CIGBA/DCI Digital Newsletter Volume 7 Issue 1
Winter Edition
January 2023
CHEERS TO A NEW YEAR!
BOARD
CIGBA Board of Directors, representing our Membership coast to coast.


Top Row: Chairman Nigel Oliver* (Vince's Market), Vice-Chairman Gordon Dean* (Mike Dean's Local Grocer), Treasurer Craig Cavin* (Island Independent Buying Group Ltd.)

Middle Row: Past-Chair Robert Galati* (Galati Market Fresh Inc.), Director Rocco Commisso (Commisso's Fresh Foods), Director Gabriele Torchetti (Lady York Foods)

Bottom Row: Director Mike Sharpe (Sharpe's Food Market), Director Rick Rabba (The J. Rabba Company), Director Adam Powell (Atlantic Grocery Distributors)

*Executive Board member/ DCI Board Director
INTERESTED IN A BOARD MEMBER POSITION? CONTACT THE CIGBA/DCI OFFICE FOR MORE INFO.
COMING SOON - LAUNCHING FEBRUARY 2023
What sets us apart from other barista products currently on shelf?

  • We are 100% Canadian – consumers prefer supporting local, Canadian products. During the pandemic, we had no interruptions or inventory delays – no borders to cross
  • We use real Canadian oats from Saskatchewan (we do not use a powder base like our competitors do) and ALL oats (not some) are sourced in Canada. 
  • Our oat barista has only 3 ingredients – no rapeseed oil, no sunflower oil
  • Our price point – we are the most affordable option in the marketplace currently
  • Our barista beverage contains organic gluten free oats
  • Packed 6 units per case making this a great option for consumers to buy in bulk 
MESSAGE FROM BARRY LANTEIGNE, DCI PRESIDENT
Happy New Year!

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. 

In 2022, we were finally able to get back to in-person meetings and events with our annual Business Summit and Charity Golf Classic. The annual Business Summit was a great success, the buzz of members and partners getting back together in person was truly exceptional. The Charity Golf Classic was well received by our members and partners and we were able to successfully raise $10,000 for the Downie Wenjack Fund. In addition to many new suppliers, we continued our focus on our Partner of the Month Program. We have seen an increase in participation with lots of potential to grow in 2023.

In 2022 we added 8 new members now with a total of 84 across Canada. Communication tools and quality of content to our members was significantly enhanced throughout the past 3 years, improving the engagement and participation from both members and participating Supplier Partners. DCI will continue to build on financial returns for our members through the development of increased Supplier Partner program advantages and increased breadth of Supplier Partners available to support our members’ respective businesses.
 
The CIGBA/DCI Business Summit and the CIGBA/CFIG Charity Golf Classic dates have been confirmed for 2023. The annual Business Summit will be held on Tuesday June 6, at the Sheraton Toronto Airport and Conference Center. The CIGBA/CFIG Charity Golf Classic is scheduled for Wednesday June 7, at a new location: Royal Woodbine Golf Club. We are bringing both events back together for the purpose of getting more Members and Supplier Partners in attendance to build our principles of creating meaningful partnerships and relationships. More details for all events are to come in the following weeks. Our events provide our network the ability to connect and exchange ideas and best practices, learn about market and category trends that are impacting the industry and your respective businesses, as well as celebrate the accomplishments of members within the CIGBA/DCI community.
 
The benefits realized from CIGBA/DCI partnerships will continue to increase in terms of profitable growth with our Members/Partners, and we are confident that collectively we will all realize the value of supporting the Members through your respected partnerships. We greatly appreciate and welcome your feedback and suggestions as we plan for the future. I can be reached at 905-681-3933 or barry@distributioncanada.ca
DCI NEWS
NEW MEMBERSHIPS AND SUPPLIER PARTNERS
Members & Partners, if you know of a store that could benefit from being a part of our group, please don't hesitate to reach out to the CIGBA/DCI office!
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Members:
Busy Bee King Mart
Toronto, ON
Hemeris Marketplace
o/a Daily Goods Market
Toronto, ON
Nikol Poulin Inc.
Saint-Georges, QC
Quebec City, QC
Kitchener, ON
There are always new opportunities for our Members to explore business and even more in the works! Here are some of our newest Supplier Partners to join our organization. All information is posted on the online DCI Member Portal. Please contact us if you require access to the portal, or need to re-send your password.
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Partners:
ATI Airtest Technologies Inc.
Gas Sensors and Controllers for HVAC control saving energy in commercial buildings
Canexim Group Inc. o/a Wellbeing Foods and Local E-Mart
Retail Packaged Frozen Seafood, Scallop, Snow Crab, Lobster Tail, Cod, Haddock, Chilean Seabass, Salmon, Shrimp, Calamari etc.
David Oppenheimer Group - Oppy
Apples, Soft Fruit (Apricots, Peaches, Nectarines), Avocadoes, Berries, Brussel Sprouts, Cherries, Citrus, Cucumbers, Ginger Root, Grapes, Kiwi Fruit, Pears, Peppers, Tomatoes
Effeclean Canada Inc.
Canadian Made Eco Responsible Cleaners
Fire In The Kitchen
12 Dry Seasoning-One Rub, Fire Rub, Smoke Eater, Veggie Blaze, 3 Alarm, Ocean Rub, Burger Batter, Rib Rub, Jerk Rub, Just Steak, Piri Piri, Island Curry, 2 Sauces - Sweet Heat, Caribbean Peach Heat
Indigo Soda Ltd.
CO2 Cylinders for Sparkling Water maker
Kalcor Marketing Ltd.
Pop Daddy Pretzels, Rudolph Foods Southern Recipe Pork Rinds
NDG National Distributing Group
Bulldog Chef Restaurant and Bakery Equipment, Salva Oven, Ser Gas Conveyor Ovens, Igloo Refrigeration and more.
Nikol Poulin Inc.
Wholesale Foods (Refrigerated, Dry, Frozen)
Paramount Digital Agency
Digital Transformation - The Integration of Digital Technology into all areas of your business.
Poteck Power Corporation
Audits of Ontario electricity bills for mistakes and overcharges, secure refunds.
R.N.W Enterprises
DSD, Shelf Inventory Management, Instore Forecasting on a Variety of Baked Good Products.
Sotos LLP
Legal Services including trademark services, corporate and commercial law, intellectual property, employment, dispute resolution/litigation, private equity financing, succession planning, regulatory compliance and real estate services.
RETAILERS, STAY CONNECTED WITH DCI!
Retailers, are you missing out on our messages? We are often sending out aggressive pricing promotions, power buys, new product announcements and informational resources dedicated to the success of your business.

Please take the 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
  • 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.
How DCI Communicates: Email Campaigns
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).
How DCI Communicates: Social Media
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.
How DCI Communicates: DCI Member Portal
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

If you don't have login credentials to access the Member Portal, click here to email Michele at DCI.

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.
SAVE THE DATE: DCI EVENTS 2023
CIGBA/DCI BUSINESS SUMMIT 
TUESDAY JUNE 6TH, 2023

Sheraton Toronto Airport Hotel & Conference Centre
801 Dixon Rd. Toronto, ON.
CIGBA/CFIG GOLF CLASSIC
WEDNESDAY JUNE 7TH, 2023

Royal Woodbine Golf Club
(Right Next To Sheraton Hotel)
195 Galaxy Blvd. Toronto, ON.
Network, explore new business and develop/maintain relationships!

Our highly anticipated industry events return - back to back!
More details to be announced in the next couple of weeks, including:

  • Registration
  • Sponsorship Opportunities
  • Nominations for CIGBA/DCI Star Awards
  • Power Buy deals/submission info
ABM CONNECTOR SERIES: FOOD
DCI Members & Partners,

We are partnered with Advanced Business Match (ABM), a networking company that offers online technology to facilitate business connections.

The DCI Network has been invited to participate in the following event series. These series may help independents explore new avenues with their business:

ABM Connector Series Food

Thursday, February 16, 2023 (12 - 4 PM EST)

Thursday, May 18, 2023 (12 - 4 PM EST)

Tuesday, August 29, 2023 (12 - 4 PM EST)
 
These events bring 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
  • 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 of the events. 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
PARTNERS OF THE MONTH PROGRAM WITH DCI
WHAT MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW:

Check your inbox every 1st of the month to see the new Partners highlighted for the month. They can be Partners with Power Buys and deals or Service Partners who want to highlight all that they have to offer. If you can't find the email, you can always login to the Member Portal and access the deals under "What's New". Click here to access the Member Portal.

WHAT PARTNERS NEED TO KNOW:

Looking to get in the mailbox of the Independents? 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 5-10 different Supplier Partners each month, and provides DCI members with monthly deals and incentives (if applicable), or a highlight of your services, if you're a service provider. This program is great for an increase in exposure (as a Partner) and to capitalize on great product deals or new service opportunities (as a Member). For more details and eligibility, please contact the DCI office.
WINNERS ANNOUNCED - BACK TO SCHOOL PROMO
From August 22nd - September 30th, 2022, CIGBA/DCI in partnership with Maple Leaf Foods and Wonder Brands Inc., had Members creating product displays promoting cross merchandising while using AdMats created specifically for this program, and set up weekly promotions in their store flyers to accumulate ballot entries towards winning the grand prize!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE $1000.00CAD GRAND PRIZE WINNER:
BRANTFORD LOCATION
Best Display Prize Winners

1st Place - $500.00 WINNER: Central Fresh Market

2nd Place - $400.00 WINNER: Lococo's Brantford

3rd Place - $300.00 WINNER: Lococo's Nebo

4th Place - $200.00 WINNER: Lococo's Barton

5th Place - $100.00 WINNER: Pino's Get Fresh
NEW PROMO: FAMILY DAY 2023
From February 1st - March 1st, 2023, CIGBA/DCI in partnership with Maple Leaf Foods, Burnbrae Farms, Kraft Heinz, CJR Wholesale Grocers, Nestle, Lassonde, Wonderbrands and Bimbo Canada is running a new promotion with lots of participating SKUs! Set up vibrant displays promoting the featured brands, use the specifically created Ad Mats, and set up weekly flyer promotion for your chance to win the grand prize:

Air Canada Travel Voucher ($2500.00CAD Value)
(Plus Top 5 Best Displays Prizes!)
SUPPLIER PARTNER? If you are interested in running a promo with DCI and the independent retailers, please email matthew@distributioncanada.ca
CONNECTING WITH CFIG
The CIGBA/DCI will be in attendance at Booth 4 (right next to the CFIG booth!) and we look forward to connecting with you there!

FROM OUR SUPPLIER PARTNERS
Let Eggs Be Part of Healthy Eating Resolutions
If healthy eating is among your New Year resolutions, eggs are a great place to start. Adding more vegetables, fruit and whole grains is a great idea; the body also needs protein for optimal health, and eggs are a nutritious and affordable source.

Every large 53g egg provides approximately six grams of protein along with a variety of vitamins, minerals and important antioxidants like lutein. They’re low in saturated fat, sodium and carbohydrates and are only 70 calories. Also important to note that the U.S. dietary guidelines have removed former recommendations to limit the intake of cholesterol foods and now focused on healthy patterns of eating. They advise that dietary cholesterol is no longer "a nutrient of concern" so enjoy eggs for any meal occasion. Learn more.

If healthy eating and exercise are in your 2023 plans, there’s more good news. Of the three main macronutrients providing energy – protein, carbohydrates and fat – protein is the most satiating. That means research shows that people tend to feel full longer after a protein-rich meal. Eating a balanced morning meal including A couple of eggs for breakfast is a great way to keep hunger at bay until your next meal.

When it comes to fueling a healthy, active lifestyle, protein-rich foods are an essential source of energy. The egg’s high-quality protein provides the building blocks needed for healthy muscle growth and repair. Studies have shown that ample protein in the diet helps prevent muscle and bone loss as we get older.

Eggs can also be a big help in maintaining and improving digestive health. They’re usually easier on the system than some other high-protein foods and are one of the most tolerable sources of protein for the human body. Research supports the consumption of omega-3 enriched eggs as a great way to get more Omega 3 in your diet and all the associated health benefits

At Burnbrae Farms, we strive to provide healthy lifestyle solutions. Our family egg business has been dedicated to quality, health and innovation for almost 80 years. Here’s hoping we can contribute to your quest for healthier living in 2023!

December 2022 Sales A Record for ATI AirTest Technologies Inc.
"ATI AirTest Technologies Inc. is pleased to announce that the Company achieved a Sales Record for the month of December. Sales in December tallied at just over $340,000 with the previous record dating back to December 2015 at $299,000." Click here to view the full press release.
SUPPLIER PARTNER SPOTLIGHT:
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!
Arneg Canada

Products: Refrigerated Grocery display/storage equipment for dairy, cheese, deli, meat, fish, frozen, fruits, and specialty categories.
Commisso Estate Winery

Products: VQA Niagara Wines - 2020 Rosso, 2017 Pinot Gris, 2019 Winemaker's Red, 2020 Winemaker's White and 2020 Winemaker's Rose
Tree of Life ULC

Products: All Tree of Life Products

West Coast Gifts Inc.

Products: Cannabis Accessories
Member News
Powell's Supermarkets Donates $10k to Make-A-Wish Foundation

CIGBA/DCI would like to congratulate Powell's Supermarkets for their generous donation!

"We are so proud and grateful to announce that we have reached our $10,000 goal and are ready to grant the wish of a local child who is living with a critical illness!"

Rabba Fine Foods Wins 2022 Impact Awards: Community Service/Local Impact/Giving Back
The CIGBA/DCI Office would like to congratulate Rabba Fine Foods for winning the 2022 Impact Awards in the category of Community Service/Local Impact/Giving Back.

"We have seen and heard from our various team members that they like to work with our company because we make a noticeable impact in the communities we serve,” says Rabba.

About the Impact Awards: To shine a light on these commendable efforts, Convenience Store News Canada this year launched the Impact Awards, which recognize initiatives introduced by retailers, suppliers, distributors and industry partners that are making a meaningful difference in a range of important areas, from helping the plant to championing diversity, equity & inclusion, and community service. 

Vince's Market To Phase Out Single-Use Plastic Bags
Vince's Market Receives CMHA Community 'Beacon of Light' Award
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!
On behalf of the CIGBA/DCI Management Team, Happy New Year 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: