Canadian Retailer - Spring 2017 - 4

PUBLISHER'S DESK

Canadian grocers hungry
to create fresh experience
GROCERY is arguably one of the

most competitive sectors in the entire retail industry. It can also be
argued that it's the most complex.
Razor-thin margins, a discerning
consumer who expects fresh product immediately at the right price,
and logistical challenges to meet
those demands are just a few of the
hurdles that Canadian grocers must overcome on a daily basis to remain successful.
Within this Food & Grocery Issue of Canadian Retailer, we take a
look at some of these challenges and how the very best in the industry
are paving the way forward to curate the Canadian grocery experience
through the implementation of technology and innovative ideas.
To whet your appetite 'Food for thought for Canadian grocers' (page
24) and 'A real mouthful' (page 28) offer a host of statistics related to
Canadian grocery shopping behaviour and food consumption. Did
you know that Canadians consume an average of 63 litres of beer per
capita each year?
The ways grocers throughout the country are invigorating the sector
are explored in our feature article 'Curating the grocery experience'
(page 32). Learn how Canada's grocery leaders are diversifying their
businesses, streamlining operations and creating greater efficiency to
refresh the very idea of the Canadian grocery store.
To meet these lofty objectives, grocers everywhere have been looking closely at their supply chains. In 'Breaking the chain' (page 40)
we report on the ways digital technology and human innovation are
transforming how traditional supply chains operate to reduce costs
and meet the demands of today's consumer.
In addition, 'Van Stolk takes retail to the last frontier' (page 46) profiles
the ideas of Peter van Stolk, founder of Spud.ca, concerning revolutionary change that's reshaping the grocery industry, and the things grocers
need to do to survive within a drastically changing landscape.
I hope that you enjoy this special Food & Grocery Issue of Canadian
Retailer and that the topics and content explored help give your teams
something to chew on, and maybe an idea or two to implement into
your operations right away.
Thank you again for your support,

FOOD & GROCERY | VOL . 27 ISSUE 2

publisher

Diane J. Brisebois
S V P C o m m u n i c at i o n s a n d
M e m b e r R e l at i o n s

Caroline Hubberstey

senior director of marketing
a n d c o m m u n i c at i o n s

Branka Stavric

editor-in- chief

Sean C. Tarry
(416) 922-6678, ext. 286
starry@retailcouncil.org
art direction

Scope Media
hello@scopemedia.ca
senior writer

Robert Price

contributors

Jesse Donaldson, Stuart Foxman, Craig
Patterson, Randy Scotland
d i r e c t o r o f p u b l i c at i o n s

Angela Caroyannis
acaroyannis@naylor.com
project manager

Kim Davies
kdavies@naylor.com
sales manager

Bill McDougall
bmcdougall@naylor.com
editorial office

800 - 1881 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4S 3C4
Phone: (416) 922-6678 | Fax: (416) 922-8011
www.retailcouncil.org
a d v e r t i s i n g/ p r o d u c t i o n o f f i c e

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Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 3X1
Phone: (800) 665-2456 | Fax: (800) 709-5551
www.naylor.com
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Please note the opinions expressed in Canadian
Retailer do not necessarily reflect those of Retail
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Diane J. Brisebois
President & CEO
Retail Council of Canada
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CANADIAN RETAILER

| THE FOOD & GROCERY ISSUE

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Retailer - Spring 2017