Canadian Retailer - Store 2013 - 48

STORE 2013

Global brands with local
relevance

Impacts on the Canadian food sector

The Canadian food sector, not unlike many other sectors within
the industry, is going through dramatic change. And, also not unlike
many other sectors, the ways grocery retailers address and deal with
this change is going to define the way forward. David Donnan and
Mike Moriarty, partners, consumer industries and retail practice,
at A.T. Kearney, presented some of the global mega trends that are
affecting the Canadian food sector. Their presentation covered the
main areas of change and evolution that grocers will need to be paying attention to in order to succeed—shifting consumer preferences;
increased regulation; empowered food activism; NAFTA import/export effects; and increased competition and industry consolidation.
These trends, according to A.T. Kearney, are resulting in significant
new product and new geography growth opportunities that can be
leveraged through more agile and responsive supply systems and by
differentiating offering through education and personalization.
The future of bookselling

A panel of independent booksellers and publishers discussed the future of bookselling in Canada and suggest that innovation and creativity are going to be the hallmarks of successful booksellers today and
going forward. Moderated by Noah Genner, president and CEO, BookNet Canada, the panel explored ways independents can combine their
experience, knowledge of their customer and intimate understanding
of their product with the leveraging of fresh and insightful data that’s
being generated within the bookselling industry today.

The retail environment is becoming smaller—not in size or
scope, but with respect to accessibility. Brands around the world,
sometimes despite their size, are
becoming global players that
are recognizable across multiple
countries and continents. Annie Young-Scrivner, president of
Starbucks Canada, delivered a
session that highlighted the company’s mission to inspire and
nurture the human spirit, one
neighbourhood at a time. Starbucks has achieved this through
the management and evolution
of its respected global brand by
being locally relevant in each
of its 60-plus markets around
the world. One of the major elements involved in this is its commitment to creating a unique
space for each and every location, working with designers who
leverage local materials, suppliers and culture—the community’s vibe—to create a thoughtful
“third place”. In addition, the
company employs a best in class
social media and digital strategy
to help tell the story of Starbucks.
And, perhaps most importantly,
the company has cultivated relationships with partners such
as Tazo and Teavana, allowing
Starbucks to expand into traditionally untapped markets for
the company, and its brand and
values to transcend its logo.

Protecting the brand

With the widespread adoption of mobile devices and Internet activity,
news can become common knowledge, fast—whether the news has any
truth to it or not. Jonathan Copulsky, principal, strategy and operations
at Deloitte Consulting LLP, focused on the protection of the retail brand
and the things marketers need to do to ensure that their brand is safe in
today’s digital environment. Copulsky suggests that a well-refined plan,
integrated throughout the entire organization, is the best and most effective way to protect a brand from detractors. And, he suggests that
cultivating brand ambassadors within the organization can mitigate
risk and help with brand recovery if a negative situation occurs.

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