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The massive quantity of relevance levels attached with mentor-ship for young company enterprise firearms is a result of the inspirational amounts attached. For entrepreneurial success, you absolutely should own a mentor for a small company icon or perhaps even a pioneer. Someone who should be regarded as you proceed ahead together with your company objectives. Highly required for the youthful business firearms would be the inspiration and also the way a mentor supplies.

As a way to inspire someone, you want to get a large sum of business success together with a better volume of satisfaction connected together with success. A mentor can help a fantastic deal every day to focus, work together with motivation and appraise all the probable dangers and dangers connected. Thus, the credit would go into the motivational motivation, and also one unique that's clear for you personally on your own mentor.

'Mentor-ship' has the ideology of after somebody in your type of work, in addition, to follow some one's fundamentals & ideologies very closely. This consists of using a great watch on the success ideology of one's mentor and staying to the reputable expectations while using a proposed journey.

Possessing a mentor in your own life isn't simply inspirational concerning one's objectives, however, it's a component of owning a standardized strategy towards success.

WHY IT HELPS YOU IN ACHIEVING GOALS?

Just how and mentor-ship will help in achieving aims is truly amazing to learn. But, acquiring a mentor does empower an awareness of achievement and motivation for you personally. It notably ignites in you personally the flame, since it's something which allows you to tell your self that you're in no manner diminished in abilities to somebody else. Additional it amazingly grows on mind the Cando Attitude. A mindset your mentor or idol is now grown within their personality within the duration of time. Your objectives are all for you personally in regard to the agendas you have concentrated on in your own life. This really is a portion of one's inspirational training at the same time you work for the objectives.

AN EXPERIENCE THAT IS NOT IN YOUR TEXTBOOKS:

Adhering to a mentor to get victory will be a supreme adventure which normally you won't find in your own textbooks. Experience is genuinely a massive advantage that's attained every single day at the same time you work, also as you trace someone for being a mentor. Thus this really is something which you may not find in your own textbooks. Evidently, the training outcomes depends upon your own priorities which you've gained through time. This period of time isn't simply per month or two a year, but a lot of years old observance, understandings, and after your own mentor. An enormous reason mentor-ship is thought to be a requisite for young company enterprise firearms would be to coach a mindset for the business. A motivational attitude may surely direct you to groom your attitude on your success. It's surely easy to begin a small company or a business, but to capitalize on it and also proceed ahead with persistence and sustainability is badly hard.

HOW A MENTOR GIVES YOU RE-ASSURANCE:

Throughout a succession of failures and successes besides similar small business adventures, there is a feeling of reassurance. This feeling of reassurance arrives in the mentor, and also the feeling of belonging you need to your mentor. Self-confidence is an enormous requisite to function as an entrepreneur. Additionally, tutors in the company community have the ability to greatly aid the young leaders to tap into their self-confidence. Thus they have the capability to observe every potential challenge as an opportunity.

A MENTOR GIVES YOU BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY:

Possessing a mentor provides you with the organization enterprise sustainability that's essential. That is very to produce your business a profit-earning enterprise. As stated by analyze, 75 per cent of organizations using a mentor have success which is more than five decades. That is followed closely by 50 per cent of organizations that do not even survive for 5 decades. While 35 per cent of new organizations might not survive for a year.

‘Canadian entrepreneurs’ is a common terminology & being one, takes lots & lots of motivational aspects & true values of success. It’s not easy to follow your entrepreneurial dreams & goals. Hence, more significantly as Canada is home to many entrepreneurs. These are ambitious magnates from various backgrounds and communities. What’s more imperative is not just doing business for profitability reasons. However, following the rules of the game at the same time. Naturally, doing business in Canada is amid strict rules & regulations. This is including the taxation policies and managing time strictly.

If you are an entrepreneur & someone who has arrived from abroad for settlement. Furthermore, for business, naturally you would need more focus and hard work. Apart from the hard work & a proactive attitude, you should be solely focused on achieving your goals. This is mainly with larger motivation levels for global success. This is primarily a bit more required from you, than someone who belongs from Canada. Business opportunities that are growing everyday very rapidly in Canada. Known in the rest of the world for the migrants, alias, ‘Land of Opportunities’. Hence, Instead of getting to a halt, or even getting a bit slow.

ENTREPRENEURIAL CONTRIBUTIONS & ‘THE RED FLAG’:

The exclusive list of young Canadian entrepreneurs shows their levels of commitments. Importantly, while having a place in the Youth business listings of Canada. It’s just not business that is important, its complete business management & being supportive to the success ideologies of those who have proved earlier. Linked to not only monetary gains, are their commitments. However, they hold respect for the red flag of Canada, and acknowledge her prestige respectfully. Business magnates in Canada are solely the ambassadors of Canadian culture. Also, its trade, and holds huge values for bringing more prosperity into Canada. A country that is already in the list of happiest countries since a while now. Ironically, just like Rome was not built in a day, Canada has taken ages to get into its current state of prosperity & success.

Much to the credit of list of so many Canadian entrepreneurs & their hard work. Business tycoons that are working day & night for the progress of Canada along with their own. Hence, here is the list of the youngest entrepreneurs from Canada.

JON LIPINSKI:

Jon Lipinski is the Co-Founder and President at Ecopia.AI. The company is relatively new but it is a quickly growing company. As part of operations it adopts AI to create commercial high-grade definition maps. Supporting Govt. and NGOs as well, as these maps have a useful application internationally. Furthermore, the telecom sector and insurance firms in Canada also use these maps. The motive is solely to make more reliable data-driven decisions.

The company Ecopia has already mapped each of the 169 million buildings over the United States. Add on to this, they are currently working on a new project. This project is building the first high-definition map for self-driving cars of the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

EVA WONG:

Eva Wong is yet another entrepreneur in the Young Canadian entrepreneur list and she is the Co-Founder and COO, i.e. Chief Operating Officer at Borrowell.  The company Borrowell is a Fintech company. A firm that encourages people in making accurate decisions regarding their credit. A leading credit knowledge and financial services marketplace of Canada. The company has more than 900,000 members and approximately the big financial institutions of all the countries on the platform. The company is the first one to have recently introduced “Credit Coach”. Hence, furthermore benefiting users to improve their economic well-being.

JASON FLICK:

Jason Flick, the Co-Founder and CEO of an Ottawa-based startup called You.i TV. The role of the company is to encourage media titans to please the fans. This is by connecting, seamlessly and beautifully- T.V’s, phones, tablets, game consoles and the streaming services by applying a single code base.

Jason is already in the listings of Young Canadian Entrepreneurs. On top of this, he is very passionate for the growth of his company. Warner Media, and National Geographic, are Jason Flick’s most renowned & distinguished media partners. Furthermore, more partnerships are on the agenda of Mr. Flick, who is expected to take a rise. These partners are Sky T.V. (U.K), and ViaComCBS, the company who owns Network 10 in Australia.

SHAHRZAD RAFATI:

Shahrzad Rafati, the founder and CEO of Broadband TV is one of the youngest Canadian entrepreneur. She has succeeded in a short period with immense efforts. Hence, to make her digital entertainment company as the third largest video property all over the world. The Vancouver based firm is ranked third in the world directly after MNC & giants Google and Facebook. Miss Rafati, the glorious entrepreneur was so ambitious that she formed the company BroadbandTV right out of her school. This is in the era when online video was a lesser familiarity as still was a new idea.

JENNY BIRD:

In the year 2008, i.e. 13 years from today, the Jewellery company Jenny Bird was formed. The young founder of the company, Jenny Bird was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. Hence, as she was highly ambitious for her own company & her business goals. In the year 2011, her husband joined in as the President of Jenny Bird and mutually since 2011, they have transformed the company into an international & a recognised brand. A brand that is highly renowned in Canada.

Winning your organization in the days of crisis similar to that of the current pandemic. Hence, this has been a favourite topic of discussion these days. Attached with the pandemic will be the business challenges which are continuing currently. 

In addition to this, these can be combated for potential objectives. This is sometimes treated as a hindrance to the success of the company. Aside from this, how to take care of future similar hindrances in a crisis situation.

A crisis situation can easily arise on account of the political conditions of a country or its security & security issues. This is with regards to the country where the provider is put tangibly. Most commonly known as country dangers' are the dangers attached to a crisis scenario. 

Hence, these are scenarios that are rising as a result of political instability. Making your company safe in times of these risks scenarios. Linked with the company's robustness is the political crisis situation or a pandemic situation.

Other situations of crisis also comprise a company going through a stage of non-profitability. Additional lack of sales, or ultimately a situation that lacks control of the company. It's important in these scenarios the winning back of your company. Along with this, take the complete management so that your competitors do not occupy your markets. 

A competitor's analysis well in advance to prevent such scenarios is highly helpful for winning back a business. Managing a crisis situation or a credit crunch is very important to the survival of the business & its sustainability aspects. More importantly, as they ensure that the company sticks using their defined plans and the goals of the firm.

STAYING OPEN-MINDED & OPTIMISTIC:

Being more open-minded in these scenarios should be the priority approach that as an entrepreneur you have to accommodate. Staying rigid in your thoughts can be harmful to your success in addition to your company's future. It can even cause havoc in the rankings. 

Hence, can become a huge cause of the sinking of your own ship. It's been evident from the previous, how craftiness and innovation have been successful. Both of these have tremendously helped small companies float as they learned alternate manners. With priority in order to treat & serve their clients. Hence, this type of situation could also train you to adapt useful & different approaches to change.

It aids in changing your perspectives as an entrepreneur where you see smarter chances in battles. These are opportunities that make you more powerful. Additionally makes you robust and sustainable for future goals. Finally, confidence is the ideal attitude as well as the perfect way to combat a crisis situation.

TAKING A STEP BACKWARDS:

Taking a backward step in these situations is really a part & parcel of your plan to leap forward & winning back. This is similar to while you are walking on a street and you see a man-hole that's unavoidable. 

Of course, you would take some backward steps, before you make a jump forward over that hole. The crisis resembles a 'hole' that needs to be prevented. Hence, your backward measures are a part of this development strategy for one to move forward, with much higher & wealthier commitments for future objectives.

Taking a step backwards in the era of trade & technology, means you need to overlook the wisdom of this situation for an investigation of this larger picture. That is to say, you need to identify a strategy to figure out the gravity of this situation. 

Hence, while taking the time to slow down. In fact, gives you the potential to observe opportunities. These are literal openings that can accelerate the business.

Increasing your discipline & flexibility can really help in slowing the time of catastrophe. Also, aids the business in return on winning ways. Your company's adaptive strategies and approaches are highly evident in times of emergency situation. 

Therefore, as a leader, it's important for you to know your new role and become a bit more flexible. Paradoxically, not everyone is in the same region and taking the very same challenges as you are coming now. Therefore, leading with compassion, understanding, flexibility and discipline is a massive step towards obtaining the trust of your coworkers. 

This is certainly true that championing the field starts at the top. Additionally, makes it important for leaders to lead by example in a crisis. Exposed in similar crisis scenarios is the leadership by way of example.

Being thankful and expressing appreciation is the best approach to solve a crisis scenario. Surprisingly, a situation that can have the potential to erupt like a volcano. Things might have been worse & you as an entrepreneur needs to ponder on that idea thankfully. This is while sticking to the principles applied to fight a crisis scenario & be tactful in additional ways.

Having a brain of a problem solver for themselves since their childhood. The entrepreneurs are highly-trained problem solvers having a talented brain. A problem solving mindset makes them well equipped with a beautiful mind to solve issues. A mindset usually determines the setting of mind in which you can’t afford losses. Getting yourself out of bigger problems, hence, naturally you are gifted enough. They have a higher level of increased global collaboration as they are dealing with thousands of people every day & are exposed more globally with a huge eye on international affairs. How international collaborations can help is generally something people need to know. International collaborations gives higher levels of problem-solving mind which is neither a gift. Due to international exposures that are frequent enough, it can be taken as a huge bonus indeed.

Another thing that is helping entrepreneurs solve problems quickly and wisely is the deep involvement of technology. Technology has helped entrepreneurs solve problems digitally with a much globalised perspective.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEMANDS EXCELLENCE:

It is a science of business that truly demands excellence at the front-end. Entrepreneurs are CEO’s & Presidents of their own company carrying huge responsibilities of problem solving on their shoulders & fulfilling them on a daily basis. It’s the vision they have for their company & their hundreds of employees that never makes them feel too far away from their goals. Even in times that can be tough & where they need something extra, entrepreneurs can easily come out of situations with ease. This is simply due to their entrepreneurial skills & craftsmanship. Just like a commander knows how to use his troops while fighting a battle. It’s the entrepreneurs who know how to utilise & accommodate their resources & get out of complex situations as the worthy winners. In the true essence it’s not really about winning or losing. However, it’s about the pride of the reputation that cannot be hurt in any way.

ENTREPRENEURS ARE MOVERS AND DECISION MAKERS:

They are actually the movers as well as key decision makers as they know well how to run the show. Having a cunning approach while solving big problems & making big decisions might not always be useful for entrepreneurs. They must have strategy involved in their mindset when making big decisions. Ironically, as on big decisions rely big rewards & rewards are the ultimate gains in a business. As a business revolves around many things it is the strategy & decision making that comes out to be on top of the list. You got to have an attitude of a mover & you shall compete with bigger brands as well one day.

A NEVER SAY DIE ATTITUDE:

What precisely & ultimately counts forward for an entrepreneur is their ‘never say die’ behaviourism & attitude. Same thing should be ignited in the behaviours of their employees & subordinates. They should know well, that our setting is not that flexible that we can hear failure quiet often. As a visionary entrepreneur starts making bigger & better targets for themselves apart from their targets being tough. ‘Tough’ might be the correct word, but it takes something out of the employees to come to the point of ‘Never Say Die’ attitude.

HAVING A PROBLEM SOLVING MINDSET:

Solving the world’s biggest problems strategically also needs a problem solving mindset. At the end of the day it’s the mindset that counts. For a problem solving mindset, the entrepreneur’s responsibility should be to incorporate a positive mindset. Hence, especially, in the mind setting of their employees. The people on board must deal with problems & come up with positive solutions. Even if there is no solution that can be seen, there must be hope always there that there is always a solution lying ahead. A problem solving mindset helps in the profitability aspects which is the ultimate goal of an entrepreneur.

Dealing with business operations everyday demands higher levels of positivism and how that positivism can be transformed into goals.

Being your own boss in 2021, is it a good idea or a bad idea? Working for your own business and being your own boss gives you the satisfaction, ease and the accomplishment at work. You don’t have to take the hassle of managing your CV and applying in various organisations, while making preparations for your interviews. Business professionals especially these days prefer to work for their own company. There are many things you learn professionally while working for an organisation, and then finally you can implement them in your own business. You are not answerable to anyone and you know how much hard work you need to put in to get positive results. For instance, if you own a consultancy you will have a good idea how much time you need to invest and what holds best for you.

Challenges associated with your business or a consultancy makes self-employed business a mix of both. According to a research conducted in United States, a huge 71% of people are somewhat happy or very happy with their decision to work for their own enterprise. ‘Sense of accomplishment’ is the feeling that comes along with the emotion of happiness. A feeling that entrepreneurs find in working for themselves. For many people it defines their creative aspects and how best they can show their skills and their abilities. Both these factors linked up with their talent can give them the ultimate satisfaction of working for themselves. Yet another thing that triggers while working as self-employed business owner is the emotional intelligence element. If you are looking for a flexible life style, where you want to give due attention to your family. Working for your own company is the best answer.

WORKING WITH MORE CONTROL & HIGHER INDEPENDENCE:          

‘Control’, a word used in business terminologies which means higher amount of power which is necessary in decision making. Working for your own company gives you more power and more control to manage your own decisions. Its decision making that gives you higher amount of independence and acknowledgement with your business associates. You as a business owner know well the key business decisions in your corporate life cycle. Business agendas are the true reflection of your entrepreneurial goals. Ironically, if you have higher levels of independence associated.

Hence, being an entrepreneur is not just about investments, it’s about making safe and worthwhile investments for your own business. Your stakeholders can’t guarantee you success unless you show them the right attitude and the right confidence levels. You will enjoy your system and routines that works best for you and you have transformed them while working in alignment with your goals.

A survey conducted by SBTA or Small Business Trends Alliance, on business & trends in 2020. 65% of people felt that they are ready to start their own business, and they did accordingly, according to SBTA survey. Ultimately, they were ready to be their own boss and enjoy the luxuries of working for themselves. Financial management aspects are key attributes linked up while working as an entrepreneur. Experience of working at the corporate level in big companies makes them decent candidates to work for themselves. Attitude management is the answer to every question. However, it’s not only the attitude, it’s about being practical while taking calculated risks.

MANAGING RISKS:

Risk management, or managing risks while working for yourself will make you ‘hay’ while the sun shines. It’s the number 1 approach that helps you while climbing the ladder of being a successful entrepreneur. Managing risks truly defines how you need to be submissive and what you need to do to manage business risks. The strategy of risk management is adopted initially while you launch yourself in the business world. Then slowly and gradually you can start feeling relaxed and enjoy your business more than you do initially.

The attitude of risk management is concerned on a higher side with financial gains and losses, and resource management strategies.

FINANCIAL REWARDS:    

The biggest accomplishment of working for yourself are the financial rewards associated with a business. In most cases 50% of the businesses survives for up to 4-5 years and surely there is pretty much that can be done to improve your chances of success. If your goals are higher, than working for yourself can prove to be more worthwhile in terms of financial rewards. An aspect that is highly worthwhile for your ‘self accomplishment’ & your business dreams. This is in comparison to working for an organisation or a company apart from a higher management position in a Multi-National firm. Chances are that you can compromise your security towards your financial gains irrespective of them being low initially.

Definitely, as a business owner you can set prices and grow your salary with the business. Finally, when you throw in the business tax perks, you could end up making more money than you would in a job.

INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITIES WHILE WORKING FOR YOURSELF:

Working for your own business gives you the independence of experimenting and trying new things. Innovative opportunities while you work for yourself will give you more confidence and sense of accomplishment in the upcoming year. Trying new business opportunities as an entrepreneur will give you the ultimate edge that you have been looking as a business owner.

The competitive edge that you have been looking as a business owner can give you higher amount of satisfaction of running your own business in 2021. Lookout for a sustainable competitor’s strategy.

When it comes to dining, convenience continues to be top of mind for consumers. Online food ordering, on-demand expectations hectic schedules and fast delivery options are changing the way people eat. They are increasingly looking for speed and ease without sacrificing quality, taste and variety. Delivery is not only part of customer service, but it is also part of the unique serving mechanisms.

SUCCESS STARTS WITH MENU SELECTION:

DELIVERING CONSISTENT QUALITY:

•  Use open-mouth containers and place near the top of the bag
•  Refrain from using Styrofoam
•  Insert napkins between fry containers to absorb steam
•  Vented packaging to release steam and preserve crispness
•  Clear packaging to ensure accuracy
•  Separate hot and cold items
•  Place condiments on the side
•  Seal delivery bag to avoid tampering
•  Finally, consider setting a delivery radius. Limiting the distance travelled to within a few kilometres of your restaurant to ensure food arrives hot and fresh.

In many ways the world is split along the lines of Morning people and everyone else. Generally, a “morning person” can be said to be one of those lucky few who are happy, full of pep, and productive in the early hours of the day while you’re still wrestling your snooze button.

Many people will do anything in morning just to make that transition. One of my close friends for instance, has been battling with the seemingly tedious task of transitioning from being a “night owl” to a morning person since last year.

Like I always say; “the night was made for rest, the day for work, and the morning for blessings, creativity and health”. Does that make me a morning person? You could say that. Maybe I am not. But I am one of those people who usually completes fifty percent of their tasks while many people are still tossing on the bed and rubbing their eyes.
I will share a few simple tips that anyone can follow to make that vital transition. With them, you can change from being a night owl, or just a heavy sleeper to becoming a person who maximizes his/her mornings.

 PLAN YOUR MORNING BEFORE THE DAY

The Morning is the most beautiful time of the day. It is a serene and peaceful time. It can also be a very profitable time, but at the very best it is still just time. Time by nature flies and can be up before you even know it has begun.

Taking a few minutes at night to put together the things you will need to do the next day, will reduce the rush in the morning. It also gives your subconscious mind ample time to work on those tasks, and give you ideas on how to go about them. Most importantly, it will give you time to get your act together before leaving the house.

Get your gym bag together. Ready your bike. Pack your office suitcase, and pick out your attire. This way you can devote the morning to exercise, meditation and prayers, time with the family at the breakfast table, and even catch a TV show before the rat race begins.

 USE THE NIGHT FOR ITS TRUE PURPOSE

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” – Ben Franklin
Sleep at any time has a great deal of benefits. But the benefits of a good night owl sleep cannot be overemphasized. The night was made for only one purpose and that is to rest. The day winds down into darkness, and expects you to follow.
On the average, an adult needs between 7.5 and 8 hours of sleep per night. “But many people can function with 6 hours’ sleep, and there also some who need 9 hours or more,” says Sudhansu Chokroverty, MD, professor and co-chair sleep medicine at the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute at JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J.

HANDLE HANGOVERS THE PROPER WAY

Early morning hangovers can be very distressing. The best way to handle them is to avoid them altogether. Don’t drink so much alcohol late at night. Better still; keep away from it as much as you can.

If for some reason however, you consume enough alcohol to cause you a hangover in those precious hours of the morning, don’t panic. The smart thing to do is to explore potent medicinal ways of dealing with hangovers, so you can get on with your day on time.

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Curb appeal and promotions

Curb Appeal for The majority of fuel sold in North America is sold at convenience stores.  However, Gas Buddy noted that, getting motorists to come inside the store. After filling up has been an ongoing challenge for the convenience channel.

Citing State of the Industry data from NACS. It is the US-based association for convenience and fuel retailing. Hence, Gas Buddy noted that a convenience store’s inside sales generated almost three-quarters of all gross profit dollars. However, still, some estimates that a similar number of consumers fill up and drive away. These are consumers who are never coming inside to make additional purchases.

Converting those forecourt customers to inside customers is not impossible. In a new study, Canopy to the Store. The Gas Buddy found that conversion depends on a C-store operator’s ability to meet consumer needs of safety. In addition to safety are cleanliness and hospitality. Additionally, consumers show a “strong interest” in specific strategies and promotions. These are strategies that can move them from the pumps to the store.

First impressions count: Think curb appeal

Gas Buddy released a report summarizing the findings from its surveys conducted in July 2018 and December 2018. Chief among its findings: Curb appeal matters.

Calling the forecourt “the first handshake that welcomes customers to the store”. The consumers are unlikely to go inside a store according to the Gas buddy. This will only happen if they perceive it as dirty boring or unexceptional. Reputation matters as well.

Frequent customers cite the following factors. These are factors as having a strong or moderate influence in their opinion of a store before stepping inside:

• Store design and upkeep (82.54 percent)
• Cleanliness of the fuel area (79.7 percent)
• Quality of lighting (79.6 percent)
• Brand reputation (58.6 percent)
• Opinions of friends and family (55.12 percent)

Moving inside, Gas Buddy found that restrooms matter. According to the survey results. A huge 22.6 percent of consumers said they frequently make a purchase. This purchase is after using the restrooms at a c-store. Another 56 percent said they occasionally make a purchase.

However, the restrooms must be clean. Nearly two-thirds of consumers said they have visited a gas station’s c-store. Hence, with the intention of using the restroom, but decided to leave and go elsewhere.

Related article: DIVING INTO DELIVERY

Top reasons for avoiding a c-store’s restroom are:

The restrooms were found to be dirty, outdated, and poorly maintained. In addition to this, the C-Store restrooms were outdated as well. Precisely speaking, they were found to be poorly maintained. Hence, the restroom required an access code or a Key in more sophisticated terms. Furthermore, the customers didn’t felt safe most of the time, due to the look of the rooms.

Gas Buddy’s report also revealed about quality restrooms. Significantly, it laid emphasis on the cleanliness and quality of rooms. Ironically, it would probably influence nearly 42 percent of consumers. Finally, definitely influence 27.19 percent.

“Every restroom visit is a sales opportunity. It’s a chance to connect with fuel-only customers who would otherwise rarely, never. Wander inside the store. Unfortunately, retailers who provide outdated, dirty, or poorly maintained facilities. They have not equipped to leverage this opportunity.” Therefore, Gas Buddy stated something about the restrooms. He said that they are like a “litmus test for the store’s overall quality.”

Offers and promotions drive sales, Gas Buddy

Beyond the look and feel of a store. Convenience store retailers need to reach fuel-only consumers where they are — on their phones. According to Gas Buddy. More than half of the consumers look at their smartphones. This is while refueling in the Gas station. Therefore, the demographics reveal that 3 out of 4 consumers are between 18 to 34.

“This opens many opportunities to drive in-store sales through relevant offers and promotions,” the report noted.

Fuel discounts can hit the spot. In a recent Gas Buddy study. A huge 65 percent of consumers said gas prices impact their ability to spend money. Ironically, on other items and services due to the huge prices.

Relevant orders also deliver results

When asked which kinds of mobile ads influence their decision to visit a convenience store brand, consumers said:

They are interested in Healthy food options and redeemable coupons. In addition to this, loyalty rewards also for convenience store products. Amazingly, some consumers were highly interested in loyalty rewards for fuel savings.

The Canopy to the Store report also found about a rewards program. It said that nearly 71 percent of consumers surveyed belong to a rewards program. This was for a c-store or gas station. Of those, 48.78 percent use a rewards program very frequently. 34.2 percent somewhat frequently, 12.84 percent somewhat rarely, and only 4.17 percent very rarely.

Minimal savings and discounts on products consumers don’t purchase are among the reasons why they rarely use a rewards program.

A c-store retailer can change consumers’ minds. However, if the program offers consumers the ability to: build up points to spend on what they choose; earn discounts on fuel for in-store purchases, and get discounts on products they purchase daily or weekly.

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Dollarama Inc. is closely monitoring prices in its stores as it looks to boost foot traffic. On top of this also generate growth in an increasingly competitive retail environment. Hence, Dollarama is also focusing its lower-priced items to generate that traffic. Hence, after putting too much emphasis on higher priced items up to $4. This was added by CEO Neil Rossy on a conference call on Thursday.

“I think you know quite honestly, that we did lose sight of it. While, on making sure we had all the traffic drivers needed to balance our higher price points.”

“When you take a business from a pure $1 store> Further, you evolve over the years to multi-price points. Hence, while being very successful in doing so, you’ll learn things,” he added.

The company Dollarama is also constantly assessing prices on merchandise. Hence, with item prices assessed at least every three weeks during restocking, said Rossy.

He said the re balance of price levels and items would help drive sales going forward.

“We have to refocus on foot traffic generating and unit sales. Primarily, because at the end of the day, in bricks and mortar, that’s the bread and butter.”

THE RETAIL SECTOR:

The attention on prices come as the retail sector is in a very competitive retail environment. Therefore, with rising operating costs, noted RBC Dominion Securities analyst Irene Nattel.

She said that Dollarama delivered “solid” results despite the challenges.

Canaccord Genuity analyst Derek Dley, however, downgraded his rating on the company from buy to hold and lowered his price target. This is after the company released lower than expected growth expectations for fiscal 2020.

The company said it expected same-store sales growth of 2.5% to 3.5%. This is for the year, which is below its historical average. Hence, same-stores sales growth target of 4% to 5%.

“In our view, the next few quarters are likely to represent a ‘show-me-story’ to many investors and as a result we are comfortable moving to the sidelines for the time being, as we await a more positive pricing environment and same-store sales acceleration.”

Sales for the fourth quarter totalled $1.06 billion, up from $938.1 million, while comparable store sales grew 2.6%.

Analysts on average had expected a profit of 55 cents per share and revenue of $1.07 billion, according to Thomson Reuters Eikon.

In its outlook for the coming year, Dollarama said it expected to add 60 to 70 new stores as part of its goal of having 1,700 stores by 2027.

The company also launched its online store in January, i.e. about a thousand items for sale in bulk only.

Rossy said it would take some time for the online sales to have an impact that would fill the customer needs.

“Small businesses will find it more interesting to buy their stationary there, or what have you, and people having parties or conferences or whatever it is, will use it because it’s a practical way to get the best price.”

Courtesy: The Financial Post

Michael Habib has been working in the convenience store sector for more than 30 years. His approach to business – and a key ingredient in his  sustained success – can be summed up in five words. Stand out from the crowd. That big, bold attitude is evident before customers even walk through the doors of Jubliee Junction Convenience, a c-store in central Halifax that Habib opened in 2006. An outside wall is emblazoned with street art created by a customer. A train is pulling a giant, one-of-a-kind ice-cream sandwich (for which the store is renowned), and an old-fashioned shake, complete with red and white twizzle straw, proudly proclaims, “Try the best milkshake in the city.”

“I offer things nobody else offers. I create things nobody else creates,” says Habib, who runs the store with his brother Al and his son Nick.

The ability to meet customers’ needs isn’t happenstance. Habib makes it a point to ask people what they are looking for and if they need a hand to find something. Nobody, he notes, knows the store as well as he does and customers – always greeted with a warm “hello” – are intrigued that he offers assistance.

The inquiry and the friendly greeting reflect the 54-year-old’s outgoing personality, but they are also good business. “I don’t want a customer to walk out if I can help them,” says Habib, whose family fled Lebanon in 1976 as civil war erupted.

Invariably, customers will walk out satisfied. Jammed into every corner of the 1,000 sq. ft. corner store (literally on a corner) are items as diverse as tennis balls, candy cigarettes, chili sauce and poker chips. “People aren’t here looking for deals,” stresses Habib. “They’re looking for convenience.”

It’s a regular occurrence, he adds, for customers, often harried and frustrated, to walk into his store looking for an item they have not been able to find at three or four or five other stores, including department and big box stores. Fortunately, their luck usually changes at Jubilee Junction.
The diversity of items in the store, known as J.J.s by the locals, echoes the diversity of customers who pop in to pick something up. The c-store is situated on the corner of Jubilee Rd. and Preston St., a neighborhood which represents a mix of single family residences in an older, established area of the city. Close by are Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College, and many students routinely make their way to Jubilee Junction for snacks, groceries, and special treats.

Getting people in through the doors is a critical first step, saysHabib. But once in, he realizes you also have to keep their interest. Recognizing the growing importance of food offerings, Habib opened a small snack bar in the back of the store two years ago where customers can grab a slice of pizza, a fresh-off-the-grill burger, poutine slathered in gravy, and more. The impetus for the expansion: the convenience store across the street started selling food. “People are creatures of habit,” says Habib. “Once you pick up one thing, you pick up another.”

Snapshot

Opened: In 2006, Michael Habib opened Jubilee Junction, but the location has been operating as a convenience store for more than 60 years.

Location: 6273 Jubilee Rd. in central Halifax where university students, seniors and young families live and shop.Size: 1,000 sq. ft., most of which is covered with items for sale.

Most popular items: pizza, Death by Chocolate milk shake, ice cream sandwiches.

Jubilee Junction’s tips for a successful store

Understand location. Every neighborhood is different, and you must know what people in your area need – then meet, and exceed, those needs.

Continue to grow. Keep an eye on trends – like Facebook and favorite snacks – then try to incorporate those into your daily operations.

Courtesy: Ensemble IQ

The third wave coffee generation is brewing in our country’s capital. This is developing as two friends are refining the craft of brewing and roasting. Andrew Bassett and Jeremie Thompson are the owners and founders of Little Victories Coffee (LVC). It is a venture that was started in May of 2016. Bassett was a barista for six years before running LVC. He worked with Thompson. It is a roaster and fellow coffee aficionado, in Canada for years. Before Bassett made a move to Melbourne, Australia to hone his craft. Bassett realized that Canada was lagging behind. However, during his time he did realize about his profession more closely.

“I wanted to bring my experiences back home,” says Bassett. He rang Thompson and by the second day, Bassett was on Canadian soil again. The two were already making business plans. “We wanted to put Ottawa on the map…We’re not really business guys, but we’re coffee guys,” he says. “Nobody has spent as much time focusing on coffee as we do.”

Achieving little victories and targets the pair were already turning their heads. Before they even had to sell a product, the pair was on a role. Taking first place in a latte art smackdown, Bassett says he and Thompson had baristas, brewers and roasters already interested in them. “They told us they wanted to know as soon as we had a product ready,” says Bassett. “I’m starting to really think, ‘oh, this is possible!’”

Once they decided on their product offerings, Little Victories started focusing and refining what they wanted to bring to the breakfast table.

“We really focus on an interesting, sweet, not bitter coffee,” says Bassett. Accessible to more people and more palatable were his coffees. Showcasing the many varieties, flavours and levels of coffee, which really, is what the third wave of coffee is all about. Instead of being a general food item, third wave coffee makers want to express the many differences and intimate details there are between beans.

They want us to recognize coffee the way we look at wine. But it’s more than that; it’s about improving every step of the process, from forming specialized partnerships with farms to importing and buying coffee differently.

“Fairtrade organic is very marketable,” says Bassett. “But just because there’s a label, it doesn’t mean its better.” Many farms are unable to meet the requirements to purchase specific farming supplies or are otherwise unable to meet the specific standards for the fair trade organic seal. But that doesn’t mean their crops aren’t as good.

Bassett has travelled to different regions to meet with coffee farmers personally, and he’s currently partnered with two, stating “we’re hoping to source more though.” He has taken special care to research and source his product and is attempting to truly support the source of LVC’s product. As nice as the label of fair trade organic is, and it has its place in the market as a whole, Bassett and his team are building a more authentic relationship with these farmers than some other companies.

Until they can do business differently down the road, LVC is working with import agencies, which are great for Bassett, if they’re transparent enough. Right now LVC is partnered with over 40 businesses in the Ottawa area and beyond.

Locations in Toronto and Montreal are enjoying distinct flavors from these seasoned coffee veterans. “The plan is to expand by wholesale and then retail,” says Bassett. The LVC online store hosts and sells a catalogue of everything the coffee aficionado might need. From kettles and brew stands to coffees and teas, Bassett and Thompson have also refined their product offerings.

“We work really hard to have a high-quality product,” says Bassett. His dream is to be recognized as one of the biggest third wave coffee compa- nies. Bassett wants nothing more than for Little Victories to appear in the same sentences as Intelligentsia or Blue Bottle Coffee. “My staff can tell you everything about everything we sell.”

Having a small but robust selection of products with a small team, resolute about what they do, has been a successful model for LVC. With public cupping events and by hosting their own latte art contests, Little Victories has inspired a loyal and growing following. “We’re really focusing on the coffee community here in Ottawa,” says Bassett, which is a challenge since he considers Ottawa not to be a major coffee-driven city.

Crawling through their Facebook feed, you can see their accomplishments over these last few years. From opening their first café to their second, expanding their lines of coffee and coffee makers and even a small line of branded merchandise. And all these little victories have added up to some big success!

Courtesy: William Dixon

For almost 50 years, Guy D’Alesio Sr. has spent countless hours talking to customers. He did that on the floor of the family-operated Glow Groceteria c-store and deli he owns in Hamilton, ON. As a result, the D’Alesios can safely say they know what their customers want: quality foodservice at a good price. And with that comes opportunities for other categories and merchandising for a huge boost in sales.

“The snack and beverage categories do really well. Hence, it all goes back to the deli,” explains Guy D’Alesio Jr. He is someone who has become more involved in the business, along with his brother, Anthony. Their cousin, Emilia Floriani, also plays a big role when it comes to store operations.

“The deli is our draw, and the offspring of that is people grabbing a beverage and snack to go along with their sandwich or meal. There’s a lot of impulse buying, especially with the snacks,” he adds.

A fresh merchandising outlook

Sreeram Rajagopalan, senior manager of sales strategy and planning with PepsiCo Foods Canada, says the snack category is worth D’Alesio’s merchandising attention.

“The snack category showed 3% growth in the c-gas channel in 2014, and grew more in 2014 than it did in 2013,” says Rajagopalan.

When merchandising snack shelves, Rajagopalan advises D’Alesio to seek out category insights and follow planograms from his suppliers, and to focus on the SKUs his customers will be looking for: for example, potato chips make up 55% of salty snack sales, and therefore deserve the lion’s share of category space

And retailers shouldn’t forget that while single-serve bags are highly impulsive, take-home sizes are also very popular in c-stores.

“Approximately 57% of snacks purchased in the c-gas channel are for immediate consumption and 43% are for future consumption,” notes Rajagopalan

Promote a complete offer

D’Alesio Jr. says combos built around deli sandwiches and other meals are a big hit at Glow Groceteria, and that updated technology has played a huge role in allowing his family to branch out into a variety of different promotions.

“We’ve kind of jumped to the Millennium now from the 60s; we had old cash registers that you manually punched in, but we finally have a scanning system,” D’Alesio Jr. explains. “So we’re able to do a lot more with promotions – two-for-one, buy the sandwich and get the pop for this price. We’re a lot more flexible now because we have the ability to do that at the point of sale.”

POS signage puts these bundling deals top of mind for Glow customers.

“I’ve noticed a lot of people are grabbing the combos that we’re advertising. Sometimes you have to paint the picture for customers. It gets them thinking that a bag of chips could be good with pop and a sub, even if it’s the exact same price if they didn’t bundle it,” says D’Alesio Jr., adding that he places the materials near his foodservice and checkout counters for maximum impact.

Give customers the chance to save

Rajagopalan recommends adding a sale price tag on the bag during any in-store promotions involving regular or bestselling SKUs, as shoppers love the concept of saving. “The best price promotions are those that drive multiple sales, like 2 for $6, so you’re rewarding consumers for growing their basket.”

D’Alesio Jr. says his suppliers help by providing POS materials and prepacks, and are also willing to work with him to determine the right pricing for his promoted SKUs.

“We’ll offer a special and we’ll share the cost of it,” he says. “If we’re reducing a product from $1.50 to $1, they’ll give us a 25 cent rebate, and we try to create more volume by selling that product for $1 instead of $1.50, or bundling it into a combo.”

“The store is clean, it’s merchandised properly, and we give people quality products at a fair price, treating them well and giving them good service,” says D’Alesio Jr. “That’s pretty much been my dad’s success formula over the last 49 years.

More than anything, know your customer and give them what they want.”

What are their top tips for merchandising success?

 1. Use your assets to set your store apart. Build combos around your biggest strength – a high-quality foodservice program.

2. Collaborate with suppliers. Work with your sales reps to find the right planograms, promotions, and innovation for your customer base.

3. Communicate your deals. Place POS signage near the cash counter and in other high-traffic zones like the foodservice counter and beverage coolers.

4. Show them the value. Use price promotions to incent your customers to build their basket size, and call out the savings wherever possible.

5. Make a personal connection. Offer your customers unparalleled customer service and find out exactly what they look for when they shop your store.

Courtesy: Ensemble IQ

The company Rabba Foods is piloting a new concept store network. For the launching of the grocery shop, there were some random selections. Hence, as being the most approved locations Etobicoke locations were chosen by Rabba Foods. Therefore, the dynamic move by Rabba Foods in the grocery chain business must work for them. The company also plans to eventually roll it out through its entire store network.

The regional network of stores, which operates 34 grocery stores across the Greater Toronto Area, describes the new concept as “small on footprint [and] bigger on convenience, design and fresh product selection.”

The concept is highly inspired by European style shop, including all new features. Furthermore, a fresh lighting mechanism as well as giving a profitable edge. In addition to this, what it describes as ‘carefully curated’ design elements and wider aisles. The ceiling was raised as a renovation to make the store more open and airier for ventilation. This is something innovative and comfortable for the grocery shoppers, Says Marketing Specialist Mr M. Sharma.

THE ROLE OF RABBA IN THE GROCERY BUSINESS CHAIN

The grocery business is continuously evolving with success. Hence, the grocery stores are also doing everything they can to make their customer’s life easy. We already have a good SKU count, ready-to-go offerings and a local 24/7 business model. However, we wanted to enhance it further so that the customers feel happy shopping at our chain of stores.

The 6,000 square-foot stores, at 4869 Dundas St. W., was selected because it is one of Rabba’s highest-performing locations, says Sharma. It is also among the seven stores containing a Tim Horton’s location. This location is part of a nearly two-year-old franchise agreement with the QSR giant.

Also further, in addition to the redesign, the remodelled store concept places a greater emphasis on fresh produce and deli. It also includes HMR, i.e. Home meal replacement items including rotisserie chicken, ready to have sushi and fresh-baked baguettes. Also, some variations on HMR products are what the grocery store offers. However, the focus is fresh, given the market trends, Adds Sharma. “Because we promote ourselves as a neighbourhood marketplace, we always want to carry everything that customers want.”

THE PROMOTIONS IN GROCERY INDUSTRY

The store has also created a revamped flyer for the Etobicoke. The flyer places a huge emphasis on fresh and prepared food products. For In-store promos and marketing campaigns, Sharma described it as a ‘Highly-competitive’ option.

We will be measuring the grocery store performances. There shall be further obvious additions in in-store features if performances go really well. Says Sharma.

Rabba stores range in size from 4,000 to 6,000 square feet and carry between 5,000 and 7,000 products. The grocery store’s exterior branding also identifies Rabba as “Your neighborhood marketplace.

Courtesy: Chris Powell

Related Article: Convenience Stores

The snack category is evolving, and although it still features the mainstays. Including, chips, cookies, and crackers. Hence, innovation is popping up in the c-sector. Also,  including more ethnic flavours and health-conscious options.

So how can convenience stores adapt to these changing habits and cater to their snack-seeking customers? Ray White of Movie Source Convenience and Video has done just that at his Agassiz, BC store. Here’s his step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Adapt to change

A couple of years ago, Movie Source Convenience and Video was a video store. The store happened to have a few snacks and beverages for sale. But when White looked at the long-term viability of video rentals, he knew he had to up his convenience game. “We slowly changed the store over to convenience. We took our revenues up 500-600% in just over a year because of the switchover.”

The movie selection created a unique opportunity for White, who knew that his customers would appreciate a one-stop shopping experience. “We found that when people were coming in for movies before. If we didn’t have the snacks they wanted, they just wouldn’t buy anything. Hence, they went to another store,” says White. “But by bringing in all of the chips and beverages and still offering the movies. Finally, we found that benefitted us the most.”

Now, customers can purchase two bags of chips for $5 or $6. Hence, depending on the brand, or they can bundle a bottle of pop. Also including, a bag of chips, and a movie to get a complete package for a movie night at home.

Step 2: Invest in-efficiency

Investing in more efficient beverage coolers was a no-brainer for White. Hence, he is who believed in improving the overall shopping experience for his customers. “Last year, we had nine coolers in here. Hence, last July, we installed a 10-door cooler vault to get rid of all those individual coolers. This saves us $600 on our power bill every month. By putting that in, our beverage sales went from $1,300 per month to almost $9,000 per month.”

White used this opportunity to promote co-purchases between the snack and beverage categories with smart merchandising decisions.

Step 3: Get in the zone

“The movie section helps with snack sales and vice versa,” says White. “We run a deal where customers can purchase chips, pop, and a movie for $11.99, so that really helps. Everybody in town knows we always have our chips on deal, and they’re positioned in the store so they’re in the areas with the highest traffic. You can make great margins in the snacks category.”

White suggests moving secondary displays around to see where they’re most successful. He admits the best spot is always right at the till, but that interrupting the path to the beverage cooler can be effective, too. “Sometimes we’ll move a chip display towards the walk-in cooler so people will see it there, too. Why not have a secondary display in addition to the regular rack of chips? This way, if someone is going to grab a carton of milk, they’re also going to pass a display of beverages, a nut rack, a meat snacks display, and possibly a chip promotion, too.”

Step 4: Try something new

White is a big believer in innovation, and will always make space for a new product. “If a supplier has a new product, we will try it and see if we can gain some traction with it. If we don’t see any traction within three months, we take it out, but then we’ll try it again in a few months. The demographics are constantly changing. We had Riceworks in here before and they never moved, but we put them back on the shelves last summer and they moved very well,” he says.

Step 5: Partner up

“I think the meat snacks category is growing. I give the best rack positioning to the reps I see most often. If I’ve got a rep who’s in on a weekly basis and is taking care of his or her product, it’s going to be in a more prominent spot. Lack of service is a big problem these days.” The same goes for other categories, says White, which is why he tries to make the most of relationships with sales reps, calling good communication a win-win for both businesses.

Step 6: Stock up

As with any category, avoiding an out-of-stock scenario is essential. “If we don’t have a product, customers are going to remember that and they won’t come back if they’re looking for it again. I always train my staff to never say, ‘We don’t carry that product.’ Instead, they say, ‘We’re out of that product right now, but there will be more coming in with the next delivery.’ Then they write that down and I know to talk to the rep and request to have that product brought in.”

By working closely with his supplier reps, trying out innovation, and always offering a deal, White has set his store apart from the competition and is known in his community as the one-stop snack and entertainment shop.

Courtesy: Nikki Lockington

When you walk into Popbox MicroMrkt at the intersection of Dovercourt and Bloor in downtown Toronto, you’ll notice something’s different. It’s not quitae a convenience store, a coffee shop, a health food store and it’s definitely not a grocery store. It seems to exist in a space somewhere between all of these well-known models.

That was the goal, says owner Attila Szanyi. Before opening in April 2015, Szanyi and his business partner began to look at the convenience store experience in the downtown core. “So many stores operate under a tired model but they’re ever present on the landscape. The average corner store in the city is incongruent with where the food and lifestyle trends are going in the population.

“We wondered, can we do this model but with healthier foods? It’s really in the space between health food store and your neighbourhood 7-Elev- en,” he says.

Defining the Offer

Popbox MicroMrkt is about one-third café, and two-thirds retail, which Szanyi calls the defining feature of their offering.

“We have coffee, fresh foods, pastries, and grab-and-go salads that really drive a lot of traffic in the mornings and afternoons, and then we find it switches over more to grocery in the evening as far as revenue is concerned.”

But the products on the shelves aren’t products you’ll find in many other spots around the city. The standards of the food is different, he says, noting that they offer premium products, causing a lot of their customers to refer to them as a tiny Whole Foods.

In addition to the café and fresh-food offering, there’s also artisanal chocolate and sodas, Kombucha, organic meat, healthy snacks, and a variety of organic, raw, vegan and gluten-free options.

Sourcing Products

“We are known for a very selective and curated offering of food, so things you won’t find commonly at Shoppers or Loblaws, and that’s more and more the direction I enjoy going in with our offering because our customers seem to respond well to it,” he says. “That’s what drives me. I enjoy working really hard to find the most interesting stuff coming up. We’re really on top of the food trends. I think of that as my real job.”
Sourcing the products they carry is a lot of labour. They work with 55-60 different vendors, some of which deliver weekly. But, there are many
products that they get straight from the manufacturer; the people who are designing it and making it locally. “That’s where the real work comes in and that’s when I realized why what we do is not commonly done. You have to

Coming to terms with Spoilage

If you’re going to freshen up your offer, you’re going to have to come to terms with some wastage. “I learned why the existing convenience store model is so prevalent, and it’s because everything is shelf stable. There’s a lot of spoilage in our model. Some of our top sellers, like unpasteur- ized cold pressed juices have a three-day shelf life and they’re also quite expensive, so loss is costly. Shelf life has to be managed carefully and constantly,” he warns. But the bottom line is this: you have to have products on your shelf. Empty shelves aren’t worth it.
push hard, go deep and maintain on a weekly basis.”

“You have to have the product available to the customer. There’s a certain aspect to the draw a product has, so it might be a loss leader – for example we don’t make profit on sandwiches when all is said and done – but the reality is that the customers who buy those sandwiches also buy some groceries that are more profitable for us. You really have to gauge that. I really try not to shy away from a small amount of wastage. You need to have products on the shelf and sandwiches in the cooler.”

The Opportunity of Marketing

If you’re walking down Bloor or Dovercourt, you might just run into an attractive sign urging you to stop into Popbox for what they have on offer that day.

“There is a certain amount of new customers every single day who find us because of our signage or they come across us online. Signage has been really effective for us. We have a few A-frame signs with attractive graphics on them to pull in one or two new people every single day. That has a lot of value when you’re dealing with a local population and only a certain number of those people are daily customers. We have a very dependable daily cycle of regular customers, but you need those new people every day.”
Popbox is on Instagram and Facebook. However, just being there is not enough. Szanyi explains that success means using social media in an interesting way.

“Instagram is the social media platform that I find is most conducive to food. Something that’s been really great is that we’ve made a lot of

Courtesy: Nikki Lockington

Every second Friday, a Montreal woman drives 40 minutes south to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to shop for her groceries at Pasquier. Her neighbourhood has plenty of grocers, but nothing like the large independent market run by the Paquette family.

At 150,000 sq. ft., Pasquier is the largest independent food market in Quebec. Rather than being a food warehouse. Just like in a traditional marketplace with shops and stands. There is space laid out with uniqueness in shops and stands. This is including a bakery, butchery, cheese house, and condiments gift boutique.

“Locals are very proud of our store. It is to an extent that they bring their visiting relatives and friends just to see it,” Paquette says. “With 34,000 different products, we say you can tour the world of food in an hour at Pasquier.”

There’s a team always checking out the latest gourmet magazines. Also cooking shows, and chef recipe books to find out what is or is about to become a trend. Whether it’s hard to find Latin American Spice or the pink sea salt from Australia. The necessary ingredients are used for the shelf stockings. “We’re always talking to our distributors about what’s new or coming soon,” Paquette says.

At the same, the Paquette family has made a real commitment to promoting Quebec food. One reason is freshness. Sixty per cent of Pasquier’s inventory is perishable, a much higher proportion than at most other grocers. This is so that the store relies on excellent communication with its producers. Furthermore, the distributors to deliver fresh food as required.

“We’ve created a unique space for ourselves by having the variety and price points comparable to the big food warehouses, but with atmosphere, quality, and service that rival the smaller independents,” Paquette says.

The goal is always to go one step beyond the competition. For example, Pasquier readily promotes itself as “Quebec’s biggest steakhouse” with not only all kinds of speciality cuts. For perfectly aging for as long as a month, in addition to this a room where people are encouraged to leave their purchased steaks.

The patisserie goes well beyond a standard bakery and is ready to take special orders. The condiments boutique offers customized gift baskets featuring local jams, syrups, and other products.

Encouraged to take a break while the customers can have supper or lunch. Dedicated to the Trarroria is on the second storey, 10,000 sq. ft. There are also lots of takeout choices, with a salad bar, pasta bar, soup bar, sushi counter, sandwich deli, and pizzeria with a wood-burning oven.

Paquette is extremely proud of what his daughter, Annie, has done as marketing manager to engage people through the store’s website. The site provides all the basics about Pasquier but also features monthly recipes, food tips from top chefs, and a question-and-answer segment linked to Facebook.

People participated delightfully for the raising money for a local hospital, as a major tasting soiree was rallied.  “It’s very important to us for Pasquier to be a unique and important part of our community,” he says.

Key takeaways for convenience retailers:
Customize your offer. Determine and emphasize the products and services that set your store apart.
Go fresh. Make your store a destination by adding fresh grab-and-go options and local produce.
Keep current. Work with your distributor to ensure you have the new, exciting products your customers crave.
Get social. Use social media and an interactive website to keep your customers engaged outside the store.
Embrace your community. Participate in local events and fundraisers, and spend time getting to know your customers.

Courtesy: Julie Gedeon

SOBEYS OWNER EMPIRE CO. LTD., HAS ANNOUNCED IT IS ACQUIRING FARM BOY IN A BID TO EXPAND ITS REACH IN ONTARIO. EMPIRE SAYS THE ACQUISITION, WHICH VALUES THE ONTARIO-BASED CHAIN OF GROCERY STORES AT $800 MILLION, INCLUDES 26 FARM BOY LOCATIONS IN THE PROVINCE.

“Farm Boy is a superb strategic and financial acquisition,” says Michael Medline, president and CEO of Empire. “It strengthens our reach in the key Ontario and GTA markets, it will be a growth vehicle in urban and suburban markets, and it’s very strong private label program will bolster our Ocado-driven e-commerce business. We believe we will be able to build on their historical industry leading same-store sales growth of 5.3% and five-year EBITDA CAGR of 21 per cent to double the size of the business in the next five years.”

In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Medline said the company will do things differently with Farm Boy than it did with Safeway.

“I don’t want any change to Farm Boy other than if we can assist them in growing faster,” Medline said of the deal, which was unveiled on Monday morning and internally dubbed Project Fastball, after the CEO’s love of baseball and the two initials in Farm Boy, according to the Globe and Mail report.

Farm Boy’s Founder and co-CEO, Jean-Louis Bellemare, who opened the first Farm Boy grocery store in Ottawa in 1981, and Jeff York, who has been co-CEO of Farm Boy since 2009, will continue in their roles for the long-term, managing the business separately from Empire’s broader operations and reporting directly to Empire President and CEO, Michael Medline. The co-CEOs of Farm Boy will ramp up expansion plans and continue to cultivate Farm Boy’s unique and compelling brand.

Rollout of the Farm Boy concept in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and continuing the existing expansion plans in southwestern Ontario will be early priorities through a combination of new site builds and conversions of some existing Sobeys locations, said Empire in a statement. As well, Farm Boy will boost Empire’s GTA penetration by adding their exceptional private label products to Sobeys’ new Ocado-based e-com- merce business, the world’s most advanced online grocery platform, which will launch in 2020 in the GTA.

Farm Boy co-CEO Jean-Louis Bellemare says “as you prepare for the next phase of growth, you don’t just team up with anyone. Empire understands what it will take, shares our vision for the brand, and in president and CEO Michael Medline, and CFO Mike Vels, we have access to executive leadership with deep experience in making acquisitions like this successful. We had many choices, but our trust and confidence in Empire and its dedication to our brand and its growth made this the perfect partnership.”

Farm Boy co-CEO Jeff York describe the Empire acquisition of the chain as an “extraordinary opportunity,” adding that Farm Boy will strength- en the Farm Boy brand, starting with urban and suburban markets in Ontario and eventually rolling out to other areas of Canada. “We are particularly excited by the eventual reach of the Ocado e-commerce platform and can’t wait to showcase our high-quality, local products to many more Canadians.”

Greenergy introduces Breakaway™ , an innovative new fuel and convenience offer for independent fuel retailers in Canada. Tailored specifically to the Canadian market and based on extensive market research, Breakaway combines a distinctive hockey-themed gas station design, TOP TIERTM standard fuel products and an extensive convenience offer. The offer is supported by Breakaway to Play™, a community investment program that helps to reduce the financial barriers to entry that prevent some families from getting involved in hockey.

Our research shows Canadian fuel retailers and consumers want more choice and more competition,” says Mike Healey, Greenergy Fuels Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “Breakaway is designed to drive site traffic and growth, and allows dealers to benefit from Greenergy’s low-cost and reliable fuel supply.”

Breakaway’s convenience offering is provided by Gateway Newstands, a premier North American small format convenience retailer. “We offer Breakaway’s franchised retailers a competitive edge, bringing over 30 years of marketing expertise, profit-building group buying power, a merchandising rebate program and established top-brand suppliers,” said Steve Tennant, Chief Operating Officer of Gateway Newstands.

Greenergy will test the Breakaway brand in selected markets in Ontario over the next 12 months, and the first Breakaway site is planned for Fall 2018 in Leamington, Ontario, on the site of Johnny’s Gas Bar.

Saide Eid, owner and operator of Johnny’s Gas Bar, explained “We’ve been considering rebranding Johnny’s Gas Bar for some time, but it was only when we saw Breakaway that we decided to go ahead. It’s an exciting offering that will improve our customers’ experience.”

The Leamington site features Breakaway’s distinctive hockey-themed forecourt with additional features including car wash, propane and a 24-hour cardlock. Breakaway’s unique hockey-theme carries over into the backcourt with a 1,700 sq. ft. convenience store including a range of fresh options and ‘grab and go’ items, as well as customer amenities such as an ATM, coffee and restroom.

ABOUT GREENERGY CANADA
In business for 26 years, Greenergy is an established supplier and distributor of transportation fuels with a proven track record as a low-cost supplier delivering highly reliable customer service. It entered the Canadian fuel market in 2013 is committed to significant innovation and investment to better serve its Canadian customers. Recent infrastructure investments include rail-to-road terminals that create additional supply capacity close to the end consumer. Greenergy also markets in the UK, where it has over 25% market share, Ireland and Brazil as well as through a joint venture in Bahrain. www.greenergy.com/canada

ABOUT GATEWAYHeadquartered in Woodbridge ON, Gateway Newstands operates over 500 franchise-based convenience stores and kiosks throughout North America, and is the exclusive newsstand retailer in North America’s 3rd largest transit system. Gateway supports convenience store operators with retailing expertise and business tools including a fully integrated point-of-sale systems and long-standing relationships with preferred suppliers.ully integrated point-of-sale systems and long-standing relationships with preferred suppliers.

Courtesy: Nikki Lockington