Walmart and Visa’s six-month argument over interchange fees has finally come to an end. Last Thursday, the two companies announced that they had come to an agreement, but made no mention of how it was reached.

“Visa cardholders can once again use their Visa credit cards as a form of payment in all Walmart stores across Canada,” Carla Hindman, spokeswoman for Visa Canada told CBC. Starting tomorrow, “Visa credit cards will be accepted at all Canadian Walmart stores, including in Manitoba and Thunder Bay, Ont.”

The aforementioned markets were the only ones affected by Walmart’s threat to stop accepting Visa cards.

The issue was caused by interchange fees, which retailers are charged for processing transactions. Most often, they are a percentage of the total value of goods sold. Consumers do not pay these fees directly, but they often settle the costs through higher priced goods.

Walmart noted that Visa’s fees were much higher than other card companies, while Visa says it offers Walmart one of its lowest fees. With this agreement, Walmart may see an increase in sales from customers who boycotted due to the Visa ban.

With the 150^th anniversary of Confederation upon us, industry experts are suggesting that Canadian ads are going to take an emotional turn. Loblaw Cos. Ltd. is certainly following this trend: recently, it released its “#EatTogether” campaign, which tells the story of multicultural residents of an apartment complex coming together for an impromptu meal.

According to the company, the message of the ad—which is a departure from its usual campaigns—is about unity and community-building through the vehicle of food. This storytelling approach, which is used to create consumer attachment to different brands, will be featured heavily during Canada’s sesquicentennial.

“Creating what we call film versus a commercial; it’s definitely a first time doing this. The 150th year for Canada is a momentous occasion. It really felt like the significance of the occasion required a different way in,” says Loblaw’s senior vice-president of marketing, Uwe Stueckmann. “We felt it was important to do something that isn’t about trying to sell a product, that isn’t about trying to sell anything, really. It’s more about creating this movement of getting Canadians to eat together.

During the campaign, which will run until Canada Day, Loblaw will use social media to interact with Canadians. It will be holding a contest, during which it will ask Canadians to discuss how their culinary skills are influenced by Canada’s cultural diversity.

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is also moving in this direction with its ads, launching a campaign called “#Make150Count.” With this, they asked Canadians aged 16 to 25 to describe how they would use $150 to “help communities prosper.” The company has yet to release video advertisements on the subject.

If you’re thinking about launching advertising campaigns in the upcoming months, consider playing off of this national sentimentality. By playing toward the heart—as well as the mind—of the consumer, you’re sure to find success.

Whole Foods Market has begun to air a new ad campaign, accompanied by the tagline “We Believe in Real Food.” The new video clips discuss the ways in which Whole Foods’ selection of goods is superior to those of its competitiors.

In 2016, CEO John Mackey noted that Whole Foods would increase marketing efforts in 2017. Until now, the company has been self-described as “on-again, off-again” with its national ad presence, deciding to allocate its funds elsewere. The last campaign, called “Values Matter,” was launched in 2014.

Bill Kirk, an analyst for RBC Capital Markets, told Supermarket News that this new campaign demonstrates Whole Foods’ confidence in stabilizing sales.

“While a television ad, by no means, assures acceleration, we consider it more likely to improve trends than cause them to slow,” Kirk said.  “We believe this is a positive development that suggests Whole Foods’ 2016 pursued strategies have reached a point where it’s time to communicate the company’s progress.”

Nature’s Gate, a leader in the natural personal care industry, has launched its first-ever natural Professional Hair Care Line through a national distribution partnership with Sally Beauty. Keeping the organization’s eco-conscious consumers in mind, the new line promises salon professional performance with a premium blend of healthy efficacious ingredients, ultra-hydrating moisturizers, and natural plant and fruit extracts to treat the toughest hair concerns. The new collection offers five professional shampoos and conditioners: Thick & Full, Anti-Frizz, Color Protect, Repair, and Calming.

Nature’s Gate Professional Shampoos are formulated with superfood ingredients and premium botanicals to help provide superior conditioning properties, improve texture of hair, enhance shine and luster while making hair softer, smoother, and easier to manage. Nature’s Gate Professional Conditioners are formulated with Abyssinian Oil, Quinoa Protein, Panthenol and Dimethicone to deeply condition, hydrate, smooth and increase shine and luster in hair.

Nature’s Gate is one of the few natural professional brands distributed by Sally Beauty and offers Vegan, Paraben Free, Non GMO, Gluten Free, Soy Free, and Cruelty Free ingredients with no Sodium Lauryl/Laureth/Coco Sulfates, Phthalates, Butylene Glycol or Artificial colors.

“There is a shift in the beauty market toward a higher demand for natural products,” says Nature’s Gate Marketing Director, Terry Sarian. “We’re very excited to partner with Sally Beauty to deliver premium products to both consumers and professionals, without compromise.”

Sally Beauty is the world’s largest retailer of professional beauty supplies, operating more than 2,800 stores worldwide and offering 7,000 professional quality products for hair, skin, and nails to both retail customers and salon professionals. The Nature’s Gate collection of Professional Shampoos and Conditioners are now available to purchase at Sally Beauty stores or online at http://www.sallybeauty.com/.

About Nature’s Gate 

Nature’s Gate is the leader in the natural personal care industry offering wholistic beauty products from hair to toes, economically-sound without sacrificing substance or quality. Founded in 1972 with a vision to create products containing only the freshest and cleanest ingredients from nature, two brothers from Venice, CA created the first Rainwater Herbal Shampoo using natural rainwater as the primary ingredient. Since the company’s inception, Nature’s Gate continues to be inspired by Mother Nature and is committed to creating a path to a better, greener brand while embodying the wholistic lifestyle. For more information, visit http://www.naturesgate.com/

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft of its guidance on the updated Nutrition and Supplement Facts label. This follows the organization’s May 2016 update to its Nutrition Facts panel, which now requires manufacturers to declare added sugars.

Organizations with annual revenues of over $10 million have until July 26, 2018 to implement the new labels in their packaging. Those corporations falling below this mark will have an additional year to comply.

The new draft guidance addresses issues from manufacturer compliance to the design of the labels, themselves. Once finalized, it will represent the current thoughts of the FDA. Members of the food and beverage industry will have 60 days to comment on the document before the finalization process is initiated.

These guidelines are mainly meant to increase consumer awareness of the quantity of added sugars in prepared food and drink. The new label will show the amount of added sugars per serving, the establishment of a Daily Reference Value (DRV) for added sugars, and a Daily Value (DV) declaration for added sugars.

Other proposed changes include a mandatory requirement to list vitamin D and potassium, while vitamins A and C are no longer required to be listed. The reference values for the daily value figures have also been updated, calorie values are being made more prominent, and serving sizes are being made more realistic.

These decisions are extremely similar to those made by Health Canada regarding Nutrition Labels. However, the Canadian labels do not require added sugars to be declared on the nutrition label. Rather, Canada’s labels group sugars together and list a per cent daily value for sugars in general.

These changes reflect a willingness from both governments to help increase consumers’ safety and awareness about the products they are purchasing.

Nature’s Emporium—a fast-growing Canadian and family-run health food market celebrating 23 years in shared good health—has officially announced its forthcoming Burlington location. The freshly redesigned 20,000 square foot facility will showcase a rich selection of premium natural and organic foods, supplements, as well as sustainable whole body and home care. Set for a Winter 2017 grand opening, Nature’s Emporium Burlington— located at 2180 Itabashi Way—marks a significant leap forward for the brand, as the first expansion outside of the York Region.

Health-conscious Burlington and area shoppers will find tremendous value in the wide range of complimentary wellness services and products offered at Nature’s Emporium. Holistic nutritionist guided store-tours, healthy cooking classes and special guest lectures with leading wellness thought-leaders, as well as a caring team of wellness specialists (including on-staff Naturopaths, homeopaths and nutritionists) all work together to help customers successfully navigate the road to good health.

In-store highlights will include a 100 per cent organic fresh produce department (with seasonal emphasis on local fare), a Juice Bar and Bistro serving fresh natural and organic meals alongside Fairtrade coffee, tea, cold-pressed juices and smoothies, an artisan cheese and sustainable meat & seafood department, vegan and vegetarian-friendly options, natural and organic groceries, gluten-free, a huge selection of vitamins & supplements, as well as plant-based natural whole body care and home care products designed to simplify greener living. The store also features an expansive patio—the perfect place to enjoy a fresh juice once spring arrives!

Great effort has been made to ensure that the organization’s longstanding commitment to education, selection and service excellence, which has played such an important role in their connection with customers through the York Region, carries forward to Burlington.

Dr. Edward Gorak to lead comprehensive, integrated team of cancer experts at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center

He followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the U.S. Army and found his passion in oncology and research while in medical school. That commitment to service lasted 12 years as he significantly grew and led hematology-oncology and bone marrow/stem cell transplant programs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

But he didn’t stop there. After a highly decorated military service, he joined Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania where he not only grew and implemented high-quality research trials for underserved populations but expanded hematology-oncology services and received national accreditation for the bone marrow transplant program.

Dr. Gorak is now taking his passion and extensive experience to form and grow similar programs in Jacksonville after recently being named Head of the Division of Cancer Medicine at Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Gorak has been at Baptist MD Anderson since August 2015 as one of the founding medical oncologists who helped start Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, which opened in October 2015.

“I’m looking forward to being part of the team who will bring comprehensive, quality cancer care to northeast Florida,” said Dr. Gorak, DO, MBA, MS, FACP. “We plan to strengthen existing programs such as our breast cancer program and continue to expand high-quality research. Our partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is going to be critical in utilizing some shared research and new technologies.”

Making cancer history

While he will continue with his clinical practice at Baptist MD Anderson, Dr. Gorak now takes on administrative responsibilities and serves as physician-in-chief for medical oncologists and other physicians who work at the cancer center.

“We appreciate Dr. Gorak’s earlier work on helping to build the Baptist MD Anderson Cancer program,” said Darin Roark, vice president of oncology services for Baptist Health. “We are grateful to have him step up into the leadership role as we continue advancing our efforts to grow and support the needs of our patients.”

And with a new nine-story building set to open in 2018, Baptist MD Anderson will be recruiting additional national leaders in medical oncology and other medical oncology specialties in areas such as lung cancer, colorectal cancer and gastrointestinal (GI)/genitourinary (GU) cancer, among others.

Dr. Gorak will lead in building new programs in cancer treatment and quality improvement.

“Dr. Gorak can bring people together to create even more effective teams and integrative care with surgery, radiation oncology, and cancer medicine to better meet the needs of our patients closer to where they live,” said Bill Putnam, MD, medical director for Baptist MD Anderson.

“He has a very nice way about him and is aligned with our broad mission of integrated and coordinated cancer care,” Dr. Putnam added. “I think Dr. Gorak will be an individual who will help us accomplish our goals of making cancer history.”

Extensive experience

Dr. Gorak brings a wide-range of interests and experience to his new role. He is board certified in hematology, medical oncology and internal medicine.

With a master’s in business administration and a master’s of science in epidemiology, Dr. Gorak served as director of the hematology malignancy program and principal investigator for oncology research at the Geisinger Cancer Institute in Pennsylvania before coming to Baptist MD Anderson. He also was co-director of The Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation for seven years and led national cancer trials.

“The health care industry is changing rapidly and Geisinger is one of the health systems that is leading that change,” Dr. Gorak said. “My experiences at Geisinger were one of a kind and I look forward to bringing those insights to Baptist MD Anderson.”

In addition to significant growth of the hematology program at Geisinger, Dr. Gorak and his team maintained continuous grant funding through the National Cancer Institute’s Community Clinical Oncology Program and secured additional funding as one of only a few selected sites for the cancer institute’s competitive Community Cancer Clinical Program and Community Oncology Research Program. As a recognized leader, he was selected as a fellow of Geisinger’s Strategic High Potential Program.

Previously, he served at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as assistant chief for hematology-oncology and director/medical director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program. He also was attending physician for the bone marrow transplant program and chief of the hematology-oncology clinic.

He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and received numerous honors for his service including Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal (bronze star), Global War on Terrorism Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon and Overseas Ribbon.

Early in his military career, he used immunotherapy and vaccine therapy for malaria and the development of vaccines against smallpox and other diseases, for which he received the Army’s Meritorious Service Medal. Dr. Gorak also spent a significant amount of time at the National Institute of Health where his research focused on complications of bone marrow transplants.

“The military taught me life skills such as the importance of teamwork and taking pride in your work and your organization,” Dr. Gorak said. “I also learned how fragile life is after caring for soldiers who had their worlds turned upside down through conflict. It was very satisfying to me to be involved with the rehabilitation process of our soldiers and veterans so that they can go back to “standing on the wall” and protect the rest of us.”

With numerous journals and abstracts on a variety of cancers and treatments, Dr. Gorak serves on several key national committees such as the National Cancer Institute Myeloma Steering Committee and the National MDS (Myelodysplastic Syndromes) Natural History Study Steering Committee. 

But his biggest rewards come from his patients, he said.

“I enjoy the long-term aspect of caring for my patients and taking care of their families too,” Dr. Gorak said. “There is a lot of gratification seeing them overcome their cancer and come out on the other end in good shape.”

For more information on Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center, go to baptistmdanderson.com.

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About Baptist Health
Baptist Health is a faith-based, mission-driven system in Northeast Florida comprised of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville; Baptist Medical Center Beaches; Baptist Medical Center Nassau; Baptist Medical Center South; Baptist Clay Medical Campus and Wolfson Children’s Hospital – the region’s only children’s hospital.  All Baptist Health hospitals, along with Baptist Home Health Care, have achieved Magnet™ status for excellence in patient care. Baptist Health is part of Coastal Community Health, a regional affiliation between Baptist Health, Flagler Hospital and Southeast Georgia Health System forming a highly integrated hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. Baptist Health has the area’s only dedicated heart hospital; orthopedic institute; women’s services; neurological institute, including comprehensive neurosurgical services, a comprehensive stroke center and three primary stroke centers; a Bariatric Center of Excellence; a full range of psychology and psychiatry services; urgent care services; and primary and specialty care physicians’ offices throughout Northeast Florida. Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center is a regional destination for multidisciplinary cancer care which is clinically integrated with MD Anderson Cancer Center, the internationally renowned cancer treatment and research institution in Houston. For more details, visit baptistjax.com.

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Cindy Hamilton
Director, Public Relations
Cindy.Hamilton@bmcjax.com
Phone: 904.202.4907

Deborah Circelli
Deborah.Circelli@bmcjax.com
Phone: 904.202.4916