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CPMA CONVENTION SUPPLEMENT
TORONTO MARKET PROFILE
great partnerships with influential people in our restaurant industry.”
John Russell, president of J.E. Russell Produce in Toronto mentions the advantage of being at the cusp of innovation. “We get to be at the leading edge of new consumer tastes and adoption,” he says. “This is how our business and product offering have grown over the past 40 years. Our full organic line continues to grow and diversify because of our customers’ needs and requests.”
CONVENIENCE AND ORGANIC
Wholesalers in the Toronto area describe
a growing market for convenience and organics. Bondi notes customers are demanding more value-added products. “This is to help offset the increase in wages we’re seeing across North America,” he says. “We’re also seeing a proliferation of fast casual QSR (quick serve restaurant) concepts because running a full-service restaurant is difficult and, for most, unprof- itable. With this shift, there is more of an interest in customized produce programs with mixtures of contract and open-market pricing to help keep food costs stable throughout the year.”
Though Bondi is predominantly foodser- vice-oriented, the demand for convenience has given it inroads into retail. “The foodser- vice business comprises approximately 70 percent of our base,” says Bondi. “However, we’ve had great success in providing DSD (direct store delivery) support for retail chains. There’s still huge opportunity there.”
Davison notes North American’s busi- ness, focused on fresh fruit, is also seeing expansion in easy-to-consume items. “Precut and packaged is a growing trend,” he says. “Organics also continues to grow in popularity.”
Vincent and Anthony Formusa of National Produce Marketing
8 / APRIL 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESSCPMA CONVENTION SUPPLEMENT