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Nature’s Fare Markets

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Nature’s Fare Markets

Rick Monahan
Founder

1. What was your vision when you started the company?
We saw a need in the marketplace for high-quality natural and organic products. We wanted to open a modern health food “supermarket” that catered to all demographics and that offered a full complement of departments including produce, meat, dairy, grocery, vitamins and supplements, health and beauty aid, and household products. At that time, most stores only focused on one or two departments, and we wanted to create a true “one-stop shop.” In fact, our first slogan was “One-stop shopping, naturally.” We made it a priority to have clean, well-merchandised stores and knowledgeable staff members.

2. What was your impact on the industry when you started?
When our first store opened in the Okanagan Valley in 1994, the support from customers and the community validated what we had hoped—people wanted a natural supermarket where they could find everything they needed to live a healthy lifestyle. Nature’s Fare quickly became the leading retailer in the Okanagan Valley, bringing a style and store concept only previously seen in Vancouver and larger cities into the interior of B.C. We expanded into all of the major centres in the Okanagan over the next decade.

3. What are you doing now?
Nature’s Fare Markets now has seven stores located throughout the Thompson-Okanagan region and the Lower Mainland of B.C. Our newest store in White Rock, B.C., opens its doors in June 2016, and we launched a brand-new website in May 2016. Nature’s Fare currently employs approximately 300 people and has a Head Office in Vernon, B.C. that also contains a warehouse and commissary kitchen that supplies food to our in-store bistros. Nature’s Fare remains a family-owned and -run business.

4. What is your impact on the industry today?
Nature’s Fare is considered one of the leading independent natural health retailers in Canada. We are the five-time winner of the Brock Elliott Memorial Award for Excellence in Retailing and were voted Canada’s healthiest natural food store. Nature’s Fare was the first retailer in Canada in any sector to achieve B Corp status, a designation awarded to companies who prove that they have implemented systems and policies that go above and beyond to protect the environment, to support their local communities, and to reward their staff. Nature’s Fare offers starting wages well above minimum wage, competitive benefits packages, store discounts, and flexible schedules for office staff. We donate over $100,000 to our local communities each year and we take part in programs such as Climate Smart to ensure that we are doing our best to minimize our footprint. Every product that we carry is scrutinized by our team of purchasers to make sure that it meets our strict quality standards guidelines. We only carry 100 per cent Certified Organic produce and only carry ethically grown meats and dairy products. Nature’s Fare was one of the first health food retailers in Western Canada to recognize the growing demand for fresh and prepared foods and to alter their store designs to accommodate in-store bistros that offer sit-down or take-out organic meals. We offer free educational seminars to our customers as well as free appointments with our registered holistic nutritionist, who also conducts Lunch-and-Learn sessions in our communities.

Herbasante: A History of Insight

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Herbasante: A History of Insight

Herbasanté has established itself as an industry game changer—and this status won’t change anytime soon./em>

In today’s global world, companies that focus on reshaping their local communities—while also creating lucrative business plans—are few and far between. At Herbasanté, Patrick Toledano has managed to do just that.

CREATING A LEGACY

In 1984, Toledano’s father founded Herbasanté with a vision to increase the prevalence of locally made, homeopathic remedies in the growing natural health market.

As the creator of one of a few Canadian homeopathic companies in existence at the time, Toledano’s father also saw a need to improve communications between homeopaths and Health Canada. As such, he helped to co-create the CHPA (Canadian Homeopathic and Pharmaceutical Association), a group that Herbasanté still remains part of today.

“My father understood that the homeopathic industry needed its own voice, because we have different needs and processes when it comes to the formulation and manufacturing of our products,” says Toledano. “Forming this organization enabled us to create new regulations and distinguish ourselves within the industry.”

From then on, Herbasanté has been seen as a driving force in the trade, a position they have managed to maintain today.

DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS

Herbasanté’s exceptionality comes from its acute attention to detail in all aspects of its operations. From its awareness of market needs to its presence in the local and national communities, the company understands how to conduct quality business.

The most unique feature of the company is its ability to supply both homeopathic and herbal remedies to retailers. “That’s rare in this industry—most companies only offer one or the other,” notes Toledano. “We have a lot of experience in both homeopathy and phytotherapy. We believe in both systems, and often recommend people use them simultaneously to achieve the best results.”

This duality also allows the company to stay attuned to the needs of the market. Often, Toledano will get requests from therapists and retailers for the creation of specific new products. When the demand becomes high enough, Herbasanté will begin the crafting of new herbal and homeopathic remedies to address current needs.

The company is also dedicated to helping its local community in a greater sense. “We give to a number of local charities, and we participate in local events,” says Toledano. “We like to contribute to different causes every year.” They also sponsor the local cycling team Powerwatts.

This unrelenting care for its customers and ability to think locally sets Herbasanté apart from its competitors. “At the end of the day, our competition are multinational corporations,” says Toledano. “We’re up against companies that sell everywhere in the world, and we’re one of the few local companies that have been able to compete. We’re very proud of that.”

ONLY THE BEST

Herbasanté is also extremely proud of the quality of its ingredients. Toledano notes that this is the “most important” aspect of the business: it’s how the company controls the quality of its products.

“We buy all of our own ingredients and do everything internally to ensure only the highest quality for our goods,” says Toledano. “We do our due diligence to make sure the companies we buy from are high quality, we have the ingredients tested and analyzed, and we only deal with companies that supply vast ingredient analysis.”

Additionally, Herbasanté is one of a few companies to receive the Health Canada license for the manufacturing, labeling, packaging and importation of homeopathic products. This has allowed the company to further ensure that its goods are top tier.

“We manufacture in house, we have our own lab, so we know what’s going into the product,” adds Toledano.

A FAMILY OF VISIONARIES

Not only has the company been a game changer in product quality: it has helped to shape the industry as a whole. Toledano currently sits on the board of directors of the CHPA, and was instrumental in negotiating with Health Canada over the recent changes to homeopathic labeling regulations.

“We worked all year to negotiate with Health Canada to make these regulations more suitable to our industry,” says Toledano. “I think in the end, we achieved some good concessions, and I think both parties were pleased in the results. We’ll be able to adhere to the new policy without a problem.”

WHAT NOW?

So where does a company as successful as Herbasanté go from here? “We need to increase brand awareness,” admits Toledano. “We’re not known to consumers like our competitors are, so we need to work on that. However, once someone tries one of our products, they’re sold: we get amazing feedback.”

To do this, Toledano plans to increase Herbasanté’s already growing presence with social media, webinars and attendance at various conferences across the country. At this year’s CHFA (Canadian Health Food Association) east conference, the brand will be taking part in a product education seminar about MGN-3, a sought-after Japanese ingredient to which it has the exclusive Canadian rights.

One thing’s for sure: Herbasanté is here to stay. With its strong history, deep care for its customers and eye for detail, it’s clear that the Toledanos have come up with a recipe for success. Follow their lead, and your business is sure to come out just right.

The Glyphosate Guide: You Are What You Eat

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The Glyphosate Guide: You Are What You Eat

By Cayla Ramey

The modern food industry isn’t very old, though it may seem it. It’s easy to forget—and ignore—the evolution of this industry when many people have never seen traditional and natural food production. Like the old saying goes, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”

GMOs have started to gain attention in recent years, and because of this, your clients and customers are starting to ask questions about how their food is produced and where it comes from. Being knowledgeable about your products will help you connect to your customers and form trust as they become more aware of harmful food practices. In a recent lecture outlining her latest study, Dr. Stephanie Seneff found that GMOs aren’t the most worrisome problem with modern food—it’s glyphosate.

What is glyphosate?

Glyphosate is a chemical commonly used in weed killers, like Roundup, that are sprayed on most of the vegetables we find in grocery stores.

In 1996, Monsanto introduced Roundup Ready Soybeans that provided farmers with an in-seed herbicide tolerance to Roundup. Now, we can find GMO Roundup Ready corn, soy, wheat, canola, sugar beets, cotton, tobacco, and alfalfa—basic foods that your customers consume or use on a daily basis. To get an idea of how many of your products may contain glyphosate, read the ingredients to see if any of the aforementioned crops may be included.

Glyphosate is currently the most-used agricultural chemical. Not only is it present in food, but in the vast majority of female sanitary products and some medical materials, including gauze.

Since 1996, glyphosate usage has increased 50-fold, and continues to increase as crops become resistant to it. “What’s happened is that Roundup Ready weeds have appeared around these Roundup Ready Crops—weeds that resist glyphosate. They’ve had to use more and more every year to fight the weeds,” says Dr. Seneff. And, with higher pesticide use, the higher the safe amount to ingest has become.

Planting a crop that tolerated herbicides meant that crops were bigger and thus produced a larger profit. For a growing population, this seemed like the ultimate answer. However, we are now starting to see the effects of using chemicals on our crops.

Evidence of Toxicity

With glyphosate in many of the foods your customers eat and items they use on a daily basis, it seems only logical that it would affect the human body in some way.

Statistics show that 0.1 ppb can cause severe organ damage in rats and alters the gene function of over 4000 genes in their livers and kidneys. Europe permits the glyphosate level to be 0.1 ppb in tap water, compared to 280 ppb in Canadian tap water and 700 ppb in U.S. tap water. 11,900 ppb can be found in GMO Soybeans. Even with these startling numbers, researchers are allowed only three months to study the effects of glyphosate, yet it takes about four months for these effects to start wrecking havoc on the body.

Monsanto claims that humans can’t be harmed by this chemical because it works on the shikimate pathway, which humans don’t have. However, Dr. Seneff states that, “our gut bacteria do have this pathway. They use it to make aromatic amino acids as well as foliate, dopamine, serotonin, melatonin, the skin-tanning agent, and all of these things are derived from that pathway.”

Glyphosate acts as an antibiotic and disrupts our gut bacteria, leading to an overgrowth of pathogens. Moreover, it depletes the iron, manganese, and zinc in plants. As such, the consequences of using this chemical for economic interests are not be worth the risks.

Link to modern diseases

Glyphosate has been proven to disrupt the liver, change gene functions, and even create an antibiotic resistance in gene pathogens. Additionally, it holds on to essential minerals that our body needs to be healthy and releases them at random times, making them toxic to us. It disrupts aromatic amino acids, mentheiamin and sulphate transport. Dr. Seneff has “identified sulphate deficiency as a key driver behind most modern diseases.”

In Roundup, glyphosate is added as glyphosate salts—one of which is used to increase glyphosate solubility and ultimately its toxicity to weeds. Another additive is POEA (polyethoxylated tallowamine), one of many surfactants in Roundup, which disrupts the membranes of cells, allowing glyphosate to more easily gain entry, says Dr. Seneff. “Glyphosate induces leaky gut due to overgrowth of pathogens, and this leads to a leaky brain barrier permitting antibodies access to the brain.”
By changing how the body processes damages its natural ability to break down harmful antigens, our body is left vulnerable to new diseases such as ADD/ADHD, autism, celiac disease and Alzheimer’s. It can also increase the risk of obesity, liver disease, and kidney failure.

How to protect your consumers

Though Dr. Seneff mentions that there is still glyphosate in organic foods, the difference is highly variable. A good example is the difference between GMO soybeans, which shows huge levels of glyphosate, compared to organic soybeans, which tested free of glyphosate. “Generally, the organics come in at lower levels, but that’s not always true. Sometimes it’s just half as much, other times it is much lower in the organic compared to the non-organic,” she says. Even still, making the switch to organic can lower your exposure.

It is also suggested that eating foods that contain manganese, such as flaxseed, kale, tofu, fish, and tea, will regulate the thyroid and sulfate synthesis in the bones—something that foods containing high levels of glyphosate can’t do, as it destroys the manganese. With consumers becoming more informed, it’s a great idea to have these items or products containing these ingredients in stock.

Foods high in sulfur, such as eggs, crab, onions and garlic, cabbage and beer, are also a great way to combat damage done by glyphosate.

Extracts from common plants can actually treat glyphosate poisoning. Dandelions, barberry, and burdock can also protect from future damage.

Nutrients from garlic, vitamin C, taurine and curcumin can help the body’s natural antibodies.
Asking your suppliers questions is the first step—such as where do their ingredients come from, how suppliers treat their crops, etc. When your customers come to you with those same questions, you will know how to answer.

Glyphosate has been called the most damaging chemical in our environment today, yet we have been led to believe that it is non-toxic to humans. There is a proven correlation between glyphosate usage levels and the alarming rise in modern diseases. Through research, we are finally beginning to realize its toxic nature through its biological mechanisms. Dr. Seneff suggests that we fight to ban glyphosate across the globe and switch to sustainable organic agriculture. However, that might be years away. For now, knowing more about your products will help you create authentic relationships based on consumer interests.

The Complete Paleo Supplement

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The Complete Paleo Supplement

According to Max Marion, president and CEO of Paleoethics, his personal experience of looking for better supplements inspired him to create products that would be non-GMO and organic, with no synthetics or fillers, and include only high-quality, premium ingredients. This idea brought Marion to Jon O’Farrell, an industry veteran with 20 years of experience, who is now vice-president of sales at Paleoethics.

“We wanted our products to completely follow the paleo diet, which to us means real ingredients that come from the Earth,” says Marion.

According to O’Farrell, there isn’t a paleo line as extensive as the Paleoethics one, which is also dairy- and soy-free, and doesn’t contain artificial flavours and sweeteners.

“Many sports nutrition brands on the market have fillers, allergens and they aren’t clean; they have sugar, or fake sugar, soy and all kinds of synthetics and artificial flavours,” says O’Farrell. “There is a hole in the market and we wanted to come up with something different and unique.”

O’Farrell says it has been challenging to find sales data for something that doesn’t exist yet. Currently, it is considered a sports nutrition sub-category, but with rising interest, this could be the beginning of a whole new category.
“Think back years ago when Vega launched vegan proteins, which did not exist at the time. They created a whole new category in the protein set. We are doing the same thing.”

Products
The seven Paleoethics products currently available on the market are Super Serum Protein, Ultimate Vegan Protein, Surge Preworkout, Rebuild Recover Post Workout, Vegan Recovery Matrix, Recovery Matrix and Super Greens.
This concept and brand of products for both meat-eaters and vegans has been in development for over two years now.
“A lot of vegan products on the market are not paleo, they have rice products in them,” says O’Farrell. “So we had to formulate something that was different to make that vegan option a highly digestible paleo option.”
According to O’Farrell, introducing vegan products gave the company an opportunity to cater to a specific demographic and to provide an alternative to those who eat meat.
“It’s a good idea to get a full, broad range of amino acids,” says Marion. “For example, vegan protein may be higher in certain amino acids whereas the beef one may be higher in others. By combining the two or alternating between the two, you’ll get a wider spectrum.”
Marion adds that many people take protein supplements from one source most of the time—milk, which is an allergen itself.
“All our proteins—whether the vegan ones or meat-sourced ones—are allergen-free. There is nothing in them that will cause discomfort or indigestion.”

Strategies
Paleoethics as a company refused to make any compromises on quality when it came to the formulations and they have complete faith in their supplements. Paleoethics is manufactured in a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical facility in Canada. This establishment is licensed for OTC pharmaceuticals, and is also NSF and NSF for sport certified. The facility is also licensed for natural, halal, kosher and organic products.

“We are very proud and confident of this product, and people can feel that through the branding and the formulas,” says Marion.

Paleoethics is also expanding internationally. With appeals for about 2,500 stores in Canada, the company also plans to work with approximately 5,500 stores in the U.S. Recently, Paleoethics partnered with a distributor and up to 300 stores in Europe. With their team of 15 employees, the company has set an aggressive sales target of $75 million within the first three years.

“We have a five-million-dollar marketing and advertising campaign that we’re executing over the next few months,” says O’Farrell. “That will include print, sponsored events and athlete endorsements, podcasts and radio, online targeting, and a sampling campaign in the North American and European markets.”

The company’s first sponsored athlete was Mark Sicard, who is also a valuable member of the Paleoethics team. As a vegan and a power lifter, Sicard has seen a considerable improvement in his overall health and energy levels when following the paleo diet—the idea that was incorporated into the Paleoethics vegan line.

“There are not many weight lifters who are vegetarian,” says Sicard. “I am probably the only one I know of.”
Sicard has broken two Canadian records and recently finished first within his age group and weight class at the Canadian Master’s Championship.

Giving Back
It is clear that good health and proper nutrition are central tenets to the Paleoethics philosophy. However, Paleoethics realizes that we don’t all have the same access to basic food, nutrition and health. With the goal of contributing to global food security, Paleoethics has established the Paleoethics Project. O’Farrell refers to the project as “the ethics portion of the business,” as the company has committed to investing a portion of its revenues into the Paleoethics Project.
When asked about the current activities of the Paleoethics Project, O’Farrell says that “[Paleoethics] is currently focused on a program in Guatemala where we’re helping them by providing tools, grain, livestock and education to help them grow their own foods and help them achieve full sustainability and independence.”

With the support of Paleoethics, small-scale farmers from 30 communities in the highlands of Guatemala will further their development of organic and biodynamic farming of grains and staples. Developed and sustainable farming practices help guarantee an increased level of food security in these communities. The scale of the project is quite impressive—over three years, more than 900 farmers will benefit from the Paleoethics Project.

“I think that our business model is just being a good and ethical company,” adds Marion. “We are not just giving money to these communities, we are allowing them to grow their own food, feed themselves and help them become completely self-sustaining.”

In addition to supporting rural farming communities in Guatemala, Paleoethics is giving back locally. Paleoethics has established itself as a community supporter by creating school breakfast programs in the towns and communities in which it operates.

Plans for the future
O’Farrell believes the biggest opportunity for Paleoethics today lies in the fact that the company is new and is still creating a track record that reflects its uniqueness.

“This is the first time the fitness world has seen a truly full paleo line of sport nutrition supplements,” adds Marion. “It’s a huge market and the reception has been amazing. We are looking forward to continue to develop this and offer new exciting products to this demographic.”

The next Paleoethics line of products will become available in the fall of 2016.

Sexual dysfunction expert to present exciting results at SMSNA

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At this fall’s annual Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medical Society of North America (SMSNA), Dr. Michael Zahalsky will present findings from his work on biologics therapy for erectile dysfunction and Peyronie’s Disease (the development of fibrous scar tissue in the penis).

Over the past few years, Dr. Zahalsky put together a world-renowned team of urologists to assist in the research and education of biological products in urology. The team, known as UroCellZ, is a clinical research group made up of 20 Sexual Dysfunction experts from around the United States.

“As I personally continue to see the success of our biologics research and treatment for sexual dysfunction, I want to shout from the rooftops how exciting this news is for a very large segment of our population,” says Dr. Zahalsky. “When we get to share our studies with other medical experts from around the world, it’s especially gratifying, educating peers and potentially changing the lives of patients.”

UroCellZ Research has also teamed up with Atlanta, Georgia-based Vivex Biomedical, an authority on biological products. Previously, the company’s products have been used to treat orthopedic, spine, wound and soft tissue injuries. However, the UroCellZ team believes that these same products and techniques can also be used to help millions of people suffering from urological conditions—especially male and female sexual dysfunction.

In order to better understand how sexual dysfunction may be affecting your patients, consider attending this meeting—or at least following its progress on social media.

 

Vaccine for hepatitis C virus may be in the works

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According to researchers out of the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, the medical world may be one step closer to an affordable vaccine for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Their study showed how exosomes secreted from umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (uMSC) efficiently suppressed HCV infection.

Chronic hepatitis C can result in long-term health problems. According to the World Health organization, 700,000 people die each year from HCV-related liver diseases worldwide. Additionally, while newly developed antiviral medicines could cure approximately 90 per cent of those with HCV infection, access to diagnosis and treatment is limited and there is currently no vaccine to prevent it.

Zhongtian Qi, Ph.D., M.D., the study’s lead investigator, says the development of these antivirals has “improved the response rate in HCV patients.” However, he adds, “New, more effective anti-HCV agents that also have better tolerance and cheaper production costs are still urgently needed.” As such, his research team set out to discover if a cell-based therapy might provide the answer.

“Cell-based therapy is of great interest to us because of exosomes, miniscule fluid-filled sacs that can transfer information and thereby affect immune responses to specific antigens,” explains Dr. Qi. While research into exosomes’ roles in pathogen infection is still in the early stages, reports have shown that they can shuttle protective host molecules between cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), found in umbilical cords, produce high amounts of exosomesm and collecting them is a relatively low-cost, non-invasive procedure. These cells also expand easily and their physiological properties can be preserved under cryostorage.

“This all added up to make us wonder how uMSC exosomes might affect HCV,” adds Dr. Qi. His study showed that exosomes secreted from uMSC inhibited HCV infection in lab culture “because it targeted the virus as it tried to replicate,” he says.

“As the first study to identify exosomes with antiviral potency, this research suggests the potential for a new therapy for hepatitis C to address some of challenges with current treatment, including non-response in some patients and side effects,” says Anthony Atala, MD, editor-in-chief of the STEM CELLS Translational Medicine journal and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

 

Omega 3s May Improve Healing Post-Heart Attack

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According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, maintaining a healthy level of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may be extremely important for a patient’s healing after a heart attack. Mercola also notes that animal-based DHA—rather than plant-based DHA—is the most effective for maintaining heart health.

Additionally, DHA has the ability to turn light directly into DC electric current through its electron cloud, says Mercola. This is particularly important for establishing your biological clock and circadian rhythm, which can both influence a patient’s risk of heart attack.

Studies show that eating fatty fish and other omega-3 rich foods may lower a patient’s risk of a fatal heart attack by about 10 per cent. Additionally, when taken post-heart attack, omega-3 fats can also significantly improve a patient’s odds of survival.

Another experiment found that heart attack survivors who took one gram of omega-3 fat each day for three years had a 50 per cent reduced chance of sudden cardiac death.

As such, if any of your patients have suffered a heart attack—or are at high risk for one—suggest that they begin taking a high-quality, animal-based omega-3 supplement. They may find significant improvement in their heart health.

Rachelle-Bery Store Gets New Owner

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Rachelle-Bery Store Gets New Owner

Having spent ten years in charge of the Rachelle-Bery banner, Daniel Dube will be becoming a owner of a store affiliated with the banner.
The affiliated business case as proven itself in Quebec for IGA for many years, and it was now possible on the Rachelle-Bery side.
 He recently bought the Rachelle-Béry in St-Sauveur.
 Starting yesterday, he will continue on site to develop this market.
 


A colleague from Sobeys, Genevieve Dugré will now lead the destiny of the banner for the coming years. Geneviève has over 10 years of experience in strategy consulting and organizational development with different companies in retail, including the last three at Sobeys Québec. She is known for her business sense, her practical thinking and her ability to build partnerships. I am confident that she will bring her experience to the development and performance of the banner, while maintaining the business relationships establish with you in the recent years, which are essential to our success. Dobe will continue to collaborate in the internal strategic meetings at Sobeys.


The New York General Ignores Expert Evaluations In His Investigation

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The New York General Ignores Expert Evaluations In His Investigation

The New York General made headlines by helping create a maelstrom of misinformation. He has ignored expert evaluations in his investigation into Devil’s Claw and has misused DNA bar coding to raise questions and allege adulteration of dietary supplements. Herbal experts have stated that this claim is a non-issue and many companies have used ingredients interchangeably and it is an officially accepted practice.

“Virtually all of the official herbal medicines made in the European Union are made from a mix of procumbens and zeyheri,” said Roy Upton, executive director of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.

ABC, who has been providing reliable herbal information since 1988, is working to counter misinformation and provide unbiased, science-based insight to the conversation.

Unexpected Decline In Retail Sales

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Unexpected Decline In Retail Sales

A surprise decline in Canadian retail sales shows signs of consumers spending less.
Statistics Canada reports say sales fell 0.1 per cent in June, while economist forecasts a gain of 0.5 per cent. Another report said that annual inflation slowed to 1.3 per cent in July, compared to 1.5 per cent the month before.

Statistic Canada has alos reported that retail sales have fallen in seven of 11 categories, making up 54 per cent of the industry.



This is well below the central bank’s target 2 per cent for the last two years, and the decline in sales adds to the worry that the Alberta wildfires shrank oil production.
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“The retail sales number is a bit disappointing,” said Andrew Kelvin, fixed income strategist at Toronto-Dominion Bank. There was hope “for a bit more bounce back following the very poor economic data in May.”

Canada’s dollar weakened 0.7 per cent to C$1.2870 per U.S. dollar at 8:40 a.m. EST, breaking a nine-day rally.



With shoppers being more weary of their dollar, it’s time to pay close attention to what shoppers are willing to buy. You might consider going to a larger competitor to see what consumers are looking at, and make changes in your own stores. If you are already making changes to your selection, this is a great opportunity to utilize your social media platforms to let your clients know.