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Grocery Innovations Canada (GIC), the premier and must-attend B2B grocery and specialty food show of the year, concluded with a full two-days of keynote speakers and educational workshops. This year’s theme, LOOK BEYOND, focused on not just the immediate business concerns of technology, but ensures consumer and business relationships are maintained.
Keynote Addresses
Natalie Green, Google Canada’s Head of Industry for Food, Beverages and Restaurants, delivered Monday’s keynote address, dissecting the current disruptions facing the grocery industry. She also uncovered consumer insights and expectations in order to “win” the customer journey. Following this, Green went into detail about her experience working in the fast-paced tech, food and beverage industries.
David Marcotte from Kantar Consulting continued the conversation on Wednesday with a look at the omni-digital reality and how the industry has to plan beyond channels. Next, the new price buyer and frugal chic consumer was examined by Ken Wong, marketing expert, Queen’s University.
Workshops included sessions around CFIA labelling updates, Amazon opportunities, marketing to shoppers and cannabis and grocery. On the Interac Insights & Innovations education area, there was a wide array of topics covered everything from deli cheese best practices, to ecommerce dos and don’ts and opportunities in energy savings.
Trade Floor
The trade show floor featured over 110,000-sq.ft. of exhibition floor space, 5,100 attendees and over 340 exhibitors from categories such as food, cannabis, garden, general merchandise, equipment, technology, foodservice, financial and insurance. This year’s key pavilions included a First Timer’s Pavilion, Choose Ontario Pavilion and the Pan-Asian Pavilion. The First Timer’s Pavilion showcased brand new products and services in grocery and equipment, while the Pan-Asian Pavilion presented key innovations from Asian countries. Another compelling wing of GIC 2018 show was the Choose Ontario Pavilion, which displayed local and Canadian home grown products and services.
Please find this year’s winners below in no particular order:
Best Convenience: Jack Daniels’ Meats [Jack Daniels (Acosta)] – Booth 1424
Best Packaging: Speyside Smokehouse Salmon Jerky [Meat Snacks Group (TFB & Associates)] – Booth 1308
Best Confectionery: Jacek Artisan Chocolate Bars (JACEK Chocolate Couture) – Booth 435
Best Snack: Seaweed Rice Crisps (Humanwell) – Booth 1229
Best Non-Food: QuickStrip (Rapid Dose Therapeutics) – Booth 1344
Best Refrigerated: Fairlife Ultrafiltered Milk Products [(Minute Maid Company of Canada (Coca-Cola Limited)]
Best Condiment, Spread, or Sauce: Nordica Smooth Cottage Cheese Dips (Gay Lea Foods Co-Operative Ltd.) – Booth 1118
Best Beverage: Fever Tree Premium Natural Mixers [Fever Tree – (TFB & Associates)] – Booth 1308
Best Sustainable: Casus Grill (Casus Grill Canada) – Booth 422
Best for Pets: Williwaw Treats For Dogs (Northern Pet Products Inc.) – Booth 1631
Insights and Innovations Stage Demos
The Interac Insights & Innovations stage had a series interactive sessions covering a multitude of topics. Gary Saarenvirta, A.I. Expert and Founder of Daisy Intelligence, spoke on powering the future of grocery decision-making and how artificial intelligence technology is different than traditional means of analytic approaches to merchandising. Maria Lind, of Toronto Fresh Food, informed the audience about rationalizing branding and global food flavours to promote fresh, new and innovative products for the marketplace. Andrew Parshad, of Quality Smart Solutions, spoke about the various steps companies and retail channels need to enact to prepare for the upcoming edibles and influsions market.
Best Booth Winners
– Best Single: Station Cold Brew Coffee Co. (Booth #1639)
– Best Double: Arterra Wines Canada (Booth #728)
– Best Multi: Weston Foods (Booth #525)
– Best Marketed: Smucker Foods of Canada Corp (Booth #1319)
2018 Master Merchandiser Awards WINNERS
Out of over 5,000 entries, the 15 winners of the Master Merchandiser Awards were announced on Tuesday evening in front of the industry. The Master Merchandiser Awards program recognizes creative merchandising in the grocery industry.
MULTI-STORE INTERNAL CONTEST
LARGE SURFACE
Métro O’Frigidaire, Lac-Etchemin, Québec
MEDIUM SURFACE
Colemans Mount Pearl, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland
SMALL SURFACE
Metro Denis Messier, Ste-Dorothée, Québec
SINGLE MANUFACTURER CATEGORY
SMALL SURFACE
Nesters Market Woodward’s, Vancouver, British Columbia
MEDIUM SURFACE
Quality Foods, Parksville, British Columbia
LARGE SURFACE
Save-On Foods Orchard Plaza, Kelowna, British Columbia
MULTI-MANUFACTURER CATEGORY
SMALL SURFACE
Sun Valley Supermarket, Toronto, Ontario
MEDIUM SURFACE
Powell’s Supermarket, Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador
LARGE SURFACE
Dessureault Your Independent Grocer, Ottawa, ON
THEMED EVENT CATEGORY
SMALL SURFACE
St. Norbert Marketplace, Winnipeg, Manitoba
MEDIUM SURFACE
Powell’s Supermarket, Bay Roberts, Newfoundland and Labrador
LARGE SURFACE
Save-On Foods, Richmond, British Columbia
PERIMETER DISPLAY CATEGORY
SMALL SURFACE
AG Foods, Barriere, British Columbia
MEDIUM SURFACE
Fresh Street Market, West Vancouver, British Columbia
LARGE SURFACE
Longo’s, Southeast Oakville, Ontario
INDEPENDENT GROCER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
The 56th Annual Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards Ceremony was presented tonight in Toronto, in front of a gala audience of over 500 leading grocers, suppliers, and distributors at Grocery Innovations Canada 2018, Canada’s premier grocery conference and trade show.
Each year, the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) Awards Program recognizes the success of outstanding independent retailers and offers insights into innovations that are changing and enhancing the way retailers compete.
The 2018 NATIONAL Winners of the Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards are:
Large Surface
Gold: Tim Styba and Team Save-On-Foods – Northgate, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Silver: Glenn Macnab and Staff Longo’s – Leaside, Toronto, Ontario
Bronze: Robb Epp and Team Save-On Foods – Pemberton Plaza, North Vancouver, British Columbia
Regional: Brad Brewer and Staff Colemans At The Gardens, Corner Brook, Newfoundland & Labrador
Medium Surface
Gold: Vince Piligra and Staff Longo’s – York Mills, Toronto, Ontario
Silver: Buy-Low Foods Osoyoos Team Buy-Low Foods, Osoyoos, British Columbia
Bronze: Buy-Low Foods Athabasca Team Buy-Low Foods, Athabasca, Alberta
Regional: Daniel Plouffe et Patrick Plouffe Métro Plouffe de Farnham, Farnham, Québec
Small Surface
Gold: Colby and Annette Woodhead, Doug Nakano and James Inglis Blind Bay Village Grocer, Blind Bay, British Columbia
Silver: Ross and Carol Bletsoe, Ian and Sarah Bletsoe Lakefield Foodland, Lakefield, Ontario
Bronze: Don Boos and Staff Freson Bros. Hanna, Alberta
Regional: Cathy Graves and Chad Graves Graves Freshmart, Bridgetown, Nova Scotia
DAVID C. PARSONS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN SPECIALTY FOOD RETAILING (GOLD):
Galleria Supermarket – Thornhill, Toronto, Ontario
Silver: Choices Markets White Rock Team Choices Markets White Rock, South Surrey, British Columbia
Bronze: Angela Masellis and Staff The Market by Longo’s – Imperial Plaza, Toronto, Ontario
ARNOLD RANDS HERITAGE AWARD
David Askew and Family of Askew’s Foods, Salmon Arm, Armstrong and Sicamous of British Columbia
The award is given to the year’s best multi-generational store that is privately owned, and that has been in the same family for at least two generations, in the same community for 35 years.
CFIG is proud to announce the following grocers’ entry into the HALL OF FAME (IGYA):
Jeffrey Min and Jaeho Park of Galleria Supermarket, Thornhill, Ontario
Eric Wood and Staff of Longo’s – Burloak, Oakville, Ontario
To be eligible for IGYA Hall of Fame induction, a store must win at least three Gold Awards or receive one Platinum Achievement Award and one Gold Award.
CFIG is proud to announce the following grocers’ entry into the HALL OF FAME (MASTER MERCHANDISER):
Carl and Nathalie Dessureault and Rene Larocque – Dessureault Your Independent Grocer, Ottawa, Ontario
Darcy Ginter and The Store Team – Quality Foods, Parksville, British Columbia
Jim and Vicki Bexis, Peter and Agusta Vacirtzoglou and Staff – Sun Valley Supermarket, Toronto, Ontario
To be eligible for Master Merchandiser Hall of Fame induction, a store must win at least three Gold Awards.
Platinum Achievement (10 years)
Neil and Connie O’Reilly & Gerard O’Malley Barry’s Bay METRO, Barry’s Bay, Ontario
Shelley Keim and Staff Freson Bros. Manning, Alberta
Ryan Durnie and Staff Freson Bros., Valleyview, Alberta
Jeffrey Min and Jaeho Park Galleria Supermarket, Thornhill, Ontario
Joe Bruzzese and Staff Longo’s – Boxgrove, Markham, Ontario
Eric Wood and Staff Longo’s – Burloak, Oakville, Ontario
Mike Van Giesen and Phil Greenhalgh and Staff
Tru Value Foods – Mayne Island, British Columbia
ABOUT GROCERY INNOVATIONS CANADA (GIC)
Grocery Innovations Canada (GIC) is Canada’s premier grocery event developed by industry professionals, for industry professionals. It is the only event in Canada dedicated to the entire grocery industry and is the largest one of its kind. GIC is at the forefront of innovation, showcasing cutting edge products and services. The conference provides exceptional opportunities for networking and foresight into current and upcoming industry trends.
