Retail Council of Canada announces a new and improved Grand Prix New Product Awards program for 2015

TORONTO, Oct. 14, 2015 /CNW/ - Retail Council of Canada (RCC) has announced that – based on the recommendations of a newly established industry advisory group – major changes are in store for the 2015 Grand Prix New Product Awards. The awards are Canada's pre-eminent showcase for recognizing and rewarding the year's best in product innovation.

Earlier this year, RCC set up the Canadian Grand Prix Advisory Council (CGPAC) to help it review the listing strategy and product categories for the awards, and to provide real-world industry guidance to improve evaluation criteria. The CGPAC is an expert group comprised of food retailing merchants and representatives from the supplier and service provider communities.

Working with the Council we both reviewed the overall program structure and created new food and non food categories for the 2015 Grand Prix New Product Awards program:. Our 2015 categories have been updated to better represent how merchants and their vendors merchandise/market your product.  In addition, all category descriptions now include Nielsen rating details. To view the new and enhanced categories, please click the links below.

• Food categories

• Non-food categories

The key changes for the 2015 awards program are:

• Integrated private-label categories: The private-label product categories now correspond with the consumer packaged goods (CPG) food and non-food categories, creating better alignment for all category listings and a more holistic approach to the awards. In addition, all category descriptions now include Nielsen rating details.
• Increased consumer marketing: RCC supported the award finalists last year with a flyer drop to 500,000 homes in Ontario and Quebec. This year the drop will be made to a million households.
• Increased trade marketing: Last year the awards were highlighted in feature articles in Canadian Grocer, Grocery Business, Western Grocer, L'Alimentation and Canadian Retailer magazines. This year Canadian Retailer coverage will be expanded to include an RCC member exclusive feature on all new products submitted for evaluation.

"The Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards celebrate new product development and innovation, which are vital to the continued growth of Canada's consumer products industry," said Andrew Siegwart, RCC's Senior Vice-President of Membership Services. "Due to the expert guidance and input of the CGPAC, we are confident the improvements we are announcing today will heighten the value, prestige and visibility of the awards for years to come."

The deadline for entries for this year's program is November 27.

About the Grand Prix New Products Awards
Now in its 23rd year, the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards™ is an annual program that celebrates new products in food, non-food and private label categories. The program provides a unique opportunity for entrants to showcase new products to a jury of industry experts and to be recognized by their peers.

The program is open to manufacturers, suppliers and distributors. To be eligible, a product must have been introduced to the market between January 1 and December 31, 2015. Products are judged on presentation and packaging; product attributes; innovation and originality; and overall value to the consumer.

For more information on the program and to register product entries click here.

Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is the Voice of Retail in Canada representing more than 45,000 store fronts of all retail formats, including department, specialty, discount, and independent stores, and online merchants in general merchandise, grocery and drugs.  Its membership represents over 75% of all retail sales in Canada.  RCC is a strong advocate for retailing in Canada and works with all levels of government and other stakeholders to support employment growth and career opportunities in retail, to promote and sustain retail investments in communities from coast-to-coast, and to enhance consumer choice and industry competitiveness. RCC also provides its members with a full range of services and programs including education and training, benchmarking and best practices, networking, advocacy, and industry information. RetailCouncil.org    @RetailCouncil  @RCCMySTORE

SOURCE Retail Council of Canada

Colin Asuncion, Retail Council of Canada, [email protected], 416.467.3782