CELEBRATING30YEARS OFCOLLABORATIONCEL EBRATING30YEARSOFC OLLABORATIONCELEBR ATING30YEARSOFCOLL ABORATIONCELEBRATI NG30YEARSOFCOLLAB ORATIONCELEBRATING 30YEARSOFCOLLABOR CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF COLLABORATION
Brian Parker (R) and Steve Sharpe (L)
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF COLLABORATION
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very spring for the last four years, Fernbrook Springs kicks off a promotional program for members of Distribution Canada Inc. (dci), the buying group founded in 1981 for independent Canadian grocers. “Everybody buys into it,” says Bob Elliott, president of Fernbrook Springs, which supplies
bottled spring water. If you don’t, he adds, dci president and CEO Brian Parker “will pick up the phone and persuade you to join the promo program. Dealing with dci is like having a really well-connected salesman working for us – I don’t know of an operator or organization that really promotes our company as well as they do.”
Elliott’s observation is right on the mark. Over the last three
position three years ago. “In the last three-and-a-half years, we
decades, dci has worked to establish itself as a collective voice
added almost 25 per cent new members, giving us more critical
and negotiator for independent grocers. Today, it boasts more
mass and making us an even greater force to be reckoned with.”
than 80 members, including small grocery chains, convenience
But dci’s greater power can be attributed to more than
store chains, wholesalers and distributors. “We are growing,” says Parker, who assumed his current
just its growing roster of members; as it celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, it stands stronger than ever as a
“ Being smaller makes us more nimble – we don’t have to wait for someone at head office to tell us we can go ahead with this particular promotion.”
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS: dci is governed by a Board of Directors elected from the membership . Brian Parker President & CEO
selling organization. What started out as a buying group focused
At the same time, a number of dci members are adding
on getting volume rebates for its members has, over the
new locations, giving them economies of scale and providing
last three decades, evolved into an organization that drives
even more opportunities for vendors to bring their products to
collaboration between retailers and vendors, and amongst
consumers.
the members themselves, with one ultimate goal in mind: to sell more products. “For dci to continue as a successful organization, we needed to enhance our business model,” says Parker. “Instead of
Peter Cavin, director of Country Grocer, which operates six stores with 550 employees in Vancouver and Salt Spring Islands, points to another defining characteristic amongst independents: their strong support of national brands.
constantly just pushing for rebates, we needed to also make
“The independents have always championed the national
sure the vendors get good value out of their relationship
brands and will continue to do so,” he says. “There’s great value
with dci members, and what better way to do that than to
in that for vendors, who increasingly have to compete with
show them we can help them move their product in new and
private-label brands.”
innovative ways.” So what advantages do independent grocers wield over their larger counterparts? “Independents’ biggest strength is their ability to respond quickly to their customers’ needs and to changes in the
Building on these strengths, dci works with vendors to create promotions and contests that drive members to sell more. These promotions might, for instance, award cash prizes or gift certificates to retailers who achieve the largest percentage increase in sales of a participating vendor’s product.
market,” says Steve Sharpe, owner of Sharpe’s Food Market
Of course, vendors can choose to deal directly with inde-
in Campbellford, Ont., and a dci board director. “As entrepre-
pendent retailers and avoid paying volume rebates. But Elliott
neurs, we’re the guys who are out there working hard on the
at Fernbrook Springs says it makes more business sense to go
floor, talking and listening to our customers, and making quick
through dci.
decisions on merchandising and shelf positioning to create excitement and boost sales. “Being smaller makes us more nimble – we don’t have to wait for someone at head office to tell us we can go ahead with this particular promotion.”
“I get the benefit of the volume of many end customers as opposed to one at a time,” he says. “And dealing with dci means getting paid in time – I reduce my credit risk by working with dci.” Selling through dci allows battery giant Energizer
Steve Sharpe Chair Sharpe’s Food Market Campbellford, ON Cori Bonina Secretary Stong’s Markets Ltd. Vancouver, BC Gary Alderson The J. Rabba Co. Ltd. Mississauga, ON Piero Carbone Garden Foods (Bolton) Ltd. Bolton, ON Peter Cavin Island Independent Buying Group Ltd. Chemainus, BC Gordon Dean Mike Dean’s Super Food Store Winchester, ON Brian Johns Vince’s Country Grocer Sharon, ON Gabe Torchetti Lady York Foods Toronto, ON
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Canada to ensure a widespread presence in its market, says the
and whether or not they would recommend it,” she says. “It’s
company’s president, Ed MacLellan.
like being part of one big family.”
“Batteries are ubiquitous – they need to be everywhere,”
These days, dci is also seeing more members participate
he says. “What dci does is provide us an opportunity to sell to
in committees and focus groups. Last November, the organiza-
independents in Canada whom we would probably not be able
tion embarked on a rebranding project, which culminated in a
to reach directly ourselves.”
new logo in an attention-grabbing shade of purple, a switch to
Today, dci members sell billions of dollars’ worth of products each year – solid proof of its evolved identity as a selling organization. It is evolving in other ways as well, says Parker. In addition to embracing a new mission statement focusing on collaborative selling relationships, dci members are re-engaging with the organization and with each other. “They’re starting to realize that the other people in the room are not competitors – they’re colleagues and part of the
a lower-case acronym – dci instead of Distribution Canada Inc. – and the redefined mission statement. Many members came forward and volunteered their time during this rebranding effort, recalls Parker. “Just as an example, we had a focus group on rebranding that drilled down further into smaller focus groups,” he says. “Our members were really engaged throughout the entire process, and they came up with some truly great ideas.”
dci community,” says Parker. “As a result, they’re starting to
A number of members also came together to form a
share ideas and best practices around things like how to be
steering committee whose mandate is to get more vendors to
more customer-oriented or more involved in the community.”
work collaboratively with dci – a goal integral to dci’s newly
Rina Virgilio, director of operations for Concord Food Centre in Thornhill, Ont., and Oak Ridges Food Markets in Oak Ridges, Ont., says being a member of dci has made it easier for her to tap into the knowledge and experience of her fellow independents.
redefined mission statement. Virgilio, who is part of this committee, says she’s already seen results from this initiative. “Vendors are definitely coming around to being more open to us – something that a lone independent would find
“If I’m thinking of putting in new equipment or new
hard to accomplish without the collective clout of dci,” she says.
store fixtures and I know that another dci member actually
“After all, why would a vendor give you volume rebates when
has the same thing in their store, it’s pretty easy for me to
they’re already dealing with you now without having to give
reach out to that member and ask them about their experience
you those rebates?
From buying to selling: dci gets behind a new mission statement “ DCI is a national organization of independent grocers that fosters collaborative selling relationships between its shareholders, manufacturers, and key stakeholders in the Canadian grocery industry.”
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C ONGRATULATIONS D ISTRIBUTION C ANADA I NC . on your
th AN
N I V E R S A RY
C OMMIT TED
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TO YOUR SUCCESS !
“Vendors know that if they want to move a trailer of paper
Charles Coppa, co-owner of Highland Farms, says his
or any other product, they can easily work with dci to set up a
membership with dci has put him in touch, not just with manu-
promo where they offer the product at a competitive price and
facturers who want to put their products on his stores’ shelves,
all the members are going to buy.”
but also with dci members that offer products and services his
To keep members engaged and further increase the value of their membership, dci has expanded its website to include a secure section where members can log in to get information
company needs – such as packaging, employee benefits and gas. “We have made valuable connections through dci, that’s for sure,” he says.
about product launches and the latest industry news. Members
Penny Chapman, president of Chapman’s Ice Cream, says
also get regular communiqués loaded with updates on vari-
that after many years of working with dci, she looks forward to
ous subjects, including changes to packaging, the latest vendor
more years of fruitful collaboration.
deals and merchandising ideas.
“Independent grocers are very much like us at Chapman’s
“Manufacturers know that through these regular com-
– we’re renegades, we’re characters, and we put our hearts and
munications, they’re able to talk to our members every
souls into our business,” she says. “But these days, it’s become
day,” says Parker. “This helps our members be up-to-date
so tough to be an independent, and that’s why it’s important
with the information that’s relevant to their business while
for all of us to work together and to support each other. Because
also helping manufacturers get their message out in a more
we all want the same thing: to give consumers the products
effective way.”
they want.”
But even as it has intensified its activities, dci has man-
John Scott, president and CEO of the Canadian Federation
aged to maintain a lean and cost-conscious operation from its
of Independent Grocers, says dci has always played an impor-
office in Burlington.
tant role as the buying group for the country’s independent
“As a not-for-profit organization, we work within the resources we have, and are always doing what we can to cut
grocers. With its new focus on selling, dci brings even greater strength to its members.
costs,” says Parker. “This allows us to do so much more today,
“Under Brian’s leadership, dci has defined a value propo-
essentially providing more services and giving added value with
sition that is good for the supply community and, in turn, for
the same amount of resources.”
independent retailers,” he says. “In the end, everyone wins.”
“ We
have made valuable connections through dci, that’s for sure.”
Charles Coppa, co-owner of Highland Farms
DCI represents a unified group of thousands of stores that help our shareholders/members sell more product and gives our vendors the ability to cohesively execute programs. To see how you can benefit call dci, we have momentum. Brian Parker President & CEO brianparker@ distributioncanada.ca (905) 681-3933 Your Partners in Selling
on your
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