The Bay's Brooks and more star at Grocery Innovations next week

From an all-star retail panel to global thought leaders, this year’s Grocery Innovations Canada show is not to be missed for anyone in the grocery industry.

The morning conference sessions at the two-day event, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Sept 29 and 30, will feature key information on trends and best practices.

For instance. is your grocery business in need of some retail inspiration? Bonnie Brooks (pictured) of Hudson’s Bay Company will share on Sept. 29 how she revitalized the iconic department store. Find out what can your company learn from her success.

Next, Marion Chan of TrendSpotter Consulting will look at the new consumers, including millennials, aging boomers (who are aging in number but not necessarily in attitude or lifestyle) and ethnic consumers.

On Sept. 30, attendees will get a global picture on trends affecting their business. Jacques Farcy, of Dunnhumby Canada, will talk about big data and how the company helps brands like Coca-Cola, Canadian Tire and Metro create personalized customer experiences in digital, mobile, and retail environments, using data and insights from more than 660 million shoppers across the globe.

Then Bryan Gildenberg of Kantar Retail will introduce the “Post-Retail Competency Map” –described as the skills essential for businesses that want to win mindshare with connected shoppers.

New at GIC for this year are concurrent retailer workshops to provide retailers with ways to improve their operations from front to back office.

McCain Foods offers a look at drivers around home meal replacements. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will provide key issues that “red flag” a store.

FMS Solutions will share the financial best practices of top supermarkets, while Nielsen Canada will discuss what health means to different consumers. For more details on the workshops, click here.

Meanwhile, several new and exciting events will be featured on the trade show floor.

Supermarket chefs, the unsung culinary heroes in grocery stores everywhere, will take centre stage at the first Supermarket Chef Showdown. Grocers will get inspired beyond rotisserie chicken and wedge fries in home meal replacement, a market worth an estimated $2.4 billion in Canada.

Top chefs specializing in diverse cuisines from Pusateri’s, Galleria Supermarket, Summerhill Market and Longo’s will compete in a cook-off featuring a secret ingredient that is turned into a heat and eat or meal to go for grocery.

For new food makers looking to get on grocery shelves, exhibiting at Grocery Innovations provides the opportunity to get in front of key retailers. In the Pitch to Win contest, exhibitors from the Innovative New Products Showcase will be selected to pitch their products to three key grocery retailers in this Dragon’s Den type contest.

Grocery Innovations Canada is the grocery show for new products to exhibit at to get in front of Canada's top retailers, whether corporate, franchise or independent. GIC has nearly 60,000 square feet of exhibit space, with more than 350 exhibiting companies.

Visitors to GIC can stay connected to the show by downloading the GIC app here.

Also, last-minute exhibitor rates are also still available. For exhibitor info, email: Rolster Taylor at [email protected] (Go to groceryinnovations.com for more information.)