Localize makes provenance and place-based campaigns easy for grocers and institutions. We do this through large-scale labeling programs, list management, and customized consulting engagements.

Localize is a Canadian company founded in 2011 to answer one question: “Where does our food come from?” Since then, we’ve evolved to become a connector between thousands of food businesses, retailers, and consumers who care. Localize helps vendors tell the story behind their products by supporting on-shelf labeling programs. Our software is built to easily manage and analyze local and specialty product listings and labels. We work directly with retailers to design and implement a custom promotional labeling program based on trustworthy data collected directly from vendors, certifiers, and other third-party verifiers. This allows Localize to include thousands of products in our unique on-shelf labeling programs, such as ‘Best From the West’ with Calgary Co-op and ‘Proudly Western Canadian’ at Federated Co-op stores.

Labeling: We support shelf-labeling and e-store labeling program program that help retailers and other institutions identify local, regional, and national products and companies to shoppers. Because ‘local’ is different for every region, we produce relational information. This might include the number of kilometers or miles between a retailer and a producer, or it might mean delivering a custom definition of locality for a retail chain. Our specialized team verifies information directly with producers and manufacturers, leverages other third-party verifications, and then keeps their information up-to-date over time. We bring credibility and third-party stringency to every local label.

Consulting: With our actively maintained, proprietary databases of over 50,000 products, we are the experts in localizing food data. You might be a retailer who wants an analysis of your current local, regional, or Canadian assortment across a thousand stores, or you might be a university seeking to understand your procurement spend on regional products. Contact us to discuss your query.

Localize delivers white-label local, regional, and national identity programs which bear verified content that a retailer has engaged us to collect and verify at scale. Every labeling campaign is unique to the grocer whom we have collaborated with. Labels might include:

• Identified as ‘Local’, ‘Canadian’, or as part of a retailer-branded campaign. Every label that we support has been direct verified and has achieved relevant compliance standards, including CFIA guidance for local and domestic claims.
• Additional label attributes may also include:
  • The name of the City, Town, or Municipality where a product is produced.
  • The number of miles or kilometres, as measured between each unique retail store and the location of production.
  • Scannable codes which can be programmed to include detailed provenance information for each product.
  • Other custom content, including photos, logos, certifications, and attributes.

Localize also provides Localize-branded labeling programs which display our proprietary Localize Score.

We work across the food supply chain with expertise in retail analysis and procurement of local products and sustainability. If you are looking to extend you branded Buy-Local, Buy-Regional, or Buy-Canadian program into the retail environment, or you are looking to analyze your existing program, we can provide turn-key analysis of your impact. Reporting on real data for economic impact for local communities can be a game-changer for mission-driven organizations. Our services make building true data around local economy a reality.

We are happy to design a custom analysis around your particular needs.

1. Piloting: If you just want to get your local labeling program off the ground without an ongoing engagement, talk to us about our Kickstart Service for labeling. We can assist with content development, baseline assessments (identification and drivers for local), and key partnerships development.
2. Assortment analysis: If you want a detailed analysis of your local assortment, engage us in setting up an analysis with detailed reporting.
3. White label program management: Managing a local, regional, or national identity program is a lot of ongoing work, and requires continuous re-engagements with producers to re-verify their eligibility. Let us help you with producer engagement and onboarding.

We work across the food supply chain with expertise in retail analysis and procurement of local products and sustainability. If you are looking to extend you branded Buy-Local or Buy-Regional program into the retail environment, or you are looking to analyze your existing program, we can provide turn-key analysis of your impact. Reporting on real data for economic impact for local communities can be a game-changer for mission-driven organizations. Our services make building true data around local economy a reality.

Localize generates at-scale programs for retailers and procurement institutions. Once engaged, Localize customizes our enterprise software to the specifications of the campaign and invites retail producers and manufacturers to participate in the campaign. Localize does not charge food producers or manufacturers for participation and has developed a suite of tools verify the integrity of data and to assist these companies to share their stories.

No. Participation in retail labeling campaigns is free to producers and manufacturers. We do require producers to share adequate information such that eligibility can be assessed; we also require ongoing reviews of each product profile such that only current information is shown on labeling programs.

The Localize Score is a tool which may be used as part of the eligibility criteria established by a retailer. The Score is a proprietary assessment of ‘how local’ each product is relative to each store location. A more detailed description if found here, however it captures:

• Where a food company is owned and how it is structured (independent, subsidiary, public).
• Where the food producer produces the products.
• Where the ingredients come from.

The information that Localize collects may vary from program to program, and will be detailed in program invitations. Typically Localize collects:

• Contact information.
• Ownership information.
• Production and processing information.
• Ingredients and supply chain information.
• Brand and marketing information.
• Product-specific information such as UPC codes and aggregated ingredient information.

To get started with Localize, set up your initial business profile at: https://www.localizeyourfood.com/producer-sign-up/.

Once the business ownership profile is complete, you may upload your products to Localize.

After these steps are complete, our vendor team will assess your business and product eligibility based on the guidelines of our ongoing programs. Our software matches products to the retail program according to the program requirements and product details, such as the production address. We will verify the accuracy of your data through our vendor data verification procedures.

Localize will contact suppliers to clarify any information that has been provided and will require that product information be kept up to date over time. Suppliers will be approved after providing sufficient information to assess program eligibility and after agreeing to the terms and conditions for the program, which include honest and timely disclosure of product information.

Localize provides a paid service to retailers to design, customize, and implement large-scale verification of products for local, regional, or Canadian identity campaigns. We will work with you to scope your program and design an ongoing program which meets your team’s requirements. Reach out to us a grocers@localizeyourfood.com.

If you have a lot of products, please email your product list to vendorteam@localizeyourfood.com and we will bulk upload your list on your behalf. In order for us to complete this for you, please send a spreadsheet which includes Product Name, UPC, and manufacturing address.

At this time, there is no vendor-facing tool to bulk upload products from a CSV file. However, our platform does include features to make adding multiple products easier. If several products share the same brand, vendor, and/or manufacturing address, you can use the “Save & Copy” option. This will duplicate the details from your previous entry, so you only need to update the product name and confirm the information is correct, saving you from re-entering the same details repeatedly.

If you run into any challenges, our vendor team would be happy to assist you with uploading your products.

It typically takes 2-4 business days for products to be evaluated and approved by our vendor team. Vendors will be approved after providing sufficient information to assess program eligibility, upon completion of verification procedures, and upon agreeing to the terms and conditions for the program, which include honest and timely disclosure of product information.

Once your profile and products have been approved by our vendor team, our software matches your products with the custom program requirements of our retail partners. Our retail partners receive a list of matched products to be included in the online and in-store labeling program, along with their other customized list management criteria.

Localize currently has partnerships with Federated Co-operatives Limited and Calgary Co-op. If you are a retailer interested in partnering with Localize, please contact us at: grocers@localizeyourfood.com.

Localize works with over 2500 CPG and producer brands. Each brand has formally claimed a profile and has completed an annual re-verification of their data.

Yes, food manufacturers may request the removal of their account and information at any time. Just email vendorteam@localizeyourfood.com.

Yes. Localize will provide its verification service to any retail category.