Decoding Demand for Local Food – Part 2 (Health) In our current series, Localize is exploring the underlying drivers behind local food preferences and the characteristics of local food that are grabbing the attention — and dollars — of consumers. Check out the first post in the series where we discuss: How to give consumers what they want when…
Decoding Demand for Local Food – Part 1 The Good Food Festival this year in Chicago included a moderated panel discussing the definition and merits of ‘local’ food. Panelists had a wide range of opinions on what constitutes a local food product and whether buying local is inherently ‘good.’ For most panelists, the answer is: It…
Decoding Demand for Local Food Trends in consumer preferences come and go, so it is fitting that food makers and retailers that attach their brand to trends that have longevity are able to gain loyal customers and drive sales. There is something particularly compelling about consumer preferences for local food. “Local” has a different…
Spotlight on: Snappy Grains Snappy Grains™ by Progressive Foods Inc. is changing the way we think about and eat barley. In Canada, 23,000 farmers produce nearly eight million tonnes of barley annually. According to the Barley Council of Canada, this makes us the fourth largest barley producer in the world1. With most yields being used as feed for livestock…
Spotlight on: Quinta Quinoa ‘Healthier today than yesterday’ is the mantra that the Quinta team strives for with their high nutrient Quinta Quinoa products. After learning the story of how this Guelph-based start-up company began, it became clear to the Localize team that Quinta Quinoa has an authentic passion for nutrition and quality. After losing a third of his…
Spotlight on: Urban Hippie Granola If there is truth to the saying ‘you are what you eat’ – it is safe to say that Casey Krebs, of Urban Hippie Granola, is caring, nurturing, naturally authentic, and mindful. That is certainly the feeling that a bowl of Urban Hippie Granola gives you in the morning. Personally, I am…
Making sustainable choices more accessible for consumers We’ve teamed up with the Rainforest Alliance, an international non-profit, in a shared mission to increase the number of sustainable food products available on grocery store shelves, and to make information accessible to shoppers to make educated purchase decisions. We both aim to help retailers and shoppers to…
Sourcing Local: Retail Lessons from Alternative Models Retail Lessons from Food Hubs and Community Suported Agriculture As retailers face pressure from multiple sides to satisfy ever-increasing personalization and individualized shopping needs, there are lessons to be learned from alternative models such as Food Hubs and Community Supported Agriculture. The report examines some of the…
Spotlight on: Muskoka Roastery BREWING UP QUALITY WITH A COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY Photo Credit: Muskoka Roastery Coffee Co. The Muskoka Roastery Instagram feed is everything there is to love about Canadian winters – cozy sweaters, a hot beverage after a day of playing in the snow, and celebrating heritage and the natural environment. But its not…
Happy National Chocolate Cake Day! Did you know that the last Friday in January is National Chocolate Cake Day in the US? Neither did I! This got my mouth watering. In typical Localize style it peaked my curiosity too – how did the chocolate cake come about? THE ORIGINS OF CHOCOLATE CAKE Chocolate cake was born in…