AZ Digitals Blog

Retailers experimenting with self-checkout should be implementing strategies to minimize stock loss. Hence, so that they can better achieve operational benefits and improve the customer journey, according to a report.

The ECR Community Shrinkage and On-shelf Availability Group (OSA) and NCR have published a comprehensive report. Its a report that assesses the potential impact of self-checkout (SCO) technologies on retail loss. In addition to this, provides best practices and guidance on how to address and balance risks.

“Retailing is becoming ever more dependent upon a host of technologies. Hence, many of which are increasingly focused upon improving the customer journey,” said John Fonteijn. John is the honorary chair of the ECR Community Shrinkage and On-shelf Availability Group. “This report will help retail organisations to continue to reap the benefits. The key benefits that self-scan technologies can bring while doing so within a sustainable business model.”

The payments revolution Retailers count their stock loss typically. This is as a percentage of their sales. Hence, which according to a prior ECR report, is about 0.67% of grocery retail sales. The new report from ECR and NCR, Self-Checkout in Retail suggests a typical retailer can
experience an increase in stock loss of one basis point for every 1% of sales that go through fixed SCO machines. For instance, a typical store with 25% of its sales value going through fixed SCO could see additional stock losses of 0.25% of sales value.

STORES WITH SCAN AND GO:

Stores using scan-and-go technologies could see an increase of between 0.7 and 10.4 basis points of additional loss for every 1% of sales processed. In the study, the average utilization rate for scan-and-go was 2.8% of sales value, suggesting additional stock loss of between 0.01% and 0.29% of sales value.

The report goes on to consider ways in which SCO technologies can be controlled, including a range of emerging technologies. The report also underlines the importance of monitoring data on the risk of loss relating to SCO as well as adopting a more joined-up approach to SCO management and control.

Read the related blog: DOLLARAMA WATCHING PRICES AS IT LOOKS TO GROW FOOT TRAFFIC

As the day’s get shorter, weather gets colder and we head into the holiday season we are entering the time of year where physical activity tends to fall by the wayside and we
gravitate more and more to those comfort foods.

Inevitably, it’s at this juncture where it makes sense to have a discussion about portion balance, which is an increasingly hot topic around this time of year.

Understanding what portion balance is and learning how to practice it, is an important step towards a healthier lifestyle.

Although all foods can fit into a healthy diet, it would be silly to deny that certain foods play a much bigger role in contributing to our good health than do others.

So what is Portion Balance?

As a dietitian who has worked with a wide variety of individuals, I think it’s pretty fair to say that many Canadians could benefit from incorporating the foods we know to be the best for our health in larger amounts while being a bit more mindful
about the portions of foods that aren’t quite as nutritious. That’s not to say there isn’t a place for these fun foods in our diet! There certainly is rather, it would be ideal if they did not represent the most significant portion of your daily diet.

So where we are going with this? Well, let’s think about a tool as simple as the plate model, in this case the one provided by the good folks at the Harvard School of Public Health, to get a clearer idea of what portion balance is all about.

Their model tells us that the most significant portion of our meal should come from the most nutrient dense foods, which are vegetables, with the rest being made up of all the other stuff like protein, fruit and carbohydrate rich grains like rice.

The plate model is a really simple way to help anyone understand that we can fit all of our favorite foods into our daily diet, but also that we should focus most on the foods
that are the healthiest for us.

Now although this concept is not a complex or even a surprising one, it obviously is easier said than done. That’s pretty much exactly why organizations ranging from government to industry to the retailers themselves are investing millions in public education, research and innovation to help consumers have more and better options when it comes to
food selection.

Portion Balance… is #trending

When we look at Health Canada’s data from the most recent
Canadian Community Health Survey, it’s clear that there is a
very specific group of foods that are not found in the traditional food guide that many Canadians gravitate towards. These
include: beer, fruit drinks, pop, chips & chocolate.

These foods share one very important thing in common however their serving sizes can vary widely.

Think a small square of wrapped chocolate versus a large candy bar, or a mini can of soda versus a larger can or bottle. I think it’s safe to say that the influx of products in smaller
portion sizes is no coincidence.

As we move on from the “supersize era” everyone from the everyday person to the food industry executive has come to realize that there is a need for product offerings that support the public’s portion balance goals.

It’s is given to the large body of evidence suggesting that when portion sizes go up, so does overall caloric intake, which could result in higher intakes of nutrients that many of
us simply don’t need more of, including: added sugars, saturated fat and sodium.

Even The World Health Organization recommends that keeping free sugar intake to under 10% of total calories is beneficial for human health.

So what can we do to improve our portion balance?

The Dietitians of Canada note that people are best served by avoiding the regular consumption of foods that are high in sugar, salt and fat but rather to enjoy these foods in moderation and in smaller portions.

That’s just a fancy way of saying that it’s okay to enjoy your favorite fun foods, just as long as they don’t make up the biggest part of your diet!

Take a look at this 3-step process I put together to help you think more clearly about portion balance:

1. First and foremost, acknowledge that foods such as soda, chips, and chocolate are items you consume to enjoy rather than for their nutritional value, which is completely acceptable. We are human, after all!

2. Second, acknowledge that the essence of portion balance is that the most nutrient dense foods (such as fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds) should always represent the majority of your
overall intake. Which means if you’re having a lot more veggies than chocolate, you are in a great place!

3.Finally, putting points 1 and 2 together, you can achieve both the satisfaction of eating the foods you love, and improve your overall portion balance, by taking advantage of
the fact that your favorite products are becoming increasingly available in a wide variety of serving sizes that make it much easier for you to strive towards a healthy, balanced diet that still includes the foods you love.

Courtesy: Andy DeSantis

With the worldwide problem of plastic pollution increasingly on the restaurant and hospitality industry’s radar. Many businesses are making changes to help reduce plastic waste in their communities. For example, some foodservice operators are switching to biodegradable plastic. They are doing this to meet continued demand for single-use and takeaway products from customers. Accustomed to convenience the customers have high demands.

But what many might not realize is that if certain disposal methods are not being used. Biodegradable plastics will not actually help the environment.

Is Switching to Biodegradable Plastic Worth the Investment?

This is just one of many questions that food service and hospitality businesses are grappling. This is especially when it comes to reducing waste.

If investing in more environmentally-friendly alternatives to plastic has crossed your mind. Below are some pointers to help you assess. Whether its worth the time or not is the question, i.e. switching to biodegradable plastics?  Also, the effort and cost for your business.

Understanding Biodegradable vs. Conventional Plastics

Let’s start with some basics. Here is a list of definitions for different types of plastic material:

• Conventional Plastic or Simple Plastic = Made from petrochemicals (a.k.a. fossil fuels).

• Recycled Plastic = Made from recycled plastics rather than raw petrochemicals. Recycled plastic produces products of lower-grade plastic (e.g., plastic bottles recycled to create plastic benches or fence posts).

• Biodegradable = Plastics that can be broken down by microorganisms (bacteria or fungi) into the water, carbon dioxide (CO2), and some bio-material (i.e., compost).

• Bioplastics = A type of biodegradable plastic derived from biological or natural substances, such as corn starch or vegetable fats/oils, rather than from petroleum. Bioplastics generally produce a relatively lower net increase in carbon dioxide gas when they break down.

• Compostable = Many people confuse biodegradable with compostable. While they are similar, compostable products are biodegradable with an additional benefit: biodegradable
simply means the object can be biologically broken down, while compostable materials go one step further by providing the earth with nutrients once the material has completely
broken down in the form of compost or humus.

Read the related article: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM & STEPS TOWARDS CLIMATE CHANGE

Reasons for Switching to Biodegradable Plastic

According to a recent report from the United Nations Environment Program, each year the world produces more than 400 million tons of plastic materials. Taking up or more than a thousand years to decompose we are talking about many of those materials. However, the amount of plastic waste recycled that has been produced is 9% in all.

This is where biodegradable plastics can come in as a better alternative to conventional single-use plastics because:

1. Being equally resistant, durable, and versatile.
2. Under specific conditions, they can be 100% degradable.
3. They do not change the flavor or scent of the food contained.
4. They contribute less to climate change.
5. Their production reduces non-biodegradable waste that contaminates the environment.

Setting Up for a Successful Switch

The tricky thing about switching to biodegradable plastic materials is that there is no universal method to properly dispose of them, practices and need to know how your municipality and waste hauler handle the disposal of these materials before you make the switch, or all the time, effort and money you spend will end up having zero positive effect on the environment.

If the materials are just going to end up in a landfill, then switching to biodegradable plastic is pointless, it can take many decades for these materials to completely break down
and become compost in a landfill.

For decomposition to take place the biodegradable materials need sunlight and oxygen. In a landfill, the process of decomposition gets even slower. This is because of the lack of exposure to elements of sunlight and oxygen. Hence, the process happens much more slowly.

Many bioplastics or biodegradable plastics also require high heat to break down (around 50 degrees Celsius), and the materials might not reach the temperatures they need to
degrade in a landfill.

Not All Municipalities Support Switching to Biodegradable Plastic

Take Toronto, for example, Many biodegradable plastics, such as polylactide acid (PLA), are not accepted in the City of Toronto’s Green Bin organics program. This is because the
the municipality uses a hydro pulper to separate all types of plastic and any other materials that can’t be processed using their system.

To make matters worse, a biodegradable plastic-like PLA isn’t even accepted in the city’s recycling stream as it degrades the quality of products when mixed with conventional plastics.

The Takeaway

Bioplastics and biodegradable plastics are a great option if they can and will be disposed of properly.

If you’re spending more money serving your food and drinks using biodegradable products with the intention to do well for the environment, you should be getting what you pay for. So make sure you ask first. Become aware, Check with your local waste management system and/or your private waste hauler to find out if they will accept biodegradable plastic
materials, or if they will simply be separated as residue to be sent to a landfill.

Biodegradable plastics are innovative and useful materials, but should only be used when they can be properly managed post-disposal, with minimal environmental impact. Otherwise, you’re just throwing money onto the trash heap.

Courtesy: Restaurants Canada

The Question is about: Why cutting oil production seems utterly UN-Albertan? That’s why the choice by the provincial government to order a production cut. By the industry flies within the face of what percentage Albertans self identify.

The province’s free-market spirit is set aside when money and jobs are on the line. Alberta is meant to be the house of the free-market in the province of privatization. It’s a wide open-market to sell brew-age, wine, cannabis, and insurance of each kind.

Take a test for your driver’s license and the person in the right-hand passenger seat works for a business, not the government. The province is often seen as a libertarian hotbed with the common view that less government is better government.

THE HEART OF FORMER PREMIER

Ralph Klein Alberta advantage mystique as he served up massive government cuts and promoted a free-enterprise ethos in the 1990s. It’s the place wherever business ought to thrive, and there is no want for government assistance.

That’s why The Canadian provincial government choose the industry that appears rather UN-Albertan to cut compulsory production.

The move flies in the face of how many people in the province self-identify. It’s especially uncharacteristic if one pictures what’s happened in recent weeks. The majority of the oil patch pleading with the left-leaning NDP government to interfere in the market.

A BIG STEP 

Mandatory production cuts to be on the oil sector by Alberta. A measure aimed at reducing an oil glut that’s punished the price of Canadian crude. Mandated oil production cuts are the kind of thing that’s expected from Saudi Arabia and OPEC, not Canada. 

RICHARD MASSON

To have a government intervene in a free market, which will create winners and losers, is just such a big step from the past 30 years of a deregulated marketplace. 

An executive fellow at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy who has three decades of experience in oil sands development, energy marketing, and finance. 

He said, “It’s right up there with the most difficult things Alberta has ever had to do”. In recent years, the oil industry has aired complaints about government policies driving away investor confidence. Now, it’s the majority of the oil patch wanting government intervention, precisely what investors traditionally dislike.

It’s like inviting poker players to a casino where the dealer might change the game on the fly. It seems free-market beliefs are set aside when tens of millions of dollars are being lost every day and job losses are set to mount.

Make no mistake, the financial pain was already starting to hit the oil patch and experts say widespread say-offs, spending cuts, and company bankruptcies were on the horizon. 

GOVERNMENT HAS TO ACT ON WHY CUTTING OIL PRODUCTION?

There is a feeling in Alberta that the economy is fragile. While the province has slowly climbed out of a recession. It’s hit associate degree slick with the recent oil worth collapse. Therefore the economy could fall straight back into a downturn. 

PETER DONOLO

There are times when the government has to act. Vice-chairman of public relations firm Hill Knowles Strategies Canada. He points to former Prime minister Stephen Harper putting aside his free-market beliefs to bail out General Motors in 2009. 

THE QUESTION NOW IS, WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS?

The fact about why cutting oil production is. Canadian oil costs fall so much below costs elsewhere in North America somewhat oftentimes. Former premier Alison role player represented it. Because the “bitumen bubble” in 2013 as oil prices were about $35 US lower per barrel in Alberta compared to the U.S. benchmark.

In January 2018, the outage of the Keystone pipeline was one reason the differential swelled to recently. Canadian oil sold-out at a reduction of over $50 North American nation per barrel. However, it’s narrowed in recent days to around $30 North American nation.

Over the last decade, the oil discount has become more than $20 US per barrel at least 10 different times. 

PAST INTERVENTIONS

Alberta does have a history of government intervention, whether it was former premiers William Aberhart printing money during the Great Depression of the 1930s or Peter Lougheed’s government owning several Crown corporations including an airline during the 1970s and 1980s.

Lougheed, too, mandated boring cuts in his battle with the central. Still, the newest boring cut by the government would seem to run counter to the Canadian province psyche.

Free markets area unit the answer to each drawback that society faces. That’s simply not true. Even a few months ago, most observers would not have guessed the majority of Alberta’s. Oil-patch would lobby the provincial government to meddle with the market.

It looks everybody needs government out of their method, till there’s one thing. The government will do to assist them, even in Canadian province.