The Canadian grocery branding strategy has never been more critical, as the sector faces ongoing turmoil—further complicated by anticipated tariff wars. For the 52-week period ending December 28, 2024, the Canadian grocery sector achieved a mere 1% unit growth, with 49.7% of all sales happening on promotion.[1] Coresight Research in the United States projects only […]
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Consumers tend to classify mushrooms as plants. After all, the fresh ones are sold in the retail produce department. They have long served as utility players across kitchens. The earliest recorded appearance of mushrooms in a recipe is from an 1824 cookbook, “The Virginia Housewife”. The now-famous Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup debuted in the […]
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The Canadian grocery sector is a tough market to conduct business. With consumers concerned over their weekly trips to the grocery store, brands must be on the customers’ shopping list, be competitively priced, offer sustainable product ingredients / product packaging, and the benefits consumers seek. Take toothpaste as an example, a common household product. The […]
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Nearly 4 years into a pandemic-induced hangover, the Canadian grocery industry continues to undergo enormous shake-ups, evolution, and corrections. Since 2020, the food sector has experienced a history of negative unit growth due to food inflationary wars. Taking the 3% increase in Canada’s population in 2023 into consideration, the Canadian grocery sector achieved a -1% […]
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The year of 2023 has come to an end. It is a year my wife and I wish to forget. Three months removed from my third knee replacement surgery, my wife was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer for the 2nd time in her life. Due to the great work of the Doctors and Nurses at Princess […]
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The focus for brands over the past number of years, has been on the Millennial and Generation Z communities. Millennials are those born between 1981 and 1996, and Generation Z was born between the mid to late-1990’s and 2010. In 2021, these two consumer groups accounted for over 38% of the Canadian population (M:21%, Gen […]
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Global warming began in 1988 when the deception of the ozone layer became increasingly prominent in the international public debate and political agenda. Though back of mind for most, today it is top of mind for retailers, consumers, and manufacturers in the food sector with an urgent focus on reducing plastic packaging waste in our […]
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Whether Canadians are filling up at the gas station, taking a well-earned vacation, or doing their weekly trip to the grocery store, they are feeling the pinch of inflation. Unlike what many politicians, especially those on the left of the spectrum may not mention, food inflation is a global phenomenon, not a “Made in Canada” […]
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“We stand at a crossroads in the world’s economy. On the one hand, we are poised to generate better standards of living for more of the world’s people than ever before. At the same time, it is increasingly clear that the consumption-based model of economic growth cannot be applied globally without causing immense environmental and […]
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Working in the food and beverage sector I have the privilege to observe the evolution of food and the consumer. This is no more evident than when it comes to consumers’ health and wellness. For instance, in the past when consumers had an upset stomach, they may have taken pepto bismol or tums. Yet, today […]
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