THE LOCALIZE SCORE

When buying local, there’s a lot more to consider than just how far away a product was made, which is why the Localize Score helps to provide a quick measure of ‘how local’ products are relative to an individual store location.

Localized products are scored according to three categories: production, ownership, and ingredients.

Scores are calculated at the product level based on information provided by manufacturers and brand owners. All scores are calculated by an algorithm in the Localize database which references the relative distance between a grocery store and the locations of manufacturing and ownership.

PRODUCTION

Production entails where the product is manufactured, made, grown, roasted, processed, foraged, or raised. Points for production are awarded based on two categories: distance away (3.0 points) and relevance (1.5 points).

Distance – This refers to the actual kilometer distance between where a product was produced and the grocery store where a product is labeled. A product must have been made within 50km to receive a perfect distance score and the score decreases the further away it was made or grown.

Location – Local isn’t just about distance, and our score aims to capture local relevance in terms of which province or state a product has been produced. If a product is produced in the same province as the grocery store in which it is labeled, it will receive more points.

OWNERSHIP

Products will receive a maximum of 3.5 points for ownership based on the relevance of the ownership location in relation to the retailer. Highest points are attributed for ownership within the same municipality, with a sliding scale of points awarded for same province, neighbouring province, and same country.

INGREDIENTS

Products will receive a maximum ingredients score of 2.0 based on how much the origin of its ingredients has in common with the location of the retailer. Maximum points are awarded where more than 90% of ingredients are grown, raised, or foraged within the same province as the retailer.

The Localize Score takes a composite look at a product by assessing the combined value of Ownership, Production, and Ingredients. The Localize Score is re-calculated for every product in every store location, and will be different in every region. This relational approach to measuring ‘how local’ a product is make the Localize Score useful everywhere.

Have questions? Please contact us.