It started as an experiment in March of this year and six months later, the Island Good initiative is a raging success.
ThereB次元官网网址檚 been so much success the program will launch its first phase of expansion at this monthB次元官网网址檚 Vancouver Island Economic Summit in Nanaimo. More than 600 grocers, retailers, distributors and food producers will gather for the 12th annual event, which sells out annually.
The Island Good program started as a conglomeration of Thrifty Foods, Quality Foods, 49th Parallel Grocery and Country Grocer. Island-made foods are given a prominent display in grocery stores. The program has surpassed all expectations and will expand, though the newest members wonB次元官网网址檛 be announced until the economic summit at the end of the month, said George Hanson, president of the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance.
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B次元官网网址淚t was an experiment to see if consumers could locate the local products,B次元官网网址� Hanson said. B次元官网网址淲e went into it as a thesis and an experiment, unsure what to expect, and we were blown away by the consumer results of the program.B次元官网网址�
The experiment was based on the presumption that mainstream grocery stores carried a fair number of Island products, and we thought people were predisposed to buying local but, identifying those products in the store proved difficult to do.
Participating grocery chains compared their sales of Island products to the same months last year and the sales lift through the six months since March was very impressive, Hanson said.
ItB次元官网网址檚 no longer an experiment. ItB次元官网网址檚 now a growing point of sale campaign thatB次元官网网址檚 less about marking the products and more about marking the locations in the store so people could find them.
B次元官网网址淲e will share the specific results at the summit, and they are beyond anything we could have imagined,B次元官网网址� Hanson said. B次元官网网址淲e are making Island Good a permanent fixture in the market place, to give market share advantage to Island made products.B次元官网网址�
Since the program started VIEA has been inundated with requests from others to join it.
Alll the major ingredients for the meals of the economic summit are produced here on the Island, meats, veggies, cheeses, wine, beer, soft drinks, and more.
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