Quality Foods a big winner at retailer awards
Quality Foods Courtenay in Courtenay, B.C., took home the gold in the national large-size category at Tuesday’s Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards.
It was one of several awards the Vancouver Island grocer took home last night.
John Scott, president of CFIG, said Quality Foods does so many creative things no other retailers do. For example, Quality is looking at offering golf carts to vacationers near one of its stores so these customers can shop more easily.
Other winners in the national, large surface category included: Longo Bros. Fruit Markets Bathurst Street, Richmond Hill, Ont. (silver); and Freson Bros. Brooks IGA, Brooks, Alta. (bronze).
The awards night was the highlight of the two-day Grocery Innovations Canada conference and trade show put on annually by the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.
Three stores were recognized with a Hall of Fame award: Sunripe, London, Ont.; Nester’s Market & Pharmacy, Whistler, B.C.; and Harold’s Family Foods, Prince Albert, Sask.
The Arnold Rands Heritage Award went to Masstown Market, Masstown, N.S.
Among other winners last night:
National Awards, medium surface:
Bronze: Michael-Angelo’s Market Place, Mississauga, Ont.
Silver: Safety Mart Foods, Chase, B.C.
Gold: Metro Plouffe de Sherbrooke (boul. Bourque), Sherbrooke, Que.
National Awards, small surface:
Bronze: Colemans Food Centre, Mount Pearl, N.L.
Silver: Thorncrest Market Foodland, Toronto
Gold: Nester’s Market & Pharmacy, Whistler, B.C.
Platinum achievement awards (retailers who earned awards of merit for 10 consecutive years):
Askew's Foods (Sicamous) Ltd., Sicamous, B.C.
Longo Brothers - Winston Churchill, Mississauga, Ont.
Sunripe, Sarnia, Ont.
The Canadian Master Merchandiser Awards were given out to retailers that demonstrated exceptional point-of-sale merchandising:
Gold small surface: Buy-Low Foods, Walnut Grocer, Langley, B.C.
Gold medium surface: Freson Market Barrhead IGA, Barrhead, Alta.
Gold large surface: Quality Foods, Northridge, Nanaimo, B.C.
Platinum: Quality Foods, Northridge, Nanaimo, B.C.
Specialty store awards went to:
Bronze: Sunripe, London, Ont.
Silver: The Market by Longo’s King Street West, Toronto
David C. Parsons Award of Excellence Gold in Specialty Food Retailing: Choices Market Kelowna, Kelowna, B.C.
Regional winners in small surface: Nester’s Market & Pharmacy, Whistler, B.C.; Tofield, IGA, Tofield, Alta.; Quality Market, Campus Hill, Thunder Bay, Ont.; Thorncrest Market Foodland, Toronto; Barry’s Bay Metro, Barry’s Bay, Ont.; Colemans Food Centre, Mount Pearl, N.L.
Regional winners in medium surface: Safety Mart Foods, Chase, B.C.; Market Street Vulcan, Vulcan, Alta.; Battistelli’s Independent Grocer, Lively, Ont.; Michael-Angelo’s Market Place, Mississauga, Ont.; Metro Plouffe de Sherbrooke (boul. Bourque), Sherbrooke, Que.; Powell’s Supermarket, Bay Roberts, N.L.
Regional winners in large surface: Quality Foods Courtenay, Courtenay, B.C.; Freson Bros. Brooks IGA, Brooks, Alta.; Rome’s Independent Grocer, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.; Longo Bros. Fruit Markets Bathurst Street, Richmond Hill, Ont.; Moncion’s Your Independent Grocer, Gloucester, Ont.; Colemans At the Gardens, Corner Brook, N.L.
The CFIG awards recognize stores in specialty, large, medium and small surface categories. Each store entry is evaluated on retail excellence, customer service, staff, department management, store layout, merchandising, creativity, cleanliness and community involvement.
Here's a photo gallery from the awards last night.
