NEW RESEARCH: Four major trends reshaping Canada's grocery sector post-COVID-19
A new report from the Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship (BII+E) explores trends in Canada's food retail industry, from the rapid rise of e-commerce to changing consumer habits — and their implications for grocery employers and essential workers in Ontario.
TORONTO, May 26, 2021 /CNW/ - The pandemic has driven significant change in Canada's $95.5 billion food retail sector, accelerating tech adoption and prompting major shifts in customer behaviour. It has also put a spotlight on aspects of food retail that many shoppers may have previously taken for granted. Empty store shelves have prompted a newfound appreciation for the everyday heroes who have kept our local grocery stores stocked and operating.
Shake-up in Aisle 21: Disruption, Change and Opportunity in Ontario's Grocery Sector, a new report from the Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (BII+E) at Ryerson University, identifies trends impacting the future of Ontario's grocery sector through interviews with industry insiders, industry publications, and labour market and census data. Key trends explored in the report include:
- The Accelerated Rise of E-commerce
- Driving Loyalty with Data
- Growth of Market Power + Consolidation
- Moving Beyond Hyper-Efficient Supply Chains
The report also examines the implications of these and other changes for Ontario's grocery employers and workers. Shake-up in Aisle 21 is part of an ongoing Brookfield Institute project to identify job pathways for Canadian workers in industries being disrupted by new technologies. The Job Pathways in Food Retail project, in partnership with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), is funded by the Government of Ontario and JPMorgan Chase & Co.
The Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship (BII+E) is an independent, nonpartisan policy institute, housed at Ryerson University. We transform bold ideas into real-world solutions designed to help Canada navigate the complex forces and astounding possibilities of the innovation economy. brookfieldinstitute.ca
Ryerson University is Canada's leader in innovative, career-oriented education. Urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the university is home to more than 44,600 students, including 2,600 master's and PhD students, 3,100 faculty and staff, and nearly 185,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit ryerson.ca.
SOURCE Brookfield Institute for Innovation + Entrepreneurship
For media requests and to interview the report's project lead Kimberly Bowman or lead author Diana Rivera, please contact Lianne George at [email protected]. Full report at brookfieldinstitute.ca.
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