CIGBA/DCI Digital Newsletter Volume 5 Issue 2 |
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We would like to thank all of our frontline heroes as we continue this year navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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From the East coast to the West coast, our CIGBA Board of Directors: |
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Top Photo: CIGBA Board of Directors 2020-2020 (Absent: Rocco Commisso)
Individual Portraits From Left To Right:
Top Row: Chairman David La Mantia (J&B La Mantia Ltd.), Vice-Chairman Robert Galati (Galati Market Fresh Inc.), Treasurer Nigel Oliver (Vince's Market)
Middle Row: Past-Chair Dave Powell (Atlantic Grocery Distributors Ltd.), Director Rocco Commisso (Commisso's Fresh Foods), Director Gordon Dean (Mike Dean's Super Food Stores)
Bottom Row: Director Tony Cataldi (Cataldi Fresh Market Inc.), Director Rick Rabba (The J. Rabba Company), Director Craig Cavin (Island Independent Buying Group Ltd.)
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MESSAGE FROM BARRY LANTEIGNE, DCI PRESIDENT |
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The Board of Directors and myself would like to thank our CIGBA/DCI Members, Supplier Partners, and Industry Partners for your ongoing and continued support. This year looks to be another year of challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our members and partners have managed the wave of challenges, and continue to provide the best services possible to each of their customers across the country. To all of our Member and Partner frontline workers who have continued to work essential jobs to provide for the great people of Canada - thank you, and know that we appreciate all that you do!
With the uncertainly of the year ahead, CIGBA will be hosting its first ever Virtual Business Summit from June 16th - 29th, 2021. Registration is now open! Please contact Barry and/or Matthew for more information. We are excited to be offering this new format for our members and partners to connect virtually with no restrictions. Members will have access to the platform 24 hours per day to check out what our partners have to offer. Information will be readily available for members, such as product catalogues/service offerings, sell sheets, innovations, aggressive show specials and an easy way to connect (click to request a meeting) with a Partner if you are interested in more information before placing orders or to learn about the product. Supplier Partners will have the ability to showcase their product offering without having to staff the booth. Partners will be provided the complete registration list of the members one week prior to the event so they can reach out and connect with members to discuss business opportunities.
We are excited to be hosting our 40th Anniversary Mix and Mingle and Star Awards Gala ceremony on June 23rd, 2021. This celebration will provide a look back over the years and will also recognize the great work and accomplishments of our members and partners. The Mix and Mingle will be open for all members and partners from 3:00-3:30pm EST and the Award presentations will be from 3:30-4:30pm EST. We hope to see you and your company there!
We received notification this week from the hosting golf course that the Annual Charity Golf Classic at Crosswinds Golf and Country Club has decided to cancel all tournaments for 2021. With the current situation at hand, we respect this decision and look forward to potentially hosting again in 2022!
As always, I am here to support our members and supplier partners with any questions. Please reach out to me as required and I will be more than happy to assist! I can be reached at 905-681-3933 x 101 or barry@distributioncanada.ca.
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DCI Turns 40 - Let's Celebrate! |
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In 2021, we celebrate 40 years in the industry, being #YourPartnerInSelling, and growing our membership to include independent grocers, small grocery chains, wholesalers/distributors, and C-store chains from British Columbia to Newfoundland.
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NEW MEMBERSHIPS AND SUPPLIER PARTNERS |
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We would like to welcome Copperside Foods - DBA J&F Distributors - DBA Shoppers Wholesale (operating in Terrace, Thornhill, Prince George, Smithers, Queen Charlotte, & Masset, British Columbia), as well as Lee & Maria's (Kingsville, Ontario) to our growing Membership. If you are a Supplier Partner, and require an updated membership list, please contact the CIGBA/DCI office.
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DCI has been continuing to on-board and create fresh opportunities with new Supplier Partners to better serve our retailer membership!
The new Supplier Partners are:
High Impact, character driven, humourous greeting cards in English and French languages. Vendor serviced.
Distributor with large selection of mainstream and ethnic renown brands food and non-food products. Our 3000 products are listed in the following categories - Grocery, Dairy, Beverages, Fresh, Frozen, HABA, Household, Confection, Snack, Food Service along with PPE items.
Gluten free pizzas: cheese Lovers, plant based meat lovers, and supreme as well as gluten free baking mixes: double chocolaty and chocolaty chip cookie mix, chocolate cake mix, vegan gluten free bread mix, brownie, waffle and muffin mixes and muesli-high antioxidant, low sugar and high protein.
Gluten free, vegan, halal and kosher pancake mix made with teff, almond, oats and flax.
Almond/soy/rice/oat dairy free beverages that are natural, organic, vegan, and gluten free.
TAZA pastries, strudels, cookies, flat breads, dips and sauces, basil seed and Falooda drinks, frozen snacks, South Asian desserts, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, CHEWY CHEWS marshmallows, BRITAIN GUMMY, REGAL juices, sauces and marinades, NATIONAL FOODS desserts, sauces, pastes and powders, BBQ mixes, jellies and rice.
All Prana SKU’s – chia, sweet and salty, trail mix, chic choc, baking nuts and seeds.
Sun Warrior plant based proteins, Bioss hand sanitizer, Dandy Blend coffee substitute, Four Sigmatic mushroom coffees, Jem Nut Butters, Lakanto sweetener, My Matcha Life, Miski Organics, Quinta Quinoa, Vahdam teas.
Made Good products, granola bars/mini’s, crispy squares, soft baked mini cookies, family style cookies, crispy light granola & cereal & crackers – all Made Good offerings.
Plant-based muffins.
Signature recipe, fully cooked, frozen chicken wings.
Stay tuned for more Supplier Partner agreements currently in negotiations! All information will be posted onto the DCI Member Portal.
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NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2021 CIGBA/DCI STAR AWARDS |
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Deadline to nominate: April 16th, 2021
Nominations are open for the 2021 CIGBA/DCI Star Awards and we are still looking for a few more nominations to round out this year’s awards gala! This year, the Mix & Mingle Star Awards Gala will be held virtually on June 23rd, 2021 from 3:00PM-4:30PM EST.
If you know of a deserving individual or company who should be nominated in any of these categories, please consider filling out a nomination for them:
DCI Retailer of the Year
DCI Partner of the Year
Social Responsibility Award
Innovation Award
Leader of the Year
Lifetime Achievement Award
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RETAILERS, STAY CONNECTED WITH DCI! |
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We encourage all of our retailers to have a dedicated person to receive all CIGBA/DCI related content especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. We ask that you take this time to review:
- that our emails are going to the correct person at your company
- that our emails aren't getting sorted into your Junk/Spam folder. If that is the case, be sure to whitelist our domain (@distributioncanada.ca) to ensure you are receiving all of our information
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that someone from your company is registered to order products on OrderEase (the DCI Power Buy ordering software)
- that someone from your company is registered and has access and login to the Member's Portal
- that you send in your reports when asked to allocate proper rebates with certain vendors
- that you check your mailboxes every month on the 1st for the Partner of the Month deals and promotions. Make this routine and know that you only have until the 15th to order products with aggressive deals.
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Breaking news, industry announcements, new agreements, Partners of the Month, and other opportunity buys are always sent out through email. This allows us to target our communication by location, type of store, and relevancy as well as give us detailed reporting on who is opening the announcements, which links they have clicked on and where to allocate our efforts for outreach if members haven't opened up these communications.
By ignoring emails or allowing them to go to your spam/junk folders, you could be missing incredible buying opportunities, programs, or helpful industry tips to better the success of your company.
Please email Matthew Brown to see which members of your company currently receive our communications (we segment by multiple lists, so be sure touch base with Matthew if you aren't aware as to who is receiving which communications).
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Only have a couple of minutes? Check out the DCI Social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Major public announcements are always posted on our social media and you can often find other industry bits of information shared on our pages.
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By logging into the portal, you will get access to your company's rebate reports. As well, any important announcements regarding changes in agreements will also be posted internally on the portal.
What else does the portal provide?
- new supplier partner agreements
- new programs and promotions
- revised supplier partner agreements and rebate scales
- your member reports
- the DCI by-laws
- the CIGBA by-laws
- summary of volume rebates
- AGM information
Once you've checked the portal for information and still don't see what you are looking for, please email or call the DCI office with your inquiry.
Please note: the DCI Member Portal is for Retailers only.
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CIGBA/DCI VIRTUAL BUSINESS SUMMIT 2021 |
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Booths & Show Specials Open:
June 16 - 29, 2021
Mix and Mingle & Star Awards Gala:
June 23rd @ 3-4:30PM EST
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INTRODUCING A NEW VIRTUAL FORMAT INCLUDING:
BOOTHS: Consider it like a DCI Virtual Shopping Mall! DCI Supplier Partners can upload products, catalogs, presentation decks and new innovation for CIGBA/DCI Members to shop based on categories, and become familiar with brands. It’s important for Partners to be sure that your company is represented in your category! The booths aren’t staffed and are open 24 hours a day during the two week Business Summit period for easy convenience.
EASY CONNECT: Have questions? Before placing any orders, you can request a meeting with any DCI Partner or CIGBA/DCI Member during the two week Business Summit period!
SHOW SPECIALS, PARTNER DEALS AND POWER BUYS: All Partner booths will have some sort of show special available for CIGBA/DCI Members to participate! Whether it be aggressive pricing on Power Buy deals, service specials, promotions, CIGBA/DCI Members are encouraged to visit all booths and engage in show specials! These specials are only available for attendees at the Virtual Business Summit and will only be available during the two week period!
CELEBRATE & WIN: Everyone who attends the DCI 40th Anniversary Mix & Mingle and Star Awards Gala during the Virtual Business Summit will have a chance win some great prizes! Following the Mix & Mingle is the annual Star Awards Gala which will highlight the deserving individuals and companies bettering our industry! Members who engage by visiting booths, participating in meeting requests, and show specials will have a chance to win a FREE 2022 DCI Membership!
WHY REGISTER AS A MEMBER?
- Complimentary access for all DCI Retailer Members
- Shop around show specials, promotions, and pricing only available to registered members
- Chance to win a free 2022 DCI Membership and/or 1 of 5 - $500 cash prizes!
- Develop business networks and relationships
- Program tailored to Members - access information at your time 24/hours a day for the two weeks!
WHY REGISTER AS A PARTNER?
- Connect with the independent retailers across Canada
- Promote your products, specials and new innovation to get retailers excited!
- Chance to win 1 of 5 - $500 cash prizes!
- Develop business networks and relationships
- Represent your category - don’t let your competitor represent it all by themselves!
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PARTNERS
Be sure to secure your booth first by emailing Barry or Matthew at DCI. Partner booths will be sorted by category and service regions. All Partners who attend the event must have a booth to showcase products and/or your services.
MEDIA/VIP/SPECIAL GUESTS
For any media, VIP, or industry special guests who are not DCI Members or DCI Partners that would like to join the virtual Mix & Mingle and Star Awards Gala to celebrate DCI's 40th Anniversary, please email the CIGBA/DCI office for your complimentary registration. We would love to have you join us!
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CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC 2021 |
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Date: Postponed due to COVID-19
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Due to the ongoing pandemic, the hosting golf course has decided to cancel all tournaments for 2021.
We hope to see you in 2022!
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PARTNERS OF THE MONTH PROGRAM WITH DCI |
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Let DCI help you with any seasonal programs, new item or product launches, and quick sells. Our "Partners of the Month" program highlights up to 10 different Supplier Partners each month, and provides DCI members with monthly deals and incentives. This program is great for an increase in exposure (as a Partner) and to capitalize on great product deals (as a Member).
Email matthew@distributioncanada.ca to get started and become our next DCI "Partner of the Month" and start promoting your company and or Power Buy deals to our Members!
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GROWING THE INDEPENDENT FOOD INDUSTRY |
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DCI Members & Partners,
As you may know, we are partnered with the Advanced Business Match (ABM), a company that offers online technology to facilitate business connections.
The DCI Network has been invited to participate in the following event series:
Thursday, May 13 (12 - 4 PM EST)
Thursday, August 12 (12 - 4 PM EST)
Thursday, November 18 (12 - 4 PM EST)
Thursday, February 10, 2022 (12 - 4 PM EST)
This event is being held in partnership with Distribution Canada Inc. (DCI).
It brings together decision-makers that are in food production and the grocery retail business.
The event is highly valuable for:
- Indigenous and non-Indigenous food producers who want to grow, get on more grocery shelves and find partners to increase capacity and reach;
- suppliers from custom food manufacturers, to branding, marketing, labeling, software, hardware etc.
- companies that want to procure food from Indigenous and non-Indigenous producers;
- Indigenous communities that are, or want to be, in the food production, distribution or grocery retail business; and
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DCI Members who want to make connections in the Indigenous business space and explore the untapped potential of a food sector that is fresh, innovative and resonates well with customers looking to purchase ethical and local products with a compelling origin story. (Members & Partners of DCI attend for free!)
You are NOT required to attend all four. Pick what is of value to maximize your time.
Each event features ten twenty-minute appointments. You do not have to fill all 10 slots. You are able to block times when you are not available and only accept or select appointments that are of interest to you.
To learn more, or to get started: connect with Katrin Harry, Managing Partner at ABM, first.
Cell: 604-483-6421
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CONGRATS WINNERS! 2021 FAST START PROGRAM! |
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From January 4 - February 27, 2021, CIGBA/DCI in partnership with Maple Leaf Foods and Weston Foods, members created product displays promoting cross merchandising, used admats created specifically for this program, and set up weekly promotions in their store flyers to accumulate ballot entries towards winning the grand prize!
Members, keep an eye out for the next promo happening soon: 'Celebrate Summer With Canada's Favourites' running from May 10th, 2021 to July 31st, 2021!
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FROM OUR SUPPLIER PARTNERS |
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La Dee Da Sauces Commercializes Across Canada! |
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Since its launch in 2015, La Dee Da Gourmet Sauces has been known for its gourmet sauce line that specializes in plant-based, vegan, dairy-and gluten-free and nightshade-free products. Their popularity even drew the attention of investor and Dragons’ Den regular Arlene Dickinson, who joined the entrepreneurial founders – three women from southern Ontario – as a fourth partner (through her company District Ventures).
“What makes us so unique is that our sauces are not just for pasta. They can be used as soup/stew starters, as a chili base, pizza topping and over veggies and noodles,” says co-owner Mary Marino, who along with partners Jo Anne Torrance and Marlow Italiano, operate the sauce company.
Last year, La Dee Da Gourmet Sauces placed in the top three for the 2019 SIAL Canada’s Food Scale-Up Pitch Competition. Their coveted prize: A 20-hour consultation with the food science experts at Niagara College’s Canadian Food & Wine Institute (CFWI) Innovation Centre. Their challenge: The company needed help improving their new sauce formulation.
The timing was perfect for the company as they were in the process of working on a new product, a Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce, but they needed assistance with a natural-based recipe.
“The co-packer that we use had brought us from kitchen to stovetop to bench samples, but we were having a difficult time reaching certain attributes we wanted… gluten-free, vegan and keto,” explains Marino.
La Dee Da were able to access food science experts, staff and students at the CFWI Innovation Centre, who help develop new products or expand existing products for industry partners, as well as assist with ingredient sourcing and packaging recommendations.
“The team at NC was awesome in helping us achieve a better flavour profile,” says Marino, “and helped us reach those key things that were important for us so that we could go back to our co-packer with a more refined recipe and begin the process of large batching to a retail ready product.”
The staff at every visit made me feel comfortable and I enjoyed chatting with the students who truly were the backbone for this sauce coming to fruition.”
With the production help of Delmar Foods Canada, La Dee Da introduced its Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce in February 2020 and it’s now on the shelves of more than 300 stores across Canada.
“We owe so much of the success of this product to the team at the CFWI Innovation Centre for taking an idea/concept to the next level,” adds Marino. “The food industry is always changing and Niagara College is literally a one-stop-shop to helping entrepreneurs’ dreams of hitting the shelves in stores a reality.”
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The Future Is Bamboo - Versatile & Highly Sustainable |
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If you're trying to cut down on the amount of plastic, paper, and other disposable materials you use, there are plenty of eco-friendly bamboo products you can use instead.
Bamboo is much more sustainable than plastic and paper because it grows quickly, it is renewable, it absorbs large amounts of CO2, not to mention that it produces more oxygen than other plants. Unlike trees, bamboo forests can regenerate in 3-5 years and thrive without the need for pesticides.
The benefits
It also has great natural properties like being anti-bacterial, super strong, and able to filter air and water. This flexibility makes bamboo perfect for a wide range of uses.
After use, many bamboo products can simply be composted and will biodegrade naturally in just a few years, although the fabrics may take a little longer. On the other hand, our plastic waste can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose.
Plastic: a global nuisance
Our plastic consumption and especially that of single-use plastics has become a global pollution problem. Plastic is in our oceans, damaging ecosystems and even entering our food chain.
Plastic Ban? We're ready!
Single-use plastic bans are being introduced in Canada and Europe, in an attempt to address these issues, but they affect only a small number of plastic products. It is therefore up to us, as responsible consumers, to find sustainable alternatives to plastic.
Using more sustainable raw materials like bamboo for the everyday products we use all the time is the perfect place to start.
Types of bamboo products
There are two main types of bamboo products that we can use in place of their plastic or paper alternatives. These are reusable bamboo products and disposable bamboo products.
Whenever possible, it is more durable to use a reusable product than a disposable product. This follows the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle system which aims to reduce the total amount of waste we create.
Disposable bamboo products are always more sustainable than their plastic counterparts because they use a renewable and biodegradable raw material. They are a good swap for the plastic version.
A logical choice.
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SUPPLIER PARTNER SPOTLIGHT:
Print it and Ship it!
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See below for some opportunities for you to consider for your businesses.
Retailers, you can view their CTAs & volume incentives/special pricing by clicking on their logos and signing into the Members Portal!
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Cartridge Care Canada
Products: Printer cartridges, printers, printed material, in store signs, label sheets and label printers
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Document Imaging Partners
Products: Kyocera Multifunction Printers and Network Laser Printers
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Canada Post
Service: Neighbourhood Mail
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Purolator Inc.
Service: Shipping solutions within Canada, USA, and International
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Summerhill Market Opens Fourth Location! |
Now open in Toronto, the new Summerhill Market location introduces a completely unique layout for the boutique grocery chain: the store will be spread across two floors, 'elevating' the shopping experience in the 3600 sq. ft. building!
The ground floor includes produce, bakery, grocery and checkouts, however all the flagship items that Summerhill is known for and has won two Innovation Awards at the DCI Star Awards are featured on the second floor. This includes their innovative prepared meals, cheeses, deli items and their meat department.
The CIGBA/DCI office would like to congratulate Summerhill Markets for their continued success!
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Geddes Street Market To Open Spring 2021 |
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“This has been my dream [...] Elora loves supporting local and I want to support this community.”
Debra Kropf, Geddes Street Market Owner, said the grocery store she owned in Drayton for 11 years was sold last summer and she got the keys to the Geddes Street building in Elora last August.
Since then, she’s completed a $1 million renovation to the store – from ceiling to floor, inside and out – and when it opens there will be an accessible and efficient layout that can accommodate COVID-19 protocols with new décor with a “beautiful vibe,” she said.
The CIGBA/DCI office would like to congratulate Debra and her team as we are looking forward to the store opening!
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49th Parallel Grocery Opens
New Location in Duncan, BC!
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Rabba Fine Foods Donates to Women's Shelters |
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As part of its Rabba Roots community program, Rabba Fine Foods donated 10 cases of feminine hygiene products to two women’s shelters in Mississauga, Ont. on March 26th, 2021.
The donation, in collaboration with MPP Rudy Cuzzetto, is part of the retailer's efforts to mark International Women’s Month.
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Vince's Market Donates $18k to Women's Centre of York Region |
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Vince’s 2020 Community Product Initiative raised significant funds for the Women’s Centre of York Region, and the independent grocer was pleased to present the organization with a cheque for $18,393. As well, Vince’s has announced that their 2021 recipient for the Community Product Initiative will be the Mental Health Program at Southlake Regional Health Centre. On behalf of CIGBA/DCI - congratulations to Vince's Market! |
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Reshaping the Grocery Business With Covid-19 |
"Society has realized over the past several weeks that we kind of have our hierarchy upside down. A lot of people that were at the bottom before, like grocery workers, nurses and truck drivers, have suddenly become the most important people. I think that grocers are going to have to keep paying them a wage or face a wicked backlash.”
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Retailers, if you aren't utilizing e-commerce, what are you waiting for? Let DCI help you connect with our Partners offering e-commerce solutions. |
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If you would like to submit news from your company (Retailers & Supplier Partners) or would like to feature an ad (Supplier Partners) please email matthew@distributioncanada.ca
Click below to stay connected with CIGBA/DCI!
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On behalf of the DCI Management Team, Happy Spring to you and your company! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email us!
Barry Lanteigne - President:
Michele Vermeltfoort - Administration & Accounting:
Matthew Brown - Events, Communications & Technologies:
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