Retail Food Fight

Like their larger counterparts, regional chains are starting to experiment with e-commerce as well. In November 2015, Overwaitea’s Save-On-Foods chain began offering online ordering, pick up, and delivery services...

By Karen Raugust
June 29, 2016
1 minute read
Retail Food Fight

Like their larger counterparts, regional chains are starting to experiment with e-commerce as well. In November 2015, Overwaitea’s Save-On-Foods chain began offering online ordering, pick up, and delivery services in the Vancouver area, with operations based at the Tsawwassen store.

Final Thoughts
For Canadian grocers that are not part of the big three or an American transplant, the future is full of contradictions. Experts expect the independents’ share of food sales in the True North to decline in the foreseeable future, as general merchandise stores and nonfood retailers take bigger slices of the fresh food pie.

That said, many smaller chains operate efficiently, have very specialized niches, and are able to stay one step ahead of their sizeable competitors when it comes to addressing trends and the changing, often fickle tastes of local consumers. Despite being considered underdogs by many, these local and regional players are expected to have a wealth of opportunity in 2016 to prosper, especially in Canada’s most populous metropolitan areas.

Image: ©iStock.com/mediaphotos

Karen Raugust is a freelance writer who covers business topics ranging from retailing to the food industry.

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