CIGBA/DCI Digital Newsletter Volume 6 Issue 4
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ONE OF THE MOST RESILIENT INDUSTRIES IN CANADA - GROCERS!
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CIGBA Board of Directors, representing our Membership coast to coast.
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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
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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. Heading into the last quarter of the year we're thankful that we were able to get through 2022 with our most successful in-person events, the annual Business Summit in June, and our Charity Golf Classic held at the end of September. To all of our Members and Partners who have continued to support and participate in our yearly events, we would like to thank you for finding the true value of networking, and building relationships and partnerships through our organization.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, CIGBA/DCI hosted its annual golf tournament in partnership with CFIG on September 27th, 2022. The day turned out to be almost perfect aside from the rain that came down as golfers were finishing their last hole and returning to their cars. We were extremely happy with the turnout which brought our Members and Partners together once again to build and foster long lasting friendships and business relationships. We were also able to raise $10,000 for our Charity of Choice, the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, supporting initiatives in helping to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all peoples in Canada. I would like to personally thank all Members and Partners that supported this year’s tournament as we would have not been able to do this without you! For those that missed it, we look forward to your participation in 2023. Each year, we strive to make our events better than the previous year and we are excited for what we will put forward in 2023 with all the feedback that we have received from our Members and Partners.
Looking ahead for the remainder of the year, we will be connecting with Members to continue yearly business reviews, update current supplier agreements, plan our 2023 events (more info to be provided in our January Newsletter), test & revamp our Member email communications while looking to improve on Member engagement. We are continuously looking for feedback from our Members!
Keep an eye out for our November Partners of the Month communication with additional deals and opportunities for the holiday season. Ordering period will commence November 1st - 15th, 2022.
For those attending Grocery Innovation Canada on October 25-26, please stop by booth 1543 and say hello to the team!
As always, I am here to support our Members and Supplier Partners so please reach out to me as required and I will be more than happy to help you in any way possible! I can be reached at 905-681-3933 or barry@distributioncanada.ca.
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NEW MEMBERSHIPS AND SUPPLIER PARTNERS
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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!
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There are always new opportunities for our Members to explore business! Here are some of our newest Supplier Partners to join our organization. We thank you for taking the time to check them out and support them!
The new Supplier Partners are:
Rooibos Teas (bags and loose leaf) Iced Tea cordials and other Rooibos infused products (as they are developed)
Marinelli’s Gourmet Pasta Sauce
Farm Crafted Cider Heartwood Sparkle: Organic Apple
Econofrost Night Covers for Open Refrigeration and Promolux Special Lighting for Fresh Departments
Cold Chain Temperature Monitoring for Grocery Stores
Stay tuned for more Supplier Partner agreements currently in negotiations! All information will be posted onto the DCI Member Portal. Please contact us if you require access to the portal, or need to re-send your password.
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RETAILERS, STAY CONNECTED WITH DCI!
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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.
If you are too busy to review our emails, we recommend having a dedicated person to receive all CIGBA/DCI related content that can report to you (such as category buyers or store managers).
The #1 message we receive from our Members and store owners are that you are very busy in stores, however, we ask that you take this time to review:
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that our emails are going to the correct person at your company
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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)
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that someone from your company is registered and has access and login to the Member's Portal
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that you send in your reports when asked to allocate proper rebates with certain vendors
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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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THANK YOU FOR A SUCCESSFUL CIGBA/CFIG CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC 2022!
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What an event! After two years of no events, we were finally able to come together as one group to do business and enjoy the event. We have received amazing feedback about the Charity Golf Classic, and we are looking forward to using the feedback to better implement next year's event!
The CIGBA/DCI Management team wanted to extend a personal thank you to all of our industry colleagues, and the representatives sitting on our Events Committee. We appreciate the support that we have received from our Members, Supplier Partners, Wholesalers, Media Partners, and VIP industry guests.
OVERALL GOLF FEEDBACK:
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CHARITY OF CHOICE RECEIVES $10,000:
GORD DOWNIE & CHANIE WENJACK FUND
Inspired by Chanie’s story and Gord’s call to build a better Canada, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Its goal is to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all peoples in Canada.
VISIT WEBSITE:
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ABM CONNECTOR SERIES: FOOD
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DCI Members & Partners,
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, November 17, 2022 (12 - 4 PM EST)
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
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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 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
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NEIL KUDRINKO ACCEPTS RECOGNITION ON BEHALF OF ALL CANADIAN GROCERS AT THE CIGBA SPONSORED - INSPIRE AWARDS 2022
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On September 16th, 2022 the annual Inspire Awards celebrated their 11th year honouring the heroes in the LGBTQ+ community. Hosted at the University of Toronto's Hart House, this year had a special category celebrating our Front Line Workers! The Canadian Independent Grocery Buyers Alliance was a proud Community Partner Sponsor.
To accept the recognition on behalf of all Canadian Grocers across Canada was Neil Kudrinko, owner of Kudrinko's from Westport, Ontario. As Neil accepted the recognition, the packed house was delighted to learn about Neil's own support for his LGBTQ+ community in Westport and neighboring areas, establishing its first Pride, as well as Kudrinko's being the first grocer in Canada to provide gender confirmation coverage to all employees at his stores. In attendance that night were two Members of Provincial Parliament, Kristyn Wong-Tam, and Jill Andrews, Canadian television personality Rick Mercer, television drag artist Jada Hudson, and many more community heroes!
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PARTNERS OF THE MONTH PROGRAM WITH DCI
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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.
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WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED FOR BACK TO SCHOOL PROMO 2022
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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!
Grand Prize Winner will win a $1000 CAD!
'Best Displays' for this promotion to also be announced.
All winners to be announced week of October 17, 2022.
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CIGBA/DCI will be in attendance at Booth 1543 and we look forward to connecting with you there!
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FROM OUR SUPPLIER PARTNERS
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4 Simple Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Benefits Program
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Employee wellness is associated with healthier and happier workplace environments, high retention rates, and enhanced company productivity.
Despite most companies offering a wide range of benefits, plan-members often underutilize their benefits package.
There are many reasons why plan-members may not be taking full advantage of their benefits program: choices can sometimes seem overwhelming; benefits can be difficult to understand; and, sometimes it is simply Employee wellness is associated with healthier and happier workplace environments, high retention rates, and enhanced company productivity.
Despite most companies offering a wide range of benefits, plan-members often underutilize their benefits package.
There are many reasons why plan-members may not be taking full advantage of their benefits program: choices can sometimes seem overwhelming; benefits can be difficult to understand; and, sometimes it is simply a matter of being disengaged. It is up to plan sponsors to ensure members are not only educated on the programs but engaged with the program - which may not be as difficult as you think.
Here are some simple yet effective ways to get the most out of your benefits program:
1. Set up a simple survey
Simply asking plan-members questions in a survey format can give you insight into what your plan-members care about and can help you understand why they may not be taking full advantage of specific areas of your benefits program.
Let your plan-members tell you what they need.
Sample questions to ask:
- Are you confident you understand what benefits are offered to you?
- Would you be open to learn more about your benefits program?
- Are you aware of the EAP program?
- Do you believe the benefits program plays an important role in your personal wellness goals?
No need to over complicate or over-do your surveys - simple is key!
2. Send out a newsletter or announcement to remind plan-members of the benefits they have
Regularly communicating with plan-members using newsletters can lead to improved engagement.
Although employees often pay close attention to their benefits during onboarding, as needs change and time goes on, the wide range of benefits offered can go underutilized. Sometimes, plan-members just need a simple reminder of what is offered in their benefits program.
The key is to keep it visual and simple.
Using a regular newsletter that simplifies a seemingly over-complicated benefits package can be an accessible means of keeping your plan-members aware of what they can take full advantage of.
3. Hold information sessions
Sometimes underutilization of benefits is simply a matter of plan-members not understanding the full range of benefits they have offered to them.
Keep plan-members educated and informed!
Bring in your advisor or carrier to talk to plan-members about their benefits package. This is a great way for plan-members to have their questions answered and clear up any misunderstandings.
What this can look like:
- Bi-annual webinars
- Q&A Sessions
- Recorded information sessions
*Keep it accessible so that all plan-members have the opportunity to take advantage of information sessions.
4. Have an employee appreciation day
Sometimes, plan-members don’t fully utilize their benefits package because they feel disengaged.
A great way to improve plan-member engagement is to let employees know that they are appreciated by creating a healthy work-place culture and taking some time to celebrate hard work.
Don’t let lockdown stop you from showing gratitude!
What this can look like:
- Hosting virtual happy hours, games & icebreakers
- Sharing your gratitude by creating custom gifts and letters for your employees
- Bringing in an expert to host virtual workshops
Contact us today at 905 844 8820 or email us at info@baicorp.ca to learn more about how you can get the most out of your benefits program.
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SUPPLIER PARTNER SPOTLIGHT:
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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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La Siembra Cooperative - Camino
Products: Fairtrade organic chocolate, sugar, tea, coffee
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DCMS Network
Products: Virtual Tours, Store Surveys, 3D Modelling, Heat Mapping, & Customer Foot Traffic Analysis
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NurtraEx Food
Products: SugarLike Zero Calorie Monk Fruit Sweetener – 227g and 50 Sticks, SugarLike Zero Calorie Erythritol Sweetener-360g
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Smart Products Canada
Products: Laundry detergent strips
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Rima Rabba (Head of Marketing, Rabba Fine Foods) Recipient of 2022 Star Women In Grocery Award
CIGBA/DCI would like to congratulate Rima Rabba of Rabba Fine Foods for winning Canadian Grocer Magazine's Star Women in Grocery Award 2022 - Rising Star!
Since 2012 Canadian Grocer has been recognizing outstanding women in the grocery industry. Women who have demonstrated expertise, innovation and leadership.
From retailers to distributors to foundation and CPG professionals, Star Women in Grocery Award winners are those who are making a real impact and changing the food retail landscape.
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Battaglia's Marketplace Raises Over $24,000 for SickKids Hospital
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The CIGBA/DCI Office would like to congratulate Battaglia's Marketplace for their successful event on September 8th, 2022: Battaglia's BBQ In Support of SickKids Hospital in Toronto.
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Atlantic Grocery Distributors Team Delivers Essential Goods To Emergency Services Battling Wildfires
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Back in August 2022, Newfoundland had been battling wildfires. When the AGD team had an opportunity to deliver essential goods to the helicopters that are flying into Harbour Breton, they did not hesitate to be a part of these important emergency services.
The CIGBA/DCI office would like to highlight the amazing work done by the AGDNL Team, including their warehouse crew and drivers.
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B&H Your Community Grocer Highlighted in Leeds-Grenville Economic Development e-News
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Online Grocery In This Labor Market? How?
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The protracted labor shortage has puzzled both grocery operators and industry watchers: why is it still so hard to find labor?
It's complicated, with many differing opinions. But new data is highlighting some of the key drivers, including Gen Z, retirements and immigration (get the free executive brief and get the details).
3 Things You Can Do - Proven by Independents
Despite the challenges, some independent grocers have discovered innovative ways to focus scarce labor resources on activities that will return the highest value - in both bottom-line store profitability and strengthened customer relationships.
We've captured three of the best ideas plus supporting data in a new executive brief that gives you the meat of each approach and how you can implement similar labor maximizing processes in your store.
Also included is a short case study on The Market at Park City - one independent who applied these ideas to grow both online and in-store shopping with existing labor.
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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 CIGBA/DCI Management Team, Happy Holidays 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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