumers appreciate the subtle nuances of coffee,” explained VanHoutte® Brand Manager Anick Chartrand. “So it’s a natural next step to subtly reposition ourlogo, while keeping faith with our roots.”

The new look shows the brand’s respect for tradition and for the vast experience of our masterroasters, who have been designing coffee blends for consumers for nearly 100 years. Everyaspect of the new logo — from the portrait of the brand’s founder to the name, signature, and rich,contemporary colours — exudes authenticity, heritage and know-how.

The evolved packaging design has also been meticulously craftedto incarnate and strengthen the brand. The new gourmet imagerymakes the products stand out on the shelf better and helps consumerseasily identify the various coffee blends, while the combinedmatte/gloss finish on the coffee bags give them an attractive new look.

“Over the decades, our master roasters have honed theirexpertise, knowing that attention to detail is important,” addedAnick Chartrand. ”After redefining the art of blending coffee tocreate a range of flavours for all tastes, we wanted to revamp ourlogo with the same meticulous care.”

Van Houtte offers more than 50 different blends to please allpalates. In addition to the House Blend and Colombian coffees inthe Classic collection and flavoured coffees such as Vanilla Hazel-nut, the new logo also applies to the Signature coffee collectioncertified by Fairtrade International.

The brand is taking advantage of the introduction of the newlogo to launch a massive Canada-wide campaign showcasing itsknow-how. A new TV ad was launched on August 22, and willsubsequently be accompanied by advertising in subway stations

in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver; point-of-sale promotional support; and a complete digitalcampaign. The Vanhoutte.com website will soon be entirely revamped to offer consumers newcontent and share the expertise of the Van Houtte brand. A made-over Recipes section will titil-late coffee lovers’ tastebuds and a new Inspiration section will provide tips and practical advice.

“The visual transformation of the Van Houtte brand is an important step and the result of anoutstanding team effort,” explained Caroline Losson, vice-president, marketing, Keurig Canada.“We believe that this initiative will enable Van Houtte to better affirm its know-how and commu-nicate its distinguishing features, ensuring it a promising future.”

NEW LOOKSAME GREAT TASTE

VAN HOUTTE® IS THE

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KEURIG® SYSTEM1

1 Source : Nielsen Market Track, National Grocery+Drug+Mass Merch+General Merch, Dollar share, 52 weeks ending April 30th 2016.

Darryl Rowe to Receive Life Member Designation from CFIG Darryl Rowe, president of Weston Bakeries, is a 2016 recipient of CFIG’s prestigious Life Member Award in the Industry

Builder category. During his busy career, Rowe has found time to serve as chair of FCPC, and chair of CFIG’s Associate Mem-bers Council and is now the chair of the Healthy Grains Institute.

“Darryl has been a great supporter of the Canadian independent grocer,” said Thomas A. Barlow, president and CEO, Cana-dian Federation of Independent Grocers. “Having worked directly with Rowe at Coca-Cola, I always admired his passion forthe customer and consumer along with his unique Newfoundland sense of humour. Respected throughout the industry as aninnovator and thought leader, Rowe is a true Canadian who recognizes and supports a strong and healthy independent grocery business. Rowe’srecognition as a Canadian Federation of Independent Grocer ‘Industry Builder’ is very well deserved.”

Southeastern MillsAppoints Star Marketing

Southeastern Mills has appointed Star Mar-keting as the Better Than Bouillon Distributorfor the Grocery, Mass & Drug channels inWestern Canada. Star Marketing is autho-rized to distribute and catalogue all itemsidentified by the prefix 0-98308 in the GS1system within Western Canada.

If you have any questions regarding thecomplete line of Better Than Bouillon withinWestern Canada, contact: Star MarketingLtd. 3289 – 190th Street, Surrey BC V3Z 1A7Phone: 778-574-0778, Fax: 778-574-0782


Watch for Barocco Coffee

One of Canada’s highest quality coffeebrands will soon be seen more in WesternCanada! Barocco Coffee Company, founded in2010 by Nunzio Tumino, chairman andfounder of Aurora Importing, is a Canadiancoffee roasting company located in Missis-sauga focusing on exceptional quality coffeeblends. The company boasts a collection of sixblends, consisting of three regional espressoscapturing the varied taste profiles in Italyfrom north to south and three dynamic blendscapturing the light, medium and dark roastprofiles preferred by the North Americanbrewed coffee connoisseur.

Utilizing traditional roasting methodshoned in Italy at the turn of the century,Barocco Coffee strikes a balance betweenthose traditions and today’s profile roastingmethods and latest technology, alwaysthrough the lens of an artisanal approach.

Small batch roasts are delivered freshweekly and packaged in the highest qualityJapanese sourced bags; no detail is over-looked. Their roasting team is regularly cup-

ping and tasting toensure consistency.Barocco branded cof-fee only uses beansthat score 80+ (SCAAscale). Art and scienceare combined to ensurethe highest quality.

Coffee beans aresourced from Centraland South America,Africa, India and Asia.The company dealswith quality farmerswho employ sustain-able farming practices

and source Rainforest Alliance certified beanswhere possible. They also have Direct Trade rela-tionships with farms in Brazil and Colombia.

While hotels, cafes and restaurants havebeen the primary focus, grocery retail is notfar behind, especially those that want to aug-ment their current offering with a discerningfresh roasted, artisanal coffee and premiumloose leaf teas to help differentiate them andkeep their customers returning. The compa-ny even offers specialty milks, syrups, hand-made coffee infused chocolates and essen-tial supplies to round out their complete cof-fee and tea program.

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market update


Concord Appoints BoychukKen Boychuk has accepted the position of Food Service Territory? Manager

with Concord National-Prairie Division. He will be based in the Winnipeg officeand handle the Manitoba and Saskatchewan Food Service trade.

Boychuk was a territory manager for NW Ontario and beverage specialistfor Winnipeg for Kraft Canada. He then went on to Sysco Winnipeg as districtsales representative for Winnipeg and rural Manitoba. He later managed theirManitoba Food Service trade for Riverwood Sales calling on distributors andend users as well as managing their principals in that market.

eventscalendar

February 3-6, 2017Europain & IntersucParis-Nord Villepinte, FranceFor more info: www.europain.com

March 20-21, 2017Grocery & SpecialtyFood WestVancouver Convention Centre – EastVancouver, BCFor more info: www.cfig.ca

April 6-7, 2017CHFA WestVancouver Convention Centre – WestVancouver, BCFor more info: www.chfa.ca

April 23-24,2017Bakery Congress 2017 Trade Show & ConferenceVancouver Convention CentreVancouver, BCFor more info: www.baking.ca

May 2-4,2017SIAL CanadaEnercare CentreToronto, ONFor more info: https://sialcanad.com

May 23-25, 2017Sweets & SnacksExpoMcCormick Place Chicago, IL, USAFor more info:www.sweetsandsnacks.com

June 4-6, 2017IDDBA 17Anaheim, CA, USAFor more info: www.iddba.org

Toonies For Tummies Expands WestThe Grocery Foundation and Save-On Foods has announced that the western-based retailer will

participate in the upcoming 2017 campaign benefitting student nutrition. The pilot, which will takeplace at over 150 Save-On Foods stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitobawill mark the first time Toonies for Tummies is branching into Western Canada representing a newmilestone for the campaign and for the foundation.

The Grocery Foundation had previously announced the return of the Toonies for Tummies pro-gram February 9-23, 2017 at Metro, Food Basics, Longo’s and at 60 independents all of which haveactively supported the campaign for many years. Now, with the addition of Save-On Foods, thenumber of stores slated to take part in the two-week campaign has climbed over 500, offeringsponsoring brands a significantly expanded footprint to rally behind.

“The addition of Save-On Foods to the Toonies campaign underscores ongoing efforts by TheGrocery Foundation and leading Canadian retailers to support student nutrition programs forchildren and youth while also driving incremental traffic and profile for sponsor brands interestedin supporting this important cause,” says Anthony Longo, chair, The Grocery Foundation Board ofDirectors. Longo confirms, “As with the Ontario-based campaign, we’ll work with local partners toensure 100 per cent of donations made to Toonies in the West at participating Save-On Foodsstores will benefit local student nutrition programs.”

Discovery Organics Launches Rebel Food Discovery Organics has launched its Rebel Food program to promote

blemished fruits and vegetables that cannot be traditionally sold. Funnylooking or simply scarred produce are as tasty as their “perfect”counterparts, but much cheaper. The Rebel Food program is a way forretailers to buy certified organic produce at a heavily discountedprice, encourage their customers to eat more organic certified produce

at a value closer to conventional pricing and to help farmers get a better return for their crops.

1 15-04-24 4:50 PM


Grocery Innovations Canada (GIC) isCanada’s premier grocery eventdeveloped by industry professionals,

for industry professionals. It is the onlyevent in Canada dedicated to the entiregrocery industry and is the largest one ofits kind with over 4,700 attending the two-day event at the Toronto Congress CentreOctober 17 & 18.

This year’s show themed “Navigating theFuture,” hosted a packed day full of insightfulpresentations and workshops as well as excit-ing competitions including; the Top 10 MostInnovative Products and Best Booth Awards.

Global Thought LeadersThere was plenty of food for thought

both days, with global leaders in marketing,food and innovation taking the stage. Kick-

ing things off was Monday’s keynoteaddress, “Coverage, Cost and PromotionalIntensity: Pick Any Two” by Ken Wong,professor of marketing at Smith Schoolof Business at Queen’s University. Wong’spresentation addressed the effect newtechnologies, consumer buying behaviourand corporate concentration rates have ondistribution terms.

Day two of the conference kicked offwith Jeff Swearingen, senior vice-presi-dent, PepsiCo North America’s DemandXcelerator giving his address on howinsights and technology can help re-createthe “My Grocery Store” feeling with cus-tomers. Next up was Hannah Donoghue,director of advisory at RetailNet Groupspeaking on the “Store of the Future –Reinventing Store Networks for Sustain-able Growth.” Finally, Mark Baum, chief col-

post show review

Grocery InnovationsCanada held its 54th annual showcase highlighting trends, and insights from the grocery sector

Grocers Navigated the Future at Annual Conference & Exhibition

laboration officer, FMI gave his session on‘Trends Driving Change: Impacts andOpportunities for Food Retailers.”

WorkshopsThe concurrent workshops led by top

industry professionals took conferencegoers through a range of topics includingenergy costs, mobile payments and more.

Longo’s team winning their GoldAward from Woodbridge.

show review

Paris has succeeded in its mission to help face the food chal-lenges of both today and tomorrow. 7,000 exhibitors (85 percent international) and even more brands attracted around

155,000 visitors, 70 per cent from abroad. That’s hundreds of buy-ers and players from all food sectors, all across the world. 120 offi-cial international visitors, and 250 “events within the event” havehighlighted the food world’s economic and political current affairs,placing strategy at the heart of SIAL too. There were 2,189 candi-dates for the SIAL Innovation Awards — that’s 10 per cent of world-wide innovation — and 15 prize winners. All of this confirms SIAL’srole as a catalyst for global economic trade.

Looking back over the event, one more thing stands out: thedetermination of French brands to grow internationally by propos-ing innovative, intelligent products for export – a reassuring sign ofthings to come.

“The profiles of our national and international visitors is proof ofthe quality of our offer. We are very proud to say that all of SIAL’sparticipants — both exhibitors and visitors — have once again helpedus to turn this fair into the major international event for agribusiness

— a highly strategic sector,” said NicolasTrentesaux, director of SIAL Network.

Ever faithful to its slogan “look deep-er”, and to celebrate World Food Day,SIAL made Paris the food planet capitalfor innovation by organizing the con-ference “Sustainable Food and Innova-tion – the 21st-century Challenge” atthe Quai d’Orsay (French ForeignAffairs Ministry). It allowed all the sec-tors concerned to share practical andinspiring initiatives to address the glob-al food challenge — something that willundoubtedly kick-start a new era. Italso made the event an invaluable tool

for discerning sustainable consumption patterns. Under theguidance of its partners Fancy Food Show, XTC world innovation,KANTAR TNS and the 28 World Tour partners, SIAL Innovationhas undoubtedly reinforced the legitimacy and expertise of SIALin terms of perspective and foresight.

SIAL is an effective place to perform business: it acts as both a

laboratory and an observatory for supply and demand, in all lan-guages (for food innovation, trends and business opportunities),and ultimately ends with full order books.

SIAL Paris has also played an important role in facing major mar-ket challenges and enhancing the dynamism of the food industryon an international level by getting numerous dignitaries, govern-ment members, minsters, politicians and scientists (on official vis-its) to think about the future of food — thus opening the debatearound key themes such as the future of the sector in France andin the world.

At the heart of the show, the SIAL TV studio welcomed themovers and shakers of the food world. Hundreds of onlookerswatched interviews, roundtables, debates and conferences eachday during the five-day event.

In the halls, 250 events brought the fair to life, highlighting thechallenges of the food industry and attempting to provide theanswers. Led by the Michelin-starred chef Joël Robuchon (theevent’s patron), La Cuisine celebrated the expertise of internationalchefs, who tantalised the taste buds of hundreds of guests. The newdrinks hall, 5C, was inaugurated with a pyramid of champagne andcocktail competitions, while barbecues and cooking demonstra-tions paid tribute to the gastronomic specialities of Latin Americain hall 8.

EXCEPTIONAL WELCOME TOOLS FOR VISITORS Apps, geo-localisation, match-making, themed trails, programmes,

SIAL Innovation guide and directory, business areas, connected relax-ation zones, a concierge service, SIAL Shop, shuttles within the park…SIAL Paris 2016 multiplied its tools and services to help visitors opti-mize their visit, thus “guiding” professionals towards the parts of theshow they really needed.

SIAL Network is the world’s largest net-work of food and drink fairs. Its seven regularsalons (SIAL Paris, SIAL Canada Montrealand Toronto, SIAL China, SIAL Middle East,SIAL ASEAN Manilla and SIAL InterFOOD inJakarta) bring together 14,045 exhibitors and324,400 visitors from 194 countries. FollowSIAL Network on twitter, LinkedIn, Youtube,www.sialparis.com — www.sial-network.com


Steve Horwood, vice-president of salesand operations at Neelands Refrigerationspoke on how “Rising Energy Costs areAffecting Your Bottom Line!” with insightson pending climate change legislation andhow it will impact decisions on storedesign, maintenance and sustainability.

Shane Schick, Marketing Magazine’s edi-tor-in-chief gave his talk on “A 3-StepProcess That Will Transform BusinessBrainstorming.” Avinash Chidambaram,vice-president product & platform develop-ment at Interac provided insights into therise of mobile payments, changes in con-sumer behaviour, how it is affecting theindustry and what to look for. As well

as Ken Wong on “Small Box Marketing.”The trade floor featured over 65,000

square feet of dedicated space featuringpavilions including popular favouritessuch as: Choose Ontario; Wine & Brewers;HMR & Foodservice; Health & Wellness;Global, Gourmet & Specialty and theNew Product Showcase.

There were also a few additions to thisyear’s trade show: The First-Timers Pavilionthat showcased exhibitors taking part inGIC for the first time, City of Toronto Eco-nomic Development Division Area, whichexplored local leaders in food innovationand the Wine Pavilion, which highlightedVQA wines and exhibited one of the biggest


Xavier Poncin, chief executiveofficer, SIAL Canada

2016 Edition ofSIAL Paris Exceeds ExpectationsAt a time when food is expected to perform, inspiration is SIAL’s ‘inimitable’ trademark.

Top 10 Most Innovative ProductCompetition WinnersBelow are this year’s winners in no particular order:

• Mini Trainers (Caledon Farms) • blk. Alkaline Mineral Water (blk.) • goh-goh cereal (Sunny Crunch Foods) • Almondmilk pudding (Lakeview Farms) • Simply Simple PROTEIN PICKUP (A&M Gourmet Foods Inc.) • Coca-Cola Life (Coca-Cola) • Mrs. Renfro’s Pumpkin Salsa (Tree of Life) • Smucker’s Double Fruit Jam (Smucker’s Food of Canada Corp) • Pepperoni Snackers (Freybe) • Chickpea High Protein & High Omege Milk Alternative (YoFiit)

recent changes to Canadian grocery.Following the morning conference ses-

sions, the Interac Insights & Innovationsstage on the trade floor was full of excitingsessions covering topics from reinvigorat-ing centre-store business to creative usesfor hot dogs over the two-day event.

Capping the event was the Independent Grocer of the Yearawards night.

The NATIONAL GOLD AWARD Winners were: Longo’s – Woodbridge, Woodbridge, Ont. (Large Surface)Longo’s – Bayview, Toronto, Ont. (Medium Surface)Pape Market Foodland, Toronto, Ont. (Small Surface)Yummy Market, Maple, Ont. (Specialty Category-David C. Parsons award)

Next year’s show takes place October 23 & 24,2017. Up first is Grocery & Specialty FoodWest, at the Vancouver Convention Centre - East Building, March 20 & 21.

Go to www.GSFShow.com for more info #GSFShow17

SIAL Paris will be back from October 21-25 2018

sialparis.com


As 2016 demonstrates, pasta and sauce is a category of enduring benefits to grocery retailers— as well as consumers. For example, data from Statistica shows steady sales growth of pastain Canada over the past three years, from $897.4 million in 2013 to an anticipated $962.5

million this year (up from $940.9 million in 2015), and projected growth in 2017 to $984.7 million.In fact, with a per capita consumption of four kilograms in 2013 (according to Mintel estimates and

based on data from Statistics Canada), pasta is a more integral part of the Canadian diet than in the U.S.,where per capita consumption is 25 per cent less.

The sales strength of sauces compared to pasta is somewhat less impressive: Agriculture and Agri-FoodCanada pegs sales of tomato pasta and purees at about $590 million in 2016 (compared to $809 million forother types of sauces, dressing, and condiments) with a 2.8 per cent growth rate between 2012 and this year.


pasta & sauce

By Robin Brunet

Although pasta sales far exceed thoseof sauces — which most experts say isthe result of consumers increasinglycreating their own sauces from scratch —the overall message is that combined,these two products are a formidableelement of retail grocery, almostguaranteed to continue growing.

Why? Because the category is associatedwith everything from comfort food to health(the latter due to the rise of pastas madefrom substances other than wheat). “Allof the above are legitimate explanations,and don’t forget the affordability factor,”says Frank DeMichino, COO of ItalpastaLimited. “While growth may not bespectacular, it’s consistent, which isarguably more valuable for the retailer.”

As 2016 draws to a close, more andmore manufacturers are being embraced bymainstream consumers for their quality,natural, and fresh offerings. Mia Sebastiani,the Sonoma, California-based entrepreneurwhose passion for fresh and authenticingredients inspired her to create the popularMia’s Kitchen brand of specialty products(including pasta sauce), admits to beingsurprised by the widespread acceptance ofpremium fresh. “People truly are willing topay more for these products,” she says.“It’s great news. At a time when so manythings are complicated, the movement inpasta and sauce is towards simplicity.”

To which Jim Kavanagh, president and

founder of Brandseed Marketing Inc.,adds, “We introduced Mia’s in Canadalast year when there were already threeor four prominent premium brands onthe market — and despite the extraexpense of the Mia’s brand, we’re enjoyingdouble digit growth.”

Juan Pablo Carnevale, Italy-based exportmanager for the Mutti brand of tomatopurees, believes two separate trends aredriving the category. “On the mainstreamwe have strong price and volumecompetition,” he says. “On the specialtyside we have a renewed search for quality,taste, uniqueness, and authenticity.”

People such as John Porco, chief operatingofficer for Unico Inc., are relieved that pastahas withstood the no carb trend. “The crazehas come and gone, thank goodness,” hesays. “Hopefully the public realizes it’s notthe carbs that were the problem, but insteadthe large amounts they were consuming.Traditionally, pasta and sauce is a much smallerdish than has been offered throughout NorthAmerica, and with more and more consumersappreciating taste and texture, the more theyare downsizing their portions, which in turnencourages them to experiment with morebrands — all good news for the retailer.”

Many manufacturers cite 2014 as whenthe buying public’s appreciation ofhigher-end products fully flourished (inmarked contrast to 2012-2013, whenretailers slashed prices on loss leading

items such as milk, coffee, and pasta inorder to attract consumers). That wasthe year Unilever’s Bertolli brand unveiledBertolli Gold Label in flavours such asAsiago Cheese Paired with Artichokes,and Balsamic Vinegar with CaramelizedOnions — all with regional specialtyingredients from Italy.

Also in 2014, Campbell Soup introducedits Prego Italian Sauce Merlot Marinaraand Florentine Spinach & Cheese varieties.Public enthusiasm for these products pavedthe way for smaller, artisan-stylemanufacturers to gain market share.

“People truly are willing to pay more for these products.The movement in pasta and sauce is towards simplicity.”


7-3/8”B


Pea PowerThe three Chickapea Pasta skus from Earth to Kids Inc.consist of a spiral, penne, and shell shape, each madefrom organic chickpeas and lentils. “We’ve designedcolourful packaging with clear messaging that reallyhelps Chickapea stand out on the shelves,” saysShelby Taylor, president and CEO. “We also suggestusing our wobbler shelf talkers, which highlight thatthe pasta is made solely from chickpeas and lentilsand is healthy and organic.”

Getting to Know YouMutti Passata is one of three Mutti products new toCanada, and this high quality strained tomato saucerepresents the very essence of traditional Italianpasta dishes. Juan Pablo Carnevale, export managersays, “Consumers need to get to know this product,so special displays, end caps, theme promotions likeItalian weeks and space in the flyers is important toexplain and showcase Mutti.”

Crossing BoundariesItalpasta Lasagne is the ideal component for classicbaked pasta recipes, and it is one of the brand’s all-time best-sellers. Frank DeMichino, COO of ItalpastaLimited recommends that grocers “cross-merchandisethis product in different departments: produce,dairy, the protein section. The cross-promotionpossibilities are limited only by your imagination.”

Product Showcase

Tania Gallina, general manager for FalescaImporting Ltd., observes, “There seems tobe room for everyone, from the big tosmall brands. Even when spending powerisn’t as strong as it should be, people seekout authentic pasta and sauces.”

Now that it’s common for shoppers toseek high quality, the category is in itsnext stage of evolution, which DeMichinodescribes as “tapping into the functionaltrend. People want something from theirfood in addition to great quality and taste,and to that end we’re experimenting withdifferent forms of fibre, vegetable proteins,and even omegas in order to produce anenhanced pasta that is good for you.”

DeMichino adds, “The challenge of goingin this direction is now that consumersappreciate great taste and mouth feel, wecan’t sacrifice those elements in our questfor functionality. Our cousins in the breadmaking sector have made huge strides inthis regard, and so we’ve made the decisionto use 100 percent durum semolina inour healthful products.”

Functionality is so in vogue that it hasenabled entirely new brands to achievehigh profile retail recognition, case in point:Chickapea Pasta from Earth to Kids Inc.,which launched into retail on July 1, 2016,

“Hopefully the public realizes it’s not the carbs that were theproblem, but instead the large amounts they were consuming.”

GLUTEN FREE PASTA

Italissima gluten free pasta

is made with a blend of corn

and rice �our. A truly great

tasting gluten free pasta

alternative. Italissima gluten

free pasta cuts include Penne

Rigate, Fusilli, Spaghetti,

Linguine and Tagliatelle Nests.

Distributed by Bosa Foods 1465 Kootenay Street

Vancouver, B.C. V5K 4Y3

SPECIALTY CUT PASTA

Italissima specialty cut pasta

features both classic and unique

shapes in our line of semolina

pastas. Italissima specialty cut

pastas include Mini Bow Ties,

Bow Ties, Campanelle, Fusilli

Lunghi con Buco, Fusilli Tri-Colour

and Spaghetti al Bronzo.




All in the FamilyUnico Rigatoni is the real deal: a robust pasta madefrom the best ingredients that holds its shapethroughout the cooking process. “The bestmerchandising strategy for Unico is to run a familyof products in your store,” says John Porco, chiefoperating officer. “This really draws attention to thebrand, drives traffic, and results in a big sales uptick.”

Eye CatcherMia’s Kitchen premium brand line of pasta sauces(including Portobello, Sriracha, and Bistro Marinaraflavours) are made from fresh, authentic ingredientsand no dehydrated substances such as garlic or onion.Jim Kavanagh, president and founder, BrandseedMarketing Inc. urges retailers to stage demos “inorder to draw attention to the fabulous Mia taste,and also place the sauces amongst the competition,at eye level, and preferably along an entire shelf.”

Rice is NiceLa Molisana’s new gluten free pasta available fromFalesca Importing Ltd. is made to closely approximatethe taste and texture of traditional pastas, but withbrown rice, corn, and quinoa as the ingredients. Tania Gallina, general manager suggests merchandisingthe product “prominently in your gluten-free aisle,stressing that this is a new and special pasta.”

Product Showcase

and as of mid-October was sold in morethan 300 stores. “Chickapea has attractedconsumers’ attention because it’s a pastathat’s genuinely healthy, not just betterfor you,” says Earth to Kids president and

CEO Shelby Taylor. “It has only twoingredients — organic chickpeas and lentils— and it’s very high in protein, fibre, iron,magnesium, folate, and many other nutrients— but tastes and cooks like pasta.”

As the former owner of a health foodshop, Taylor was inspired to createChickpea Pasta because she noticed “areal gap between nutritious and convenientfoods, especially amongst the foods peoplelove the most, like pasta. Many peoplehave switched to rice pasta to avoid gluten,but aside from the absence of gluten,these pastas are not actually better foryou, never mind good for you.”

Explore Cuisine is another relatively newcompany offering a healthful alternativeto traditional pasta, in this case by usingbeans or pulse, pulverizing them into apowder, mixing them with water, and thenextruding them into the desired shape.“Our spaghetti may be slightly thinnerthan wheat spaghetti but it’s very tasty,and of all the products we use, pulse has

Now that it’s common for shoppers to seek high quality,the category is in its next stage of evolution.

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA

Italissima whole wheat pasta

is all natural and an excellent

source of �ber. Ideal for

increasing �ber and whole

grains without sacri�cing taste.

Italissima whole wheat pasta

cuts include Fusilli, Linguine,

Penne Rigate and Spaghetti.



Simple and SumptuousLa Molisana’s tomato and basil pasta sauce fromFalesca continues to be that respected brand’sperennial best-seller due to its simple but delicioustaste profile. “We suggest pairing it with otherLa Molisana brands in the pasta aisle, and wealso recommend staging demos, as this is the idealway to show shoppers what high quality is allabout,” says Gallina.

Rack `em upThe Preferisco Artisan line of specialty pasta includesa range of specialty cuts from the Apulia region ofSouthern Italy. Bruno Benedet Jr., president & CEOof A. Bosa & Co. Ltd recommends that retailers takeadvantage of a display rack available from BosaFoods “and then don’t be shy about locating thatrack in different areas of the grocery store.”

The Bigger the BetterExplore Cuisine’s new line of pulse pastas are freshlymade in Italy and certified vegan, organic, andgluten-free. Jim Magner, vice-president, sales urgesretailers to “create a section at the end of the tradi-tional pasta section for alternative, healthy pastas,preferably four to eight feet long because believeme, this is a growing segment, and it’s growing fast.”

Product Showcase


the most authentic pasta taste of all,” saysJim Magner, vice-president, sales.

The enterprising Taylor offers aprovocative viewpoint of the pasta andsauce category overall. “Traditional pastais declining as a category, but organic,gluten free, and high fibre pastas arerising, and therefor existing companiesneed to innovate to accommodate healthconcerns.”

Indeed, according to Statistica, gluten-free and organic claims were the mostpopular health related claims, accountingfor nearly three in ten (or 29 per cent) ofnew pasta launches in the 12 months toAugust 2015, in North America.

If Taylor believes manufacturers needto innovate, manufacturers in turn believethe pasta and sauce category overall,despite its resilience, is a grossly untappedmerchandising opportunity. “It’s depressingto see pasta jammed together to form awall on shelves, with sauces in anothersection,” says Mia Sebastiani. “And it’s

Functionality is so in vogue that it has enabled entirelynew brands to achieve high profile recognition.

amazing to me that the two items arerarely cross-merchandised.”

Porco says, “Considering it’s a categoryshoppers look for weekly, retailers mustprovide selection and promote regularly.”

DeMichino is even more outspoken in


outlets offering the same old thing.” Benedet has also enhancedthe gluten-free segment with specialty cut pastas.

Minotto added that brands able to claim a local componenteither in ingredients or manufacturing will “have an advantagein a market in which there is increased activity in natural andorganic products.”


his opinion that retailers are missing theball when it comes to creative merchandising.“It’s totally unexploited as far as I’mconcerned,” he says. “Pasta can be cross-merchandised in virtually every departmentand never is. There is tremendous potentialfor creativity and fun.”

Looking into the future, Food and DrinkAnalyst Jodie Minotto recently echoedShelby Taylor’s sentiments by telling Mintelthat the pasta and sauce category willexperience greater levels of competition,which “will mean brands will need toremain responsive to changing consumerdemand to maintain a presence.”

This is precisely the course of actionBruno Benedet Jr., president & CEO ofA. Bosa & Co. Ltd. has taken with regardsto product offerings in his two BosaFoods Vancouver retail outlets. “Forexample, some time ago we introducedan artisan line of Preferisco bags devotedto unique and specialty pasta cuts, andthe response in terms of sales has beentremendous,” he says.

Benedet goes on to observe that “Thepublic’s desire for something new has beenfuelled by decades of mainstream retail

Source for both: Euromonitor International, 2013 * CAGR: compound annual growth rate

www.mutti-parma.com

SIMPLY TOMATOES

Discover why Mu�i is Italy’s number 1 brand � tomatoes.

Taste it !

MOST COMMON PASTA SHAPES

MARKET SHARE - BY COMPANY

CANADA’S PASTA MARKET – RETAIL VALUE SALES in US$ Millions

CANADA’S PASTA & COUSCOUSMARKET – RETAIL VALUE SALES Thousand Tonnes


Fair trade began with an idea. The FAIRTRADE Mark certifies that theproduce or ingredients in the product have been grown and produced to Fairtrade standardsthat include protection of the worker’s rights and the environment. The focus is on small scale farmers, their

organizations and workers in developing nations. “Fairtrade is a simple and powerful way to make a difference for the people who produce the things we count on every

day,” says John Marron, marketing and retail manager at Fairtrade Canada.A recent global survey from Nielsen states 66 per cent of customers are willing to pay more for products and services

from companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact. Julie Sage, fair trade program manager for Discovery Organics, an independently owned Canadian distributor of

certified organic and fair trade produce, in Vancouver, British Columbia draws a parallel between the buy local movementand fair trade. When buying local, customers know the supply chain is short. “But what do you do when you buy producethat doesn’t grow in Canada - like a banana?” When a customer buys fair trade, Sage points out that supply chain is alsoshort, from farmer direct to the distributor, who delivers it to the store.


This is keenly appreciated by Porco atToronto-founded and based Unico. “At atime when grocery shelves are stockedwith pickles from India and pasta fromChina, we’re pushing our Canadian angle,”he says. “Shoppers in general have becomevoracious label readers, and they’re startingto focus their attention on country oforigin. This focus cannot be dismissed asa passing fad.”

Carnevale says, “Consumers want toknow what they are eating and they wantto know where the ingredients are comingfrom, so this is why premium sauces havea future.”

For his part, Kavanagh is excited bythe prospect of future pasta and sauceevolution. “Premium products such as ourswill continue to grow, and they’ll continueto drive the growth of other brands,” he

says. “In this regard, the category enjoysa synergy not seen elsewhere.”

With so many advantages on its side,the pasta and sauce category will continueto make grocery cash registers ring wellinto the future. However, the potential ofa shift from steady growth to somethingmore spectacular, via vigorous crosspromotion and sheer inventiveness ofmerchandising, is something all retailersshould consider. ●

fair trade

By Karen Barr

continued on page 30

The pasta and sauce category continues to grow, andwith the right merchandising so will retailers’ sales.

PASTA FACTSPasta consumption has beengrowing in Canada steadily overthe last few decades.

Canada produces more than 170,000tons of pasta per year. High-qualityCanadian durum wheat is grown inthe western provinces ofSaskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba,creating the main source of ingredi-ents for pasta manufacturing.

Pasta has become one of Canada’s staple foods. Canadians eat about 6.5 kg per capita per year.

The climate and growing conditions in the Canadianprairies are ideal for growinghigh-protein, low-starch wheat.

Gluten-free and organic claims were the most popularhealth related claimsaccounting for nearly three in ten (29per cent) of new pasta launches in the12 months to August 2015. High fibreand wholegrain pasta varieties contin-ue to appear. Ebro announced in theirfirst half 2015 analyst presentationthat despite difficulties such as flatdemand for pasta in the U.S. market,their better-for-you varieties, such asgluten-free and Healthy Harvest rangewere doing exceptionally well.

ENGAGED WITH COFFEE - GROWING COMMUNITIES

NEW LOOKSAME GREAT TASTE

VAN HOUTTE® IS THE

#1 BRANDIN THE

KEURIG® SYSTEM1

1 Source : Nielsen Market Track, National Grocery+Drug+Mass Merch+General Merch, Dollar share, 52 weeks ending April 30th 2016.

1 2 3:10 PM

HISTORY OF FAIRTRADE COFFEE

Grown in more than 70 countries, coffee is one of the most valuable

primary products in world trade. Even though the global coffee

consumption doubled over the last 40 years, coffee producing

countries are facing many challenges : global economic crisis,

volatile coffee prices, supply shortages from key coffee producing

countries, rising production costs, reduced availability of land and

labor, food security and poverty in coffee communities, and the

impacts of climate change. The result is : the global price of coffee

tends to rise and fall like a roller coaster.

Fairtrade was set up in the 90’s to ensure coffee farmers receive

a fair and stable price for their coffee that covers their costs of

production and give farmers the stability and confidence to budget

for next farming season and household expenses as well as driving

development in their communities.

The Fairtrade Premium is a valuable additional source of income

that allows farmer organizations to reinvest in improving

infrastructure, services to farmers such as training on better farming

practices or credit and financial services, but also to support cash

payments to farmer members who are struggling with food security

or other basic needs.

(source : Fairtrade Canada)

VAN HOUTTE® BRAND AND FAIRTRADE

Our Van Houtte® brand has been a longtime partner of Fairtrade

Canada. For years, Van Houtte® has worked with the firm belief that to

offer its consumers a quality product, it must also pay special attention to

the work performed in the country of origin. Our relationship with Fairtrade

Canada ensures that Fairtrade Certified coffee purchases have made

community investments possible for small coffee producers, and promote

farming practices that protect the environment.

MONTAÑA VERDE: A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP

Keurig Canada entered into a unique partnership in 2001 with the

Montaña Verde Cooperative in San Luis Planes, Honduras. This

relationship, which allied the Van Houtte brand to many partner

organizations over the years, such as CARE Canada, SOCODEVI and

Root Capital, has culminated recently to the cooperative obtaining

its Fairtrade International certification.

From the beginning, it wasn’t just about making even better coffee.

The point was to improve the lives of all the people of San Luis

—a coffee-growing community in a remote, isolated part of Honduras.

And so in the beginning, the cooperative used support from the

partners to improve its machinery and get an export permit. Both

changes made a big difference: the coop was able to grow better

coffee and establish a direct, long-term link between its coffee

farmers and Keurig’s coffee purchasers.

Next the partnership set out to help the people of San Luis Planes

improve food security in their community and reinforce and

democratize the way the coop was organized.

A number of other initiatives were also brought, such as: plant

community gardens, start a pig operation, set up a market on the

mountain close to the villages, found a rural credit union to help local

coffee farmers manage their finances, and more.

Little by little the farmers were able with their partners’ support

to increase production, making coffee growing a local economic

driver and providing a better life for the whole community.

Over the years, various leaders of the coop even came to Montreal a

few times to visit Keurig Canada’s facilities and learn more about the

production and marketing of their product. Van Houtte® and Keurig

Canada care understand the value of building meaningful partnerships

with coffee producing communities and is proud of the relationship it

has entertained over the years with the Montana Verde Cooperative .

include cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers.There are fresh spices such ginger andturmeric. While many items are seasonal,avocados and bananas are available all year.Fair trade produce is merchandised along

with other like produce, with clearsignage so customers can differentiate.

The coffee section at ChoicesMarkets is made up of 90 percent fair trade, all merchandisedin a 12-foot-wide section thatruns from bottom to top shelf.Fair trade makes up half of thetea section, with sweetenersrepresented by 30-50 per cent andchocolate bars at 60-80 per cent.

Most of the baking chocolate is fair trade,as are all the vanilla beans.

Department managers learn about fairtrade produce and products in staffmeetings, where suppliers are asked togive presentations. This knowledge ispassed on to customers, who are treatedto in-store samples. Special events likeFair Trade Day also create interest.

Wilson says the demographics of the fairtrade customers have changed. It initiallystarted with educated females between 35-55 years old. “Within the last five yearsthis has shifted to a younger university

crowd who are socially and universally conscious.” Jason Bellas, marketing manager of Belgo & Bellas an import

company in Broisbriand, Quebec, just returned from SIAL PARIS2016, the International Food Product Exhibition, noting that fairtrade products have been rapidly expanding, with new brandscontinually entering the market. Bellas feels Canada is stillbehind Europe, where large retailers are offering several timesthe number of products than their Canadian counterparts. Bellas

says “When customers want to support fair trade, they will buyeverything fair trade.”

Choices Markets also carry fair trade beauty products andcosmetics made with coconut butter and oil, as well as sheabutter. They even carry fair trade soccer balls.

Fairtrade Canada reports the sales volume of bananas is up 15per cent, cocoa 17 per cent, cotton 21 per cent and sugar fourper cent. Continued growth in fair trade means continuedopportunity for the retailer. ●

WWW.WESTERNGROCER.COM 3130 WWW.WESTERNGROCER.COM

Choices Markets, a Vancouver basedgrocer with eleven stores in the area, firststarted working with Discovery Organicsin 2009. Today, fair trade produce makesup 10 per cent of the overall section. “The

fair trade produce side of the business hastripled,” says David Wilson, program leadfor produce and floral at Choices Markets.

Customers find tropical fruits, but alsoapples, pears and blueberries. Vegetables

Product ShowcaseBreakfast BeginningsBelgo & Bellas offers customers the goodness of fair tradecereals first thing in the morning. The NuTerra Granola lineis available in three flavours: Dark Chocolate, Dark Choco-late & Hazelnut and Raisin & Nut. The granolas contain fairtrade cane sugar, cashews, cocoa and coconut, raisins andpeanuts.

Coffee ConnectionOnce reserved for European Royalty, this Thai coffee grownhigh under a forest canopy is available from ParadiseMountain Organic Coffee’s own farm. “We are roasting2,000 plus pounds a week,” says Roast Master, ShawnMcDonald, located in Calgary, Alberta. Additional farmsare in Central and South America.

Rice RevolutionCo-owner of Level Ground Trading, Stacey Toews comments,“There is generally white rice and brown rice without anythingin between.” Enter the company’s chemical free heirloom ricefrom Rice Inc. grown in ancient rice terraces in Kalinga, Phillipines.The Violet rice is a rare variety of sticky rice.

Natural Sweet TreatsLevel Ground Trading carries packaged dried fruit selectionfrom Fruandes, a fair trade organization in Columbia. Fresh fruitis hand cut, dried and packaged by local women. “We can’tkeep the mango in stock,” says Toews. The mango growingseason is short, lasting only from December to early March.

Discovery Organics is a distributor of fair trade produce.

Choice Markets provides a large percentage of fair trade items in categories such as coffee, tea and chocolate.

Fairtrade Canada knowsthat fair trade is a simpleand powerful way tomake a difference.

As the fair trade category and consumerawareness continues to grow so doescontinued opportunity for the retailer.


sweeteners

By Carly Peters


Consumers are at a crossroads with their sweet life. Consuming too much sugaris associated with obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, and

cancer. But down the other path, the case against artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame,is also growing stronger. The sweetener category is finding a balanced approach forcustomers looking for the road untravelled - natural sweeteners that are lower in caloriesthan sugar, but don’t contain chemicals.“People are hardwired to like sweet things and we have always gravitated towards foods

that are sweet. As soon as we realized that too much sugar made us fat, caused diabetes,rotted our teeth and caused a host of other health problems we started looking for areplacement,” explains Trent Bennion, director of Canada for Xlear, which offers sugaralternatives ranging from agave syrup to stevia. “In the late 1800s artificial sweeteners wereintroduced and people started using them instead of sugar. As more and more research hasbeen done [now] most of the artificial sweeteners have been found to not be veryhealthy and people are gravitating from them to other more natural alternatives.”

“Artificial sweeteners are losing favour,” states Jinny Lok, marketing managerat Rogers Sugar (part of Lantic In.), adding natural sweeteners are seeing

the most growth with the category. “Taste is still king, but [customers]are looking for ways to continue to enjoy the food and drinks

that they love most while being able to customize thesource or types of sweeteners they choose,”

adds Lok, pointing to their broad

Sweeteners move away from their chemical compounds

and rely on more nature-based solutions

Last June, an exclusive Ipsos poll for Global Newsrevealed that 83 per cent of Canadians say it’simportant they know where their food comes

from. In the followup article, ‘Who do Canadians trustwith their food? Local growers get top marks, new pollfinds,’ Sean Simpson, vice-president at Ipsos Reid PublicAffairs, is quoted as saying, “The idea of eating localappears to have moved beyond a fad or trend and intothe realm of a paradigm shift in the way Canadiansthink about their food.”

And a majority of Canadians are putting their moneyon it. 71 per cent say they’ll pay more for local food,according to the Ipsos poll for Global News.

In the same month, a Financial Post headlineannounced: “Metro Inc bolsters its locally sourced foodprogram, allowing smaller producers to supply chain.”According to results from a LoyaltyOne survey publishedin that article, 87 per cent of Canadians are willing topay more each month for groceries if localalternatives are available.

Even allowing for variables inherent in anysurvey, those are figures that cannot be ignored.

As for what’s driving the local shift, thereport ‘Cultivating Opportunities: Canada’sGrowing Appetite for Local Food,’ producedby the Conference Board of Canada’s Centrefor Food In Canada (CFIC), attributes it inpart to social, economic, and environmentalconcerns. There are also clear benefits for theCanadian economy.

“Local food systems have a significant economicimpact in Canada. Local food can create opportunitiesfor firms throughout the food system; for example,

it can bring higher margins for producers and allowbusinesses to differentiate themselves from theircompetition,” the CFIC report states.

And in a competitive marketplace, differentiation is key.“Since consumers often view local food, particularly

produce, as fresher and better tasting than non-localfood, it can be used to highlight product quality. Byoffering artisanal and niche local products, retailerscan differentiate themselves through unique productsthat are unavailable elsewhere,” says the CFIC report.


lineup of sweeteners which include agave,stevia, coconut sugars, and newsugar+stevia blend.

Blended sweeteners are a new concept,explains Bennion, pointing to their newproduct Lite&Sweet, a mix of Erythritoland Xylitol together. “Many sweetenerproducts, when consumed in large amountscan cause laxative effects in the body.But certain sweeteners have less of aneffect, like Erythritol. The problem withErythritol is that it is only 70 per cent assweet as normal sugar or xylitol, so yourrecipe doesn’t have the same flavouroutput. So we decided to blend Erythritoland Xylitol together and were able tolower the digestive issues and preservethe sweetness level,” he states.

Honey, while traditionally categorized asa spread, has seen steady growth over thelast few years due to consumers switchingto more natural sweeteners, says ShannonBowden of Bee Maid Canadian Honey. Honeyis often seen as a better sweeteneralternative to sugar because it has a lowerglycemic index than sugar, which meanshoney has less of an effect on blood glucose;it tastes sweeter than sugar, so you mayuse less honey in baking, cooking, and inbeverages; and it’s processed by the bodymore quickly, so it is less likely to beconverted into fats and stored in the body.

“We are also seeing food manufacturersturn to honey to sweeten their products as itallows them a cleaner label and consumerswill pay more for products sweetened withhoney,” she explains, adding liquid honey isperfect for putting in beverages and forcooking and baking recipes.

Much like the need for variety insweetener choices, consumers are lookingfor variety in formats. Bowden explainsconsumers are turning to larger containersizes of honey as they are using it morefrequently in their cooking, baking etc.so consumers are requesting to see one ortwo kilogram containers available ongrocers’ shelves.

Portion control is also ideal forsugar/sweetener consumption says Lok.All of Lantic’s Plantation Raw products,

as well as the new sugar sweeteners(coconut, sugar/stevia blend) all have astand-up pouch with zipper features. “Thisallows consumers to portion out what theyneed, and keep the sugar fresh for storage,”she states.

A variety of sweeteners and formats arehelping customers choose what sweet pathto follow. ●

buying local By Carolyn Camilleri

Functional Elements

“Merchandise the sweeteners bytheir function. If it is a sweetenerthat can be used for baking, put it inthe baking sweetener area; if it is asingle serve packet merchandisethem by the coffee and tea. Putsome of the single serve sachets outby the coffee machine and maybeby the corn flakes or other blandcereals. Let customers try them.”

- Trent Bennion, Director of Canada for Xlear.

It’s a Sign

“We do notice that consumers tendto buy a lot more sugar [and sweet-eners] when there are more out-of-aisle, ready-display pallets, especial-ly on key baking seasons such as fallbake and easter bake periods. Wealso work with retailers to promotenew products with floor stands, onshelf usage tips, and recipes to helpconsumers further understand thebenefits of other sweetener alterna-tives to drive purchase interest.”

- Jinny Lok, Lantic

A Different Asile“Offer a variety of sweeteners. Don’tjust offer honey in the spreads aisle,consider including it with artificialsweeteners andsugar. We find thatretailers are mer-chandising honey onend aisle displaysfeaturing a differenttheme. You mightsee honey as part ofa beverage displayor breakfastdisplay. It also workswell to merchandisehoney with baking ingredients likechocolate chips, flour etc.”

- Shannon Bowden, Bee Maid Canadian Honey

continued on page 40


Product Showcase

CERTIFICATED

HACCPCERTIFIED


Twenty years ago, Elaine Cadrin had an idea to make a better-for-you, low-calorie snack for her family — a snack with less fat than others but with great taste. She created Cheecha Puffs and the family favourite was soon being sold in Calgary farmers’ markets with the help of the whole family.

The business grew from its weekend farmersmarket success as more customers wantedto buy Cheecha Puffs everyday in their

nearby grocery store. In 1999, Cadcan Marketingand Sales Inc was incorporated, and manufactur-ing and packaging moved into a full-sized, high-quality manufacturing plant in Calgary.

But the trend setting didn’t stop there. Whenloyal Cheecha Puff customers requested a morenatural, gluten-free product, the companyresponded with a certified gluten-free potatoCheecha Puff and was first to market a cleaningredient deck — 15 years ago.

“Consumers love our simple ingredient deck,gluten-free certification, and low caloriescompared to almost any other salty snack on

the market,” says Dave Pullar, CEO. “We are always pointing consumers to the Nutrition Fact panel where weproudly show that a two-cup serving has only 80 calories.”

Oil isn’t used during the cooking process — just hot air.“The only oil we use is a gentle misting of sunfloweroil to help the seasoning stick,” says Pullar, adding that his favourite flavour is Sea Salt and Pepper. “You canactually taste the potato!” Other flavours include Sea Salt and Vinegar, Salsa Fiesta, Lime, Original, and theirnewest flavour, Sea Salted Caramel.

“Our top-sellers across Canada are the naturally simple and delicious puffed potato snack,” says Pullar. “People aresurprised how great our products taste and how simple the ingredients are.”

And with so many better-for-you snacks on the store shelves coming from places like the USA and Europe, it’sexciting to be able to provide consumers with a snack that has a great Canadian story.

“We have always been proud of our local heritage from the early days of the local farmers’ markets to today with ourworld-class manufacturing facility located in Western Canada,” says Pullar, adding that they are also proud to supportcommunity and retailer events and initiatives in support of local companies.

But there are other benefits to stocking Cheecha Puffs: the low cost and great margins due to the lowerCanadian dollar, close shipping proximity to stores and warehouses, and the high consumer confidence aroundCanadian products and food-safety standards.

“The 26,000-square-foot plant in Calgary operates to the industry’s highest quality and food-safety standards,”says Pullar. “Our plant is HACCP and was recently awarded an ‘A’ rating from BRC complying with the GFSIinternational standards.”

And it’s a peanut-free facility, meeting yet another significant consumer demand.Today, Cheecha Puffs are sold coast to coast in Canada. “We were made more famous on the CBC hit show Dragons Den in October last year,” says Pullar. As demand continues to grow for these tasty snacks, so too has the company, and major expansion plans are underway.

“We have always been proud of our local heritage from the early days oflocal farmers’ markets to today with our world-class manufacturingfacility located in Western Canada.”

From Farmers’ Market toCoast-to-Coast RetailBUYING LOCAL

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Canada’s insatiable appetite for Asian-inspired cuisine is well-known and ever-growing. Since 2001, Mountain Top Foods has been answering that demand with their line of delicious high-quality, ready-to-eat meal solutions made at theirfederally inspected processing facility in Nanton, Alberta.

Afamily owned and operated business,Mountain Top Foods was founded by Kinand Sylvia Leong, and the family con-

tinues to be fully involved with day-to-dayoperations. Daughter Juanita Calvert is officemanager, and Juanita’s husband Jason Calvertis plant manager. Juanita’s sister CorrineAnchoris is project manager, and Corrine’s hus-band Fortune is production manager.

Over the years, Mountain Top has establisheda solid reputation for top-quality products,which are currently supplied to more than 150Canadian retailers, as well as hotels, restaurants,and institutions.

And 2016 has been a big year for the

company. “Hardwork and dedication by our families have allowed us the opportunity to expand with a state-of-the-art facility and continue supplying our customers with products that we are proud to serve our ownfamily,” says Jason Calvert.

Construction of the brand-new facility was completed in July 2016 and provides increased cooking capacityusing technologically advanced equipment. This new facility also enables further expansion of their existingproduct lines and opens opportunities for new product innovation.

The new facility is not the company’s only big change. “Mountain Top Foods has recently gone through a rebranding process as well and has new packaging

available under both the ‘Asian Inspirations’ name as well as ‘Muldoon’s Pub Classics’ name,” says James Ducs,director of sales and marketing. “This rebranding has been brought in place to help the consumer identifywith the products more easily.”

The rebrand is also aimed at showcasing some of the newer flavour profiles that are trending in both thefoodservice and the retail markets. Mouthwatering examples include Pineapple Lemon Tempura-Style Chicken,Sweet Sriracha Tempura-Style Chicken, Korean Chicken Thighs, General Tso Tempura-Style Chicken, Vietnamese-Style Beef, Chicken Ka Arage, and Pork Tonkatsu — to name a few. Under Muldoon’s Pub Classics, optionsinclude Boneless Dry Pork Rib Bites, Buffalo Chicken Bites, and Salt and Pepper Dry Pork Ribs.

“We are very excited and proud of what we have been able to achieve thus far, and we are dedicated toensuring that the attention to quality and innovation continues on in our new facility,” says Jason Calvert.

Mountain Top Foods is constantly researching market trends and new opportunities to expand their productlines. And now with their brand-new facility, they are poised to grow both in production volume and inproducts to appeal to the Canadian appetite.

“Hardwork and dedication by our families have allowed us the opportunity toexpand with a state-of-the-art facility and continue supplying our customerswith products that we are proud to serve our own family.”

Global Flavours Made Right Here in CanadaBUYING LOCAL

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Look for these friendly faces on our new labels, coming to stores in 2017.


But many people don’t realize that buying Bee Maid supportslocal agriculture.

“We want to get the word out to consumers that we are ownedby Canadian beekeepers, and so we are featuring our members onour labels, starting in 2017.”

She also says many people think honey is all the same. “The truth is that the colour, flavour, and texture of honey

vary naturally depending on the floral source of the nectar,” saysBowden. “These natural variances create the unique productsfound in the Bee Maid Honey product line, but they will alwayshave one thing in common — they are 100 per cent pure, naturalCanadian honey.”

A Sweet OfferMaking a wider variety of honey available to consumers is a

goal at Elias Honey, a family business out of Prince George,founded in 1972 by Dietrich Elias. Dietrich’s son Torben says hisfather had an interest in beekeeping that grew into a love andthen grew into a business. Forty years later, Elias Honey hasexpanded from the West Coast to Western Ontario.

Elias Honey has a list of varieties, including the top-sellingone-kilo squeeze and creamed honey.

“Our wildflower has become more common as well, and theberry honeys are also very popular,” says Elias, explaining thatthe berry honey is not flavoured honey.

“Anybody can put flavour in honey, but what’s really special iswhen you have honey that’s actually from a blueberry blossom orblackberry blossom or raspberry blossom. The honey has a beautifulmedium floral taste.”

Elias says two of their hottest products are domestic organicand raw.

“All of our honey is minimally processed, but the raw is evenless so,” he says, adding that sales have been increasing everyyear, despite honey being considered a low growth category.

And perhaps it’s because people are more particular aboutwhere products are sourced. Elias Honey comes from communitybeekeepers, many of them multi-generational.

“We’ve been dealing with them for 20, 30 years in some cases,”says Elias. “We’re very proud of the good job that our Canadianbeekeepers do.”

Elias says he would like to see more varieties of quality domestichoney available to consumers. “Some stores don’t really havemuch in the way of variety and don’t really have much in theway of domestic honey in some cases.”

These days, indications are that if you make local productsavailable, consumers will buy them. ●


Of course, supporting local economies,farmers, and the environment is a criticalpart of any store’s corporate socialresponsibility strategy. But benefits aside,there are also challenges, especially forretailers dealing in large product volumesand relying on economies of scale to becompetitive.

“Retailers focused on value and low pricesmay have difficulty selling local food iflocal suppliers charge more for their productsthan non-local suppliers,” says the report.“By comparison, retailers that specialize in

premium products and whose customers areless price-sensitive may see greateropportunities to differentiate themselvesthrough local food.”

Issues such as food safety, traceability,labelling, and even bookkeeping needaddressing, as well as the challenge ofcommunicating the story behind the localproduct. After all, a grocery store is not afarmers’ market, where the overallexperience helps justify higher costs.

Despite these challenges, large retailers,like Metro, Loblaw, and Sobeys, have

instituted local buying programs,according to the Financial Post article.And last August, the Huffington PostCanada piece,“Big Box Grocers are Finallyon Board with the Local Food Trend,”reported that Walmart Canada hadlaunched a local products program withplans to work increasingly with localfarmers across the country.

Granted, the local movement is raisingits share of questions, especially arounda definition of “local” or set of standards,for example, how the 100-mile theoryapplies when borders are crossed or thelegitimacy of local claims when packagingis imported. Time will tell how theseissues are resolved, but in the meantime,boosting your local content can help wincustomer approval. And here are someCanadian companies that can help youdo exactly that.

“Beeing” SweetThe story behind Bee Maid Honey goes

back to the 1930s, when honey-producercooperatives were established in Manitoba,Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The Manitobaand Saskatchewan cooperatives joinedforces in 1954, and Bee Maid was born.Today’s Bee Maid Honey is owned equallyby the two cooperatives and has beencollaborating with the Alberta cooperativesince 1962.

“We are proud of our 100 per centCanadian products offered under the BeeMaid brand and through private labels forCanadian retailers,” says Shannon Bowden,Bee Maid’s brand manager.

Bee Maid’s Canadian content goesbeyond the product.

“We strive to support other Canadianbusiness when purchasing, like sourcingour labels from a Canadian company, andeach bottle is blown in our Spruce Grovefacility and then packaged in one of ourtwo Canadian plants,” says Bowden.

Bowden says buying products like BeeMaid Honey supports Canadian beekeepersas well as farmers and the environment.

“Our beekeepers use the highestbeekeeping practices, ensuring theongoing health of their bees. Those beesare then an integral part of pollinatingCanadian crops and then they supportthe honey industry,” she says. “Somestatistics say bees are responsible forone out of every three bites of food andcontribute approximately 2.2 billion toCanadian agriculture.”


The Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) report the dairy sectorcontributed over $19.8 billion to our gross domestic productin 2015 and was responsible for over 220,000 jobs in the

country. And we are mad for milk, which remains the largest dairysegment in the country.

Over the last year, total volume of cheese and yogurt sales rosefour per cent, but milk sales declined by more than $25 million,according to a recent Nielsen report. Theories abound — pre-packed cheese and yogurt are now in the top five consumersnacking categories, they offer healthy and portable options forbusy shoppers and are appealing to aging baby boomers (versusyounger people who still choose chips, fruit and chocolate astheir go-to options), that “pig in the python” group which is amarketer’s dream come true.

Add in the newcomers to dairy — like Greek and protein yogurtsand probiotic and lactose-free products for sensitive digestive tracts- and you now have myriad options. It can be overwhelming forconsumers, and retailers have their work cut out for them to garner

market share and separate themselvesfrom the herd.

Many are stepping up to the plate withcreative and innovative strategies intendedto generate shopper and traffic conversion and make sure theirproducts are top of mind for customers — and at the right pricepoint, because during a troubled economy with many out of work,Canadians are watching their pennies more than ever.

At Ultima Foods (this Quebec-based group represents IOGO andOlympic yogurt products), staff take a multipronged approach.Although respecting the impact of their core product line, theyalso switch it up by offering unique choices or with the currently-very-popular protein as a key ingredient. They place yogurtpouches in the berry aisle, reminding consumers about makingsmoothies for breakfast or their kids’ afternoon snacks. Theyoffer $1 coupons in the cereal aisle. “These strategies attractattention where shoppers are not expecting us,” says Mira Natal,national sales director.

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Displays also promote ‘the right productat the right place and for the right price’and must contain a point of sale (POS)factor, a brand message (Ultima’s Novembercampaign will promote smoothies) and acall to action. Attention is paid to seasonalofferings like spicy, pumpkin-flavouredyogurts for Thanksgiving or yogurt pouchesfor back to school.

Recently the company’s IOGO brand rana ‘Groceries on us’ national campaign,involving select stores and promotion onsocial media, banners and displays. AnIOGO “squad” member — disguised as abagger — identified customers with IOGOproducts in their grocery baskets and, incelebration, floated a few balloons andgave each one a $500 gift card.

Sunterra Quality Food Markets in Calgaryoffer Stockboy Specials which run featuresand sales for an entire month, explains SarahMenear, category manager for perishables.They also cross-merchandise items; watch forteam members sampling items which pairwell together (like fruit and cheese),amplifying sales for both produce and dairy.

These kinds of efforts are music to theears of the Innovation Center for U.S Dairy.This industry-wide, partnership grouphighlights the importance of building rapportwith customers, paying attention toconvenient products (like drinkables andpouches), making sure signage is attractiveand readable, focusing on products whichtarget merchandising needs and foregoingextraneous skus which can be distracting.Further, the group suggests displays beprominent at the beginning of the shoppingexperience where they may have moreimpact, instead of at the end, as anafterthought and when shoppers are fatigued.

Into the future, savvy merchandisers andretailers will be wise to pay attention tosome newly-evolving factors: an increasinglydiversified population will mean customerswill be looking for new products and tailoredmessaging; the advancement of smarttechnology will mean customers will demanddigital options related to their purchasesand the increasing interest in wellness,convenience and safety will mean customerswill expect only the best of the best. ●

category management By Sue Nicholls, CMKG October 2016

Many of us forget the shopper in our category reviews,business reviews, assortment discussions, space plan-ning, store brand decisions, internal presentations …

I work with many different retailers and suppliers in Canadaand the U.S., and a common and recurring issue is that mostcontinue to forget the shopper in most of the work that theydo. Even though we talk about the importance of the shopper,and even though we are spending more than ever trying to

understand the shopper, scratchbelow the surface of most categoryreviews, business reviews, assortmentanalysis, space planning, store brandperspective and the shopper ismissing or at best, there may beglimpses of them but with littleinfluence on the recommendationsor decisions being made.

I’ve been talking about this toour students and our clients for yearsnow – asking “where’s the shopper?”We’ve become so tactical in our

approach to category management over the past 10 years,with little thought for retail strategy, the target shopper, andhow to best satisfy the shoppers’ needs. The biggest problemis that shopper insights and shopper marketing have been

kept separate from the category management process, whichlimits access that even some category management folks haveto this important shopper information. Without the shopperpiece being included as part of category management, itsresults are always going to be limited.

The good news is a new and refreshed approach to categorymanagement — called CatMan2.0 ™. The industry expresseda need to improve the process that was developed in the1980s and make changes based on the significant changes indata and technology, shopper path to purchase and the retailindustry. The biggest (and most positive) change that I sawin this new approach is about the shopper — and the need tointegrate shopper insights and shopper marketing into thecategory management process, with shopper insights beingadded to the category assessment step, and shopper marketingbeing added as a new tactic (alongside efficient assortment,shelving, pricing, promotion and product supply). Thisincludes a recommendation for manufacturers to incorporatethe shopper insights/marketing team into the categorymanagement team (for many organizations it resides in themarketing department).

“Good category plans that incorporate shopper insightsfrequently result in double digit sales & profit gains forSupplier and Retailer categories.” (Category ManagementAssociation’s CatMan2.0 ™)

Where is the Shopper in your Category Management Approach?

Sue Nicholls is the founder of Category Management Knowledge Group

In the Dairy AisleSippin’ AwayDrinkable yogurts like IOGO’sNano products are mess-free, ahealthy snack-ing choice andare big hits withMoms. Thehandy six-packhas strawberry,vanilla, raspber-ry or bananaoptions.

The Bigger, The Better

The 975-gram, IOGO yogurt —great for families — boosts yourcalcium intake and your vitaminD factor. With its screw top, itseals tighter and lasts longer.

M-o-o-ve Over, Regular Milk

The one per cent,grass-fed productcomes from milkproduced at DoniaFarms of Surrey,British Columbia.The grass-fed dietthat the cows arefed results in milkwith higheromega3s andantioxidant levels.

The cows at the family-run facili-ty eat dry hay in the winter andfresh green grass in the springand summer, alongwith vitamin andmineral supple-ments. Sweet.Plan B: If you wantmore creaminess,try the 3.25 per centfat choice. Then,fully sated, considertouring the farmand its modern-dayways of farming.

Displays also promote ‘the right product at the right placeand for the right price’ and must contain a point of sale(POS) factor, a brand message and a call to action.


So, who doesn’t want double digit sales & profit gains?Beyond that, here are some other important considerations:a) the shopper owns the wallet that drives sales and profitsfor both retailers and suppliers; and b) the shopper is“owned” by the retailer, so shopper insights teams need tohave an innate understanding of each retailer’s uniqueshopper, which ties in with their unique categorymanagement process, which ties in with category assessments/ tactical analysis / category plans, etc. etc.

Even when the shopper insights are available for integratinginto category management, many organizations struggle withhow to integrate it. They keep the shopper separate in theanalysis and need to start to weave the shopper through everypart of the category management process. Following are fourways for retailers to integrate the shopper into their strategyand processes that will help to move to a more shopper-focusedcategory management approach.

1. Inject Shopper into Category RolesCategory roles are a requirement in category management.

Their purpose is to give retailers the opportunity to answerthe following questions*:

• Which categories will cause your target shopper to choose you as the principal source of the items you choose to sell?

• Which categories will you use to create distinctiveness and drive both traffic and loyalty?

• (CMA’s CatMan 2.0)

The opportunity is for retailers to look at their existingcategory roles (or to develop them if they don’t currentlyhave any established) that incorporate the more traditionalmeasures like $ sales and profit, and combine them withmetrics that tie in their shopper, like percentage of shopperswho purchase the category (penetration), # of visits bycategory (# of trips), basket worth of the category, totalexpenditures of the category shopper, etc. These measuresare available through panel data and/or through the retailer’sshopper loyalty data.

2. Inject Shopper into Retail Store ClustersSome retailers continue to group their stores based purely on

volume and location (e.g. A, B, C, D). This is not store clustering!Other retailers have adopted much more sophisticated approachesto cluster their stores using multi-variant clustering approachesthat consider the shopper, even down to a category level. Manyretailers are between the “ABCD” approach and the moresophisticated multi-variant approach.

The opportunity is for retailers to a) develop shopper-based store clusters; and b) manage their business at acluster level (including business results, categoryassessments and analysis and tactical decisions). Suppliers

need to inform retail category managers of differentshopper preferences in categories that require anindividualized approach for improved shopper satisfaction(CMA’s CatMan 2.0).

3. Inject Shopper into Category StrategiesThe retailer’s strategies, which include the category role

(no.1 above) and retail store cluster definitions (no.2 above),drive the outputs in the category plan. Before developingthe category plan, a category strategy needs to be set,which complements the category role that has been definedfor each category.

CatMan 2.0* recommends more creative or insightful andmuch less mechanical strategies, with 5-6 strategies per category.They may include emotion (e.g. pet / baby / beauty), providingeducation (e.g. oral care / consumer electronics), saving time(e.g. breakfast snacks), safety (tires). Suppliers can play animportant role in helping Retailers keep category strategiesrelevant and forward thinking, based on the changing shopper,evolving attributes and new shopper insights. This is where thesupplier’s valuable shopper insights and the retailer’s categoryshopper can start to connect.

4. Inject Shopper Through Category Decision Trees

The term consumer decision tree has been replaced bycategory decision tree (CatMan 2.0 ™) (the good news is thatit’s the same CDT acronym). Their conclusion is that the termconsumer decision tree is incorrect because it is a shoppermaking the decision (who is not necessarily the consumer ofthe product). Think of pet products or baby care — the treeshould be about how the shoppers think and act, even whenthey purchase on behalf of someone or something else.

The CDT is one of the most critical shopper pieces toincorporate in your category management foundations, startingwith its influence in both category definitions andsegmentations. CDTs can be developed in many ways, and thecost to develop a third-party CDT for one category can rangein cost from several tens of thousands to half a million dollars(depending on the methodology and approach). Once aretailer decides on the CDT for a category, by incorporatingthese shopper-based segmentations into their data (throughfields assigned at the item level), the shopper perspectivegets injected into shopper into category assessments andbusiness reviews, tactical analysis and recommendations(including assortment / innovation, space management /planograms, pricing and promotion, product supply).

What’s next? Look at your current category managementapproach and determine how you can improve the focus ofshopper within it using some of the examples above. Retailerswho dust off their category management process and makechanges using the recommendations above (as well as otherssuggested in CatMan2.0 ™) will ultimately win with theirshoppers through increased shopper satisfaction. ●


With the variety of products on theshelf, packaging and price are oftenthe two variables that will move

the product from shelf to cart. Today’spackaging needs to work for the product,whether it’s sharing a story, extending theshelf life, or enhancing its overall presentation.

“Product packaging plays a big role inprotecting the integrity of the productthrough its journey to the store shelves,”says Cathie Ellis, president, Ellis PackagingLtd. “At the same time it must provide a“branding” to create an experience wherethe consumer wants to repurchase theseproducts as part of their grocery routine.”

The visual appearance of the package willdetermine whether the consumer will beginto interact with the product. It is about theentire presentation from the package itselfto the way it’s merchandized. Companies areusing creative package designs to ensure thattheir product stands out from the masses.“We are seeing a lot more pictures of beautiful

food presentations right on the package, inaddition, companies are seeking out bothsofter prints and matte finishes,” says KentWang, president, Olaf Packaging. It is aboutcreating packages that esthetically resonateand then showcasing how the productconnects to the values of the consumers.

One of the values that continues to betrending is minimalist packaging and productsthat are encased in environmentally consciouscontainers. Simplistic packaging helps bringthe product to the forefront. As the packagingfades to the background, it encourages theconsumers to engage with the product.

This includes a resurgence of craft paper,minimal printing on the bag, and seekingout containers that can either be compostedor recycled. David Andrews, executive director,Canadian Corrugated and ContainerboardAssociation continues to see the positiveimpact of retailers choosing packaging thattakes into account the consumer’senvironmental values. “Canadian consumers

are the largest recyclers of corrugatedcardboard,” says Andrews. ” It’s recyclableattributes responds to the consumers thatare looking for a sustainable package.” Thekey is using packaging to help develop arelationship with the consumer.

Up Front and PersonalAs more millennials enter into the grocery

shopping channels, the need for personalizedpackaging becomes even more important.These savvy consumers are seeking outproducts that will respond to their valuesand they are looking to the package toshowcase these features. Companies areusing their packages to share the story ofboth the products and producers providinginsight on the people behind the product.

There has also been a lot of chatter aboutthe positive impact of personalization, withseveral companies citing Coca Cola’s successwith their personalized bottles. As a directresult, other industry leaders are taking

packaging By Anne-Marie Hardie

Sue Nicholls is the founder of “Category Management Knowledge Group”, an online, accredited category management training company. She can be reached at [email protected].

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note and adapting theirpackaging to reflect thepreferences of their consumers.The advances in digitalprinting have enabled foodprocessors to customize thepackaging to respond to the needs ofthe consumers. “The advantage of digitalis it allows for small runs of customizedpackaging, be it the description of thegoods in a third language, personalizing

of name, appearance of agraphic of the presentation ofa serving,” says Andrews.

These carefully curatedpackaging helps develop therelationship with the consumer.However, grocers still need toensure that the packageprotects the product.

Packaging that Worksfor the Product

When it comes to fresh produce, theright package will enhance its presentation

and extend its shelf life. “It is aboutfinding the packaging solution that willwork best for the product,” says Wang.For fresh produce, the packaging needs toconsider a variety of factors from theamount of moisture produced to the oxygenexpended. Packaging should showcase thebeauty of the product while alsoincorporating technological advances thatwill maintain the integrity of the product.

When designing the package, it isimportant to look at all of the factorsthat could impact the product. “It is veryimportant to design the packaging with

all of the factors in mind starting withpackaging, transportation to stores,merchandising as well as taking intoaccount the weight of the product and itsusage and transportation to the consumer’shome,” said Ellis.

For shelf products this includes whetherthe packaging will help improve theconsumers experience with the product.“One of the key factors of packaging is itsfunctionality, including whether the packageis easy to open, protected, and resealable”says Ellis. The consumer’s at homeinteraction with the package will helpdetermine whether it’s a one off purchaseor if they will return back for more.

Ultimately, it is the consumer that willdictate whether the packaging respondsto their needs. For the grocer retailers,this involves paying attention to not onlythe products, but the packages that arebeing purchased. ●

Olaf Packaging notes that companies areseeking out softer prints and matte finisheson their packaging.

David Andrews, executive director,Canadian Corrugated and Containerboard Association.


Within the speciality foods category,distributors and retailers are pushed tokeep up to today’s rapidly changing

Canadian marketplace. Gary Hoskins, vice-president of sales and marketing

for Terra International Foods Inc. states, “Consistentrise in the category is breaking down a lot of barriers,but also opening up many new opportunities.”

To achieve these opportunities, the industry mustpay attention to current consumer trends.

It’s Good for You As consumers age and educate themselves about links

between diet and specific health issues, they look forfunctional foods that target wellness concerns.

Philip Issenman, president and owner of I-D Foodssees his company’s long-standing product, Delverdeauthentic Italian pasta, responding with new wholewheat and flax seed products. “Specialty food companiesare often quicker to react to trends,” he says. “They’resmaller and more flexible in their ability to meetconsumer demands.”

At C.B. Powell Ltd., Brand Manager, Chuck Corriganacknowledges years of double digit growth within

the organic tea sector. “There are excellentopportunities to be price competitive with

non-organic equivalents and also make apremium margin.”

Consumers areChanging

Statistics Canada estimates thatby 2031 nearly half of allCanadians older than 15 will beforeign-born or have at least oneforeign-born parent. Ethnocultural diversity brings a vastarray of specialty food wants andneeds while at the same timeexposing all Canadian consumersto a world of flavours.“Retailers make demographic

studies, broken down by nationality,

specialty foods

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but the thing to remember is thatcustomers could be from any originalnationality, eating any kind of food,” saysJurand Latek, president of Terra Foods.

At the Italian Centre Shop in Calgary,dedicated to World and European foods,Store Manager Gino Marghella notices hiscustomers adopting specialty items intotheir staples pantries with social mediabeing the biggest influence on their choices.“Something might come up on the FoodNetwork, and the next day people comeinto the store looking for that product.”

“We’re finding people are adopting a more‘global’ menu,” agrees Hoskins. “They’relooking to create international-style dinnersat home rather than eating out. The worldis getting smaller all the time.”

Consumers are showing increasedinterest in simple, traditional recipes forfamily meals and entertaining. “Some ofthe companies we represent have been inbusiness for 100 years,” says Latek. “Andthey have become very popular lately.Nothing has changed; just the old wayscoming back into the light.”

An Expanding Marketplace

Brigitta Woudberg, sales and marketingdirector for Sparkling Olive sees continuousmarket growth in specialty foods greaterthan 14 per cent per year. “Driven byconsumer trends for healthy, allergen-freeand unique products, as well as a diverseethnic population, the Canadian consumermarket provides a wide range of potentialgrowth opportunities in specialty foods.”

As well, potential new trade deals withEurope will increase the number of productsavailable. Woudberg explains, “Cuttingcustoms duties for importers and exportersand creating a level playing field will allowEuropean exporters to be more competitivein the Canadian market.”

To Bubble or Not to BubbleSchloss Munzingen, high quality dealcoholized wineand sparkling wine, is coming to Canada! In 2017Sparkling Olive Group, international grocers’ whole-sale company, will launch Chardonnay, CabernetSauvignon and three delicious sparkling wines underone brand, from the German award-winning winecooperative, Badischer Winzerkeller (BWK).

A Tale of Two TeasRidgways Organically Grown Tea, right on the grow-ing consumer trend for Organic and indulgence intaste. Imported from the U.K., a brand of theTyphoo Tea Company, Ridgways comes in Blackand Earl Grey. Today’s aware customer can’t missthe earth-friendly blue and green display in pre-packed displays.

Oktoberfest in the WestWith this eye-catching themed display created bythe brand-builder Terra Foods for Associated Dis-tributors Mediterranean Market brings Oktoberfestto Kelowna! A cultural experience all ethnicities canenjoy. Recipes, shopping lists and everything yourconsumers need to try something new and enjoy theauthentic tastes of Germany at home.

Lighting up New TastesAll the colourful foods traditionally enjoyed duringDiwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, make a strikingdisplay facilitated by I-D Foods. Specialty foodsproducts such as Patak’s encourage making authen-tic Indian foods at home quickly and easily, introduc-ing exploration into the riches of other cultures.

Momma Mia!Aurora Importing & Distributing brings the bestflavours of Italian cooking to Canada. Telling storiesof good food and traditions with welcoming dis-plays centred around the seasons. An Italian picnicspread. Special treats at Christmas. Aurora can helpmake Italian foods a centrepiece of inspiration.

Say Cheese!The Italian Centre Shop offers a broad selection ofcheeses from Mediterranean, European and Canadi-an climes to satisfy a diverse customer base withthat special ingredient for authentic, deliciousrecipes and entertaining. Gift baskets made in-storeare tasty solutions for any occasion, while introduc-ing some of the vast varieties available.

Product Showcase

I-D Foods knows that marketing specialty foodsaround cultural holidays and festivals exposesconsumers to new foods and cultures.


The undeniably welcoming aroma ofan in-store bakery has traditionallybeen one of those consumer draws

that defines the grocery store experience.While this may never change, in-storebakeries are under just as much pressure toadjust to changing consumer demands asany other department. And today, that isabout using “clean” ingredients whilemaintaining the end product quality.

Liesbet Vandepoel, director of marketingwith Puratos Canada, says, “Consumers wantmore information about ingredients, wherethey come from and how they are used”.They also want simpler labels. “Manyconsumers have a negative expectation ofbaked goods in part because of informationoverload. Facts can be lost in translation.”

Puratos, a global ingredient supplier,commissioned an independent survey ofconsumers in 2015. It revealed that 61 percent of Canadian consumers would buy moreproducts at bakeries where everything is

made with natural ingredients. As a result,in-store bakeries are challenged to meetdemand for cleaner ingredients and a qualityend product.

Companies like OK Frozen Dough areinvesting in research and development,driving big industry changes to reformulateproducts to meet these expectations.

Bruce Glaicar, CEO of OK Frozen Doughsays their company “decided to look ateverything — all ingredients and do asmuch as we can. In the past three yearsthere has been a big push”.

This is confirmed by retailers such asValerie Joslin, bakery director of CalgaryCo-Op who says “Clients are asking forclean ingredients and want to see how itis broken out. It is about transparency.”

Clean Ingredients, Clean Labels

Consumers want to make their decisionsbased on real information. With trans-

parency a top concern, labeling is asimportant as the clean ingredients.

“Clean labels make the ingredientstransparent to the consumer, so they feelbetter about the choices they are making,”Joslin continues.

Glaicar agrees, “It is important forgrocery chains to know their ingredientdecks are current. The most effectivepromotion of this very positive formulationchange is in the label; consumers arepaying attention.”

Vandepoel suggests, “Clearer labelsreassure consumers the quality of theirfood is good. What makes a label clean isstill subjective; so the industry could dobetter to educate the public.”

In particular, when technical names ofproducts are not commonly known,consumers may inadvertently pass over aclean ingredient product by quicklychecking labels. Clear, understandablelabels will ease consumer concern.


Consumer Awareness“Stores are integrating the imported

specialty and ethnic lines with ‘mainstream’because it opens up the audience wider,”says Hoskins. “For example, on the picklesaisle you could find specialty Europeanbrands alongside traditional. Retailers canstep outside the box, make shopping amore creative experience.”

Corrigan advises, “Seek out ‘winner’organic products, for example, that delivertaste and value. Then promote theirbenefits with a focused in-store programand separate ad features.”

At the Italian Centre, Marghella is alwayslooking to make customers aware of newproducts with highly visible signs, demosand printed recipe cards. “Our stores areadopting food ambassadors, and distributorshelp get new products out there.”

“It takes quite a while to buildpromotions and then execute themproperly,” says Hoskins. “We work withour customers to deliver the whole messagewhether it’s head office advertising inflyers or down to the store level. Our repswill be there helping to build displays.”

Promoting multi-cultural festivals to

increase specialty foods awareness is animportant function of I-D Foodssalespeople. “Marketing specialty foodsaround cultural holidays serves the ethnicpopulation and exposes consumers to newfoods and cultures,” says Issenman. “Weare in the midst of building displays tocelebrate Diwali — the Hindu festival oflights, and the amount of product that’sgoing into stores is amazing.”

Anthony Morello, president of AuroraImporting & Distributing, believes the focuson new products and innovations must bebetter accepted by all major retailers.

“Perhaps they should consider performance-based fees applied to sales growth targetsas this would take the pressure off a littleand allow both parties to focus on sellinggoods rather than buying goods.”

Making ProductChoices

Retailers must have a product strategy ofwhat they want to include in their store.Latek advises, “‘Be objective; exercise disciplinein picking an appropriate range of productswhile looking ahead to the next thing.”

“Look for great food,” says Morello.“Look for clean ingredients, authenticorigins, tractability, heritage and storiesthat can be told about products andcompanies. (Infotainment). Above all —and this is extremely important — regardlessof format, stay true to what you are andyour go-to market strategy as a retailer.”

With a clear map in place to navigateever-changing trends and demographicsof Canadian consumers, and strongpartnerships with knowledgeable andpassionate distributors, retailers can lookwith confidence to a successful future inthe specialty foods category. ●

in-store bakery

If You Bake It, They Will Buy

Clean Ingredients Key To In-store Bakery Success

Puratos Canada works closely with their clients to produce ingredient changes that provide a functionof what is needed — such as shelf stability.

By Karen D. Crowdis

Aurora Foods notes that the focus on newproducts and innovations must be betteraccepted by all major retailers.


Portage la Prairie. Three stores are currentlybeing built, and plan to be open in 2016.

Save-On-Foods will offer a full range ofgrocery items, including meat, fresh fruit

and vegetables, baked goodsand as many locally grownproducts as possible.

This need to stock local hasbeen the catalyst for theprovince’s highly positive year,explains Dave Shambrock,executive director of Food &Beverage Manitoba (formerlyManitoba Food ProcessorsAssociation).

“Buying local is no longera trend. It’s part of culture.People want to supportManitoba products. This is

being recognized by in-tune retailers andthey are aggressively looking to find localproducts,” he says, adding right now isthe best time for small start-up food andbeverage producers to get into retail.

Retailers looking to put Manitobaproducts in their store have a lot of newplayers to pick from. Shambrock statesover the past year 50 new suppliers havecome online, totalling 500 new products.

Manitoba’s Food Development Centre,based in Portage la Prairie had a great year,helping 500 clients with product develop-ment, labelling, and regulatory review.

“We are really proud about our flaxmuffin project which was completed inpartnership with the Flax Council ofCanada. The Food Development Centredeveloped a flax muffin that meets HealthCanada’s claims for flax. The muffin isnow being served to patients in theWinnipeg Regional Health Authority,”states Roberta Irvine RD, BusinessDevelopment for the Food DevelopmentCentre, adding other products that camefrom the centre included energy bars,cold-pressed canola oil from seed grownin Manitoba, beverages such as plant-based dry smoothie mixes, extruded snacks


Palatable But PriceyThe move to clean ingredients

requires significant investment formanufacturers. According to Glaicar,“Ittook us about two years of testing tomeet the new standards. We did it instages, so there were changeseverywhere, but no single drasticchange.” That allowed them to changeover almost every product line.

Vandepoel says they work closely withtheir clients to produce ingredient changesthat are a function of what is needed,like shelf stability.

“We work together to create what ourretailers need using consumer surveyresults. Although, it is important to alsoconsider other factors that can affect priceor process,” Vandepoel cautions.

Glaicar adds, “We are taking things outand putting less in, but the cost is notgoing down. The technology is a costlyfactor in keeping a quality product. Wedon’t want to compromise the final product.”He indicates that their flavour profiles andpost-bake shelf life have remained thesame, but their total ingredient costs arehigher to achieve the same quality.

“Availability of ingredients, sourcingthem, organic or non-GMO, all this

contributes to the complexity in creatingthe end product,” agrees Vandepoel. “Priceis dependant on those categories andcomplexity. Consumer prices go up, butnot all are willing to pay more for theproduct, as there is still always the magnetof price.”

Some products are more difficult toaccurately reformulate with fully cleaningredients. “Traditional sweet goods seemto be the hardest for us to get completelyclean,” says Joslin, adding that whileconsumers want it, it’s hard to find in afinal product that has that same satisfyingsweetness.

Promoting in-store bakeries and theclean ingredient offerings helps consumerschoose them. Joslin says it doesn’t needto be complicated or expensive. “We havea team dedicated to digital marketing of

our bakeries including a food critic whoprovides product reviews and regularposting on social media outlets, reachinga broader audience in addition to ourstore level sampling,” she says.

Consumer requests drive grocerybakery business. Meeting those requestsis increasingly complicated as consumersexpect consistent quality with moreclean ingredients. By working withsuppliers to reformulate products whilemaintaining traditional, quality finalproducts is necessary to feed theconsumer clean ingredient appetite.Patiently reworking staple goods willensure in-store bakeries continue towelcome consumers with mouthwateringaromas of fresh-baked goods. ●

provincial report

By Carly Peters

Manitoba Food Development Centre helped 500 clients with product development,labelling and regulatory review this past year.

While other industries may be in a slump, Manitoba’s foodproducers and grocery retail sector is going strong.

The Good News

Calgary Co-Op notes that consumers are askingfor bakery products with clean ingredients.

Ok Frozen Dough is investing in research and development and looking at all of their ingredients.

Promoting in-store bakeries and the clean ingredientofferings helps consumers choose them.

Tired of hearing about low oil prices,job losses, and economic downturns?Manitoba’s grocery retail landscape

and food processors can paint you a rosierpicture. With new grocery retailers makingtheir way into the province, localproducers have more shelves to get theirskus on and customers are given morechoices when it comes to local products.

The biggest news to comeout of 2015 in Manitoba’sgrocery retail landscape wasthe announcement ofVancouver-based Save-On-Foods making its way in tothe province. According tothe Winnipeg Free Press, thechain plans to open 40 newstores in the next three tofive years in Manitoba andSaskatchewan as part of anaggressive expansion programthat will also create morethan 4,000 jobs in the twoprovinces. That includes as many as 12stores in Winnipeg, one potentially in thecity’s downtown, and an undeterminednumber in rural centres outside of thecity, such as Brandon, Steinbach, and

Dave Shambrock, executive director, Food & Beverage Manitoba.


and breakfast cereals using pulse-basedingredients, and much more.

Irvine says the Food Development Centrespecializes in beverages, bars and plantprotein extraction, three of the top trendsaccording the 10 Key Trends for 2016 fromNew Nutrition Business.

“The Food Development Centre is wellpositioned to meet these trends becausewhether it is dairy, beverages or snacks,the trend is towards enhancing foodproducts with grains and plant protein,we have the expertise needed to createthese innovative products,” she says,pointing to their ability to help companieswith wet protein fractionation so theycan meet the plant protein trend and alsothe ability to help companies find valuefrom waste streams.

Food and beverage processing accountsfor 25 per cent of all products manufacturedin Manitoba. It continues to dominate theindustry in value shipped and directlyemploys 14,000 workers. The industry alsoplays a key role in supporting Manitobafarmers. Shambrock estimates 50 to 60 percent of farmers produce is converted intovalue-added products in Manitoba.

The province’s food suppliers also play akey role in getting province-created productsout to a local and even national market.

“Manitoba food distributors andproducers excel in promoting localcompanies and local items. We offer manyitems for many companies that are madein Manitoba, and are always looking fornew items that we can sell our customers,”says Jason Paterson of Northern MeatServices, a full-line foodservice supplierbased in Winnipeg, adding the companystocks items from over 40 differentManitoba companies.

Paterson repeats the positive sentimentabout the overall industry, stating 2015was another good year for the company,and they continued to expand, and growsales. In 2015, they also built a brand newCFIA Cold Storage Facility in Winnipeg’s

CentrePort, the city’s tri-modal inland port. “We are able to provide public cold

storage to many customers that requirefrozen cold storage. We are also able toprovide onsite inspections for any frozenfood items from the U.S., to pass intoCanada. We also built a federal CFIA-approvedcutting room to enable us to sell items allover Canada and the U.S.,” he states.

Even with the positive growth thereare certainly challenges that they face —weather affecting distribution, fuel costs,freight charges, U.S. exchange rates. Oneof the biggest issues both distributors andproducers face is all the governmentregulatory framework they have tonavigate. The Safe Food for Canadians Act,while passed in 2012, is still slowly beingdeveloped leaving many processorswondering what they need to comply withcurrently and what they will need to inthe future. Add on top of that the varyingregulations in the U.S. and it can makefor confusing business.

Food & Beverage Manitoba helps their300 members by running courses andconferences throughout the year thattouch on Canadian, U.S. and even state-specific regulations. They are also in thefinal stages of producing an online manual- Food and Beverage Processing Manitoba.While this is considered the third editionof the association’s previous manuals, ithas had the most extensive revisions inorder to help processors firmly establishfood safety protocols and navigate thenational and international standards.

The association itself saw some revisionsin early 2016. Most notably a name changefrom the former Manitoba Food ProcessorsAssociation to Food & Beverage Manitoba.Shambrock said the reason was two-fold.First, beverage producers are an importantpart of the association and they wantedto formally recognize them as a significantpart of the industry.

The second reason was the negativeconnotations around the word “processed.”

“Many of our members are respondingto consumers request of having natural,less processed products and cleaner labels.When we talked to members, the newgeneration of companies don’t look atthemselves as processors, but rather foodproducers,” he explains, adding he feelsManitoba does a great job at producingnatural, functional, and whole foods.

With all the goodness coming out of,and coming into Manitoba the good newslooks like it will continue into 2017. ●

2017 is looking like it will be another good year for Manitoba food and producers.

WHAT’S NEW & IMPROVED IN THE GROCERY AISLE

advertisers index

American Peanut Council ...........................................................................................9

Aurora Importing & Distributing ....................................................................50, IBC

Bee Maid Honey Ltd. .................................................................................................40

Biro Manufacturing Company .................................................................................44

Bosa Foods ........................................................................................................19, 21, 23

Bothwell Cheese ..........................................................................................................42

C.B Powell ......................................................................................................................53

CadCan Marketing & Sales Inc ................................................................................37

Canadian Corrugated and Containerboard Assoc ............................................48

Carlton Cards Ltd ..........................................................................................................3

Discovery Organics...................................................................................................... 31

Earth to Kids Inc.......................................................................................................... 24

Elias Honey ....................................................................................................................41

Explore Cuisine ............................................................................................................24

Falesca Importing ........................................................................................................ 18

Guru Lucky Snacks ...................................................................................................... 12

Indianlife Food Corporation..................................................................................... 54

Italpasta Ltd. ...........................................................................................................17, 24

Keurig Canada ......................................................................................................28, 29

Lantic Inc .......................................................................................................................32

Level Ground Trading Ltd. ........................................................................................30

MB Hydro ..................................................................................................................7, 59

Mia’s Kitchen ................................................................................................................ 26

Mondelez Canada Inc ..................................................................................IFC, 10, 49

Mountain Top Foods ...................................................................................................39

Northern Meat Services ...........................................................................................58

Ocean Brands................................................................................................................20

OK Frozen Dough ........................................................................................................56

Paradise Mountain Organic Coffee ........................................................................30

Prairie Harvest Canada Ltd. ......................................................................................16

Primo Foods Inc ...........................................................................................................22

Retail Council of Canada .............................................................................................8

Sparkling Olive Group ............................................................................................OBC


in the bag


Happy Days Introduces Goat Milk Powder

Happy Days Dairies Ltd. now supplies 100 per cent Local Canadian Whole Goat Milk Powder.

It is an improved formula that doesnot need warm water or excessive stir-ring to mix thoroughly. The company isthe first in Canada to produce localGoat Milk Powder. It is a great way tohave goat milk readily available if youdo not have access to goat milk on aregular basis. The powder is carried inthe classic one kg bag or in a conve-nient 454 g cup.

Chickapea Pasta Launches Organic Pasta Line Made fromChickpeas & Lentils

That’s it. Just two ingre-dients: organic chickpeasand lentils!

Packed with protein,fibre, iron, magnesium,folate and many othernutrients, Chickapea is agluten free pasta anyoneand everyone can enjoy.

Best of all, it actuallytastes like pasta! No moremushy, grainy substitutesto the food consumers know and love.

Finally, a pasta you can feel good about! Available to order throughPlanet Foods.

Falesca introduces new La MolisanaGluten Free Gnocchi

La Molisana creates 100 per centgenuine Italian products since 1912with over 100 different cuts of pasta.It has a fully integrated supply chainwhich enables it to track productionfrom grain to table. Its new line ofGluten Free Pasta includes a GlutenFree Gnocchi conveniently packagedin two individual 250g trays. Madefrom the best raw ingredientswithout preservatives or artificialcolours these gnocchi taste just likehomemade.

For further information please contact Falesca Importing at [email protected]

Mia’s Kitchen Pasta Sauce

Mia’s Kitchen pasta sauces use only the freshest produce and herbsto create the fun and innovative line of clean and flavourful products,based on recipes that have been handed down from generationto generation in the Sebastiani family. Mia’s Kitchen products arenon-GMO project verified and certified awesome.

For more info, please contact BrandSeed Marketing, Inc. www.brandseedmarketing.ca

Gurulucky Introduces Tasty Nuts

Gurulucky Snacks & SweetsLtd. has introduced TastyNuts/(Peanut Bhujia).

The product is available in bulkformat or in 321g printed foil lami-nated bags for customers to enjoythe freshness of spicy coatedpeanuts at their own convenience.Made with a chickpea coating, TastyNuts are oil roasted and high infibre and protein with no choles-terol or trans fat. Gurulucky Snacks& Sweets Ltd. is the only companymanufacturing authentic Indianstyle chickpea coated peanuts witha spicy touch.

Contact Jeetu Patel at 778-855-1905

New Formulation from OK

OK Frozen Dough strives to be a leader in product development bynow offering an enzyme-based formulation change that meets thedemands of today’s informed consumer. Frozen dough requires qual-ity ingredients and conditioners to maintain freezer stability and prod-uct performance throughout its freezer shelf life. Until recently thiswas achieved with ingredients such as: Datem (Diacetyl Tartaric AcidEsters of Mono Diglycerides), SSL (Sodium Steryol Lactylate), ADA(Adzidocarbonmide), and LCC (L-cycteine). New enzyme technologyand process technique can now replace all those ingredients withenzymes and soy lecithin only.

Cold Brew Coffee

For 20 years, Salt Spring Coffeehas been roasting high qualityorganic, fair to farmer coffee. Theyare one of Canada’s largest andmost respected organic coffeeroasters. They are introducing ColdBrew Coffee — a cold caffeinatedbeverage that is bold, strong andnaturally smooth. Now available intwo flavours — Classic and Citrus.The Classic Cold Brew is naturally sweet, chocolately and full bodied. Itis easy to drink and pairs well with dairy. The Citrus Cold Brew is bright,complex and refreshing, with a hint of Cardamom. It pairs well withcocktails, tonics and ice cream.

For further information email [email protected] or visitwww.saltspringcoffee.com/coldbrew

New Tea Pyramids from LevelGround Trading

Level Ground Trading has expanded their Direct Fair Trade productlineup with Tea Pyramids. These biodegradable tea pyramids are filledwith organically grown tea from Assam, India. Perfect for quick andeasy tea brewing. This expansion complements their existing line ofloose leaf teas.

To contact, call 1-888-565-6633 or visit www.levelground.com

New from Aurora

ALLESSIA CROCCANTE Hand-made in Italy, the

Allessia Croccante will be a newfavourite “anytime, anyday”treat and makes a delicious andhealthy stocking stuffer. The product comes in a shelf ready displayand is available in Hazelnut, Almond, and Peanut.

ALLESSIA BREADSTICKS At the first crunch, the Allessia Rustic

Grissini Breadsticks burst with flavour. Madein Italy, this brand new Allessia line bringsfour fresh flavours to the table: Sesameseed, Black Olive, Rosemary and Olive Oil.Allessia bread sticks are a perfect accompa-

niment to any meal. Theyare also terrific as appetiz-ers or for a satisfying andtasty snack any time of the day.

AURORA 750 GR HONEY Out with the old, in with the new. Aurora takes

their 750gr Honey and gives it a fresh and innovat-ed look, with it’s no drip - top down bottle. Offeredin a shelf ready tray, holding 12 convenient squeezebottles, this easy to measure, no wasteproduct will bring any shelf in the gro-cery aisle to life.

BACI 70% FONDENTE

Perugina out-does themselves againwith their new Baci 70%Fondente chocolate.

Still made exclusively inPerugia, the Baci reciperemains unchanged. Madewith only eight ingredientsyou can buy in the supermar-ket, all natural, Gluten Free, and Kosher Certified, the 70% FondenteChocolate Baci is something you need to get your hands on.

Facebook.com/BaciPerugina www.baciperugina.com

1 30/08/16 15:58

taking stock By Frank Yeo

In these days of rapid change, brandloyalty can be fleeting. It is not toooften that a brand develops such a

deep connection to its customers that itearns the honour of reaching themilestone of 100 years in the market.

Unico, turning 100 in 2017, is justsuch an example.

In Italian, Unico means unique, and thatis certainly what the brand and the companybehind it are. Founded in 1917, Unico’sproduct line includes pastas, cooking oils,tomatoes, beans, peas, fish, olives, marinadesand rice. “We offer a wide range ofMediterranean-style products and ingredientsto complement any meal and we prideourselves on using only the highest qualitysources in the preparation of our products,”says Chief Operating Officer, John Porco.

Unico was originally established to caterto the growing Mediterranean communityin Toronto. The goal was to bring the“culture of Italian eating” to every Canadiantable by becoming the country’s leadingdistributor of authentic Mediterranean styleingredients and products. After twogenerations of Pasquale family ownership,Unico passed through three successivecorporate ownerships.

In 1997, Unico again became a familymanaged business when Sun-Brite FoodsInc., established in 1973 as a canningoperation owned by the Iacobelli family,purchased the company. Unico wasalready a recognized brand with a strongcustomer following and Sun-Brite Foods’largest customer. While it offered anestablished sales, marketing anddistribution network, it required a long-term focus and vision. Sun-Brite Foodsoffered this type of solid ownership.

“This vertical integration,” says Porco,“has been a source of strength for theUnico brand”.

Equally important is the company’swide product range, with close to 400skus, focus on quality and meetingconsumer needs through innovation.

“Our product lineup allows us to caterto a very wide range of consumer needs,”says Porco. “And we put quality aboveall else. In most cases, we are the No.1brand in the market.”

The company has always kept pace withthe consumer. For example, low carb, saltfree or gluten free products have beenintroduced to meet these consumer needs.

“We have always been focused on

healthy categories,” says Porco, who addsthat this bodes well for the brand’s futureas health and wellness has becomeforemost in the consumer’s mind. A goodexample of this is the brand’s preeminentposition in the pulse category with itscanned lentils and chickpeas, both hugesellers to health-conscious consumers.“We are also the largest processors oftomatoes in Canada.”

There is no doubt the Unico brand hasachieved its almost visceral connectionwith consumers through its consistentlyhigh quality. It is also proudly Canadian,despite its specialization in Mediterraneanstyle food products.

“We are a national company, spanningfrom coast to coast, and though wespecialize in Mediterranean-style foodproducts, we are most definitely Canadian.However, our corporate borders reach beyondCanada. By importing resources from othercountries, we can develop a stronginternational network. Dealing with othercountries helps Unico to better predict andprepare for new trends in the industry.”

And this is what Unico has doneconsistently well, a trait that will carry thebrand forward for yet another 100 years. ●


A “Unique”BrandUnico Celebrates 100 Years

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