Podcasts about food professor

Is artificial intelligence about to transform agriculture more than any other industry? On Season Seven, Episode Four of The Food Professor podcast, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois and Michael LeBlanc sit down with Aidan Connolly, President of AgriTech Capital and past president of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA), one of the world's leading voices on agtech and the future of farming.Aidan helped Alltech grow from roughly $25 million to $2.5 billion in revenue and now connects startups, investors and agri-food companies to help innovation scale. He separates agtech hype from real value, explaining why vertical farms, cell-cultured meat and insect farming struggled, and why AI's potential in agriculture may exceed any other sector if the industry can solve its farm data problem. He shares his DRIVE framework for AI adoption and weighs in on data ownership, cooling agtech venture capital, mega-farms and food traceability. Then he ranks countries on an S-to-D agtech tier list. Find out why Canada earns a B, Israel an A, and what Canada can learn from the Netherlands and New Zealand. You'll also hear Aidan's magic-wand fix for turning Canada into an agri-food superpower.In the news, Michael and Sylvain unpack a good week for Canadian agri-food policy. Canada's investment summit focused on energy and infrastructure. Even so, Farm Credit Canada's $1 billion project financing initiative, $150 million in agri-food capital and a new productivity tax break for small and medium-sized businesses could help farmers and food processors invest in automation and R&D. Sylvain argues a more productive, competitive food sector is Canada's best answer to U.S. tariffs.The hosts also weigh EU associate membership, the CETA payoff for Canadian cereal exports to Europe, and why Canada should say "yes to all" trading partners. Agriculture makes up just 1.9% of Canada's growing trade with China, while Chinese tariffs on Canadian peas add uncertainty.On grocery prices, food inflation has eased to 2.8%, but prices are up 28.9% since September 2021. Sylvain explains why food price volatility is the real enemy, with Canada logging 17 month-to-month drops in five years, the most in the G7. They also cover beef imports up 13%, with Australia and Brazil gaining, easing cattle prices, and why high diesel costs could add 0.4 percentage points to food inflation this winter.Plus: the return of Yves Veggie Cuisine under Maple Leaf Foods, crisis communication lessons from the Taylor Farms outbreak and the Silk recall, why the CFIA should declare when a recall is over, and a fun Dairy Farmers of Canada pop-up café on Toronto's Queen Street.Like, subscribe and share The Food Professor for weekly insights on food prices, agtech, trade and Canadian agriculture, and watch the full video episode now on YouTube. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Everything you thought you knew about ghee is wrong. In this episode of The Food Professor podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Vreshin "Vresh" Nagarajan, Founder and Chief Ghee Officer of Vresh Foods, makers of OG GHEE, recorded live on the show floor at the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Montreal.Vresh makes a compelling and slightly incendiary case: roughly 90% of the $100 million of ghee sold in Canada every year isn't actually ghee. It's anhydrous milk fat, or butter oil, an industrially processed dairy ingredient usually made offshore, shipped in shelf-stable, repackaged here and sold as "pure desi ghee." Real ghee is cultured butter cooked until the water evaporates and the lactose and casein caramelize, a distinction the Codex recognizes and one you can smell the moment the jar opens.In four years Vresh has gone from a South Asian meal-kit side hustle in Calgary to a national Loblaw listing and a Costco Ontario rotation, built on an unlikely premise: that ghee is Canada's last viable domestic cooking fat. With a 485F smoke point, a five-year shelf life, no refrigeration required, and 30 litres of Canadian milk in every kilogram, he argues ghee is the best milk-utilization story in the country. He also has pointed words about who has been underselling South Asian consumers, and why "desi" should mean Canadian. The full video interview is on The Food Professor YouTube channel.But first, we start with the food and agriculture news of the week.Michael and Sylvain open on the Prime Minister's address to the nation, and the name he never said, before turning to the latest U.S. tariff recalibration, the new ban on Canadian spirits and wine, and what the September 15 and 29 deadlines mean for agri-food. Sylvain argues the real damage isn't the tariff math, it's the total absence of predictability, with dairy leaders now openly weighing whether to shift production south. Sylvain points to Mark Warner's CBC interview, Ian Lee's parallel argument, and calls for Parliament to be recalled, citing the 1988 free trade debate as precedent.Then: reindeer. Ottawa is putting $800,000 behind a northern herd grown from a few hundred animals to 7,000, and Sylvain explains why no Canadian parent is selling Rudolph at the meat counter. Plus Sapporo's non-alcoholic production possibly heading stateside, Africa's redrawn map and its enormous agri-food potential, McDonald's dropping pumpkin spice after 34 years of PSL dominance, fresh Satov Consulting research on whether Dunkin' can win over Canadian coffee drinkers, why Sylvain would rather support than boycott, Walmart's delivery ambitions, and a farewell to New Coke architect Brian Dyson. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Remarkable Retail Episode 311 welcomes guest co-host and longtime friend of the pod Anne Mezzenga, Founder & CEO of Retail Field Report, joining Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc on mic and on camera.Anne opens with her new venture, launched in March as an evolution of the work she built at Omni Talk Retail with co-founder Chris Walton. Retail Field Report takes a journalist's lens rather than an analyst's — working shifts in stores, interviewing executives and walking floors to learn what's actually happening inside retail organizations, not what the headlines claim.The news opens on a shaky macro backdrop: diesel at a four-year high, the priciest Labor Day gas in a year, worse still across Europe, and a Fed narrative that has flipped from cuts to a 62% market-implied probability of at least two hikes by year-end. Michael adds the Canadian view — reciprocal tariffs, shelved US liquor and a tourism reversal after June's 5% bump in cross-border travel. Anne reports from the field: once fuel, healthcare and food are covered, the discretionary spending big-box retailers count on is running dry.On earnings, Steve unpacks Five Below's five straight quarters of double-digit comps, 23% revenue growth, its move past 2,000 stores and a rare guidance raise. Victoria's Secret posts a 9% comp; Anne credits store consistency, omnichannel execution and strength in PINK and beauty, and the pair explore whether GLP-1s — increasingly prescribed alongside hormone replacement therapy — are quietly reshaping apparel and beauty demand. Lululemon disappoints, with comps down 9% and the Americas down 12% as Heidi O'Neill steps in as CEO; Anne argues the brand needs a sharper point of view and less rinse-and-repeat product. At Kohl's, Steve flags a second straight quarter of Sephora underperforming the rest of the store.The centerpiece is Anne's work as a flex retail associate, booking shifts through the Reflex app in cities across the US: point-of-sale systems so intuitive that training is nearly obsolete, twelve strangers running a warehouse sale that moved 3,000 customers in a single shift, and hospitality-only roles at Longchamp in Boston and Sézane in San Francisco, evidence that mid-tier retailers are putting real P&L dollars into the welcome.The trio then debates Anthropic's open-source Claude Commerce Agents — throttled assortments in agentic pilots, returns exposure, and grocery shoppers splitting weekly lists across banners by price. Anne walks Target stores with executives and lands bullish on the Bullseye, while Steve sizes up Shein's Hong Kong listing at roughly $27 billion against its one-time $100 billion valuation.On the radar screens: Quince's rumored raise and brick-and-mortar ambitions (Steve's skeptical the assortment translates), and Michael on JBS, the world's biggest meat processor, Brazilian beef imports, and whether beef can price itself out of the grocery basket for good. Registration is open for a special webinar featuring Steve in conversation with Placer AI's Head of Analytical Research RJ Hottovy. From changing shopping patterns to emerging market opportunities, shifting consumer demand continues to reshape the industry. So don't miss this data-driven session unpacking the most important trends defining today's marketplace and the strategies leading brands are using to win retail's future. It's all brought to you by Placer.AI and It all happens on Tuesday September 29 at 1pm ET..Register here today:https://www.placer.ai/discover-events/discover-shifting-consumer-demand About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2026 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

How do you lead when trust in business, government, and media is at a generational low? On this episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc welcomes Keith Wyche, Fortune 500 board director, keynote speaker, and author of the new book Uncommon Leadership: A Blueprint for Restoring Integrity, Trust, and People-Centred Leadership.Keith's retail story begins in the back room of one of Ohio's largest Sears stores, working the paint department as a college intern. From there, he built a career inside organizations in the middle of massive change: AT&T as the Bell monopoly broke apart, IBM as it shifted from hardware to solutions, then grocery at Cub Foods, where he spent his first months cutting meat, icing cakes, running a register, and stocking freight to understand the work before changing it.He shares the hard feedback that explained why he kept hitting quota at IBM but never got promoted: without followership, there is no leadership. That lesson underpins his trust formula, character times competency times consistency, where a zero in any one factor cancels the other two. Keith and Michael dig into why leadership drifted from service to self-interest, pointing to quarterly earnings pressure, a celebrity culture that rewards charisma over character, and CEO pay that has climbed from roughly 25 times the average employee to 200.The conversation turns to Walmart, which Keith joined in 2015, a year after Doug McMillon began pushing the company out of its brick-and-mortar comfort zone. He describes the unvarnished truth session, the burning platform, the jet.com talent infusion, and the storytelling that made the stakes real, including his reminder that Sears once had both the stores and the catalogue and is gone today.For executives who want somewhere to start Monday morning, Keith offers a practical framework. Listen to associates, using the two questions he asks on every store walk. Listen to customers and vendors. Then clarify and simplify the mission the way Walmart turned everyday low cost into everyday low price. A Chicago self-checkout rollout that consulted neither associates nor shoppers serves as a cautionary tale.They close on board composition in the AI era, the CEO, CFO, and operations seats plus the cybersecurity and AI expertise that may sit with a director in their thirties, and why customer-facing automation like shelf-scanning robots and AI greeters got piloted and pulled. As Keith says, AI can tell you a tomato is a fruit; wisdom tells you not to put it in the fruit salad.His parting advice for the next generation of retail leaders is simple: human capital is the most important asset on the balance sheet. "I'm in the people business," he says. "I just happen to sell groceries." Presented by Kokek, Canada's Way to Pay. Visit Konek.ca to learn more. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Season Seven, Episode 2 of The Food Professor podcast lands its first guest interview, and it's a Canadian food business story three decades in the making. Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois are joined by Dave Jones, President and CEO of Bento Sushi, the company that turned a small 1996 takeout counter in downtown Toronto into the largest sushi business in Canada. Dave joined Bento in 2009 in an entry-level management role, moved through operations, procurement and supply chain, and took over as CEO in 2022. He unpacks a business most Canadians walk past every day without realizing its scale: more than 700 locations inside grocery stores, universities, hospitals and other retail environments, ten commissaries, roughly 2,500 distribution points, about 800 employees and close to 30 million packs a year. He explains the difference between made-in-store kiosks and the delivered commissary model, why automation now shapes production of items like onigiri, how global sourcing and procurement hold up under pressure, and what price sensitivity looks like in a category built on fresh, daily-made food. Bento's 30th anniversary in 2026 gives the conversation a natural lens on how retail foodservice, grocery prepared food and Canadian consumer expectations have all changed. Before the interview, Michael and Sylvain work through a busy news week. Ottawa applied counter-tariffs to seafood and fish and reversed course within 48 hours, a reminder of how tangled Canada-US supply chains really are. Honey and molasses stayed on the list, with Manitoba, Canada's largest honey exporter, taking the hit. Sylvain pushes back on Chapman's plan to replace 70 percent of its American ingredients, questioning the timing and the nationalistic framing. On beef, the hosts dig into the Trump administration's push on prices, the 300,000 tonne Brazilian import move, the JBS White House visit, the Department of Justice probe into beef pricing, and why cattle futures fell and ranchers are unhappy. Sylvain's view: ranchers are price takers in a North American market, retail prices won't move much, and Canadians could end up paying more. Also on the docket: dairy dominating CUSMA consultation submissions, Daniel Gobé's election in Quebec and his supply management odds, and Q2 trade numbers showing exports up 3 billion dollars net year over year with 2.6 billion of that heading to the United States, despite all the diversification talk. In the retail block, Michael breaks down the Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons loyalty partnership and why coalition programs need high-frequency categories, plus Loblaw's expanded capital spending on T&T, discount and specialty formats, its real estate DNA and its exit from banking. The episode closes on retail crime, and the arson at a Pattison Foods Nesters store in Vancouver. The full video interview is live on The Food Professor YouTube channel. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois—“The Food Professor”—is a food economist at Dalhousie University and director of its Agri-Food Analytics Lab. A leading Canadian voice on grocery prices, supply chains, and food policy, he leads the annual Canada's Food Price Report and co-hosts The Food Professor podcast. Raised on a Quebec farm, he is a frequent commentator on how food gets from farm to plate—and what it costs.Cornerstone Forum 26'https://shaunnewmanpodcast.substack.com/Silver Gold Bull Links:Website: https://silvergoldbull.ca/Email: SNP@silvergoldbull.comText Grahame: (587) 441-9100Bow Valley Credit UnionBitcoin: www.bowvalleycu.com/en/personal/investing-wealth/bitcoin-gatewayEmail: welcome@BowValleycu.com Get your voice heard: Text Shaun 587-217-8500

The Food Professor podcast returns for Season Seven with a no-guest, all-catch-up season premiere. Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois are back on the mic after a summer of live interviews from SIAL, and there is a serious backlog of Canadian and international food industry news to work through. Sylvain opens with the summer he actually had: 25 to 30 media interviews a week, including live hits on CNN and Fox News about explosive poo and the U.S. lettuce recalls. That leads into a real conversation about food safety and Cyclospora, a parasite you cannot simply wash off produce. With Taylor Farms, a $7 billion operator, at the centre of the recall, Michael asks the obvious question: if the most sophisticated player in the category cannot stop it, who can? Sylvain compares oversight on both sides of the border, noting roughly 8,000 federal inspectors in the U.S. versus nearly 4,000 in Canada for a tenth of the population, and explains why our cold chain and an actual winter lower the risk here. Then the tariff file. Sylvain names Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, Smoot-Hawley's descendant, as the summer's number-one story, with agriculture squarely targeted: dairy, alcohol, and honey. On the Canadian side, they dig into a counter-tariff list heavy on seafood and ag, whether it can really move U.S. midterms, and why potash retaliation could backfire on Canadian producers. Story number two: the Competition Bureau sending Nortera's acquisition of B&G Foods Canada's Green Giant and Le Sieur brands to the Competition Tribunal, a striking break from twenty years of waved-through Canadian grocery and food consolidation. Also on the docket: beef volumes down almost 5% and the risk of losing Canadian shoppers to a premium-price perception; Tyson idling a plant for lack of supply; chicken production up 5.6% as dark meat demand climbs; stubborn diesel prices and the Strait of Hormuz; Gay Lea Foods' $200 million Toronto investment against a backdrop of 1,400 new U.S. food plants versus fewer than 50 in Canada; El Nino's likely push on 2027 food inflation; and why GLP-1 drugs may reshape the Halloween candy aisle, plus the CNE's wildest new midway foods. Sylvain also previews his tenth book, Feed the Power, on food geopolitics, out from University of Toronto Press in January 2027. The episode closes with a tribute to Senator Todd Lewis, a rare and genuine agriculture advocate in Ottawa, and a candid exchange about Prime Minister Carney's trade posture and where Canada goes next. Next week: Dave Jones of Bento Sushi. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Episode 310 opens with Steve Dennis reporting back from an invitation-only Amazon analyst day in Seattle, two days focused on Prime and grocery. Steve unpacks the breadth of the Prime flywheel, Amazon's push into sub-one-day delivery, the drone facility he toured just before the company announced an expansion to roughly 500 markets, and why Amazon's rise to the number two grocer in North America should have rivals looking over their shoulders. Then, the numbers. US retail sales grew about 5% excluding fuel. Walmart delivered a lackluster 2.6% US comp, its weakest in six years, offset by a 46% jump in global advertising and nearly $3 billion in tariff refunds the company says it will reinvest in price. Target posted a nearly 4% comp with traffic up 3.6%; real progress, though Steve cautions the invitation can be better than the party. In off-price, TJX comped 4% while Ross Stores turned in a second straight double-digit quarter. And Simon Property Group made the case that great physical retail is alive and well. The interview, recorded live at the CommerceNext Growth Show in New York, features Scott Friend, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures, and Indy Guha, General Partner at VMG Partners. Scott co-founded price optimization pioneer ProfitLogic before joining BCV twenty years ago; Indy co-leads VMG's commerce infrastructure fund after scaling Signifyd. Together they tackle a hard question: when AI makes everything easier to build, how do you tell a real company from a pitch formula? Their answer centers on founder clarity and earned domain expertise, because a couple of quarters' head start has never mattered more. The conversation ranges across whether personalization and merchandising optimization are now table stakes, the surveillance pricing debate, AI-driven homogeneity versus the promise of the "N of one" customer journey, and Indy's memorable "Claude-proof" test for anyone building in commerce. Both push back on agentic commerce hype, arguing agents will own low-interest replenishment missions while people keep the treasure hunt. Scott points to the revenue ramp of AI-native companies as evidence this cycle is real, not overhyped. Both land in the same place: brand, community, and authenticity are the last durable moats, and retail teams must become architects rather than assembly-line workers. Back in studio, on the radar: Steve tracks the bond market, with 30-year Treasuries at a 19-year high and the 10-year at 4.75%, squeezing discretionary income and retailer expansion plans alike. Michael watches Canadian icon Roots, newly sold to New York's Marquee Brands with Joe Mimran advising on merchandising, and asks whether the brand can reclaim its former glory. Registration is open for a special webinar featuring Steve in conversation with Placer AI's Head of Analytical Research RJ Hottovy. From changing shopping patterns to emerging market opportunities, shifting consumer demand continues to reshape the industry. So don't miss this data-driven session unpacking the most important trends defining today's marketplace and the strategies leading brands are using to win retail's future. It's all brought to you by Placer.AI and It all happens on Tuesday September 29 at 1pm ET..Register here today:https://www.placer.ai/discover-events/discover-shifting-consumer-demand About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2026 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

In this Encore episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc sits down with Liza Amlani, Chief Merchant and Principal of Retail Strategy Group, who returns to the podcast to share timely insights from her recently released book, "The Material Life: Process Innovation for Retailers and Brands" Recognized globally as a retail thought leader, Amlani brings her two decades of merchandising expertise to a provocative argument: the retail industry has been obsessed with what products it sells, while neglecting how those products are made—a blind spot costing brands both time and money. Amlani illustrates how process innovation begins long before a product hits the shelf. Traditional apparel development starts with a design concept, hunting for materials to match. Her materials-first model flips that dynamic, accelerating time to market, reducing over-development, and eliminating redundant fabric, trim, and colour decisions. She cites examples where retailers were creating thousands of unnecessary material variations—like zippers—without realizing the margin erosion and operational chaos this creates. Throughout the conversation, Amlani explains how silos between merchants, sourcing, materials, design, and marketing teams create a “butterfly effect” where one late-stage decision can unravel deadlines, sample production, and vendor negotiations. Breaking those silos strengthens governance, reduces waste, and aligns teams around measurable outcomes including her Material Adoption Rate (MAR) framework—an accountability tool that tracks how many material developments actually make it into assortments. The episode also explores the rising influence of AI in fabric research and digital product creation, the impact of sourcing regulations emerging in North America and Europe, and how leading brands like lululemon are quietly reshaping their operating models through materials-led go-to-market roles. Amlani argues that brands embracing transparency, vendor partnership, and digital material workflows will unlock significant margin upside at a time when inflation, tariffs, supply chain friction, and fast-fashion disruptors are redefining consumer expectations. Finally, the discussion turns to the road ahead. Amlani urges leaders to rethink the fabric of product creation itself, invest in consumer-centric assortments, and treat materials not as an afterthought but as a strategic asset. For retailers, merchants, product developers, and sourcing teams eager to future-proof their business, this episode is a masterclass in modern merchandising excellence. Presented by Kokek, Canada's Way to Pay. Visit Konek.ca to learn more. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Recorded live on the show floor at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal, this Food Professor summer bonus episode features Cloé Helmond, Co-Founder of Les Brutes du Soya, fresh off a first-place win in the Start-up Scale CPG category of SIAL Canada's seventh annual Startup Pitch Competition. Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois catch her still holding the hardware — and still slightly stunned, since the Scale category is built for companies four to six years old and Les Brutes is barely two. The origin story is pure Quebec agri-food. Les Brutes grew out of a family soy farm in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, in the Montérégie, launched with co-founder Marie-Pier Gélineau and her brother. Cloé, a social worker by training, spotted the paradox: Quebec grows an enormous soy crop and ships most of it overseas, while Canadian shoppers buy imported textured vegetable protein (TVP). Les Brutes closes that loop, processing soy at its own facility and in Saskatoon into shelf-stable TVP. Cloé walks the hosts through the line — plain, Mexican-style and Greek-style TVP, plus two new SKUs debuting at SIAL: soy curls and bacon bites. The bacon bites are plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, 50 per cent protein and 21 per cent fibre, seasoned with paprika, maple syrup and tamari, with no artificial ingredients (Michael's on-mic crunch test does not disappoint). The value math is the real story: a 100-gram pouch rehydrates to 200 grams in about ten minutes with water or broth, delivering roughly two cups of ground-meat substitute for about six dollars, with a two-year shelf life. That economics pitch shapes the retail conversation. Les Brutes sits in IGA, Metro, Rachelle-Béry and Avril, usually in the health food or gluten-free set — and the hosts press on whether the "healthy aisle" default is the right home for a product aimed at flexitarians and budget-conscious families rather than committed vegans. SIAL also opened foodservice doors, including a conversation with Air Canada about a shelf-stable vegetarian option. Then the reveal. At taping, Cloé's appearance on Dans l'œil du dragon — Quebec's Dragons' Den on Radio-Canada — was still under embargo, and she shared the outcome off the record. It has since aired in Season 15: Les Brutes asked for $50,000 for 10 per cent, drew two offers, and closed a deal with dragon David Côté, co-founder of LOOP Mission, Rise Kombucha and Crudessence, at $50,000 for 10 per cent plus a fifty-cent royalty on every unit sold. She also recounts the dragons challenging whether a family business should give up equity at all. Looking ahead, Cloé eyes SIAL Paris, European soy perceptions and the export runway beyond Quebec. A fast, fun conversation about local crops, smart pricing and plant protein that earns its shelf space. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Today we're talking about food additives. Take a look at the back of some ultra-processed packaged food and you'll see a long list of unfamiliar ingredients. Complex, sciencey sounding names that most of us can barely pronounce. These are called additives. But what exactly are they? How are they tested? And, most importantly, are they truly safe for us to eat? Food policy expert Professor Marion Nestle joins me to explore how additives became so deeply embedded in modern food production — and why, now more than ever, it's essential for you to understand the things that are hiding in your food.

Mike wonders if we've completely lost the plot. The Food Professor, Sylvain Charlebois, dispels some supply-management myths and warns of out-of-control meat prices. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recorded live on the show floor at SIAL Canada in Montreal, this Summer Bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast marks a first: an ingredient company winning the show's startup pitch competition. Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Asha Wheeldon, Founder and CEO of Kula Foods and a member of the Maia Farms team, and Jason Mackay, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at Maia Farms, just hours after the Vancouver company added more hardware to its trophy shelf. Maia Farms makes functional mushroom food ingredients. The company combines oyster mushroom powder with Canadian yellow pea protein and extrudes it into grounds, shreds, chunks and strips that mimic ground beef, pulled meat and chicken. The result is 66 per cent protein per 100 grams, a heavy dose of fibre and iron, a two-year shelf life and no cold storage required. Crucially for manufacturers, the extrudates survive the retort process where soy and pea proteins break down, which is why 100-year-old Pembroke, Ontario soup canner Sprague Foods signed on as a partner. Asha explains how a two-and-a-half-minute pitch built on storytelling rather than numbers won over the judges, and why trust and partnership are Maia's real proof points, including work with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank that has helped feed hundreds of thousands of families. Jason unpacks the technology behind the ingredient and what comes next: cracking mushroom mycelium at commercial scale through liquid fermentation, moving from 3,000-litre proof-of-concept batches to 20,000 litres, with global ingredient players like ADM and Cargill circling mycelium as a clean-label fat mimic and binder. The conversation turns to a bigger question Michael and Sylvain saw play out across the show: is Canada on the cusp of an ingredient renaissance? Pitch competitions usually reward consumer-ready products, from popsicles to upcycled coffee grounds. This year, the fundamentals of food won. The panel connects that shift to front-of-pack labelling, the clean-label push, manufacturers hunting for protein, fibre and iron without wrecking taste and texture, and the trust that Brand Canada's food safety reputation carries into export markets. They also tackle affordability. With beef and chicken prices climbing, Sylvain's "protein orphans" are being left behind, and GLP-1 users are pushing protein demand higher still. A shelf-stable, high-protein ingredient that disappears into a lasagna or pasta sauce when seasoned properly is a genuinely different answer to food insecurity. Plus: what winning an award actually does for a young company, why Maia was the only mushroom ingredient supplier on the SIAL floor, and the company's plan to bring business home to Canada after building traction in the US, Mexico, Singapore and Japan. A smart, optimistic listen on where Canadian food innovation goes next. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Amazon keeps raising the bar. Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc open with the retailer's blockbuster quarter: massive gains in AWS and advertising, staggering AI capex, and retail revenue up 16% year over year, up from 12% last year. Third-party sellers now drive more than 60% of the business, and Citi pegs underlying GMV growth near 10%, roughly double the industry average. Amazon's B2B division alone now tops $60 billion, bigger than all but eleven U.S. retailers. Then the hosts dig into the agentic commerce numbers Amazon disclosed as Rufus folds into Alexa shopping, why sample bias demands caution here, and how grocery momentum is turning Amazon into a mega market-share threat.  Then: Shopify's revenue up 32%, and the tale-of-two-cities reality that a handful of giants now drive nearly all e-commerce growth. A mid-year check on Steve's Prediction #8 — luxury's future won't be evenly distributed. LVMH, Kering, and Capri lag on China softness and war induced Gulf weakness, while Hermès, Ralph Lauren, Richemont, and Zegna keep delivering outsized results. Live from the CommerceNext Growth Show: Kartik Hosanagar. He's Wharton's John C. Hower Professor of Technology and Digital Business, author of A Human's Guide to Machine Intelligence, and co-founder of Bliss Labs. His argument: the biggest shift in retail isn't a new technology or channel. It's a new customer. Treating AI as another distribution channel is the same mistake movie studios made with Netflix. There's no marketing science for AI yet. $9.99 pricing, scarcity, social proof — a model may not respond to any of it. Kartik walks through the Ridge wallet case: invisible in ChatGPT's "gifts for men" results, then the default recommendation within three weeks, complete with a hallucinated promotion. Every retailer faces the same fork: efficiency or meaning. The middle is the most dangerous place to stand. Kartik also details the simulation sandboxes that let brands test counterfactuals in a day instead of eight weeks, why you can't just ask an LLM why it picked a brand, and the three attitudes retailers need now: curious, experimental, collaborative Back in studio: Wayfair's encouraging quarter and Steve's change of heart, Warby Parker's mixed report as store count passes 400, tariff rebates ($100 billion of $160 billion already repaid, more tariffs looming), and whether live selling has hit its tipping point with QVC out of bankruptcy and Whatnot valued at $20 billion. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2026 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Why do smart strategies fail so often? According to Kevin Ertell, the problem isn't a lack of ideas—it's execution. In this Encore episode of The Voice of Retail, Michael LeBlanc sits down live in person at the NRF Big Show in New York in The Remarkable Retail Narvar podcasting studio with Kevin Ertell, founder of Mistere Advisory, veteran retail operator, and former Vice President of Global Retail at Nike. Kevin is also the author of the new book The Strategy Trap: Why Companies Fail at Execution and How to Get It Right, which draws on more than two decades of hands-on leadership experience across iconic retail brands including Tower Records, Borders, Sur La Table, and Nike. Kevin explains how organizations fall into the “strategy trap”—a tendency to over-invest in ideas, decks, and executive alignment while underestimating the human and organizational work required to execute effectively. He argues that strategy should be treated as the first step of execution, not as a theoretical exercise completed before real work begins. Using well-known retail case studies, including the failed transformation of JCPenney, Kevin illustrates how untested assumptions, poor internal alignment, and misunderstanding customer behavior can derail even bold strategies. Leaders often assume that communication equals understanding, when in reality teams fill in the gaps with their own interpretations—creating misalignment that only becomes visible once execution is underway. The conversation introduces Kevin's practical “Six Cs of Execution” framework. The first phase—co-creation, clarity, and capacity—focuses on setting the stage by involving the right people, defining priorities, and making space for execution. The second phase—communication, coordination, and coaching—highlights the role of active leadership in sustaining momentum and course-correcting as conditions change. Kevin also shares actionable tools leaders can use immediately, including structured problem-definition sessions, force-ranking priorities, and creating safe environments where teams can challenge assumptions. He emphasizes that focus is a leadership discipline—and that trying to pursue too many initiatives at once almost guarantees failure. For retail leaders navigating AI disruption, economic volatility, and shifting consumer expectations, this episode offers a clear, operator-led blueprint for escaping the strategy trap and turning strategy into results. Presented by Kokek, Canada's Way to Pay. Visit Konek.ca to learn more. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

In this special summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down live at the SIAL food innovation show in Montreal with Victoire Guglieri, Founder of Nasdrow, fresh off her win at the startup pitch competition. Energetic, candid, and armed with samples, Victoire takes Michael and Sylvain on a guided tasting tour of her premium non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink cocktail brand and makes a compelling case for why alcohol-free drinks should never be boring. Victoire shares the origin story behind Nasdrow, a brand born from a personal frustration. After a month without alcohol, she discovered that the non-alcoholic beverage options on the market were too sweet, too fizzy, too artificial, or too bitter, and none delivered the complexity and sophistication of a real cocktail. Raised in Bordeaux, France, surrounded by grandparents who taught her the language of wine, and having spent part of her childhood in Poland, she named her company after the festive Polish toast "Na zdrowie," reimagined in English as a non-alcoholic super drink mixed with low alcohol. The result is a line of all-natural, preservative-free, less-sweet ready-to-drink mocktails engineered to deliver the full cocktail experience: the nose, the texture, the taste, and the finish. The tasting begins with Scarlet & Co, Nasdrow's bestseller and a gold medal winner at the World Alcohol-Free Awards in London, a slightly fizzy blend of strawberry, basil, ginger, and lemon. Michael and Sylvain then sample the Mojito Fusion, praising its fresh, fragrant aroma and depth of flavour, before Victoire walks through the rest of the range, including the bone-dry, bubble-free Margarita Salsa and an Espresso Martini that produces a thick foam when shaken in a cocktail shaker. The conversation digs into the forces reshaping the beverage industry: why younger consumers are drinking less alcohol, the influence of health and wellness trends on social media, the lingering effects of COVID on social drinking, and the mounting science around alcohol and health. Victoire notes that roughly one in two consumers is now drinking less, and that 80 percent of Nasdrow's customers also drink alcohol, positioning the brand not as anti-alcohol but as a sophisticated option for moderation, designated drivers, and anyone finishing the night with something lighter. The episode wraps with a look at retail momentum. Nasdrow is already listed in Quebec at Metro, with more listings on the way and national distribution ambitions before year-end, as Victoire works to build an entirely new premium mocktail category alongside retailers and buyers. It is a fun, flavour-forward conversation about entrepreneurship, food innovation, and the fast-growing non-alcoholic beverage market, recorded live on the SIAL show floor, that every retailer, grocer, beverage buyer, and sober-curious listener should hear. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

In this summer bonus episode of The Food Professor podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois broadcast live from the SIAL Food Innovation Show in Montreal for a conversation with Naïla Bassin, Marketing Leader Canada, and Carlo Stocco, Managing Director, North America, both of Andriani S.p.A., the Italian company behind Felicia, Italy's fastest-growing pasta brand. Felicia means "happy" in Italian, and the brand's Canadian arrival is built on a simple but stubborn problem: Canadians want healthier pasta, but the better-for-you category has long asked shoppers to compromise on taste and texture. Carlo traces the company's roots to Gravina in Puglia in southern Italy, its rapid European growth, and the decision to build a North American manufacturing facility in London, Ontario rather than simply import from Europe. That plant now anchors a national launch, with organic ingredients increasingly sourced in Canada and an ambition to bring the entire supply chain onshore. Naïla unpacks what makes the product different. Felicia owns its technology and mills its own raw materials, which matters enormously when there's no gluten to bind the pasta. The result is a seven-SKU lineup built on single ingredients and vegetables rather than blends and fillers: buckwheat, brown rice and spirulina, chickpea, red lentil, oat and green cauliflower. One organic red lentil serving delivers 23 grams of protein and 14 grams of fibre, plus iron and potassium. The oat pasta recently took home a NEXTY award for best gluten-free product at Expo West in Los Angeles, chosen from more than 1,000 submissions. The conversation turns to the retail strategy every emerging food brand wrestles with. Felicia has launched in specialty and health stores across Ontario and Quebec, landed at Loblaw in the natural health aisle, secured Costco with red lentil penne plus a limited mid-May drop of organic oat and green cauliflower cavatappi, is rolling into Save-On-Foods, and is in discussions with Sobeys. But where should it live on shelf? Carlo makes the case for the main pasta aisle using Italy's Esselunga, where 14 Felicia items sit alongside conventional pasta and grow the total category, much as cereal and bakery have already been transformed. A sharp listen for anyone tracking Canadian grocery innovation, better-for-you food trends and brand building in a crowded category. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc open episode 308 with a check on Steve's number one prediction for 2026 — uncertainty reigns supreme — and it's holding up. The flat 10% global tariff is gone, replaced by a 10–12.5% range on nearly all U.S. imports, with steeper rates for Canada and Brazil. The new forced-labor justification behind the increases strikes Steve and Michael as ridiculous and unlikely to survive a court challenge. The retail numbers look better than the tariff logic. June retail sales rose 5.7% year over year, led by sporting goods (a World Cup bump) and electronics. Grocery managed just 1%. Steve walks through why: dollars flat, units falling, prices 33% above pre-COVID levels, food bank use climbing on both sides of the border. Albertsons is the clearest case — sales nearly flat, guidance cut, stock down 20% in a day. Then, recorded live in the pop-up studio at the CommerceNext Growth Show in New York, Ulta Beauty Chief Retail Officer Amiee Bayer-Thomas argues stores are queen. Thirty years into a career she calls a lattice rather than a ladder — seven roles at Ulta alone, including chief supply chain officer through 2020 — she now owns everything from site selection and store design to services, asset protection, eventing, and the omni guest journey. Stores, she says, are experiential hubs delivering "beautytainment" through 60,000 associates across 1,500 locations. The numbers: 47 million loyalty members, 95% of whom shopped in-store last year. A NielsenIQ study of Gen Alpha found the most AI-engaged shoppers still pick stores over apps, 57% versus 36%. Amiee's take on AI: it's an "and," not an "or." Technology can flag a replenishment; only an associate reads the confusion on a guest's face in the skincare aisle. Omni guests visit and spend three times more. She previews a Times Square flagship alongside outlet and small-format stores, plus an eventing calendar headed toward 140,000 events this year. In the news, Wayfair is expanding its store footprint. Shein is heading toward a Hong Kong listing at roughly half its 2022 valuation. Also on the radar: fuel costs rising again as back-to-school and holiday approach, and U.S. population growth of 0.25% turning retail into a fight over share. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2026 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Why do most new products fail — even when they solve a real problem? In this episode of The Voice of Retail, presented by Konek – Canada's way to pay. Visit Konek.ca to learn more., host Michael LeBlanc sits down with Rob Snyder, founder and author of the new book The Power of Pull, to unpack why understanding customer demand is fundamentally different from pitching supply — and what that means for retailers, vendors, and startups trying to win business today. Snyder's path here started at McKinsey & Company, where he grew frustrated with consulting from the outside and moved into the startup world to learn how companies actually work. After Harvard Business School, he built his first startup selling into retail and restaurants — and spent two brutal years hitting a wall before finally cracking the code and scaling to $4 million in annual recurring revenue in under two years. That hard-won experience became the foundation for his PULL framework, and for a career spent studying, through Harvard Innovation Labs, startup advising, and angel investing, why some new ideas take off while most don't. The conversation digs into the core distinction at the heart of Snyder's book: demand is not the same thing as wanting a product. Demand is a person trying to accomplish something in their life; supply is simply the tool they pull in to get it done. Snyder revisits the famous (and possibly apocryphal) Henry Ford "faster horses" quote to explain why asking customers what they want often produces the wrong answer — and why the real skill is identifying what people are stuck trying to do with the options already in front of them. For retailers fielding constant vendor pitches, Snyder offers a practical filter: can this startup speak your language, cite specific relevant case studies, and explain exactly how they've unstuck a comparable business — or are they hiding behind buzzwords like "agentic AI"? He also tackles how AI is reshaping the competitive landscape for B2B startups, arguing that as AI closes gaps in the "limitations" side of the PULL framework, vendors need to find pull in places AI hasn't reached yet. The episode closes with Snyder's advice for retail leaders trying to uncover genuine, unfiltered demand: skip the customer interviews, and instead watch shoppers struggle in real time — in-store and online — to find the moments where existing options fall short. Rob Snyder's new book, The Power of Pull, is available now wherever books are sold. Connect with him on LinkedIn or at robsnyder.org.  This episode presented by Konek – Canada's way to pay. Visit Konek.ca to learn more. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Editorial note: This conversation was recorded live at SIAL Canada in late April — well before the July CUSMA review deadline and the most recent U.S. tariff actions targeting Canada. Some of the optimism expressed here about a smooth CUSMA outcome should be heard in that context. It's become a Food Professor tradition: every year at SIAL Canada, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Martin Lavoie, President and CEO of Groupe Export Agroalimentaire Québec-Canada, for a state-of-the-nation check-in on Canadian agri-food trade. This bonus episode, recorded live on the SIAL Canada show floor in Montreal, picks up exactly one year after their last conversation — and at the time, a lot had already changed. Lavoie opens by reflecting on the whiplash of the prior twelve months. Since "Liberation Day" tariffs rattled Canadian exporters the previous spring, Quebec's agri-food sector had kept growing despite the uncertainty, but the volatility had taken a toll: lost U.S. customers, disrupted contracts, and a level of unpredictability Lavoie says he'd never seen in his career. He walks through how Groupe Export helped member companies navigate the chaos — from renegotiating who absorbs tariff costs to bracing for policy shifts announced, at times, over social media. The conversation turns to CUSMA (USMCA), then under review, with Lavoie offering a cautiously optimistic read at the time: dismantling the agreement would be so disruptive to deeply integrated U.S. industries that he believed cooler heads would prevail on both sides of the border. Listeners should weigh that optimism against what's actually unfolded since the July deadline and the latest U.S. tariff moves against Canada. A major theme is diversification. Lavoie argues Mexico represents Quebec's single biggest near-term opportunity — logistically easier than overseas markets and increasingly motivated to reduce its own reliance on U.S. imports. He also flags growing momentum in Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Europe, while acknowledging the real barriers: time zones, market development costs, and a Canadian logistics network still built for trucking to the U.S. rather than shipping by ocean freight. Comparing Canada to the Netherlands' export powerhouse model, he makes the case for urgent investment in port infrastructure, warehousing, and resolving ongoing labour disruptions at Canadian ports. Domestically, Lavoie and Charlebois dig into interprovincial trade — noting it's often cheaper and easier for a Quebec exporter to ship to New York than to Calgary — and discuss data from an MNP survey showing Canada ranks as a top-tier nation for agri-food reputation among G20 countries, trailing only the Netherlands. The episode closes with a practical overview of how Groupe Export supports Quebec exporters: 30-40 trade missions and shows per year, shipping and regulatory support, market intelligence, and export-readiness evaluations for companies just getting started. A time-capsule look at where Quebec's agri-food exporters stood mid-storm — worth hearing alongside what's happened since. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Recorded live on the final day of SIAL Canada, this bonus episode of The Food Professor brings hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois face to face with Jacques Duhaime, owner of Duhaime Gourmet — a Quebec fruit-spread and jam company that Sylvain has wanted on the show for years. The conversation traces four generations of agricultural evolution in Saint-Germain, near Drummondville, Quebec, and shows how a small dairy farm became one of Canada's most distinctive low-sugar jam and fruit-spread producers. Jacques walks listeners through the company's origin story: founded in 1945 as a dairy farm by his grandfather, expanded into orchards and vegetables by his father in 1948, and refocused entirely on produce after the dairy herd was sold in 1960. Jacques took over the farm from his parents in 1981, when the operation was running roughly 200 acres of vegetables. A tough vegetable market in 1995 pushed the family toward jam-making, and a pursuit of naturally low-sugar recipes led Jacques back to school at ITA to develop the reduced-sugar techniques that still define the brand today. A pivotal trip with Groupe Export in 2000 opened the door to Japan, where Duhaime Gourmet's low-sugar spreads found immediate demand — at a time when the company already supplied roughly 400 boutique stores across Quebec. The business went on to export to the United States for a decade, supplying jams, spreads, and fruit pairings for cheese, while also building a substantial private-label business across Quebec, Canada, and Japan. Jacques also opens up about the structure of the business today: the orchard remains family-owned and is now run by his son, marking a fifth generation on the land, while the processing side of Duhaime Gourmet was sold roughly a year ago to Bertrand Marquis, a fellow Saint-Germain entrepreneur who previously worked in the wood industry. Jacques reflects candidly on international trade shows — from an early appearance at a golf show in Dubai to lessons learned about race-to-the-bottom pricing in that market — and on how the company's trade show schedule has grown from roughly 10 shows a year before the pandemic to as many as 30–40 today. The episode closes on Duhaime Gourmet's newest product: a 90%-fruit spread sweetened with just 10% organic sugar, containing less than three grams of sugar and no pectin — a launch aimed at diabetics, families, and babies alike, debuting in strawberry rhubarb and headed for Metro shelves soon. A warm, detail-rich conversation for anyone interested in Quebec food manufacturing, family business succession, food innovation, and insights into global trade show strategy in the specialty food sector. https://www.duhaimegourmet.com/en/ About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

This episode comes to you live from our pop-up studio at the CommerceNext Growth Show in New York City. Our guest: Jason LaRose, CEO of Bombas — the brand that turned socks, underwear, and tees into a mission-powered growth machine, with more than 200 million essential clothing items donated to people experiencing homelessness. But first, the news — and in our summer biweekly format, there's plenty. Steve breaks down Nike's unimpressive quarter: revenues down, China off 12%, and an operating profit boost driven almost entirely by a nearly billion-dollar one-time tariff refund. The contrast with Levi's couldn't be sharper — under Michelle Gass, the brand posted 8% sales growth, expanding margins, and momentum across women's and tops. The winners keep winning elsewhere too. Aritzia's remarkable run continues with comps up an eye-popping 35% and digital up nearly 60%. Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing delivers 22% revenue growth from its 2,500-store global fleet. And Costco's monthly numbers offer fresh evidence of retail's Great Concentration. Then there's Kroger, acquiring regional grocery powerhouse Giant Eagle — a $9 billion revenue business bought at a strikingly low multiple. Michael and Steve debate the real question: does acquiring-to-compete solve Kroger's relevance problem, or just buy cost leverage against Walmart, Costco, and Amazon? Then it's on to Jason LaRose, who joined Bombas after leadership roles at Under Armour and Equinox. What drew him in: a genuine mission wrapped around outstanding economics — profitable essentially since day one. He traces the brand's arc from Indiegogo campaign and Shark Tank's most successful company ever to nearly $2 billion in cumulative sales, now expanding into underwear, tees, footwear, and slippers — the very items most requested in homeless shelters. LaRose also delivers a masterclass in disciplined distribution: highly curated wholesale partnerships with Target, Dick's, Nordstrom, and Scheels, each with distinct assortments for distinct customers, alongside the brand's first stores and expansion into Canada. His mantra — quality, comfort, mission, in that order — explains why repeat rates keep the funnel from leaking where so many DTC peers sprang holes. Wrapping up, on Steve's radar: a Dallas-area tour of the newly merged Container Store and Bed Bath & Beyond format (who exactly is this store for?), plus his provocative new Substack essay, "Convenience is Boring." On Michael's radar: the soon-to-open Gordie Howe Bridge, his conversation with U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, and why USMCA review limbo keeps piling uncertainty — and cost — onto businesses and consumers across North America. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2026 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

In this episode of The Voice of Retail podcast, host Michael LeBlanc sits down with one of retail technology's most accomplished leaders: Julie Averill, former Chief Information Officer of Lululemon and REI, and author of the new book Chief Impact Officer: Real Transformation Comes from Human, Not Just Artificial Intelligence. Joining the conversation is Menachem Salinas, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Nimble, the expert AI web search platform making live web data enterprise-grade. A self-described "serial retail technologist," Julie's career spans the defining chapters of modern retail technology. She spent a decade at Nordstrom leading pioneering omnichannel initiatives, drove a technology transformation as CIO of REI, and then took a leap to a then-$2 billion company called Lululemon — where, over eight years as CIO, she helped power the brand's growth to $10 billion. Today, she runs her own advisory business focused on enterprise AI adoption, and her new book makes the case that real transformation comes from people, not just technology. Drawing on years of parsing signal from noise in the CIO chair, Julie delivers a masterclass in AI reality-checking. Her verdict on where retail stands in the AI journey? "Maybe the first inning." She argues the technology itself is now the easy part — the real reasons so many AI pilots fail are data quality, governance, workflow readiness and organizational capability. Julie shares the exact questions she asks to separate a slick demo from a solution built to survive contact with a real omnichannel operation: Whose data does this run on? What workflow actually changes, and for whom? Who owns the errors? What does this cost at scale? And she tells a cautionary tale of a board-driven AI pitch that promised everything — and why "yes, we can do everything" is the surest sign of an immature vendor. Julie also maps the future of the CIO role itself: from technology gatekeeper to curious, strategic business enabler. With AI tools now arriving through the browser, control is gone — the new job is curation, education and helping executives tell what's real. The businesses that win, she argues, will be the ones that learn to evolve continuously and dream about what was previously impossible. Menachem Salinas adds the vendor-side perspective, explaining how Nimble delivers real-time competitive pricing, digital shelf monitoring and out-of-stock intelligence across thousands of retail sites — and why he believes agentic commerce will transform e-commerce within twelve months. His candid ShopTalk Barcelona assessment: even the world's biggest brands rate no better than five out of ten on AI data readiness. Julie's book Chief Impact Officer is available now everywhere books are sold. Learn more at julieaverill.com and nimbleway.com. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Email us at cdncomsense@gmail.com Recorded on July 8, 2026, by Tony, using his earbuds, in the great outdoors! Tony chats with Dr. Charlebois about trade, both inside and outside of Canada, and some interesting guests that Dr. Charlebois has interviewed on his podcast. Enjoy!

In April 2026 the United Nations revised its worst-case climate scenarios downward and declared the most catastrophic projections highly implausible. Almost no one in Canada covered it. Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and host of Canada's number one rated food podcast, has spent 25 years doing the work the room needs: holding science, policy, and politics to the same standard. In this conversation, he takes on three issues agriculture keeps being told what to think about, climate policy, gene editing, and the Canadian fear of failure, and gives the room the version it hasn't been getting.   Topics and Timestamps 0:00 -- Dan's opening question: think of one issue in agriculture you've changed your mind on in the last five years 1:30 -- "Don't Follow the Flock" -- live intro and platform housekeeping 3:00 -- Dr. Sylvain Charlebois: The Food Professor Podcast, Dalhousie, Canada's number one food podcast with zero budget 4:00 -- Ireland, Brexit, and the economic lesson Canada keeps missing about CUSMA 10:00 -- Audience poll: when you hear a strong opinion from a non-farmer, what's your first instinct? 11:00 -- Why civic engagement in food systems makes farming stronger, not weaker 13:00 -- Demand chain management: build from the consumer back, not the farm gate forward 15:00 -- How Canadian media coverage became one-sided and why it keeps getting harder to correct 22:00 -- The GTF promotion ad that was rejected -- and what that reveals 23:00 -- Topics Sylvain is asked not to raise on Ottawa stages 25:00 -- The "mini-me" problem in academia: conform, or get canceled 33:00 -- MYTH 1: Climate change -- the UN revised its worst-case scenarios downward; almost no Canadian outlet covered it 40:00 -- Carbon pricing at $110 a tonne with emissions still rising: what the data actually shows 44:00 -- MYTH 2: Gene editing -- why transparency and consumer buy-in are the one thing the industry keeps skipping 46:00 -- MYTH 3: Going broke is bad -- what a Purdue lunch table of ag entrepreneurs revealed about Canadian risk culture 49:00 -- Monette's bankruptcy, Robert Andjelic, and why Canada should treat risk-takers as a national asset 51:00 -- Ryan Bonnett's question: Sylvain's three priorities for Canadian agriculture 52:00 -- Where Canada leads the G20 in agricultural science, and where it falls short 53:00 -- CUSMA, July 1st, and what the non-renewal actually signals for investment in Canadian ag 54:00 -- Close and upcoming: Strathcona renewable diesel with Quick Dick McDick and Sean Wildman; right-to-repair tractors with Cory Doctorow   Resources Mentioned The Food Professor Podcast -- Dr. Sylvain Charlebois (available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms) Episode: Interview with US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra -- on The Food Professor Podcast Agri-Food Analytics Lab -- Dalhousie University (dal.ca/agri-food-analytics-lab) Postmedia op-eds -- Dr. Sylvain Charlebois writes every two to three days (available at major Postmedia outlets) MNP / Dalhousie G20 agricultural science comparison study -- referenced in conversation, available through Agri-Food Analytics Lab   Connect with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois The Food Professor Podcast: thefoodprofessor.ca Dalhousie University Agri-Food Analytics Lab: dal.ca/agri-food-analytics-lab X / Twitter: @FoodProfessor   Connect with Growing the Future Website: growingthefuture.ca YouTube: Growing the Future Instagram: @growingthefuturepodcast  LinkedIn: Growing the Future Register for the Convergence Conference at convergence.ag and stay updated by subscribing to the Growing the Future Podcast at growingthefuturepodcast.ca.

In the Season 6 regular season finale of The Food Professor Podcast, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome Pete Hoekstra, United States Ambassador to Canada, for an exclusive and wide-ranging conversation about the future of Canada-U.S. food trade, agriculture, supply chains and North American economic cooperation. While The Food Professor Podcast isn't a political show, few relationships matter more to Canada's food economy than its partnership with the United States. Ambassador Hoekstra offers a candid look at his role representing the Trump administration in Ottawa, explains the work of a modern ambassador, and shares his perspective on the ongoing CUSMA (USMCA) review, agricultural trade priorities, supply management, cross-border investment, and strengthening North American food supply chains. The discussion explores why resilient supply chains have become a strategic priority, the importance of Canadian agricultural exports to American consumers, opportunities for future collaboration in critical minerals, energy, manufacturing and food production, and how both countries can continue building one of the world's largest and most integrated trading relationships. The conversation also tackles the Gordie Howe International Bridge, provincial restrictions on U.S. alcohol sales, touches on Canada's supply management system, and the broader outlook for Canada-U.S. relations as negotiations continue. Whether you agree or disagree with the Ambassador's positions, this thoughtful interview provides listeners with valuable insight into how the United States views its relationship with Canada and why food, agriculture and trade remain central to that partnership. Before the interview, Michael and Sylvain break down another busy week in food and agriculture news. They examine how El Niño-driven heat and drought could affect crop production and food prices, discuss the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's latest report on their crackdown on food fraud and product authenticity, review the Grocery Code of Conduct's first public report, and explore the growing global demand for dairy protein as processors struggle with whey shortages amid Canada's supply management system. The episode also covers Rhode Island's new self-checkout legislation, the ongoing Metro labour dispute in Quebec, innovative flavour marketing from Miss Vickie's, and reflects on another remarkable season of conversations with leaders from across Canada's food, retail and agriculture sectors. Thank you for joining us throughout Season 6. While our regular season concludes here, we'll continue bringing you fresh episodes recorded live from SIAL Canada in Montreal throughout the summer before returning this fall for another exciting season of The Food Professor Podcast. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Recorded live on the CommerceNext Growth Show main stage in NYC, Steve Dennis sits down with Kimberley "KG" Gardiner, Chief Marketing Officer of Tractor Supply Company, who traces her path from senior marketing roles at Toyota, Lexus, and Volkswagen to leading one of America's most distinctive lifestyle retailers — 2,400 stores, 50,000-plus team members, and a culture she felt firsthand walking a Virginia store with CEO Hal Lawton during her interview. She explains how the "Life Out Here" platform works as a strategic decision filter, not a tagline, and walks through five core customer segments — from the Country Dabbler to the Big Barn customer, who shops up to 52 times a year. The conversation digs into the jobs-versus-joy duality of the Tractor Supply shopper, the balance of AI and human connection in stores, and why frictionless isn't always the goal. KG breaks down the retailer's proprietary in-store LLM, "Hey Gura," which helps team members field questions on everything from sick livestock to pet nutrition — and explains why 80% of online orders get fulfilled through stores. As she puts it: digital scales convenience, but stores scale trust. Up front, Steve and Michael open on the Strait of Hormuz, where ceasefire whiplash has eased fuel prices but left them well above pre-incursion levels. Fresh Moody's data on the K-shaped economy lands hard: the top 20% of US households now drive 60% of consumer spending, their outlays up 6.5% year-over-year, while the bottom 80% can't keep pace with inflation. That split is finally hitting grocery — Kroger comped 1%, Albertsons 0.7%, Publix flat — while Walmart, Costco, Amazon, T&T, Whole Foods, and Sprouts keep surging. The unremarkable middle is collapsing in grocery just as it did in department stores and category killers. After the interview, Steve recaps CommerceNext, including a sharp Mickey Drexler fireside with Simeon Siegel on taste, curation, and craftsmanship, before unpacking Walmart's $1.4B Vibe.co acquisition — a connected-TV play that rhymes with the earlier Vizio deal. On the prediction tracker: Starbucks is tapping the brakes on its all-third-place strategy, teasing up to 5,000 smaller, drive-through-led US locations. On the radar: an early start to back-to-school promos and a moved-up Prime Day, both hinting at margin pressure ahead. Michael closes on disappointing FIFA World Cup numbers across host cities, and crowns Taylor Swift the clear winner in the economic-contribution battle. Steve's Starbucks Prediction  About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2026 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

In this Encore episode of The Voice of Retail, I'm joined by James B. Smith, Founder and CEO of Rare Placement, for a wide-ranging conversation on modern leadership, executive search, and the future of talent in the retail industry. James brings an exceptional career journey to the mic, beginning in advertising with agencies like Grey and Ogilvy, moving into marketing leadership at Citibank, in leadership roles at Esquire and then Conde Nast Traveller—where he helped it become the top-performing title, even outpacing Vogue. His passion for growth and transformation led him to become a CEO, owner-operator, and eventually launch Rare Placement, a boutique executive search firm focused on personalized, human-centric talent solutions. In our conversation, James emphasizes the power of storytelling—not just for brands, but for leaders. He reveals that every candidate he's placed has gone on to become a client, a testament to his laser focus on culture fit, agility, and soft skills over just resumes. We dive into how executive hiring has changed, why modern CEOs need courage, humility, and the ability to say “I don't know,” and how COVID permanently reshaped leadership styles and expectations around flexibility and culture. James shares practical advice for current and aspiring retail leaders—from building a strong, concise personal narrative to investing in ongoing networking, not just when you're in transition. He stresses that succession planning should be an ongoing, layered strategy, and reminds executives that “people buy leaders, not logos.” We also explore the increasing importance of board roles—both fiduciary and advisory—and how executives can position themselves for these opportunities by knowing what they uniquely bring to the table. Whether you're a retail executive planning your next move, a CEO rethinking your leadership team, or a rising leader wondering how to stand out, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Vincent Breton, President & CEO of duBreton, Canada's leading organic pork producer, for a fascinating live interview recorded at SIAL Canada in Montreal. Vincent shares the remarkable story behind duBreton's evolution from a traditional pork producer into one of the world's fastest-growing organic pork companies. He explains why the company made the bold decision to abandon conventional production in favour of organic and animal welfare-certified farming, why younger consumers are increasingly seeking ethically produced food, and how long-term thinking has become a competitive advantage. The conversation explores the realities of producing premium food in today's marketplace, including the economics of organic farming, the growing importance of transparency, and why Vincent believes consumers deserve clear labelling around gene editing and cloning technologies. He also discusses duBreton's expansion across North America and Europe, the opportunities presented by the U.S. market, the company's growing influence in Texas barbecue circles, and why social media, education and consumer trust are becoming essential tools for modern food brands. Perhaps most compelling is Vincent's candid discussion of Quebec's collective marketing system and why he continues to advocate for greater producer choice, innovation and entrepreneurial freedom within Canadian agriculture. It's an insightful conversation about leadership, values, food policy and building a purpose-driven business in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. First, Michael and Sylvain kick off the episode with their weekly review of the biggest food and agriculture stories making headlines. They examine Canada's latest food inflation numbers as grocery prices continue to outpace overall inflation, discuss why salmon prices have surged dramatically heading into summer, analyze new trade measures affecting canned food imports, and explore ongoing Competition Bureau investigations into grocery property controls. The hosts also dive into new research on costly regulatory delays affecting meat imports, rising regional ice cream prices, the challenges food manufacturers face replacing artificial colours, changes to the U.S. SNAP food assistance program, and the broader debate over balancing affordability, nutrition and agricultural policy. Along the way, they celebrate Canadian Grocer Golden Pencil Award winners and preview the season finale before a full summer of special interviews recorded at SIAL Canada. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Guest Host, Rob Fai & Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Head of the Agri-Foods Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University AKA the Food Professor discuss: 1 - Small businesses grapple with global whey protein shortage 2 - The grocery promotion scam nobody sees 3 - Canada slaps 10% tariff on canned vegetable imports for up to 200 days Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming retail, but are retailers giving away too much decision-making power to algorithms? On this episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc welcomes back retail strategist, educator, speaker and author Carl Boutet to the podcast to discuss his latest book, The Flip. Drawing on more than three decades of retail experience and his work advising organizations around the world, Carl offers a thought-provoking perspective on how AI is reshaping retail strategy, customer engagement and business leadership. The conversation begins with Carl's unique vantage point as a global retail observer. Fresh off another teaching engagement at the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Carl shares insights from Southeast Asia's rapidly evolving retail landscape. From super apps and mobile commerce to experiential shopping destinations and high-energy retail environments, he explains why emerging markets are often leapfrogging traditional retail models and creating new opportunities for customer engagement. Michael and Carl then explore one of the most important topics facing retailers today: the growing influence of artificial intelligence on decision-making. Carl argues that while AI can dramatically improve efficiency, it also poses the risk that businesses become increasingly dependent on algorithmic recommendations, potentially sacrificing the creativity, differentiation, and strategic judgment that make brands unique. At the center of the discussion is Carl's new framework outlined in The Flip. He introduces the four forces that he believes are fundamentally reshaping commerce: automation, optimization, contextualization and immersion. Together, these forces are changing how retailers attract customers, personalize experiences, manage operations and compete in increasingly digital environments. The discussion extends beyond technology into the future of retail itself. Carl shares observations from his travels across Asia, highlighting how retailers are creating energy-rich destinations that blend shopping, entertainment, food and community. These experiences offer important lessons for North American retailers seeking to remain relevant in a world where consumers increasingly have unlimited digital choices at their fingertips. Michael and Carl also examine the rise of AI-powered customer discovery, the future of search and marketing, the growing importance of trust, and why retailers must think carefully about where human value creation fits inside increasingly automated organizations. Carl explains why curiosity, organizational adaptability and a relentless focus on core business fundamentals remain essential leadership capabilities despite the rapid pace of technological change. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome Jean-François Archambault, Founder and General Manager of La Tablée des Chefs, for an inspiring conversation about food recovery, food security, and the power of community action. Recorded live at SIAL Montreal, this episode showcases one of Canada's most remarkable social entrepreneurs and the national movement he has built to reduce food waste while feeding those in need. Since founding La Tablée des Chefs in 2002, Jean-François has transformed a bold idea into one of Canada's most impactful food recovery organizations. What began as a mission to rescue surplus food from hotels, restaurants, sporting venues, and major events has grown into a nationwide network that has recovered enough food to create more than 26 million meals. From the Bell Centre and NHL arenas to Formula 1 events and major hospitality venues, La Tablée des Chefs now redirects millions of meals annually to frontline organizations serving vulnerable Canadians. The conversation explores the organization's two core pillars: feeding people facing food insecurity and educating young Canadians about food autonomy and cooking skills. Jean-François shares the remarkable growth of the Kitchen Brigades program, now operating in hundreds of schools across Canada, empowering nearly 100,000 young people with practical food knowledge while building confidence, self-esteem, and life skills. He also discusses innovative initiatives such as the Solidarity Soups program and the Grand Marmite fundraising events that are helping expand school food programs across the country. The discussion also examines the growing challenges of food insecurity in Canada, the importance of food literacy, the role chefs can play in social impact, and why Canada needs a more ambitious and coordinated national approach to food security. Jean-François offers a compelling vision for how governments, businesses, community organizations, and citizens can work together to create lasting change. Before the interview, Michael and Sylvain unpack a busy week in food and agriculture news. Topics include the Competition Bureau's new examination of Canada's food supply chain, the federal government's newly announced food strategy, food waste research revealing Generation X as Canada's most wasteful demographic, the future of salmon farming, Quebec's move to restrict energy drink sales to minors, the return of frozen juice concentrate, and Foodtastic's continued expansion. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

In this very special live edition of The Voice of Retail podcast — the first live recording in nearly 550 episodes on the main-stage at Retaiul Council of Canada's STORE conference — host Michael LeBlanc takes the stage at Retail Council of Canada's STORE Conference in Toronto with three of Canadian retail's most compelling leaders: Julia Freeman, CEO of The Jilly Box, David Brownstein, President of Browns Shoes, and back on the podcast for his third visit Selwyn Crittendon, CEO of IKEA Canada and newly appointed Chair of the Retail Council of Canada Board of Directors. Julia Freeman shares the remarkable story of The Jilly Box, co-founded by content creator Jillian Harris — fresh off her Independent Retail Ambassador of the Year 2026 award — which sells 20,000 surprise subscription boxes in under 24 hours, 27 seasons in a row, while championing small Canadian, women-owned and equity-deserving brands. Julia offers a candid assessment of the state of Canadian e-commerce, the patriotic "shop Canadian" wave reshaping consumer behaviour post-tariffs, and how The Market by The Jilly Box marketplace is delivering industry-leading conversion with four units per basket. David Brownstein, fourth-generation leader of Montreal-based Browns Shoes, celebrates a banner week as his father, CEO Michael Brownstein, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Excellence in Retailing Awards Gala. David reveals the store design philosophy behind Browns' 71 locations — wide entrances, best merchandise up front, AI-embedded traffic counting — plus why Browns has never hired a store leader from outside in 86 years, and why brand partners like On, Birkenstock and UGG are complements, not competitors. Selwyn Crittendon lays out IKEA Canada's grounded AI philosophy: better retailing, better operational efficiency, and better jobs — built on clean data, mandatory AI literacy training for 7,200 coworkers, and a firm commitment that AI augments rather than replaces people. He also unpacks IKEA's small-format expansion strategy, from plan and order points pioneered in Canada to the new London, Ontario store and IKEA's bold SoHo move in New York, and explains why sustainability paired with affordability is "the new superpower of retail." The conversation ranges from family business dynamics and talent retention to influencer marketing strategy — including Julia's advice that your associates and small business partners may be your most powerful untapped brand ambassadors — and wraps with David's three keys to retail success today: empower frontline employees to make customer-service decisions, break down organizational silos to stay agile in the AI era, and invest relentlessly in retaining great people. Recorded in front of a live studio audience — complete with a surprise Jilly Box giveaway featuring the sold-out first-ever men's box — this episode captures the energy, optimism and hard-won wisdom of Canadian retail's best, and Selwyn's reflections on why he stepped up to chair the RCC board during turbulent times. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast, co-hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome two special guests for a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred interview: Axel Schwan, President of Tim Hortons Canada & U.S., and Duncan Fulton, Chief Corporate Officer of Restaurant Brands International (RBI). With Dunkin' Donuts announcing its return to Canada and Canadians passionately debating the future of their most iconic coffee brand, Axel and Duncan showed up ready to answer the tough questions. In a candid 40-minute conversation, Schwan and Fulton open up about Tim Hortons' "Back to Basics" strategy — the largest consumer research project in the company's history — and the quality overhaul that followed: freshly cracked eggs replacing frozen patties in breakfast sandwiches, 40% more apple in the apple fritter, more Venetian cream in the Boston cream, and the removal of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives across the menu. They share how Tim Hortons serves four million guests a day across 4,000 restaurants owned by 1,500 Canadian franchisees, why traffic is the one metric Axel watches daily, and how the brand is winning younger consumers with its Quenchers platform — including the imminent launch of Popping Quenchers — plus celebrity partnerships with Justin Bieber and Ryan Reynolds. The duo also tackles the controversy head-on: Is the wave of announcements — 400 restaurant renovations, 80 new builds, a national hiring campaign — a reaction to Dunkin's arrival? Fulton sets the record straight on the temporary foreign worker debate, noting roughly 4,000 of 110,000 restaurant team members are part of the program, and explains how AI is being deployed to improve the team member experience, from labour scheduling to order accuracy. A rapid-fire round covers everything from the biggest public misconception about Tim Hortons to the products Canadians want back, while Michael shares his own fun factoid: he helped invent Roll Up the Rim during his Dixie Cup days. But first, we start with the food and agriculture news of the week. Sobeys gets served as the Competition Bureau flexes its new Competition Act powers to investigate property controls in Canadian grocery. We break down Ottawa's newly published AI strategy and what it means for agriculture and food, where Canada's persistent data deficit threatens to undermine even the best intentions. Then, the screwworm fly resurfaces in Texas, prompting the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to take targeted action — and sending cattle futures and already-high beef prices climbing. Sylvain also reports from Delaware, where he keynoted a healthcare conference on food as medicine and discovered a surprising threat to American farmland: hundreds of AI data centres being built on fertile soil. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

As global trade faces unprecedented disruption, international eCommerce remains one of the most compelling growth opportunities for retailers and brands. On this episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc welcomes Matthew Merrilees, CEO North America at Global-e, with special guest co-host Jim Okamura, co-founder of the Global eCommerce Leaders Forum, for a deep dive into the future of cross-border commerce and global retail expansion. Drawing on more than two decades of experience spanning international logistics, eCommerce, supply chain management, and global retail growth, Matthew provides a practical and insightful perspective on how brands can successfully navigate today's increasingly complex global marketplace. The conversation explores how supply chain disruption has evolved from a temporary challenge during the pandemic into a permanent strategic consideration for retailers. Matthew explains why agility, scenario planning, and operational flexibility have become essential capabilities for brands seeking sustainable growth in an environment shaped by tariffs, geopolitical uncertainty, changing regulations, and shifting consumer expectations. A central theme of the discussion is profitability. Matthew reveals why virtually every conversation with retailers today centres around profitable growth rather than simply pursuing top-line revenue. He discusses how brands are optimizing inventory allocation, managing duties and tariffs, leveraging duty drawback programs, simplifying technology stacks, and improving international fulfilment strategies to protect margins while expanding globally. Matthew shares why customers around the world continue to expect seamless, localized shopping experiences regardless of where a retailer is based. Whether shopping in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, or emerging markets, consumers increasingly demand domestic-like experiences that remove friction from cross-border transactions. Throughout the episode, Matthew outlines the characteristics that distinguish the most successful global brands. Digital-first thinking, calculated risk-taking, strong brand differentiation, and customer-centric innovation consistently separate market leaders from competitors. He argues that retailers who continue investing and expanding during periods of uncertainty are often best positioned to capture future growth. The episode concludes with a powerful call to action for retailers and brands considering international expansion: don't wait. As Matthew notes, consumers around the world are already discovering brands online. The question is no longer whether brands should go global—but how quickly they can do it profitably and effectively. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois sit down with Don Hill, Chairman of Sucro, for a rare inside look at one of the most significant investments in Canada's food manufacturing sector in decades. Sucro has quickly become one of North America's fastest-growing sugar companies, and its newly built Ontario refinery marks the first major new sugar-refining investment in Canada in generations. Don explains why Canada became Sucro's first major international investment market, how the company is challenging conventional thinking in a traditionally conservative industry, and why innovation, reinvestment, and operational efficiency are becoming critical competitive advantages in food manufacturing. The conversation explores the strategic role sugar plays in food production beyond sweetness, including shelf life, texture, functionality, product formulation, and cost management. Don also discusses how Sucro is navigating labour shortages, global trade disruptions, tariffs, supply chain volatility, and geopolitical uncertainty while building what he believes is the most modern and competitive sugar refinery in North America. Michael and Sylvain also dive into the impact of GLP-1 weight-loss medications on food consumption with Don, the opportunities and limitations of artificial intelligence in manufacturing, and why Canada remains an attractive destination for food production despite growing trade tensions and policy uncertainty. Don shares his perspective on the future of food manufacturing investment, North American competitiveness, and Sucro's plans for growth over the next decade. Before the interview, the hosts tackle another packed week of food and agriculture news. They discuss Canada's economic outlook and the debate over recession terminology, new research comparing household food spending across G20 countries, and the ongoing rise in food insecurity and food bank usage across Canada. The discussion also covers soaring tomato prices linked to North American trade disruptions, new revelations surrounding the Canada Royal Milk infant formula facility in Kingston, and concerns about transparency within Canada's supply-managed dairy sector. The episode also reflects on Metro CEO Eric La Flèche's retirement announcement, examining his lasting impact on Canadian grocery retailing and congratulating the highly skilled and experienced Marc Giroux on becoming the new CEO. Finally, Michael and Sylvain explore how some farmers are finding new revenue streams through YouTube and digital content creation, demonstrating the remarkable adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit of modern agriculture. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

On this episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc welcomes Jackie Swanson, Managing Partner at Gartner Consulting, for a wide-ranging and highly practical conversation about artificial intelligence, agentic commerce, and the rapidly changing future of retail. Swanson brings Gartner's global perspective to one of the most urgent strategic issues facing retailers today: how AI is fundamentally reshaping customer discovery, commerce channels, operating models, and competitive advantage. Drawing on Gartner's extensive AI research and consulting work with retailers and consumer brands in Canada and around the world, she explains why generative AI represents a structural shift unlike previous technology waves such as cloud computing or mobile commerce. At the centre of the discussion is the rise of “agentic commerce” — a world where AI agents like ChatGPT, Claude, and future large language model interfaces increasingly sit between retailers and consumers. Instead of browsing websites or apps, customers are beginning to shop conversationally through AI interfaces that recommend, filter, compare, and eventually complete purchases on their behalf. Swanson explains why this represents an entirely new commerce channel and why retailers must rethink their strategies before they lose control of customer discovery and loyalty. Michael and Jackie explore the major implications for SEO, branding, merchandising, customer relationships, and organizational design as AI-driven commerce accelerates. Swanson introduces the emerging concept of “AEO” — AI Engine Optimization — and discusses how retailers must rethink product data, customer signals, and digital infrastructure to ensure their brands surface inside AI-driven shopping experiences. The conversation also tackles one of the industry's biggest strategic questions: who inside a retail organization should own AI? Swanson argues that an AI strategy cannot be confined solely to IT or digital teams. Instead, it must become a CEO-level, cross-functional transformation involving merchandising, marketing, loyalty, operations, and technology leadership. Swanson outlines three critical priorities retailers must address over the next 12 to 18 months: establishing strong AI governance and ethical frameworks, cleaning and restructuring enterprise data for AI readiness, and creating clear organizational ownership for AI strategy and execution. The episode closes with a fascinating discussion about which retail categories may benefit most from AI-driven commerce, why smaller challenger brands could gain unexpected advantages, and why retailers that adopt a “wait and see” approach risk falling dangerously behind. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal, Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois welcome back Karen Proud, President & Adjudicator of the Canada Grocery Code, for an important conversation about one of the most closely watched structural reforms in the Canadian grocery industry. Only months after the official launch of the Canada Grocery Code, Proud provides an inside look at how the new voluntary, industry-led framework is functioning in its early stages. She explains the mission of the Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct, the rationale behind creating a voluntary code instead of government regulation, and why more than 200 companies have already joined the initiative. Proud discusses how the code is designed to improve business relationships between retailers and suppliers, strengthen transparency, create more predictable contracting practices, and encourage long-term investment and innovation throughout Canada's food supply chain. The conversation explores the challenges of building trust across a fragmented grocery ecosystem while balancing supplier concerns, retailer expectations, and government scrutiny. Proud outlines how her office is approaching compliance, dispute resolution, reporting transparency, and stakeholder engagement while emphasizing that the code is not intended to directly control grocery prices or solve food inflation. Instead, the long-term objective is to create a healthier and more competitive grocery marketplace that ultimately benefits Canadian consumers through increased investment, innovation, and product diversity. Before the interview, Michael and Sylvain dive deep into the rapidly rising price of chicken in Canada, examining how supply management, quota allocation challenges, and surging consumer demand are contributing to record levels of poultry imports from the United States and beyond. They debate whether the current system is adequately responding to shifting protein demand as consumers move away from expensive beef toward chicken. The episode also explores Quebec's decision to permanently remove sales tax from certain grocery categories, growing concerns among Canadian beef producers over potential trade negotiations involving South American imports, and how global instability, drought conditions, and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz are beginning to impact grain and wheat prices worldwide. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

On this episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc welcomes back Deb Craven to the podcast, President of Longo's and Retail Council of Canada's Distinguished Retailer of the Year for 2026, for an in-depth conversation about leadership, grocery innovation, Canadian retail growth, and what it takes to scale a beloved regional brand while preserving culture and customer trust. Recorded on the cusp of Longo's milestone 70th anniversary celebrations, Deb reflects on the remarkable evolution of one of Canada's most respected grocery retailers. She shares insights into the company's continued expansion strategy, including the upcoming opening of Longo's 44th store in Welland, Ontario— the furthest geographic expansion yet. Deb explains how Longo's has invested heavily in supply chain modernization, including doubling the size of its distribution centre, improving logistics flows, and introducing light automation to support future growth and operational consistency. The conversation also explores the strategic advantages Longo's has gained through its partnership with Empire Company Limited. Deb discusses how the relationship has created opportunities for shared learning, talent development, operational scale, and broader access to retail expertise while still allowing Longo's to maintain its unique identity, culture, and guest experience focus. Michael and Deb spend considerable time discussing the changing Canadian grocery landscape and how consumer expectations continue to evolve. From affordability concerns and value perception to the growing importance of protein, fibre, wellness, and GLP-1-driven shopping behaviours, Deb explains how Longo's is adapting merchandising, meal planning, and customer engagement strategies to remain highly relevant to modern shoppers. The discussion also dives into one of the most important emerging topics in retail: artificial intelligence and agentic commerce. Deb shares how Longo's is actively working to understand AI-driven shopping assistants and personalized grocery recommendations, and how retailers will need to position themselves as consumers increasingly rely on intelligent digital agents to make purchase decisions. Throughout the interview, Deb's leadership philosophy stands out clearly. She emphasizes listening, curiosity, empowering frontline employees, and maintaining a “store-first” mindset — principles that have helped Longo's consistently rank among Canada's top grocery experiences. The conversation culminates with reflections on Longo's recognition as Retail Council of Canada's Distinguished Retailer of the Year and what lies ahead for the company as it balances growth, innovation, and its deeply rooted community values. Please join us at STORE 2026 in Toronto June 2nd and 3rd, and for the Excellence in Retail gala to celebrate Deb's achievement, the evening of June 2nd at the conference. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast, our interview is recorded live at SIAL Canada 2026 in Montreal. Michael LeBlanc welcomes one of the most influential executives in global consumer packaged goods: Jessica C. Adelman, Mars Snacking North America. Fresh off Mars' massive $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova, Adelman offers a rare inside look at the strategic thinking behind one of the largest CPG transactions in history. She explains how Mars — now a $86+ billion privately held global powerhouse operating across more than 80 countries — is reshaping itself into a modern snacking giant with iconic brands spanning M&M's, Snickers, Skittles, Pringles, Pop-Tarts, Cheez-It, and more. The conversation dives deep into how large food companies are navigating a radically different operating environment shaped by geopolitical volatility, inflation, climate pressures, AI disruption, and changing consumer behaviour. Adelman shares Mars' approach to resilience, reputation management, and long-term strategic planning in an era where business shocks arrive faster and harder than ever before. She also discusses why Mars continues investing heavily in North American manufacturing, including a recent $180 million investment across Ontario facilities. Michael and Jessica explore the transformative impact of AI across food retail and supply chains, from reducing food waste and optimizing logistics to enabling consumer discovery and personalization. They also examine how GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are changing eating habits, portion sizes, and snack consumption patterns — a growing issue every major food manufacturer is now monitoring closely. The interview also touches on sustainability, food system resilience, consumer affordability, and the evolving role of global brands in helping consumers balance value, convenience, nutrition, and enjoyment. Throughout the discussion, Adelman offers a thoughtful perspective on leadership, agility, and why companies must move beyond simply “playing the hits” to remain relevant in a rapidly changing marketplace. But first, Michael and Sylvain Charlebois tackle another packed week in food and agriculture news. The hosts debate Ontario's emerging “6% milk” trend, the accelerating adoption of GLP-1 drugs across Canada thanks to the launch of a generic pill format, and renewed calls (along with the history and original objectives) to overhaul Canada's confusing best-before date system to combat food waste and improve affordability. They also discuss food theft and organized crime concerns in grocery retail, mounting pressure on Atlantic Canada's oyster industry, mushroom trade tensions with the United States, the definition of food deserts in urban Canada, and the critical importance of grain infrastructure in Atlantic Canada and a world awash in Bourbon. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

On this episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc sits down with Stephen Bailey, Chief Marketing Officer of Vancouver's John Fluevog Shoes—one of North America's most distinctive independent retail brands. For over 56 years, Fluevog has built a fiercely loyal customer community by doing something most brands struggle to sustain: staying unapologetically unique. With 20 stores across Canada and the United States, a direct-to-consumer model, and a decision to step away from wholesale, Fluevog has created a retail ecosystem built on scarcity, craftsmanship, human connection, and creative courage. Stephen shares his 21-year journey helping shape one of Canada's most iconic design-led retail brands. From creating limited-run footwear collections manufactured in small family-owned factories around the world, to nurturing a passionate global community of “Fluevogers,” he explains why being “not for everyone” has become one of the company's greatest strategic advantages. Michael and Stephen explore how heritage brands stay relevant without becoming trapped by their own history. Stephen shares why Fluevog refuses to chase trends, how the company balances creativity with commercial discipline, and why staying true to brand character has helped them navigate economic cycles, retail disruption, and changing consumer behaviors. The conversation also tackles one of retail's biggest current themes: AI and algorithm-driven commerce. Stephen offers candid insights on how niche brands can thrive in a world increasingly shaped by machine-driven recommendations, digital marketing automation, and platform economics—while still protecting the human side of retail. They also discuss international growth, including Fluevog's ambitious expansion into Amsterdam, the lessons learned from operating in global markets, and why physical retail remains the company's most powerful marketing channel. Perhaps most importantly, Stephen shares why community remains Fluevog's ultimate moat. From in-store “Fluevogologists” delivering highly personalized service to customer interactions that dramatically reduce returns while building loyalty, Fluevog continues proving that in an increasingly digital world, human connection still drives extraordinary retail outcomes.   Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

This week on The Food Professor Podcast, recorded live from the West Coast, Syvain in Chilliwack, Michael in L.A., begin with a fast-moving roundup of the biggest food, grocery, and agriculture headlines shaping Canada. First, the hosts unpack Dunkin's return to Canada and debate where the iconic brand could fit in a market dominated by Tim Hortons and McDonald's. They also explore major developments in Canada's greenhouse sector, dairy production policy, and the growing demand for dairy proteins as producers respond to changing consumer habits. The conversation then turns to some of the most consequential policy issues impacting food prices and agriculture today, including climate science, industrial carbon pricing, Canadian counter-tariffs, and what new signals from the Bank of Canada could mean for grocery inflation, farm economics, and consumer affordability. Michael and Sylvain offer their unfiltered analysis on government policy, food security, and how unintended consequences continue to ripple across Canadian households. Then, the episode shifts into a compelling long-form interview with Kim Furlong, CEO of Retail Council of Canada. In one of her first major podcast interviews since assuming the role, Kim provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at the realities of modern retail in Canada. She discusses stepping into the leadership role previously held by industry icon Diane Brisebois, and explains why the grocery business remains one of the most misunderstood sectors in the country. Kim breaks down why Canadians often “see the shelf, but not the supply chain,” revealing the upstream pressures—from transportation and labour costs to energy prices and currency fluctuations—that shape food prices long before products ever reach store shelves. She also tackles some of retail's hottest issues, including algorithmic pricing, surveillance pricing concerns, the Grocery Code of Conduct, AI-driven supply chains, domestic sourcing, Buy Canadian momentum, and how retailers are preparing for a future defined by geopolitical disruption, economic volatility, and changing consumer expectations. We also hear about Michael's visit to Laurel Supply, a new bespoke grocery store in West Hollywood that could be the most beautiful grocery store in America, thanks to the amazing work of Kevin Kelley's Shook Kelley retail design firm. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Ep - 608 - Quiet Food Insecurity Guest: Dr Sylvain Charlebois By Stuart McNish   “Quiet food insecurity” says, The Food Professor, Sylain Charlebois, “ is a noticeable decline in the quality and variety of food in shopping baskets and that poses long-term nutritional and health risks.” The nature of the make up of the shopping cart contents is a direct reflection on the cost of food. “Prices are up by about $1,000 over last year for a family of four” says Charlebois.   The pressure on food prices accelerated with the imposition of tariffs on US food in March of 2025. Despite the tariffs being removed, food prices did not drop, “in September food inflation actually rose”, says Charlebois. Today, food prices are still rising at about 4 to 6 percent a year. Meat and produce have been identified as the major contributors to increases in grocery prices.   The driving factors include, but are not limited to, a weaker Canadian dollar, international trade friction, on-going supply chain challenges and a dramatic increase in fuel costs. Charlebois describes the situation as, “bad, bad for family budgets and bad for health and it's due to consumers changing shopping patterns to put food on the table.   I invited, the Food Professor Sylvain Charlebois to join me for a Conversation That Matters about the impacts of rising food prices on all of us.   You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/ Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Larry Ostola speaks with Sylvain Charlebois about his book, Poutine Nation. Poutine Nation traces the evolution of poutine from its origins in rural Quebec to its status as a global phenomenon. Though it was once dismissed as lowbrow junk food, poutine has now earned a place in fine dining, fast food chains, and global pop culture. Through a mix of history, cultural analysis, and personal anecdotes, Poutine Nation examines the social and economic forces behind food trends, exploring why some dishes fade into obscurity while others, like poutine, become beloved worldwide. With a keen eye for detail and a touch of humour, leading food scientist Dr. Sylvain Charlebois investigates poutine's role in Quebec's cultural identity, its place in Canada's culinary landscape, and the politics surrounding its success. He also explores the evolution of food trends, the psychology of taste, and the ways in which poutine's global popularity reflects broader changes in how we eat and connect through food. Sylvain Charlebois is a professor of management and the director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. He is a co-host of The Food Professor podcast. If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society's mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada's past.

Recorded live from the stage at the SIAL Innovation Show in Montreal, this special episode of The Voice of Retail dives headfirst into one of the most disruptive forces reshaping commerce: artificial intelligence and its growing influence on how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase food and grocery products. Michael welcomes Guillaume Mathieu, Co-Founder and Partner at Montreal's ilot, a strategic consultancy helping brands and retailers navigate growth, innovation, and consumer behaviour in Quebec and beyond. Guillaume also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Boillon, a leading B2B media platform for Quebec's agri-food sector, and is himself a podcaster in the brand and food space. Together, they unpack new consumer research revealing a fascinating contradiction: while consumers—especially younger shoppers—are rapidly embracing AI tools in everyday life, many remain hesitant when AI intersects with food. Why? Because food is deeply emotional, personal, and tied to authenticity. Guillaume shares proprietary insights showing that consumers are comfortable with “invisible AI,” such as asking ChatGPT for recipes or meal ideas, but become significantly more skeptical when AI becomes physically visible—whether that's robotic baristas, automated cooking systems, or AI-driven food preparation. The conversation explores how search behaviour is rapidly evolving from short keywords to highly contextual prompts. Consumers are no longer searching “pasta sauce”—they're asking for “a locally made tomato sauce perfect for a Mother's Day dinner.” That shift is creating enormous opportunities for smaller brands to compete against larger incumbents by winning on relevance, storytelling, authenticity, reviews, and discoverability across platforms like Reddit, websites, and emerging generative engines. Michael and Guillaume also examine the rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), the next evolution of SEO, and why brands must rethink their digital content strategy immediately. Product pages, recipes, reviews, seasonal content, and contextual storytelling may soon become critical assets in getting surfaced by platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other AI-powered recommendation engines. On the retail side, the discussion turns to smart appliances, AI-powered grocery ecosystems, and the possibility that refrigerators themselves could become the next e-commerce channel. As technology companies, delivery platforms, and retailers compete for ownership of consumer relationships, this episode offers essential strategic insight for grocers, food brands, marketers, and retail executives.   https://ilotetcie.com/ Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

In this high-energy live episode of The Voice of Retail, Michael welcomes two dynamic voices shaping the future of retail and consumer brands: Jake Karls and Carl Boutet. Recorded live on location, this spontaneous conversation delivers powerful insights into what it takes to build a modern consumer brand in an increasingly crowded, algorithm-driven marketplace. Jake Karls shares the remarkable growth story behind Mid-Day Squares—from launching the company in Montreal with his sister and brother-in-law to building a vertically integrated manufacturing business producing more than 150,000 bars per day across North America. But this isn't just a product story. Jake explains how Mid-Day Squares intentionally built a media company mindset from day one, hiring content creators before traditional food scientists, documenting their journey, and turning storytelling into one of their most valuable growth engines. Listeners will hear how a major cocoa pricing crisis nearly disrupted the business—and how that challenge sparked one of their biggest innovations: their breakout “No Bread PB&J” product line. Jake reveals how combining product innovation with viral content, emotional storytelling, and fearless authenticity helped the brand secure retailer support and create consumer demand at scale. Carl Boutet brings his trademark strategic lens to the conversation, unpacking why brands must “take back agency” in an era increasingly dominated by AI-generated content and algorithmic sameness. Drawing from themes in his upcoming book, Carl argues that AI is quickly becoming table stakes—not differentiation—and that the brands that win will be those that create genuine emotional connection, distinctiveness, and memorability. The conversation also explores the evolving role of retail media, the power of founder-led storytelling, startup innovation in CPG, and why in a world of automation, human energy may be the ultimate competitive advantage. For retailers, brand builders, entrepreneurs, and marketers trying to understand what cuts through in today's attention economy, this episode delivers practical insights, inspiration, and plenty of laughs.   Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

In this special ENCORE episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc sits down with Mat Povse, President of Best Buy Canada, live on the stage in Vancouver at Retail Council of Canada's 2025 Retail West stage for a wide-ranging and candid conversation on leadership, innovation, omnichannel retail, and the future of consumer technology in Canada. Povse begins by unpacking what is currently working at Best Buy Canada, pointing to strong financial momentum driven by a clear sense of purpose: understanding why the retailer exists and how it adds value in a crowded technology marketplace. He emphasizes that Best Buy is not simply a retailer, but a people-first organization built on adaptability, humility, and a culture that embraces constant change. That mindset has enabled the company to modernize approximately 85% of its Canadian store fleet, with plans to reach full modernization across all 320 locations—an achievement Povse notes is rare by global retail standards. The conversation explores the evolving role of physical stores in an attention-scarce world. Povse explains how Best Buy balances frictionless transactions for efficiency-driven shoppers with high-touch, consultative experiences for customers overwhelmed by complex technology decisions. This dual mandate—serving both mass market and specialty retail needs—defines Best Buy's in-store strategy and underpins its omnichannel ecosystem. LeBlanc and Povse also examine post-pandemic tailwinds, including technology refresh cycles following the COVID “buy-forward” period. Povse outlines how innovation from major vendors, operating system upgrades, gaming launches, and AI-enabled devices are fueling renewed demand. He positions Best Buy as a critical platform for brands bringing new technology to market, reinforcing its role as both retailer and technology authority. A significant portion of the discussion focuses on Best Buy Express, the partnership with Bell that rapidly expanded the retailer's physical footprint by opening 167 stores in just five months. Povse describes the initiative as “fiercely successful,” highlighting how Express locations are driving both in-store traffic and incremental online sales in previously underserved markets. The episode also dives into Best Buy's early leadership in retail media and marketplace strategy. Povse frames Best Buy as a platform connecting first- and third-party sellers with consumers across stores, digital channels, and media assets—while stressing the importance of protecting the customer experience. He underscores that retail media must enhance relevance, not create friction. Finally, Povse reflects on leadership philosophy, advocating for collaborative decision-making, discretionary effort, and values-driven culture. He closes with practical advice for retailers and vendors alike: build the right team, listen more than you speak, understand your business at both micro and macro levels, and lead with honesty and humility. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.