Articles

Why buy local?
Shopping locally isn’t just a feel-good choice - it’s a meaningful one. Where you spend your money makes a far larger impact than we assume. A single purchase with a small local retailer doesn’t just support one business, it can help to sustain entire communities. Read more...
Canada's grocery problem
Canada’s grocery sector has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past four decades. In 1986, Canadians shopped at a landscape dominated by eight large, distinctly Canadian chains: A&P, Loblaws, Empire (Sobeys), Metro, IGA, Safeway, Provigo, and Steinberg. Each company operated with its own regional strengths, brand identities, and competitive strategies. Today, that landscape looks very different. Only five major players remain: Loblaws, Empire (Sobeys), Metro, Costco, and Walmart. Together, these “Big Five” now control more than 75 percent of all grocery sales in the country. The disappearance or absorption of... Read more...