He sees value-added, prepacked items designed for double-income families continuing to climb, and this includes a variety of prewashed and precut fruit and vegetable items. “Bagged greens—kale and spinach, and kale mixes—are very popular,” Carnevale says.
Legault, too, sees higher sales. “Not just the traditionally packaged vegetables, but also value-added products like the new shredded veggies.”
New and Unique
Ease of use is certainly important to today’s consumers, but unique products are too. Novelty comes in many shapes and sizes, with taste and origin factoring into the equation as well.
A recent poll by Canadian Grocer found almost a third of surveyed grocers said shoppers are hungry for new, unusual items, with 15 percent of Canadian grocers saying ‘exotic’ and imported fruits and vegetables were more of a factor and gaining prime space in produce sections.
In this regard, one venerable Canada retailer is trying something new. Sears Canada is following in the footsteps of Walmart and Target by expanding into groceries. The longtime retailer, headquartered in Toronto, will include conventional produce as well as a selection of organic fruits and vegetables and products.
The retailer hopes to provide the quality of a Whole Foods store with Joe Fresh (Loblaw’s low-priced banner) prices, according to executive chairman Brandon Stranzl. The inclusion of organics into the mix is a key factor, as the retailer is hoping to draw in millennials and higher-end shoppers. Whether the gambit will work is anyone’s guess, though the incentive is on target given the popularity of one-stop shopping and rising sales of organics.
“There’s strong demand for local and organic produce,” affirms John Russell, president of J.E. Russell Produce Limited. “Consumers in Canada are very sophisticated buyers, and people with a higher income level are willing to pay more for organic produce.”
A Healthier Potato
Another innovation from the True North combines flavor, novelty, and health benefits into one vegetable. A new potato, called “Carisma” by EarthFresh Farms, Inc., represents a breakthrough for consumers who avoid eating spuds because they must carefully monitor their blood sugar levels.
“We knew this variety had special attributes, and invested in testing to get approvals from Health Canada [the country’s federal health program],” shares Stephanie Cutaia, marketing director at EarthFresh in Burlington, ON. She considers the new potato a trailblazer for healthy eating, since its low glycemic levels help speed up the conversion of carbohydrates to glucose or blood sugar. This is especially important for consumers with health issues like diabetes.
“Although we cannot associate health conditions with our labeling, people with diabetes are well aware of the glycemic index,” Cutaia explains. “Normally, they wouldn’t eat regular potatoes because of the spike in blood sugar, and now they have an alternative.”
