The Peanut Mill celebrates its 50th anniversary with week-long events
The Peanut Mill Natural Foods Market in St. Catharines, Ontario, marked its 50th anniversary with a five-day celebration between April 20 and 24, bringing together over 1,400 customers, staff members, and community partners to honour five decades in business.
Organic Month 2026: Grow loyalty, sales, and industry recognition
Organic Month returns this September for its 18th year! The campaign offers retailers a powerful opportunity to strengthen customer loyalty, increase sales, and deliver innovative marketing. You can gain national recognition for your leadership in organic retail through our new partnership with CNHR magazine: the Organic Month Trailblazer Award.
The Greenhouse at CHFA NOW Toronto 2026: Your invitation to discover what’s new this September
CHFA NOW Toronto 2026 is just weeks away, and if there’s a perfect time for retailers to start planning how and where you’ll discover what’s next in the natural, organic, and wellness space, it’s right now.
Purity Life joins Salus to celebrate 90 years of Floradix
Purity Life was proud to join Salus in celebrating the 90th anniversary of Floradix in May 2026. Floradix is Salus’ iconic and trusted liquid iron formula that has supported generations of consumers in the natural health community.
Retailer roundtable part 5: How natural health retailers are adapting to market shifts and innovating to stay competitive
Following a successful debut at CHFA NOW Vancouver in 2024, the Retailer Roundtable—hosted by Bruce W. Cole, founder of CNHR—returned to the 2025 trade show and was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from retailers.
All in the family: Ottawa’s Natural Food Pantry has continued to grow with its community for over four decades
Tucked into neighbourhoods across Ottawa, Natural Food Pantry has spent more than four decades quietly shaping how the city shops, eats, and thinks about wellness. What began in 1981 as a family-run shop has grown into a five-location destination for everything from organic groceries to specialized supplements, without losing the personal touch that defines its roots.
The Social Nutrient: How health food stores can foster community
Research is catching up to what many independent retailers have known for years: strong social ties are consistently associated with better health and a longer life. Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognized as major public health concerns. But the deeper point is not simply that isolation is harmful; it is also that belonging is protective.
New industry podcast aims to strengthen connection across the natural health community
The In Conversation With … podcast has officially launched, offering a fresh and thoughtful lens into the natural health industry. Hosted by respected industry journalist Bruce W. Cole, the series features in-depth conversations with leaders, executives, entrepreneurs, and emerging voices shaping the natural health space.
Jon Janower announces retirement from Choices Market
After nearly 49 years in the grocery business, Choices Market Chief Operating Officer Jon Janower announced his retirement, effective April 24, 2026.
Curating Community: Selecting your (best) customers
There is something electric in the moment you open your store in the morning. Those familiar faces waiting at the door are often your best customers. You may know their names, families, and health goals, but these relationships go deeper than a typical transaction and can have a lasting impact on your business.
My Best Management Advice
In the early 1980s, I worked at London Drugs. There I got intensive training in merchandising. I also got the best management advice.
CHFA’s Industry Night Out expands coast to coast
HFA’s Industry Night Out series is on a roll, with two recent events lighting up Halifax and Calgary!
Extend Your Reach. Deepen Your Impact.
In today’s business environment, success is no longer measured by profit alone—it is also defined by purpose, impact, and community connection. Partnering with Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation offers retailers a powerful way to align financial performance with meaningful social contribution.
Learning before leading: Sandra Wiest navigates ownership of The Healthy Bug as an industry newcomer
The Healthy Bug, situated in Halifax, Nova Scotia, has been the heart of its thriving natural health community for more than 20 years. But after owning the store for more than two decades, founder Lou Liberatore decided it was time for the store to enter a new era with a new owner. Enter Sandra Wiest.
UNFI Innovation Showcase ignites energy, connection, and industry momentum
The UNFI Innovation Showcase, held April 27–28, delivered an electrifying experience as retailers, suppliers, and partners came together for a reimagined, two-day event that was impossible to miss. From the moment doors opened, the show floor pulsed with energy—loud, engaging and truly energizing—fueled by incredible products, meaningful conversations, and a shared excitement for what’s next in natural, organic, and wellness.