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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Shellee Fitzgerald

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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE

Showing employees you value them, is more important than ever

I certaInly don’t have to tell any of you that grocery is a people business. Ask ask any leader what they like most about working in grocery and they’ll likely tell you it’s the people. And they’ll add that it’s people who determine the success or failure of a business.

With Canada in the grips of a labour shortage—and one that isn’t going away anytime soon—it has become crucial for businesses to do what they can keep their good people and attract new talent.

In this issue, we talk to Deloitte’s Marty Weintraub about his firm’s 2022 Canadian Retail Outlook. The report’s aim was to determine the issues most likely to preoccupy retailers over the next 12 months. It’s no surprise that the “war for talent” ranks high among them. Weintraub says talent “disproportionately” is a challenge for grocers who require high staffing levels to operate their stores. “That’s a lot of people to have to hire, retain, keep busy and happy.” (read more on page 62)

We also bring you the stories of two grocers that are doing right by their employees. Italian Centre Shop’s Teresa Spinelli explains her “people first” philosophy and how staff at her five Alberta stores are treated like family (page 17). And Neil Kudrinko, a grocer who already enjoys strong staff retention at his Westport, Ont., store, has gone further to support trans/ non-binary employees by introducing a new benefits plan that provides extensive gender affirmation coverage (page 12).

Staying on the subject of people, writer Rosalind Stefanac checks in on the progress Canada’s grocers are making to create workplaces that are more diverse, equitable and inclusive. Beyond workplaces, she looks at how much traction supplier diversity is gaining at Canada’s grocery stores (page 31).

On that note, if your company is taking action to make a positive impact on issues like diversity and inclusion, sustainability, supporting employees, or community service, there’s still time to shout about it by submitting a nomination for Canadian Grocer’s Impact Awards. Visit cgimpactawards.ca by May 30 to nominate! CG

Shellee Fitzgerald

Editor-in-Chief

sfitzgerald@ensembleiq.com

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