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CPMA CONVENTION SUPPLEMENT
TORONTO MARKET PROFILE
and people are well aware of the advan- tages of eating healthy and eating well. They are more than willing to devote a good amount of their disposable income to this.”
WIDE VARIETY OF RETAIL
Ontario boasted more than US$23 billion in retail food sales in 2017, according to a report from Canadian Grocer. The report further noted the prov- ince is home to 910 chain stores, 2,892 independents and 2,178 convenience stores. Sales in specialty food stores in particular grew 13.1 percent over 2016 to US$2.31 billion.
Bondi reports Toronto is home to a good mix of large chains, regional chains and unique independents. “I always love to shop at local independent Fiesta Farms for unique items,” he says. “I also love what Loblaw does with its Fortino’s banner outside the city.”
Toronto’s market encompasses various retail formats as described by Davidson. “We have Sobeys, Metro, Loblaws, Walmart and Costco, just like everyone else at this point,” he says. “But we also have strong independents such as Highland Farms and Coppa’s that are progressive in terms of merchandising and promotion. Then, there are lot of the one and two stores with tremendous neighborhood support as well as multiple up-and-coming Asian, Indian, and other ethnicity-focused stores.”
Holancin credits nearly all the Toronto retailers with doing a good job on produce. “The owner or manager of the indepen- dents usually does the buying and is very hands-on,” he says. “The chains, even though they’re larger, have very good buying programs. Where you really see the specialized product mix is with indepen- dents serving a particular niche commu- nity.”
John Russell, president of J.E. Russell in Toronto, observes although chain stores have a presence in the day-to-day business, it’s the independent retailers, foodservice companies and smaller wholesalers that are responsible for driving their business. “We continue to see more and more boutique retailers looking for unique products,” he says. “The needs of each customer are so
Eddie Zuccato and Ted Cira of Dominion Citrus
varied it keeps us always on the lookout for the best new products.”
Toronto’s ethnic and independent retailers find advantage in being custom- er-centric, says Joe Scali, partner at The Royal Produce Co. in Etobicoke, ON. “Inde- pendents focus on their customers’ needs and in turn build a solid customer base,” he says.
DIVERSE RESTAURANT SCENE
Toronto also boasts a diverse restaurant scene supported by its varied population. “We have some of the best restaurants in a wide variety of cuisine types,” says Domin- ion’s Scarafile. “We have great Japanese, Chinese, African, Indian, Italian, German, French — you name it, we’ve got it. And they’re good restaurants because the native populations of these cuisines demand it.”
According to information from Restau- rants Canada, a not-for-profit association in Toronto that represents the country’s restaurant and foodservice industry, there are nearly 37,300 restaurants, bars and caterers in the province of Ontario. Annual sales generated by the restaurant industry account for 4 percent of Ontario’s GDP reaching more than US$24 billion last year. The city’s restaurant sector accounts for US$8.47 billion in food and beverage products purchased every year.
James Rilett, vice president at Restau- rants Canada, reports Toronto is home to 9,228 restaurants, with US$4.62 billion in annual sales and 109,187 employees. “The city is on the cutting edge of almost every
4 / APRIL 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESSCANADA PROFILE