Major grocers are off-loading in-store and digital operations costs unto suppliers
Major Canadian grocers in Canada are at it again. After Walmart and Metro, it was Loblaw’s turn to make changes to its vendor policies, implementing new fees to support a $6-billion plan to improve its in-store and digital operations. A letter written by Loblaw Companies president Sarah Davis was leaked to the media. Over the…
Food manufacturing in Canada is dying a slow death. The sector has lost 12 jobs a day every day since 2012. This won’t help
Consumers got a glimpse of how food supply chains work – or don’t – at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now Walmart is giving them a chilling new perspective. The sight of empty shelves in grocery stores is certainly a strong indicator at the retail level that something is amiss upstream. Reasons at the…
Convenience now has a different meaning. It’s less about saving time and more about survival and safety
COVID-19 will redefine grocery shopping and food service. Convenience now has a different meaning. It’s less about saving time and more about survival and safety. Before the crisis, barely anyone ordered online and many Canadians wondered why someone would ever order food in that fashion. But many things are changing – rapidly. The in-store shopping…
Consumers are increasingly adamant that convenience can't come at the cost of the environment or our health
Walmart just announced it will offer a next-day delivery service to customers in the U.S. to compete with Amazon. Walmart will begin by offering service in Phoenix, Las Vegas and southern California, and intends to cover 75 per cent of the United States this year. Customers need to purchase at least US$35 worth of products…
The number of households in Canada with just one person has never been higher. And the food industry is taking notice
The number of households in Canada with just one person has never been higher. And the food industry is taking notice. More than 28 per cent of Canadian households have just one person. That’s almost four million households. That number could reach five million in few years – a little less than the combined population…
The idea is to better manage food recalls, farm to fork and back, and to tackle the intricate issue of food fraud
Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, recently notified its leafy green suppliers that they will need to use blockchain by the end of next year. Walmart is banking on its relationship with IBM to put pressure on the entire sector to comply with what consumers want from the food industry: more transparency. But others…
Instead of takeout, consumers can choose a meal kit that allows them to whip up an appealing dish in minutes
Meal kits are sweeping across North America. It’s the perfect trend for consumers who want to be empowered by cooking but still need convenience. For example, Walmart has just partnered with Gobble to deliver meal kits. In the battle over the future of food consumption in the U.S., Walmart wants a fighting chance against the industry’s…
Walmart and Visa face off in a battle over transaction fees that could dramatically alter the retail food landscape in this country
Food politics is usually a game of nuances. But in the battle between Walmart and Visa, nuances are few and far between. Visa is offering $10 to anyone in Manitoba who buys groceries using their Visa card. Walmart stopped accepting Visa as of Oct. 24 in the province. So the credit card company wants to hit the retail giant…
But fast-food industry – including McDonald’s – won’t be following in its footsteps any time soon
Walmart shareholders were not overly thrilled to learn that the company was planning to increase the salaries of their poorly paid employees in the U.S. Known for its cost-cutting approach and shrewd management methods, the announcement came as a surprise. Given that this soon-to-be-better-paid group includes more than 500,000 people, most of them women, many…
Fall short in attracting Canada’s sophisticated consumer
As Target prepares to leave Canada, Walmart is marching on with the next installment of its highly aggressive strategy. It recently announced it will invest $340 million this year in converting old stores into Supercentres, even while opening a few brand new stores. Supercentres dedicate much of their real estate to food retailing, a key…