Canadian Retailer - Holiday 2013 - 8

RETAIL CURRENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS
KUBASPRIMEDIA APPOINT U.S. NATIVE TIM DANIEL AS PRESIDENT

On November 14, 2013, KubasPrimedia honoured
the illustrious career of founder Len Kubas, who
retired from a lifetime in the research and consulting
business in August 2013.
"Len is one of the best," said Diane J. Brisebois,
president and CEO of Retail Council of Canada. "His
contributions to the state and health of Canadian
media are immense and will be remembered for a
very long time."
KubasPrimedia has cultivated a small retail practice.
But the bulk of the company's consulting accounts are
represented in newspapers, 95 per cent of which are
based in the United States. However, the work that the
company has done in Canada is profound.
"Len has always been more than willing to offer
his insights to the retail industry and to RCC," said
Brisebois. "His intellect and intuition are second-to-

none, and his ability to spot things that others often
overlook is nothing short of inspiring."
Kubas' replacement as president of the company
is Tim Daniel, who has earned a reputation as a
"change agent" over a lengthy career in media, and
who will be charged with building a full suite of what
the company called "strategic transformation services" for its roster of media clients.
Daniel had previously done some work for Canadian Primedia as a consultant before being approached about working with the company on a
full-time basis.
In a release, KubasPrimedia said that Daniel has
engineered "dramatic reversals of fortune" for media
companies throughout North America. He will split
his time between KubasPrimedia's Toronto office and
its new office in Denver.

CONSUMER TRENDS
CANADIAN 'ONLINE' CONSUMERS DO THEIR RESEARCH

A recent study released by the Business Development
Bank of Canada, which focused on the increasing importance of the Internet in decision-making, suggests that at
least half of all Canadian consumers conduct an online
search prior to purchases.
Findings within the BDC study include:
47% of consumers conduct an online search
before buying.
70% of respondents trust consumer opinions
posted online.
33% of respondents are willing to pay more for
a healthier product.
1 in 3 consumers would pay 15 per cent more for
an ethically made product.
45% of respondents have made an effort to buy
Canadian. 87 per cent stated that their decision was
based on a belief that it was the environmentallyresponsible thing to do, and 97 per cent stated that
they believed it helped support their local economy.
24% of respondents have made an effort to buy
from their province or region.
2 of 3 consumers say the main factor in a purchase is lowest cost.

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Also identified in the study, based on the
findings of the survey, are the five consumer
trends that BDC recognize as the main drivers
of consumer behaviour today. They include:
* The buy-local movement: Consumers are shopping close to home, looking for locally made
goods and are aware that doing so may be a
better ethical and environmental choice.
* Rising health awareness: The aging population is becoming more aware of healthy
choices in food, cosmetics and ergonomically
designed products. Half of Canadians consider
the health impact of a product when making
purchasing decisions and one-third are willing
to pay a premium for healthy products.
* Frugality: Canadian incomes are stagnant and
debt is high, meaning consumers are cautious
about spending. As the baby boomers retire,
an increasing portion of the population will be
living on fixed incomes.
* The desire for customized goods: Consumers are
looking to get exactly what they want and new
technology makes it possible for them to buy it.
* The impact of the Internet: An increasing
amount of research about products is done
online, even when consumers don't buy online.
At the same time, online shopping is growing
and online reviews are critical.

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Canadian Retailer - Holiday 2013

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