Display contest for natural products retailers

Nordic Naturals® Announces the What's Essential™ Display Contest for Natural Products Retailers

Watsonville, CA (January 3, 2012) Nordic Naturals®, the industry's leading fish oil company, is launching a special end cap display contest for natural products retailers beginning January 1, 2012. The goal of the display contest is to raise awareness for a corresponding consumer-driven contest with the theme 'What's Essential™.' The What's Essential™ campaign and accompanying contests are designed to encourage individuals to think about what's essential—what matters most in their lives. For the consumer contest, participants can share their essential story via Nordic Naturals' Facebook page or website for their chance to win exciting prizes, including a trip to California and more. Both the retail display contest and the consumer contest will run January 1 through April 30, 2012. Winners will be announced in May.

Guelph Organic Conference

Guelph Organic Conference: Four days of co-operation for the environment  January 26-29, 2012

Thousands of people have attended the Guelph Organic Conference in the past three decades. Their ages are as varied as their lifestyles, from fifth generation farmers to young budding chefs, but they all have one thing in common: They make the environment a priority on the last weekend in January at the University of Guelph.

The atmosphere in the University Centre is charged with excitement, as newbies discover the workshops, organic expo and tasting fair, and veterans reunite with old friends over fair trade coffee, hot cider, or the conference's signature organic dinner. With so much going on, it is hard to keep an eye on the clock.

The wide range of workshops, though, from building co-operatives, to marketing with social media, growing and using medicinal herbs and saving organic seed make sticking to a schedule worthwhile.

Whether you have your family's health in mind, are searching for a farm apprenticeship, or arranging a rendezvous with old friends, the Guelph Organic Conference is the place to be at the end of January. It's a commitment to the environment, to your children, and to the future of our planet. Come to Guelph.

Here are some of the exhibitors taking part in the Guelph Organic Conference

Health First Network AGM

The recent Health First Conference in Calgary offered a number of excellent presentations, including these two from alive associate publisher Rick Kroetsch and Top Drawer Creative's founder Howard Chang. Here are some high points from their presentations.

The ideal health food customer is "The Evolved Consumer"

During his presentation at the Health First Network AGM in Calgary, Howard Chang, president and founder of Toronto's Top Drawer Creative, told a gathering of natural health retailers that their ideal customer is the "evolved consumer." And he provided insight on how retailers can find this person, and then sell to them.

David Chapman honoured by industry friends, co-workers

November 17 was a special night for David Chapman, founder and past-president of Purity Life Health Products. It was his official retirement party, and it was a well-attended gathering, which included David's family, co-workers, former employees, vendors, retailers and other industry friends.

It was also a night to honour David's wife and partner in business, Elyse Chapman. 

CHFA Expo West 2012

 April 19-22 in Vancouver

CHFA Expo West is Western Canada's largest natural health conference and trade show, with approximately 450 exhibits covering 65,000 square feet. The conference runs Thursday, April 19 and Friday, April 20, while the trade show runs Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22. CHFA Expo West is happening at the Vancouver Convention Centre, West Building, Vancouver.

For more information, please go to www.chfa.ca.

Preferred celebrates 10 years in business in 2012

Preferred Nutrition is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the company will be inviting its retail partners, suppliers and consumers to join them throughout the year with special events, offers, contests and more. In a press release, the company said, "Preferred Nutrition has had the privilege of serving the health food industry for the past 10 years as a strong supporter of health food stores. It has been our goal to provide unique, high quality products to help create healthier, happier lives for consumers. Our hope is that the next 10 years will provide more opportunities to continue our strong ties with the health food store community and to provide products that will help consumers make educated and healthy choices. Please accept our thanks for your support over the past 10 years – we are all in this together!"

Hedley's Health Hut finds a new home

Bob Hedley had been waiting for the right time to move his store. Who knew the right time would take 31 years to arrive?

Calgary retailer wins an iPad from Preferred Nutrition

Kim Ryrie of Community Natural Foods in Calgary (centre) was the lucky winner of an iPad in the Preferred Nutrition CHFA East 2011 contest winner. Presenting Kim with her i-Pad is Preferred's western regional manager Linda Pedersen (left) of Health Sales Canada and Shelley Mehta, Preferred's business development manager.

Sangster's relocates to larger space

Sangster's Health Centres is looking for a new franchisee for its new Prince Albert, Saskatchewan store. Sangster's recently moved to a new larger location in the Cornerstone Shopping Centre in Prince Albert. The Sangster's store has been in Prince Albert for 17 years. However, the current franchisee is retiring, so Sangster's is searching for a new franchisee to welcome into the family.

In other Sangster's news, Jenn Heibein is taking on the newly formed education coordinator position at Sangster's. Jenn has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Guelph and has been with Sangster's for three years as the product development manager. With a strong passion for the industry, Jenn is taking on the endeavour of spreading natural health knowledge to both retailers and consumers, which Sangster's believes is key in this industry.

Sangster's is a family business which started in Yorkton, Sk. in 1971

New organic dulse

EDEN Foods has introduced Organic EDEN Whole Leaf Dulse. EDEN Dulse Palmaria palmate is wild hand-harvested near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy just off of Grand Manan, New Brunswick. This island is famous for dulse due to a unique growing environment. High cliffs on the west side shade the dulse beds from early sunlight. This results in the high quality dulse. The cold North Atlantic, morning shade, and vigorous, nurturing tidal flow creates ideal growing conditions for it. EDEN Dulse is certified organic and sustainably hand harvested. www.edenfoods.com