One of the two big news items to come from Nature’s Fare Markets in BC recently is the announcement of a new store, set to open in 2026. This new location will be in Chilliwack, about two hours east of downtown Vancouver, in the Fraser Valley. It will measure a robust 24,000 sq. ft., making it the largest of the group’s eight stores. It edges out the 21,000 sq. ft. Kamloops location, which opened in 2023. 

During the 2024 CHFA NOW in Toronto, two very successful natural health retailers told me that they wished they were making more sales in their stores. I guess all retailers feel this way—who doesn’t want more sales? What made this different, however, was that these two are among the most astute retailers I know. If they are having concerns, it’s likely that many, or most, or all even others are too.

In Sherbrooke, in Quebec’s spectacular Eastern Townships, you will find A Fleur de Vie.

 A Fleur de Vie, a natural health store that prides itself on a deep commitment to personal customer service, is one of the beacons of natural health in this city located in the province’s southeast corner.

Being a humble individual, Janine Favreau didn’t want a big fuss made of her 40th anniversary as the owner of the Nutters Everyday Naturals in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. This milestone makes her Nutters’ longest serving franchisee.

The Big Carrot, Toronto, Ontario, turned 40 last year. Started in 1983 by nine founders as a worker’s co-op, The Big Carrot is one of the city’s longest established traditional health food stores.

The Health First Network (HFN) annual general meeting (AGM) in Toronto this year was special as it marked the 25th anniversary of the founding of this retailer organization.

Thanks to Alyssa Laing, an independent account manager who represents CanPrev and Orange Naturals in lower mainland BC, for taking me and Christina Barrett, medical director, Orange Naturals, to some stores just prior to CHFA NOW Vancouver.

The Pantry Natural Foods, Mission, BC, turned 50 this year. It was founded in 1974 by Jenne and Harold Greger and is now owned and managed by their daughter Margot Greger.

While the world has slowly but steadily recovered from the fallout of COVID-19 pandemic, retailers are still dealing with its aftereffects—specifically from a phenomenon called “rent-flation.”

CNHR talked to Joe D’Addario, Nature’s Emporium co-founder and CEO, about the importance of store lighting. Joe has been in natural health retailing since 1993. During this time, he discovered the role his store’s lighting played: how it highlighted products and set the atmosphere for different parts of the store. In this article, Joe shares some of his thoughts on helping you present your store in a better “light.”

The Health First Network (HFN) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The group—made up of 108 members, representing 147 independent health food stores across Canada—has a great deal to celebrate.

While in Montreal and Ottawa recently, I had the opportunity to visit some stores with three very good industry friends: my colleague Ellen Wheeler of Alive Publishing Group, and Joanne McDonald and Deb Larocque of Preferred Nutrition and Natural Factors. In total, it was 10 stores over a couple of days. These visits will result in larger feature stories on a couple of the stores later in the year.

Causeway Natural Health, located in Humboldt, Saskatchewan and co-owned by Cathy McAnally and Andy McAnally, may have faced many challenges in the first 10 years—a problem many natural health retailers are familiar with—but they never gave up hope that their store would make it.