CIGBA/DCI Digital Newsletter Volume 6 Issue 1 |
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THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WORKING FRONT LINES & KEEPING OUR COUNTRY GOING! HAPPY NEW YEAR! |
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From the East coast to the West coast, our CIGBA Board of Directors
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Top Row: Chairman Robert Galati (Galati Market Fresh Inc.), Vice-Chairman Nigel Oliver (Vince's Market), Treasurer Gordon Dean (Mike Dean's Local Grocer)
Middle Row: Past-Chair David La Mantia (J&B La Mantia Ltd.), Director Rocco Commisso (Commisso's Fresh Foods), Director Craig Cavin (Island Independent Buying Group Ltd.)
Bottom Row: Director Mike Sharpe (Sharpe's Food Market), Director Rick Rabba (The J. Rabba Company), Director Adam Powell (Atlantic Grocery Distributors)
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MESSAGE FROM BARRY LANTEIGNE, DCI PRESIDENT |
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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 support. 2021 continued to provide our Members and Partners many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now it looks like it will continue well into 2022. I must say it has been truly amazing to see our Members and Partners working so diligently to help service the needs of their customers in regions all across Canada. To all of our Members and Partners front-line workers who have continued to work so hard throughout this pandemic, thank You… we appreciate all you do!
In 2021, we completed our second year with no in-person events and opted to utilize our online event platform last June which allowed our Members and Partners to connect virtually. We are committed to continuously finding ways to adapt and improve this process as we are still faced with potential pandemic restrictions in 2022. 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 2022. In 2021 we added 8 new members and were able to renew 2 members from businesses that had transitioned from one owner to another. 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 and Partners through the development of increased supplier Partner program advantages and increased breadth of supplier Partners available to support our Member's respective businesses.
The CIGBA/DCI Business Summit and the CIGBA/CFIG Charity Golf Classic will hopefully return in 2022. We will be tentatively holding the In Person Business Summit on Tuesday June 14, 2022 at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel, as well as adapting a new and improved virtual summit experience from June 15-29, 2022. The Summit provides our network the ability to connect with our supplier Partners and fellow Members, 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 our colleagues within the CIGBA/DCI community. The CIGBA/CFIG Charity Golf Classic is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday September 27th at a new location, Georgetown Golf Club. More details for all events to follow in the coming weeks.
The benefits realized from DCI membership and supplier Partners, continues to grow in terms of value and numbers, and we are confident that collectively we will all realize the continued value with our partnerships. We greatly appreciate and welcome your feedback and suggestions as we plan for the future.
As always, I am here to support our members and supplier partners 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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We would like to welcome The Rodney Market (Rodney, ON), Bodner's Market (Port Colborne, ON), Harper's Market (Hamilton, ON) and MacEwen Petroleum Inc. - Formerly Quickie Convenience Stores, under new ownership (Maxville, ON) 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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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:
WSIB H&S Excellence program Provider - Private Consulting (H&S and HR) - WSIB Claims management assistance - H&S Development - H&S Audits - Professional Development Courses
Programs and Services - Retail, Processor, Food Service, Consumer & Culinary Resources
Bulk Food Merchandising Equipment / Rhino Grind Nut Butter Machine / Freshbelt
Cold Pressed Hemp Seed Oil, Hemp Protein Power-Natural and Cacao, Hemp Hearts Natural, Maple and Bundle, Hemp Superfoods Bundle, Hand Crafted Hemp Soap
SugarLike Zero Calorie Monk Fruit Sweetener - 227g and 50 Sticks, SugarLike Zero Calorie Erythritol Sweetener-360g
Fair trade and organic chocolate, coffee, tea and sugar
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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CIGBA/DCI BUSINESS SUMMIT 2022 |
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SAVE THE DATE:
June 14, 2022
All NEW Hybrid model, featuring the return of the 'In Person Experience', including the DCI Business Exchange, an all new format with a panel discussion and a new and improved Virtual Booth Showcase where members can place their orders right in Partner booths! We've been listening to what YOU want out of these events and we are here to bring that value to you! Registration to go live the week of January 17th, 2022. Please contact the DCI office with any questions!#YourPartnerInSelling
NEW LOCATION:
Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel
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CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC 2022 |
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Date: September 27th, 2022!
New Location: Georgetown Golf Club!
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The CIGBA & CFIG Charity Golf Classic will return in full swing September 27th, 2022! Registration, Sponsorship opportunities and charity of choice will ne announced in the next upcoming weeks!
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PARTNERS OF THE MONTH PROGRAM WITH DCI |
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Members! Please be sure to check your inbox every 1st of the month for new Partners of the Month highlights and deals. If you can't find the email, you can always login to the Member Portal and access the deals under "What's New?".
Partners! 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 10-15 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.
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,
The DCI Network has been invited to participate in the following event which may help independents explore new avenues with their business:
Thursday, February 10, 2022 (12 - 4 PM EST)
This event 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!)
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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NEW INITIATIVE FOR MEMBERS - BULK FOODS TURNKEY SOLUTIONS! |
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Members, we've partnered with Brencar, DIGI Canada, Scholten's and Econolease to provide you with a turnkey solution for your bulk foods category.
Eliminate single use plastics and adapt a sustainable solution! With inflation and rising costs of food, why not offer your customers a choice to purchase what they need, and help eliminate food waste!
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Members, please contact the DCI office if you require more information about the program, including the presentation deck and pricing. |
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NEW PROMO FOR 2022 - FAST START! |
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From January 27 - March 24, 2022, CIGBA/DCI in partnership with Maple Leaf Foods and Weston Foods, is launching Fast Start 2022! Members are encouraged to create product displays promoting cross merchandising, use AdMats created specifically for this program, and set up weekly promotions in their store flyers to accumulate ballot entries towards winning the grand prize!
Promo details, link to download AdMats, reminders and call for photos are sent out every Monday until the end of the program!
Program Details for 2022! Members, please be advised that you must participate in this program to be eligible to participate in the Maple Leaf Food's and Weston Food's Charity BBQ Opportunity (Promo 2) See details below:
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Be a part of a community of retailers, manufacturers, suppliers and service providers to network and grow at Canada’s Grocery & Specialty Food West Show 2022.
As always, CIGBA/DCI will be in attendance and we look forward to connecting with you there!
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FROM OUR SUPPLIER PARTNERS |
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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WATER? |
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Alkaline water is somewhat of a controversial health trend.
Meeting the daily recommended 2 L of regular water is sufficient for most people. However, certain people can stand to benefit from drinking alkaline water.
Alkaline refers to the pH level of a substance. The pH is a number that represents how acidic or alkaline it is on a scale of 0–14.
Regular drinking water is neutral at around a pH level of 7. Alkaline water has a pH closer to 8.
Is drinking alkaline water good for you? And if so, what are the benefits? We’ll dive into some recent scientific studies on the health benefits, so you can make an informed decision on the matter.
Natural Vs. Artificial Alkaline Water
Most bottled alkaline water sold on grocery store shelves is produced artificially through a process called electrolysis through an ionizer. This involves electricity to separate the molecules in water to filter out the acidic water.
You can also buy ionizer machines to transform your regular tap water into alkaline water. However, there isn’t enough quality research to suggest that chemically ionized water produces many health benefits.
What seems to be more important is the natural quality of the water before it undergoes electrolysis as ionizing does not remove or kill any pollutants or bacteria in the water.
The Benefits of Natural Alkaline Water
Err on the side of caution when you see brands claiming to cure diseases. These marketing tactics aren’t medically substantiated.
Although drinking alkaline water is proven to be safe, it’s not intended to cure diseases. Alongside other healthy lifestyle changes, drinking alkaline water can help to improve your overall health.
Alkaline Water Tastes Better
Many people enjoy the taste of alkaline water to regular water.
This may be a simple feature of alkaline water. Still, if better-tasting water encourages you to drink more, then that’s definitely a bonus worth mentioning.
Health experts recommend drinking 2 liters or half a gallon of water every day to improve energy levels, increase mental focus, promote healthy digestive function, and improve your skin complexion.
Is Alkaline Water Safe?
Alkaline water is considered safe and well-tolerated. The most important factor in determining the water’s safety is its source. Make sure the water comes from a healthy water supply that’s not contaminated by pollutants or completely devoid of minerals.
We recommend steering clear from artificially produced alkaline water because it’s not likely to contain the beneficial minerals found in natural alkaline water sources from its environmental, geographical location.
Natural alkaline water sources come from water that’s naturally filtered over rocks and springs, picking up essential minerals along the way that increase its pH level. These minerals act as natural electrolytes to improve our absorption of nutrients and metabolic function.
Trace Alkaline Water
Trace Alkaline Water is responsibly sourced from British Columbia’s pristine spring water in Bridesville, BC.
The slow filtration of rain and glacial snow through layers of rock produces a naturally alkaline pH of 8.5 with dissolved traces of essential minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, silicon, and sodium.
Our mineralized water is also enhanced with fulvic and humic minerals studied to improve endurance, increase nutrient absorption, hormone function, and gut health.
This is water that not only tastes great and comes from a clean and sustainable source, but it’s chock-full of the minerals we need to perform our best.
The Takeaway: Benefits of Alkaline Water
If you’re looking for water that keeps up with your active lifestyle, naturally alkaline mineral water is your best bet.
Don’t settle for artificially created alkaline water. It may help support an upset stomach, but you’re missing a large component that contributes to a long list of health benefits — the minerals.
Naturally sourced alkaline water, on the other hand, contains more than just H2O. The minerals that alter the water’s pH are the same minerals our body needs to perform vital functions.
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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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Alliston Creamery (Ontario only)
Products: Golden Dawn Brand Creamery Butter: Salted/Unsalted
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J&F Seafood Corp.
Products: Fresh and frozen seafood products.
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Triton Promotions
Products: Branded promotional products, service awards, business gifts, fulfilment programs and creative concepts. Brand name products that include: Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, FootJoy, etc.
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Wing-N-It Enterprises Inc.
Products: Signature recipe fully cooked/frozen chicken wings.
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The CIGBA/DCI office would like to congratulate Vince's Market on their successful Project Smile Campaign! We are looking forward to seeing all you do in 2022! |
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Three DCI Independents named Toronto Life's "Toronto Best Gourmet Grocers"! |
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The CIGBA/DCI office would like to congratulate Summerhill Market, Pusateri's Fine Foods, and Fiesta Farms for being named Toronto Life's "Toronto's Best Groumet Grocers"! We appreciate all that you do to remain a staple choice in your respective communities. Cheers to 2022!
Here are some of the reasons as to why they were highlighted:
Summerhill Market: "The vast assortment of prepared foods—from cold-poached salmon and Vietnamese pho to oven-ready chocolate-chip cookies and pain au lait buns—is a perennial strength. The curated selection of packaged goods showcases the best of Toronto’s homegrown brands, but stands apart with coveted imported finds (Fage Greek yogurt, Spindrift flavoured water) that are typically only available on a cross-border shopping run."
Pusateri's: "Stocking farmstand-quality short-season produce from morels to wild blueberries (a forte that dates back to its origins as a St. Clair West fruit and veg stall). There’s also all manner of bottled and tinned excellence, plus cheese, cakes and an endless display case of prepared foods, including gargantuan meatballs and, during peak grilling season, the Javelin, a 27-inch beef skewer made with top sirloin for only the most committed consumer. For shoppers with little ones in tow, bright-green “kid friendly” signs helpfully denote products that are simple and healthy for young eaters—a fitting frill for such a family-oriented grocer."
Fiesta Farms: "Fierce devotion to local produce and the farmers who grow it. The heart of Fiesta Farms is the section that houses seasonal deep-cut fruits and vegetables—graffiti eggplants, zucchini blooms, every shade of green. It’s much more than a place to buy produce, though: it features one of the most thorough international aisles, broken down by country and region—like a casual stroll through the food shops in each of the city’s ethnic enclaves—alongside pantry staples (they have a great selection of fine salts), locally raised meat (much of it grass-fed) and a complementary suite of plant-based proteins."
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The Garden Market Celebrates 40th Anniversary |
The CIGBA/DCI office would like to extend its congratulations to The Garden Market for celebrating their 40th Anniversary on November 20th, 2021! We wish you all the success as you continue into 2022!
They were also featured in a recent article as part of Inside Ottawa Valley's Labour Pains series - in the wake of the pandemic, in which they were hailed as a business with a the "positive impact" in how they conduct labour with their staff. Take a look at the snippet from the article below:
"[Owner Derick Buffam] has staffers who have been with him nearly 30 years, which “is kind of unheard of,” in that industry. Part of that is showing “respect as a person, first,” to his employees, and helping out when he can, especially if there is illness or a family situation. “I will always be there to support them.” He also leads by example — working holidays that he will ask employees to work.
“I work every single one,” he said.
In fact, he has had to tell employees who wanted to work their shift, even when they are not feeling 100 per cent, to go home.
The majority of his staff are “guaranteed 40 hours of work a week,” he said. Half of his staff is full-time, while at other corporate stores, that number is about 10 per cent, by his estimate. Some employees, like one man in his 70s, work part-time hours by choice.
“People can’t survive on 15 hours a week,” Buffam said. “I’m committed to my staff. They are committed to me. I rarely have to talk to a full-time person about their job.”
The Garden Market was an early adapter of staff wearing protective equipment during the pandemic, before it became best practice.
“My employees stepped up to the plate,” he said. His store was also the first store in town to have a "seniors' hour," 8 to 9 a.m., for older adults to get their groceries."
Picture Source: Inside Ottawa Valley
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How are grocers coping with COVID-related staff absences? |
"According to the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), employee absenteeism across the retail sector is up to 20% due to the Omicron variant. The organization says the number could be higher as some employees isolate out of caution if they have been exposed to a friend or family with COVID symptoms."
See what Brad McMullen of Summerhill Market and Giancarlo Trimarchi of Vince's Market had to say about employee absenteeism.
Image Source: Yahoo! Finance
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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 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:
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