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Q3 2026 Policy & Regulation: Tariffs, Grocery Competition and Tax Changes

By
Craig Patterson
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As part of Retail Insider Reports, this Q3 2026 Retail Policy & Regulation Report analyzes Q3 2026 developments in Canadian retail policy and regulation. Drawing on Retail Insider coverage, industry research, government data, and broader market signals, it identifies key policy dynamics shaping retailers, landlords, suppliers, restaurants, and consumers. These reports are designed to deliver executive-level insights across major retail sectors and can be accessed through the Retail Insider Report Hub.

This report examines government policy, legislation, regulation, taxation, trade rules, competition policy, labour policy, and public-sector decisions affecting Canadian retail.

Report Contents

Executive Summary

Canadian retail policy moved in several directions during the third quarter of 2026 as governments addressed trade, affordability, grocery competition, internal commerce, consumer protection and business investment.

New counter-tariffs increased costs on specified U.S.-origin products. Quebec removed its provincial sales tax from selected foods and household essentials. Competition authorities moved further into the rules governing grocery real estate and advertised prices, while provinces advanced direct-to-consumer alcohol sales and Ottawa proposed broader deductions for capital investment.

The commercial effects depend on details that broad policy announcements can obscure. Tariff exposure varies by product classification, origin and sourcing alternatives. Tax changes require retailers to determine which products qualify and configure checkout systems accordingly. Competition reforms can alter property restrictions without guaranteeing new stores, while investment incentives can improve project economics without creating the underlying business case.

For retailers, Q3 reinforced the distinction between announcing a policy and producing a measurable commercial outcome. Canadian retailers faced policy changes during Q3 2026 affecting costs, competition, market access and investment:

  • Canada imposed counter-tariffs of 15%, 25% and 50% on specified U.S.-origin products, with exposure varying considerably by merchandise category and sourcing arrangements.
  • Quebec expanded QST zero-rating to selected foods and household essentials, requiring retailers to apply product- and transaction-specific tax rules.
  • The Competition Bureau made Empire’s commitments concerning grocery property controls legally binding, extending competition policy into retail real estate and market access.
  • The Bureau also sought information about minimum advertised pricing policies in grocery and whether restrictions on communicating lower prices affect consumers and competition.
  • Nine provinces signed an agreement advancing direct-to-consumer alcohol sales, although implementation and administrative requirements continue to vary.
  • New Quebec requirements took effect for certain online subscription arrangements, while Ottawa proposed a broader Productivity Mega Deduction intended to encourage capital investment.

Retail Insider Coverage

Counter-Tariffs Put Sourcing Decisions Under Pressure

Canada’s latest trade response created new cost considerations across a wide range of merchandise and business inputs. The federal government’s August 25 announcement established counter-tariffs of 15%, 25% and 50% on specified U.S.-origin products beginning September 8. The measures covered approximately $27.6 billion in imports alongside $7.5 billion in new and enhanced support measures. Affected categories included apparel, furniture, appliances, electronics, sporting goods, paper products and other merchandise and business inputs.

Retail Council of Canada supported Canada’s response while warning that retailers would need to balance domestic sourcing objectives with consumer affordability. Restaurants Canada welcomed the exclusion of many priority food products but identified packaging, equipment and selected ingredients among its concerns.

The headline tariff rate does not translate directly into an equivalent increase in a retailer’s total costs or selling prices. Exposure depends on purchasing mix, existing inventory, supplier agreements, available substitutes and the timing of replenishment or capital investment.

Bank of Canada research published in June 2026 provides useful context. Researchers examining product-level pricing at seven major Canadian retailers during an earlier period of retaliatory tariffs found that prices for goods subject to a 25% tariff increased gradually and peaked at approximately 6% after three months. Prices subsequently declined relatively quickly after the tariffs were removed.

The research examined a different tariff episode and does not predict the effect of the September measures. It does demonstrate why a tariff rate should not be treated as a forecast of the eventual retail-price increase.

Packaging provides a more immediate example. Certain U.S.-origin paper sacks and bags under tariff item 4819.40.00 became subject to a 50% tariff. Retailers using those products have reason to examine sourcing, while businesses buying differently classified products or non-U.S.-origin supplies face different circumstances. Toronto-area manufacturer Gather Packaging illustrates how trade policy can create competing effects within one company.

More than three-quarters of the plant’s production volume had been going to the United States. The company accelerated U.S.-bound orders ahead of tariff exposure and began pursuing more Canadian customers as businesses reconsidered their supply chains.

Existing orders and backlog remained, making future U.S. business the larger concern. Canadian companies seeking alternatives to U.S. suppliers could meanwhile create new domestic opportunities.

For Gather Packaging, the trade dispute therefore created weaker potential export demand alongside an opportunity to capture business from Canadian buyers changing suppliers.

Affordability Measures Reach the Checkout

Statistics Canada reported that grocery-price inflation slowed to 2.8% in August, although grocery prices remained 29% higher than in August 2021. Slower inflation therefore did not restore earlier household purchasing power. Against that backdrop, Quebec expanded its QST zero-rating on July 15 to specified foods and household essentials. The change covered selected food products, including certain small-format desserts and prepared produce, along with toilet paper and facial tissues. Federal GST continued to apply where required.

For retailers, implementation involves determining which products qualify, updating tax coding and checkout systems and ensuring invoicing reflects the applicable rules. Most restaurant, vending and catering food sales remain outside the change, meaning similar products can receive different tax treatment depending on the circumstances of sale.

Revenu Québec’s detailed guidance is important because a broad claim that Quebec removed tax from food would misstate the measure. The change provides targeted relief while creating a product-level implementation requirement for affected retailers.

A separate federal measure involving canned vegetables illustrates the need to distinguish between different trade policies. Ottawa introduced a provisional 10% safeguard on certain canned vegetables in June while the Canadian International Trade Tribunal examined the issue. Several origins, including the United States and Mexico, were excluded. The Tribunal submitted its report in September while the federal government considered its recommendations.

The safeguard is separate from September’s counter-tariffs on U.S. goods and is not a general tariff on every imported canned vegetable.

Grocery Competition Moves Into Retail Real Estate

Competition policy moved further into the physical retail market during Q3. In September, the Competition Bureau reached a consent agreement with Empire Company Limited that made the grocer’s earlier commitments concerning property controls legally binding.

Restrictive covenants and exclusivity provisions can affect whether competing grocery retailers are able to operate at particular properties, connecting competition policy directly with site selection, leasing and retail development.

Under the agreement, Empire committed to stop enforcing existing restrictive covenants, creating new ones or asking other parties to establish them for its benefit. The agreement also addresses specified restrictions affecting specialty food retailers, radius clauses and existing exclusivity provisions in identified local markets.

Non-enforcement does not necessarily mean a restriction disappears from a property record or agreement. A process is available to seek formal removal of certain restrictions, and the agreement did not erase every grocery-related property control from every Canadian lease or title.

The Empire agreement is part of a wider shift. In its September assessment of progress since its 2023 grocery-market study, the Competition Bureau noted actions concerning property controls by Empire, Loblaw and Walmart Canada. Manitoba has also prohibited new restrictive grocery covenants and exclusivity clauses while establishing a process addressing existing restrictions.

For landlords, developers, brokers and prospective tenants, the issue is practical. A property can be physically suitable for another food retailer while contractual restrictions limit who can operate there.

Reducing those barriers can increase the pool of sites available to competitors. The changes do not establish how many additional stores will open or what effect new entry would ultimately have on grocery prices.

Grocery Competition Scrutiny Moves From Real Estate to Price Visibility

The Competition Bureau also turned its attention to the way grocery prices are communicated. In late September, the Bureau sought information from consumers, retailers, suppliers and other market participants about minimum advertised pricing policies in the grocery supply chain.

Such arrangements can establish a minimum price at which a retailer may advertise a supplier’s product even when the retailer is permitted to sell it for less. That distinction matters in a sector where flyers, apps, websites and digital promotions are central to communicating value. A retailer may remain free to charge a lower price, but restrictions on communicating that discount can affect the incentive to offer it.

The Bureau is examining whether minimum advertised pricing policies make it harder for consumers to find deals, reduce competition among grocers or create barriers for discount and new operators. The broader examination of Canada’s food supply chain is not itself a law-enforcement investigation into specific allegations of wrongdoing. The Bureau’s advertised-pricing work is intended to gather information about market practices and can inform potential enforcement where appropriate. No conclusion has been reached that particular businesses have breached competition law.

Together with the Empire agreement, the work extends grocery competition scrutiny into two areas with direct retail implications: access to viable locations and the ability to communicate prices to consumers.

Broader Industry Coverage

Internal Trade Moves From Agreement to Execution

Nine provinces signed an operating agreement in July supporting direct-to-consumer alcohol sales across provincial boundaries. The participating provinces were Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Eight were implementing their approaches, while British Columbia committed to a system covering all alcohol categories in February 2027. Manitoba and New Brunswick already permitted direct-to-consumer sales across alcohol categories.

The agreement potentially expands the Canadian market available to licensed wineries, breweries, distilleries and other producers. It does not mean every province opened simultaneously or that licensing, tax and administrative requirements disappeared. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business welcomed the agreement while warning that duplicative registration, licensing or other requirements could weaken its practical value for smaller producers.

For businesses considering expansion across provincial boundaries, the commercial test will be whether the resulting rules make serving the additional market practical. Administrative costs can still determine whether new market access is worth using.

Quebec Subscription Rules Create New Retail Requirements

New Quebec requirements affecting certain online subscription arrangements took effect September 12. The changes include requirements involving online cancellation, disclosure of certain fees and notices connected with some promotional pricing arrangements. They can affect retailers and other businesses offering memberships, recurring services or subscription-based products to Quebec consumers.

Compliance can require changes to websites, account interfaces, billing communications and cancellation processes. For subscription businesses, consumer-protection requirements therefore become part of the design of acquisition, billing, account management, renewal and cancellation.

Investment Incentives Could Change Modernization Economics

The federal government also proposed a significant change to the tax treatment of business investment during Q3. The Productivity Mega Deduction announced in September would expand permanent immediate expensing to a much wider range of qualifying capital assets. Finance Canada said the proposed measure would cover approximately two-thirds of capital investment and carry an estimated incremental fiscal cost of $36 billion over five years.

Retail Council of Canada and Restaurants Canada welcomed the proposal, pointing to potential benefits for investments in technology, equipment, store modernization and distribution infrastructure. Immediate expensing can improve the after-tax economics of a qualifying investment by allowing costs to be deducted sooner.

At the end of Q3, the measure remained a proposal requiring legislative implementation. It is not a universally available deduction already in place, nor is it a cash grant covering the cost of an investment. A retailer considering a new store, automated system, distribution facility or major renovation must still assess demand, financing, operating returns and execution risk. More favourable tax treatment can strengthen the economics of a viable investment without making an unsuitable location, unnecessary system or unaffordable expansion commercially sound.

Editor’s Take & Outlook

Outlook: The Commercial Effect Comes After the Announcement

Q3’s policy developments show why announcements, implementation and outcomes should be treated separately. Tariffs reach retailers through suppliers, inventory and replenishment. Tax changes require product eligibility decisions and checkout updates. Competition policy can alter property restrictions and promotional practices. Internal-trade reform depends on provincial administration, while consumer rules can require changes to digital interfaces and customer processes.

An announcement establishes the policy direction. Implementation determines the rules businesses encounter. Retailers and suppliers then decide how to respond, after which many of the commercial and consumer outcomes can be measured. That sequence matters when assessing policies intended to improve affordability, competition or productivity. Removing a barrier can create an opportunity without guaranteeing new market entry. Tax relief can reduce a cost without determining the final selling price. An investment incentive can improve project economics without producing investment automatically.

For Canadian retailers, the practical effect becomes visible through changes to sourcing, property access, systems, investment and customer behaviour.

Editor’s Take

Canadian retail policy during Q3 was defined by the details through which broad government objectives reached individual businesses. Tariffs provide perhaps the clearest example. The rate attached to a product can be substantial, but the commercial outcome still depends on sourcing, inventory, supplier relationships and available alternatives. The same policy can increase costs for one business while creating domestic opportunity for another.

Competition policy is producing a different set of effects. Property-control reforms can widen access to potential grocery locations, while scrutiny of advertised-pricing policies reaches the promotional tools retailers use to compete for customers. Whether those measures ultimately produce new stores, greater price competition or lower consumer costs will require evidence over time.

Internal-trade and investment reforms face a similar test. Market access has value when businesses can use it economically, while favourable tax treatment matters when it changes a viable capital decision. For retailers, policy effectiveness is best assessed through what happens after implementation: which sourcing decisions change, which barriers disappear, which investments proceed and which benefits become visible to consumers.

The announcement establishes the objective. The operating details determine the outcome.

Representative Articles

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VIDEO: What consumers can do during an affordability crisis

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Based on affordability issues Canadian’s are facing with elevated gas, food, counter-tariffs, interest rates (potentially soon), etc. what are some of the best practices to help consumers save money during an affordability crisis.

Bruce Winder, a retail analyst, shops this way and offers the following advice:

  1. Buy groceries from discounters – these stores cost less as they have fewer amenities and a lower operating cost. You can save 20-30%. ie. No Frills/Maxi.
  2. Channel down – avoid specialty shops and try to buy from dollar stores or discounters (e. Dollarama/Dollar Tree) for basics.
  3. Plan for Sale Events – avoid buying anything at regular price. Make a list and wait for major sales events like Black Friday/Cyber Monday or Prime Day.
  4. Consolidate purchases under 1-2 loyalty programs – pick 1-2 loyalty programs and consolidate all gas/grocery/drug, etc. under one program that offers cash points (ie. PC Optimum).
  5. Consider store brands/private label – you can save 20-30% off national brands with the same quality. (ie. Motomaster, Mastercraft).
  6. Think of Resale – vintage/thrift has gone mainstream with numerous retailers and websites to buy & sell preloved items. (ie. Facebook Marketplace). You can save 50% or more.

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Neighbourly Pharmacy continues to grow, 10 more pharmacies acquired

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada photo
Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada photo

Neighbourly Pharmacy Inc., Canada’s largest and fastest-growing network of independent pharmacies, announced Tuesday the recent acquisitions of 10 additional pharmacies across Canada in multiple transactions, bringing its national footprint to 342 pharmacies and further expanding access to essential community healthcare.

“Every one of these pharmacies was built on years of trust between an independent owner serving the patients in their community, and our role is to protect that relationship while giving each team the support to serve more patients and keep growing,” said Skip Bourdo, Chief Executive Officer of Neighbourly. “That is what Kindness in Every Community we serve looks like in practice, and it’s why independent pharmacy owners continue to choose Neighbourly as they plan for the future. We are pleased to welcome these teams and look forward to working alongside them as we continue to serve these communities for years to come.”

The company describes itself as Canada’s largest and fastest-growing network of community pharmacies.

“United by a patient-first focus and their role as essential, trusted healthcare hubs within their communities, Neighbourly pharmacies deliver accessible care with a personal touch. Since 2015, Neighbourly’s proven acquisition and integration model has grown its national footprint to 342 locations, making Neighbourly the partner of choice for independent pharmacy owners seeking succession solutions,” it says.

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Crate & Barrel Holdings partners with Affirm for flexible payment options

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Photo: Crate & Barrel
Photo: Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel Holdings, Inc., comprising Crate & Barrel , Crate & Barrel Kids and CB2, has partnered with Affirm  to offer eligible customers the option to pay over time.

Eligible shoppers can use Affirm online and in stores across all three brands in the United States and Canada , and pay over time in biweekly or monthly payments starting at 0% APR. Customers can see what they’ll pay before they check out, with no late or hidden fees or compound interest, said Affirm.

“Helping our customers feel confident in their purchasing decisions is central to everything we do,” said Janet Hayes, President and Chief Executive Officer of Crate & Barrel Holdings. “Partnering with Affirm allows us to deliver the flexibility and control they deserve at every step of their journey.”

Janet Hayes
Janet Hayes
Pat Suh
Pat Suh
Wayne Pommen
Wayne Pommen

“A thoughtful purchase doesn’t stop at deciding what to buy,” said Pat Suh, SVP and Managing Director, Global Markets at Affirm. “People think about how it fits with everything else going on in their lives and their budget. How they pay is part of figuring out what works, and Affirm gives Crate & Barrel Holdings customers more choice in that decision.”

Crate & Barrel Holdings joins Affirm’s network of over 570,000 active merchant partners, which includes StubHub , REVOLVE, Net-a-Porter, StockX, Expedia and many more.

Crate & Barrel Holdings is a member of the Otto Group and operates over 100 Crate & Barrel , CB2, and Hudson Grace stores and websites throughout the U.S . and Canada , with franchise locations in nine countries. More than 200 million customers visit the company’s stores and websites each year. 

Wayne Pommen, Chief Revenue Officer at Affirm, said: “People shop at Crate & Barrel, Crate & Barrel Kids and CB2 for purchases tied to important moments in their lives – like a first apartment, a new baby, or finally having a dining table big enough for everyone to gather around. And heading into the holidays, that might mean getting the house ready for family and friends. These are moments that take planning, and how you pay is part of that plan. With Affirm, shoppers can understand their options, know what they’ll owe from the start, and trust that the cost won’t change along the way because we don’t charge compound interest, deferred interest or late or hidden fees – and we never will.”

Pommen said people want more choice and control over how they pay, especially for larger purchases, which people usually put a lot of thought into. 

“But flexibility alone isn’t enough, they want certainty, too. When people choose Affirm, it’s an intentional choice and part of a clear plan and budget that works for them,” he said.

Photo: Crate & Barrel
Photo: Crate & Barrel

“Giving customers a choice between biweekly and monthly payments means they have greater options and can choose what works best for them and the purchase they’re making. That can give shoppers more confidence, especially when they’re making a big purchase, while helping retailers increase conversion.”

Pommen said Affirm will look at adoption both online and in stores, repeat use, and how Affirm contributes to the overall shopping experience. 

“We know that when people use Affirm, they come back: 96% of our transactions are from repeat customers. We’re excited to bring that kind of engagement to Crate & Barrel and build on the momentum we’re already seeing — category volume in home and lifestyle grew 49% YOY in our most recent quarter,” he added.

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Skip, Instacart partner to expand grocery, restaurant delivery options for Canadians

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Skip and Instacart are expanding their respective delivery offerings in Canada through a new partnership that will give customers access to grocery, retail and restaurant orders across both platforms.

Under the agreement, Skip customers can access Instacart’s grocery and retail marketplace through the Skip app, while Instacart customers can order from Skip’s network of more than 50,000 national and local restaurant partners through the Instacart app.

Expanded delivery networks

The partnership broadens the range of products and services available to customers on both platforms, with access spanning groceries, restaurants, beauty products, household essentials and other retail items. Skip customers will be able to access Instacart’s network of more than 130 retail banners and 9,000 locations in Canada through the Skip app.

Paul Burns
Paul Burns
Ryan Hamburger
Ryan Hamburger

“This partnership represents a pivotal moment in Skip’s evolution,” said Paul Burns, CEO of Skip. “We have grown far beyond our roots in restaurant delivery to become an essential, all-in-one destination for Canadians. Through our Instacart partnership, Skip now offers an unprecedented breadth of grocery, everyday essentials and products. We’re allowing Canadians to Skip to the good part through a seamlessly integrated shopping experience, combining Instacart’s proven grocery leadership and technology with Skip’s unparalleled local reach.”

For Instacart customers, the partnership adds Skip’s restaurant network to the grocery technology company’s app, allowing users to browse and order from more than 50,000 restaurants. Restaurant orders will be fulfilled by Skip couriers.

“Instacart has built its reputation by delivering the online grocery ordering experience Canadians trust,” said Ryan Hamburger, Chief Commercial Officer of Instacart. “Partnering with Skip provides Instacart customers the convenience of ordering restaurant delivery through our app, and it lets us meet new Skip grocery customers right where they like to shop. Together, we’re making it easier than ever for Canadians to get what they need, whether it’s a week’s worth of groceries or their favourite restaurant meal.”

How the partnership works

Skip customers accessing grocery and retail offerings will select the grocery icon in the Skip app and browse participating retailers through Instacart. After selecting a store, customers will be redirected to Instacart’s platform to view its live catalogue and place their order.

Instacart shoppers will pick the orders in stores, including selecting fresh produce, checking expiration dates, managing substitutions and handling fragile items. The completed orders will then be delivered through the Instacart service.

Instacart customers can access Skip’s restaurant network by selecting the restaurant icon in the Instacart app. After choosing a restaurant, customers follow the in-app prompts to place an order, with a Skip courier delivering the food.

The companies are also offering membership-related delivery fee benefits. Skip+ members will receive $0 delivery fees on Instacart-powered grocery and retail orders, while Instacart+ members will receive $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on restaurant orders through Skip, subject to the terms and conditions outlined by the companies.

SKIP
Instacart photo
Instacart photo

Launch promotions

Skip is marking the partnership with a promotional campaign in Toronto and Calgary featuring a large grocery cart installation showcasing products available through the new arrangement. The company also said some participants will have the opportunity to win groceries for a month, with contest details available through Skip’s Instagram account as of Oct. 6.

Skip is also offering 40 per cent off Instacart-powered orders of $35 or more, up to a maximum discount of $15, while quantities last.

Skip, which began as a startup in the Prairies in 2012, said it now operates in more than 450 Canadian cities and towns and works with more than 50,000 local restaurants, grocery, convenience and retail partners.

Instacart said it works with more than 2,200 retail banners representing nearly 100,000 stores. The company operates its Marketplace, Enterprise platform and Ads ecosystem, providing ecommerce, fulfillment, in-store technology, AI offerings and advertising services for its retail partners.

Skip photo
Skip photo

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Jimmy John’s launches five new Picklewich sandwiches

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Jimmy John’s has launched five Picklewich sandwiches, giving sandwich lovers a breadless way to enjoy a portion of its menu.

The limited-time Picklewich lineup is available at all locations across Canada.

“The bread is gone, but the dill is great,” said Angelo Ragas, Brand Leader at Foodtastic, the Canadian company behind Jimmy John’s in Canada.

Angelo Ragas
Angelo Ragas
Entrance to the new Winnipeg Jimmy John’s. Photo supplied

Each pickle is sliced and filled with Jimmy John’s signature ingredients, creating a crunchy, juicy and tangy alternative, especially attractive for pickle lovers, said the company.

The lineup features five options, including Turkey Picklewich, made with turkey, provolone, tomato and lettuce, Vito Picklewich, made with salami, capocollo, provolone, lettuce, onion and tomato for a classic Italian-inspired combination with a pickle-forward twist, Roast Beef Picklewich, featuring roast beef, provolone, lettuce and tomato. The Ham Picklewich offers ham, provolone, lettuce and tomato, and the Veggie Picklewich is a veggie-forward option with provolone, avocado spread, lettuce, tomato and cucumber.

Jimmy John’s was founded in 1983. Montreal-based Foodtastic launched the brand in Canada in 2024 with seven current locations. Foodtastic is a leading Canadian restaurant franchisor with a portfolio of 30 diverse brands and over 1,200 establishments across the country. Iconic brands include Milestones, Dunkin’, Pita Pit, Quesada, Second Cup, Rotisseries Benny, La Belle et La Bœuf, and Freshii, among others.

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Vaughan Mills Turns 10,000-Box Pasta Tumble Into Mall-Wide Community Activation

By
Craig Patterson
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Photo: Vaughan Mills
Steve Price

Ten thousand boxes of pasta formed a 1.7-kilometre chain reaction through Vaughan Mills on Friday, October 2, before being collected and donated to Vaughan Food Bank.

The Pasta Tumble for a Purpose extended throughout the shopping centre, turning the food donation into a large public event involving visitors across the property. Vaughan Mills followed the morning tumble with a three-day activation that continued through Sunday, October 4.

The installation was created by Steve Price of Sprice Machine, a Guinness World Record holder known for domino and chain-reaction projects. Price and his team built the pasta-box chain through Vaughan Mills before setting the sequence in motion Friday morning.

“Building a 1.7-kilometre chain reaction with 10,000 pasta boxes is an exciting challenge,” said Price. “Knowing every box will then help families in the community makes it even more rewarding.”

Pasta Tumble Grows at Vaughan Mills

The 2026 Pasta Tumble was a considerably larger version of an activation Vaughan Mills has staged in previous years. Earlier editions also involved thousands of pasta boxes travelling through the shopping centre before the food was donated, with Vaughan Mills previously documenting a 5,000-box achievement.

This year’s 10,000 boxes were picked up by Vaughan Food Bank following the October 2 tumble. The volunteer-run organization, which has operated since 1995, relies on food and financial donations to serve people in Vaughan and also provides food to other agencies in York Region.

“We are so grateful to Vaughan Mills for continuing to support families in our community,” said Peter Wixson, Executive Director of Vaughan Food Bank. “The 10,000 boxes of pasta being donated will make a real difference, and every additional donation throughout the weekend helps us support even more families.”

The event provided additional opportunities to collect food and monetary donations throughout the weekend. It also gave Vaughan Food Bank a public platform inside one of the region’s busiest shopping centres to provide information about food insecurity and its work in the community.

Vaughan Mills Extends Event Through the Weekend

Vaughan Mills extended the event beyond Friday morning with The After-Tumble, a free activation held from October 2 to 4 in Northern Lights Court.

Programming included interactive games, prizes, pasta-themed photo installations, complimentary coffee, a food pop-up and opportunities to learn about and support Vaughan Food Bank. Video of the morning’s Pasta Tumble was also shown for visitors who did not see the chain reaction live.

The weekend programming included a direct retail component. Customers spending $250 at Vaughan Mills could receive a $10 Vaughan Mills Reward Card and a personalized traditional Italian espresso moka pot, engraved on site while quantities lasted.

Visitors making a non-perishable food or monetary donation could also enter for a chance to win a $500 Vaughan Mills gift card. Another activity combined prizes with information about food insecurity and Vaughan Food Bank.

The format extended a one-morning spectacle into three days of programming, combining the charitable initiative with food, entertainment and shopping incentives. It also allowed the food-bank component to continue after the 10,000 boxes had been collected.

Community Programming at Vaughan Mills

Event Page Graphic

Pasta Tumble joins a broader mix of entertainment and community programming at Vaughan Mills alongside the property’s retail offering.

Earlier this year, the shopping centre added a 24,000-square-foot Playdium entertainment centre operated by Cineplex, featuring more than 85 arcade and amusement games. Vaughan Mills subsequently hosted its Swish & Strike activation, combining basketball, bowling and arcade activities with an appearance by Canadian basketball player Kia Nurse.

The property also has a longer history of charitable programming. Vaughan Mills has supported SickKids Foundation through its holiday activities and previously reported that more than $1 million had been raised for the organization since 2015.

Pasta Tumble combines entertainment and community involvement in an unusual format. The boxes first function as a large physical installation stretching through the shopping centre, producing a spectacle suited to photographs and video, before becoming food inventory for a local organization.

“We love a big moment at Vaughan Mills, and 10,000 pasta boxes tumbling around the entire shopping centre is certainly one of them,” said Joanne Ross, Vice President, Retail Property Management at JLL Canada. “But what makes Pasta Tumble for a Purpose special is that the fun has a purpose. Every box goes to Vaughan Food Bank, and The After-Tumble gives our community even more ways to join in, have fun and give back.”

Vaughan Mills Draws More Than 12 Million Visitors

Opened in 2004, Vaughan Mills combines outlet and conventional retail with dining and entertainment and draws visitors from across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. The shopping centre says more than 12 million shoppers, families and tourists visit annually.

Its size allows events such as Pasta Tumble to use the mall itself as part of the attraction. In this case, the 1.7-kilometre chain travelled through the shopping centre instead of being confined to a single event space.

By Friday afternoon, Vaughan Food Bank had picked up the 10,000 boxes and the installation was gone. The After-Tumble continued through Sunday, with the focus shifting to additional donations, food-insecurity awareness and public programming.

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Sleep Protein Expands Across Canada Through Loblaw Retail Rollout

By
Craig Patterson
-
Image: Sleep Protein

Canadian wellness brand Sleep Protein is expanding its physical retail presence through a major rollout across Loblaw banners, giving the young company national exposure as it looks to establish a niche spanning sports nutrition, wellness and sleep.

Founded by longtime sports-nutrition executive Marc Boudreau and operated under Forewinds Inc., Sleep Protein has developed a melatonin-free nighttime nutritional shake combining slow-release protein with ingredients associated with relaxation and sleep support. The brand is now available at 332 locations across Canada, spanning a range of Loblaw-owned banners.

The rollout represents a significant transition for a brand that until recently was largely discovered online. It also marks a new chapter for Boudreau, who spent more than 15 years working in sports nutrition, functional wellness and consumer packaged goods before deciding to build a brand of his own.

From Building Other Brands to His Own

Boudreau’s background spans senior leadership, brand strategy, product development, regulatory requirements and retail distribution. Over time, he said he began seeing an opportunity that much of the sports-nutrition industry had overlooked.

“For years, the sports nutrition and functional wellness industries have been completely obsessed with the waking hours: energy drinks, high-stimulant pre-workouts, and daytime meal replacements,” Boudreau told Retail Insider.

He began considering whether there was room for a nutritional product designed specifically around the hours consumers spend sleeping and recovering. The idea became more personal after Boudreau and his wife, Jenn, had their first child.

“Suddenly, broken sleep and exhaustion were no longer theoretical wellness concepts; they were our daily reality,” he said.

The couple began looking at products already available across the sleep and sports-nutrition categories. Boudreau believed there was room between the two for a product incorporating protein while also being formulated around relaxation and sleep support. Having spent years helping develop and scale products for other companies, he decided to build one himself.

“Jenn and I decided to stop searching for an answer and build one ourselves,” he said.

Jenn and Marc Boudreau. Image: Sleep Protein

Developing Sleep Protein

Made in Woodstock, Ontario, Sleep Protein is sold in Midnight Chocolate and Vanilla Sky flavours and contains 20 grams of protein per serving. Its formulation also includes magnesium, L-tryptophan, 5-HTP, GABA, L-theanine, zinc and vitamin B6.

Sleep Protein does not contain melatonin, a decision Boudreau said was fundamental to the concept from the outset. Rather than positioning the product strictly as another protein powder or conventional sleep product, he describes the emerging space as “Nighttime Nutritional Recovery.”

Bringing the formulation to market involved a lengthy Canadian regulatory process. Sleep Protein received Natural Product Number 80147681 from Health Canada in March 2026, with the active licence held by Forewinds Inc.

Health Canada’s authorized uses include helping temporarily promote relaxation and helping relieve sleep disturbances associated with mood imbalance. Its protein content also helps build and repair body tissues, among other authorized nutritional uses.

Boudreau said the licensing process took more than 400 days as the company worked through regulatory review and supporting documentation. For a young brand seeking wider retail distribution, securing the licence provided an important foundation for the next phase of the business.

Loblaw Rollout Marks a Turning Point

That next phase is now taking place in physical stores. Boudreau said the Loblaw relationship developed amid growing retailer attention to protein consumption and consumer interest in sleep, stress and wellness.

“Securing a national rollout across Loblaw banners is a transformational milestone,” Boudreau said. “It validates the brand on Canada’s largest retail stage and transitions us from an online discovery product into an accessible household staple.”

Sleep Protein is now available at over 300 locations across Canada. Boudreau identified Real Canadian Superstore, Zehrs, Dominion and Loblaws among the banners carrying the product, with distribution extending across a broader selection of Loblaw-owned banners. The company is looking to expand into additional corporate stores and regional banners as it builds sales.

Western Impact Distribution is supporting the physical rollout, helping move the product into hundreds of retail locations. With distribution secured, Boudreau said the immediate focus is on consumer education, shelf velocity and in-store movement, an important next step for a product that does not fit neatly into a single established retail category.

Finding a Place on the Shelf

Sleep Protein shares characteristics with conventional protein supplements, but its nighttime positioning also places it within the broader health and wellness market. Boudreau said it is primarily being merchandised within natural health, wellness and functional-nutrition sets, although placement can vary by retailer and location.

He sees that overlap as an opportunity to establish a recognizable subcategory around nighttime nutritional recovery.

“We bridge the gap between active sports nutrition and sleep hygiene,” he said.

The positioning could also help Sleep Protein reach beyond the traditional sports-nutrition customer. Boudreau said the company initially expected its core audience to consist largely of athletes, gym-goers and consumers already accustomed to tracking protein intake and physical recovery.

Instead, Boudreau said the customer base has broadened to include working parents, busy professionals, shift workers and wellness-oriented consumers over 35. Those observations are based on the company’s experience with its customers rather than broader market data, but the shift is influencing how Boudreau thinks about future distribution.

Consumers are also developing different routines around the product, he said. Some drink it cold before bed, while others mix it with warm almond milk as an evening drink, moving the consumption occasion beyond the conventional protein-shake routine.

Marc and Jenn Boudreau, image: Sleep Protein

Building Beyond the Initial Retail Rollout

Sleep Protein launched with Midnight Chocolate and Vanilla Sky, but Boudreau is already considering how the assortment could expand. Seasonal flavours and single-serve travel stick packs are being evaluated, while the company is also exploring complementary products associated with nighttime wellness, including Sleep Stripz nasal dilators.

The plans point to an effort to build a broader business around the Sleep Protein name instead of relying indefinitely on two flavours of powdered supplement. New products, however, are only one part of the growth strategy. Boudreau identified pharmacy banners and premium natural-health retailers as immediate Canadian targets, potentially putting the brand in front of consumers outside the traditional sports-nutrition channel.

For now, the priority remains the grocery rollout. Getting onto hundreds of shelves provides national visibility, but maintaining and expanding that distribution will depend on consumer demand and sales performance at the store level.

U.S. Market on the Longer-Term Roadmap

International expansion is also under consideration. Sleep Protein is available through iHerb, providing an e-commerce route to consumers outside Canada, while Boudreau sees the United States as a significant longer-term opportunity.

His strategy is to establish the company’s Canadian brick-and-mortar business first and use online sales information, including data generated through iHerb, to identify areas of concentrated demand before pursuing broader U.S. omnichannel distribution.

“Our goal is for Sleep Protein to become the definitive global brand in nighttime recovery,” Boudreau said.

That is a considerable ambition for a company only now entering a much larger phase of physical retail distribution. The more immediate question is whether Sleep Protein can turn its unusual positioning into sustained sales across hundreds of Canadian stores.

For Boudreau, the rollout also brings his career full circle. After more than 15 years spent helping develop and scale products for other businesses, he is now applying that experience to a brand of his own, testing whether an overlooked consumption occasion can support a new Canadian wellness category.

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Tim Hortons Orange Sprinkle Donut campaign raises $979,000 for Indigenous organizations

By
Mario Toneguzzi
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Tim Hortons and its restaurant owners across Canada raised $979,000 through this year’s Orange Sprinkle Donut campaign, with all proceeds from the Sept. 30 sales going to Indigenous organizations.

The campaign, held on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, marked the sixth year of the fundraising initiative, which was first developed in 2021 by a group of Indigenous Tim Hortons restaurant owners.

The campaign has now raised more than $6.2 million for Indigenous organizations, including the Orange Shirt Society, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, Ulnooweg Education Centre and, in Quebec, the New Pathways Foundation.

Tim Hortons said restaurant owners donate 100 per cent of proceeds from Orange Sprinkle Donut sales each Sept. 30 to organizations supporting Indigenous communities across Canada.

“Every Orange Sprinkle Donut sold this year represents a guest who chose to take part in this important campaign,” said Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer for Tim Hortons. “We’re grateful to our restaurant owners and their teams for rallying behind this campaign year after year, and to our guests for helping turn a single day of purchases into lasting support for Indigenous organizations across Canada.”

The Orange Sprinkle Donut campaign directs funds to organizations involved in areas including education, youth programs, crisis response, wellness and reconciliation.

Hope Bagozzi
Hope Bagozzi

“The Orange Shirt Society is proud to partner with Tim Hortons through the Orange Sprinkle Donut campaign. This initiative is more than a fundraiser, it is an opportunity to spark conversations, increase awareness, and support the ongoing journey of truth and reconciliation,” said Phyllis Webstad, CEO & Co-Founder, Orange Shirt Society.

“Through the Orange Sprinkle Donut campaign, Tim Hortons is helping the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund bring learning and action into classrooms from coast to coast to coast through our Legacy Schools program. As we commemorate the 10th anniversary of Gord Downie’s Secret Path, we’re reminded of his simple but powerful call to Do Something. Through the generosity of Tim Hortons and its customers throughout Canada, every Orange Sprinkle Donut purchased helps educators and students answer Gord’s call and take meaningful steps toward reconciliation,” said Sarah Midanik, President & CEO, Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund.

“The generosity of Tim Hortons guests across the country directly supports survivors and families impacted by residential schools, helping us meet the growing need for culturally safe crisis response, wellness, and healing services. Meaningful reconciliation requires ongoing action, and we are grateful for the collective commitment demonstrated through this campaign,” said Angela White, Executive Director of the Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS).

“The Orange Sprinkle Donut campaign gives Canadians an opportunity to contribute to something that has a meaningful impact for Indigenous youth. That support allows us to bring together Elders and Knowledge Holders, researchers, professionals and experts from different fields to create exceptional camp experiences. Together, we’re giving youth opportunities to connect with culture, explore new interests, build relationships and see new possibilities for their future,” said Denise Whynot, Seasonal Programs Manager for Ulnooweg Education Centre.

“The strength of this campaign lies in the collective commitment it inspires in support of Indigenous youth. Through the engagement of Tim Hortons, its restaurant owners, team members and guests, meaningful resources are made available to organizations working directly with communities. Thank you! For the New Pathways Foundation, this support allows us to invest even more in the potential of First Nations youth and help create opportunities that reflect their aspirations and realities,” said Marie-Claude Cleary, Executive Director, New Pathways Foundation.

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George Sully Reflects on Building Canadian Fashion Brands, Retail and Resilience

By
Craig Patterson
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Designing in the Dark: A Memoir of Vision, Resilience, and Redefining Canadian Design

Canadian designer and entrepreneur George Sully has spent more than two decades building brands, developing products, working with major retailers and creating platforms for Canadian designers.

George Sully

With his memoir, Designing in the Dark: A Memoir of Vision, Resilience, and Redefining Canadian Design, set for release October 6 through Toronto-based ECW Press, Sully is looking back at the decisions, setbacks and business lessons that shaped that career.

The publication also marks a Canadian fashion milestone, making him likely the first Black male Canadian fashion designer to publish a memoir.

The book traces his journey from growing up in public housing in Ottawa through a career spanning footwear, apparel, accessories, publishing and design. For Sully, writing it required enough distance from those experiences to understand what they meant without losing sight of what they felt like at the time.

“For years, I was so focused on surviving the moment, building the next brand, making the next opportunity work and solving the next problem that I rarely stopped to consider the complete journey,” Sully told Retail Insider. “When I looked back, I realized the story was bigger than any one company or accomplishment.”

Becoming a father also changed the way he thought about legacy and what he wanted his children, along with the next generation of creatives, to understand about the path he had taken.

Designing Without a Blueprint

The title Designing in the Dark reflects a recurring theme in Sully’s career: building without certainty that the resources, opportunities or industry support he needed would eventually appear.

He entered fashion without money, established industry connections or a traditional fashion education. Much of his early career involved learning while building, trusting his instincts and pursuing ideas before there was much evidence they would work.

“The darkness was never an absence of vision,” he said. “It was an absence of visibility, access and reassurance.”

Sully’s career stretches back to the early 2000s and has included Limb Apparel, publishing venture TCHAD Quarterly, footwear brand Sully Wong, House of Hayla and accessories and lifestyle business Sully & Son Co.

Sully Wong, created with longtime friend Henry Wong in 2010, achieved national retail distribution, including through Hudson’s Bay and The Shoe Company. House of Hayla later expanded his work into women’s footwear, while Sully & Son moved into premium accessories and lifestyle products.

Moving between those businesses gave Sully experience across product development, manufacturing, wholesale, branding and publishing. It also changed how he thought about what separates an interesting product from a lasting company.

TCHAD Magazines

Building a Business Beyond the Product

“The biggest lesson is that a great product may attract attention, but structure is what allows a brand to endure,” Sully said.

That structure includes margins, production capabilities, cash flow, intellectual property, distribution and a clear understanding of the customer. A compelling story can establish a brand’s identity, but purpose and attention cannot compensate for weak business fundamentals.

Sully also learned the limitations of building a company around the constant involvement of its founder.

“Passion is powerful, but it is not an operating system,” he said.

If everything stops when the founder stops, he argues, the entrepreneur may have created a demanding job without creating a company capable of enduring independently. Brands also have to adapt as products, markets and consumer preferences change without losing the identity that made customers notice them in the first place.

Those lessons became particularly important as Sully began working with larger retailers.

Lessons From Major Retailers

Sully has worked with retailers including Harry Rosen, Hudson’s Bay and Holt Renfrew at different stages of his career. He describes the relationship between designer and retailer as one built around shared risk.

A retailer can provide traffic, credibility, visibility and volume. The designer brings newness, differentiation, cultural relevance and products or stories that can distinguish the retailer’s assortment.

But getting onto a national retail floor brings operational demands that have little to do with the glamour sometimes associated with fashion. Designers need accurate costing, dependable production, consistent quality, clear communication and the ability to deliver on time.

Sully argues that retailers also have to approach Canadian designers as serious commercial partners.

“Canadian designers cannot be treated as charitable initiatives or temporary marketing stories,” he said. “They need meaningful orders, fair terms, visibility and the opportunity to grow.”

Getting onto the floor, in other words, is only the beginning. The stronger partnerships create conditions that allow a brand to remain there and grow.

One of Sully’s more recent lessons came through Hudson’s Bay. He told Retail Insider he had been developing George Sully Home with the retailer, an expansion of his design work into a new category, when the company’s collapse brought the project to a halt.

“It reminded me that prestige is not protection,” he said.

For a designer, securing a major retail partnership can feel like the victory. Sully came to see the milestones that follow as more important: producing and delivering the merchandise, achieving sell-through, getting paid and turning the opportunity into a sustainable business relationship.

“Sometimes the biggest name in the room can still be the biggest risk on your balance sheet,” he said.

The experience reinforced the importance of protecting cash flow, diversifying distribution and avoiding excessive dependence on a single retailer or partnership.

BDC Magazines

Canada’s Difficult Middle

For Sully, many of the challenges he encountered point to a larger weakness in Canada’s fashion industry.

“Canada does not have a shortage of talent,” he said. “What we lack is enough infrastructure between emerging and established.”

A designer can develop a compelling product and generate early attention. Turning that into a national business requires working capital, production financing, sales representation, dependable manufacturing, distribution and sustained marketing.

Canada’s geography adds to the cost. Reaching consumers across the country is expensive for a small company, while expanding internationally requires another level of capital and operational capacity.

Wholesale can create its own cash-flow pressures. Smaller brands may have to finance production months before receiving payment, meaning that winning a significant order can actually increase the immediate financial demands on the business.

It is in this middle ground, after a brand has attracted attention but before it has developed scale, where Sully believes many promising Canadian businesses get stuck.

“A feature, award or social media moment can introduce a brand, but it cannot finance inventory or build national distribution,” he said.

That distinction between being visible and building something commercially sustainable would eventually influence another major part of Sully’s career.

George Sully + Black Diamond Award

Turning Visibility Into Commercial Opportunity

Sully launched Black Designers of Canada in June 2020 to increase visibility for Black Canadian designers and make their work easier for retailers, buyers, stylists, media and other industry participants to discover.

Six years later, he sees progress in bringing designers into the national conversation. What matters now, he says, is whether that recognition translates into durable economic opportunity.

“Representation in a campaign is valuable, but ownership, purchase orders, investment, senior decision-making roles and long-term retail relationships are what change businesses and lives,” he said.

“We have made progress in being seen. The next stage is ensuring designers are properly funded, stocked, paid and included in the rooms where commercial decisions are made.”

Looking back at the diversity initiatives introduced by retailers and other organizations around 2020, Sully sees a distinction between programs tied to business infrastructure and those primarily built around communications.

Initiatives connected to budgets, vendor onboarding, purchase orders, paid collaborations and relationships with buyers were more capable of producing lasting opportunities. Programs built around a moment of urgency could be more vulnerable once corporate priorities changed or budgets tightened.

“Inclusion has to be integrated into procurement, hiring, merchandising and leadership,” Sully said. “If it only exists within marketing, it will always be vulnerable to the next marketing cycle.”

Black Designers of Canada has since expanded beyond its original directory concept, while Sully has returned to publishing through BDC Magazine and developed other editorial and creative projects. His work was recognized with the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards’ Change Maker Award in 2022.

George Sully designs

Owning the Platform

The evolution of Black Designers of Canada also reflects a shift in Sully’s approach to his own career.

He no longer sees footwear, apparel, creative direction and publishing as separate pursuits. Publishing, in particular, taught him the value of owning “the platform, the audience and the context in which stories are told.”

Sully now considers the move from building individual products to developing platforms, audiences and relationships he could control one of the most consequential business decisions he made.

Founding Black Designers of Canada and returning to publishing through BDC Magazine made him less dependent on waiting for a particular retailer, buyer or institution to provide an opportunity.

There are things he would change. Sully said he would have built stronger financial safeguards earlier, diversified distribution sooner and placed greater emphasis on owning direct customer data.

“Earlier in my career, I sometimes believed that securing the prestigious opportunity meant the difficult part was over,” he said.

What followed those opportunities ultimately mattered more: the terms, cash flow, execution, ownership and what remained after the initial attention disappeared.

‘Do Not Confuse Applause With Demand’

Those experiences now inform Sully’s advice to emerging designers and entrepreneurs.

“Start with one thing and make it undeniable,” he said.

He has watched founders try to build an entire lifestyle universe before proving there is a customer for the core product. His advice is to understand costs, margins, production timelines and minimum order quantities early, protect intellectual property and begin building a direct relationship with customers from the outset.

He also cautions against mistaking attention for commercial traction.

“Do not confuse applause with demand,” Sully said.

Compliments, followers and media coverage can create momentum. A business still needs customers, repeat purchases and healthy cash flow.

Looking Back at Penny Drive

For all the business setbacks and career changes explored in Designing in the Dark, the part Sully found most emotional to revisit was his childhood.

He returned to his years growing up in public housing on Penny Drive and reconsidered a period he had long remembered through the lens of what his family did not have. Looking back as an adult and father, he also saw the resourcefulness, imagination and independence that developed there.

“I initially thought the business setbacks would be the most emotional parts of the book,” he said. “Instead, it was returning to the boy I was before any of the brands, awards or recognition existed.”

“That boy was already designing a way forward, even if he did not yet have the language for it.”

Sully is also developing a Legacy Access Program tied to the memoir. He said the goal is to work with organizations and corporate partners to place copies in schools, libraries, youth programs, design programs and community organizations, reaching emerging creatives who may recognize themselves in parts of his story.

For Sully, that idea returns to the meaning behind the title of the book and the experience of building without knowing exactly where the next opportunity would come from.

“Darkness is not proof that there is no path,” he said. “Sometimes it simply means you are the first person being asked to design it.”

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