IHR - July / August 2010 Issue

F O R
T H E
B U S I N E S S
O F
N AT U R A L
PR O D U C T S
PUBLICATIONS MAIL 40678000 | 60 BLOOR STREET WEST SUITE 1106 | TORONTO ONTARIO, M4W 3B8
Keys to Success July/August 2010 | $6
Keys to Success
INNOVATION & GROWTH ihr catches up with retailers proled in previous issues to learn of recent advances.
corrects the real reason why we gain weight.

PGX addresses one of the core reasons behind weight gain and unhealthy appetite blood sugar imbalance. Many overweight people suffer from blood sugar levels that rise and fall rapidly throughout the day. Falling blood sugar levels signal the brain that we need to eat. Unlike many diet products that try to suppress appetite, PGX corrects appetite by normalizing blood sugar levels. While many people are looking to lose weight, they do not want to risk their health. PGX is comprised of naturally occurring fibres and has been scientifically shown to be completely safe and stimulant free.
Figure 1: Uncontrolled and erratic blood sugar levels of an overweight woman over 24 hours with a poor diet and no physical activity.
22.2
Tested before PGX
Glucose mmol/L
16.7
11.1
10.0
5.6
3.9
0.0
Time of Day
03:00
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
Figure 2: Controlled and balanced blood sugar levels of the same woman after consuming PGX for 6 weeks with an improved diet and experiencing a healthy weight loss of 2 pounds per week.
22.2
One month later using PGX
16.7
Glucose mmol/L
11.1
10.0
5.6
3.9
0.0
Time of Day
03:00
06:00
09:00
12:00
15:00
18:00
21:00
the real solution

, PGX Daily, PolyGlycopleX , and the unique two-toned PGX Daily UltraMatrix Softgel capsule are trademarks of InovoBiologic Inc.
patent pending.
I recommend to my patients that they use the safest and most natural treatments first. Thats why Im so excited about PGX. It supports healthy blood sugar, controls weight, and lowers cholesterol naturally.
Hyla Cass M.D.
pgx.com
The PGX support centre is available to answer your questions at or by email at support@pgx.com
I-800-895-I470
New Formats COMING SOON:

PGX Granules! Eating on the run? Take along these single serving packets to mix in your water or sprinkle on food.
PGX to Go! Travelling light? Convenient 3-softgel packets are ideal for purse or pocket.
For Details, write #101 on Free Info Page, page 73
Choose Holista for effective natural health remedies. Contact us to order today! 1.800.204.4372
Featured Floorstan d with BON US BO O K !
Back-to-School cuts and scrapes?

Add Tea Tree Oil from Holista to your school supply list.
Natures First Aid Kit in a Bottle!

Tea Tree Oil is a valuable ally for parents of school-aged children. It is a potent natural antiseptic and antifungal oil that can be used as a rst aid treatment for everything from acne to athletes foot, fungal infections to head lice. Holistas Head Lice Kit is a potent natural alternative to potentially toxic chemical lice treatments. Comes with Tea Tree Oil Shampoo, Tea Tree Oil, and Nit Comb. Also available as individual shampoo and conditioner units for daily use.
Tea Tree O il available in 10mL, 25 mL and 50m L!

guest editor letter

IssN 1197 - 1495 |
Volume 10 Issue 5
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Olivier Felicio scott Jordan Stacy Karjala Leslie Ross
Art Director
Production/Design
Production Coordinator
Karen Robertson
Consulting Editor
timothy Avery
Septembre Anderson Pauline Anderson Lyndsie Bourgon Wendy Glauser Sophie Kohn Daniel Marquez Sarah Snowdon Jane Zathey
Editorial Intern Contributors
Scan this code with your cell phone to be linked directly to this issues Guest Editors letter online. Look for more of these codes in future issues. To scan the code: Step 1: Using your cellular phone, download the free BeeTagg Reader Pro application Step 2: Using the BeeTagg application, hover over the secret code with your cellular phone camera Step 3: The message will be automatically decoded for you.
Accounting & Administration

Barry Hales
Administration Coordinator
Daniel Hare
Matthew Sponagle
Web Programmer Sales Assistant

Erin Poredos
Subscription Rates Canada $50 (gst included) for nine issues (one year) USA $60 Change of Address email: ihr@publicationpartners.com telephone: 1-877-547-2246 fax: (905) 509-0735 or send your cover label and new address to ihr c/o Publication Partners, 345 Kingston Road, Suite 101, Pickering, ON Canada L1V 1A1 Advertising Information Olivier Felicio telephone: (416) 203-7900 x 6107 email: olivier@rivegauchemedia.com Hugh Rushford telephone: (416) 203-7900 x 6108 email: hugh@rivegauchemedia.com Jeff Yamaguchi telephone: (416) 203-7900 x 6122 email: jeff@rivegauchemedia.com Published by Rive Gauche Media Inc.
livierFe licio O
Olivier Felicio
Founder & Publisher
Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail 4067800 The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertisement and any and all representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertiser and not of the publisher. The publisher is not liable to any advertiser for any misprints in advertising not the fault of the publisher and in such an event the limit of the publishers liability shall not exceed the amount of the publishers charge for such advertising. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, in all or part, without the express written permission of the publisher. ihr magazine is pleased to review unsolicited submissions for editorial consideration under the following conditions: all material submitted for editorial consideration (photographs, illustrations, written text in electronic or hard copy format) may be used by ihr Media Inc. and their affiliates for editorial purposes in any media (whether printed, electronic, internet, disc, etc.) without the consent of, or the payment of compensation to, the party providing such material. Please direct submissions to the Editor, ihr magazine.
July/August 2010
Keys To Success
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editorial committee
We believe that you, the retailer, dictates the tone and direction of the magazine, which in turn, allows us to provide you with the most accurate information that is relevant to your business. ihr works with a knowledgeable group of industry leaders whose mandate is to ensure the relevancy of the publication. Our editorial committee is comprised of thought provokers who have shaped the industry and whose experience is vital in providing you with tools to succeed. The ihr editorial committee is led by the following individuals:
Andrew Betts Category Manager, Natural Foods Thrifty Foods
Olivier Felicio President Rive Gauche Media
Gilles Houde President and COO GNC Canada
Sanjiv Jagota President Natures Source
Aaron Skelton, BSc (NNS) Sr. Category Manager Health Food Natural Value, Soins Naturels, Loblaw Companies Ltd.
JJuly/August 2010
Keys To Success
whole-food nutrition for every day
daily.
46 . THE WEEKEND WARRIOR
56 . CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROGRAMS
contents
Volume 10 . Issue 5 UP FRONT GUEST EDITORS LETTER ...................................................................6 EDITORIAL BOARD ..............................................................................8 GET THE GOODS ...............................................................................12 SKU REVIEW ........................................................................................14 TOP SELLER .........................................................................................20 NEWS FEATURE NEWS .................................................................................22 INDUSTRY NEWS ...............................................................................24 BUSINESS NEWS ................................................................................28 GLOBAL NEWS ...................................................................................31 COMPANY PROFILE...........................................................................32 FEATURES COVER STORY . Keys to Success ...............................................................34 Electronic Inventory Control Counters .....................................................44 The Weekend Warrior ........................................................................46
34 . KEYS TO SUCCESS
Vitamin Water ......................................................................................52 Customer Loyalty Programs ..............................................................56 Looking Forward .................................................................................60 The Spice of Life .................................................................................64 Topical Skin Care ................................................................................66 END NOTES RESEARCH NEWS ..............................................................................68 UPCOMING EVENTS .........................................................................70 MARKETPLACE ...................................................................................71 FAX BACK ............................................................................................73
52 . VITAMIN WATER
GET THESE GOODS
The rst 100 retailers to FAX us at 1-888-849-0155 will get these goods for FREE
FREE!
HERBALGEM NOCTIGEM
Helps improve the ability to fall asleep, as well as enhancing the quality of your sleep due to the combination of two buds: that of the Linden tree (Tilia tomentosa), which possesses the calming properties of the ower, as well as the cleansing function of the underside of the bark (sapwood); together with that of the Fig (Ficus carica) which has profound effect on the nervous system as a whole.
U-BE PROTEINBERRY SUPER FOOD CHEW

The U-be ProteinBerry Chewz combine 100% New Zealand Whey Isolate with a Super Fruit blend of pomegranates, blueberries and more. With ZERO articial ingredients, sweeteners, or preservatives, each chew is 100% natural, gluten free and has just 20 calories. Each 7g chew provides 2g protein, and 2g carbs. And yes, The Taste is Out of This World!
HOLISTA HEAD LICE KIT

Contrary to the beliefs of many, head lice infestations do not reect poor hygiene or lack of cleanliness, but rather social and play habits. Unfortunately, it spreads rapidly from head to head and requires persistence to eradicate. The Tea Tree Oil and Tea Tree Oil Shampoo included in Holistas Head Lice Kit provide an effective, natural alternative to chemical treatments that prevent and kill head lice infestations.
Get me these goods! Fill out the form below clearly and completely.
Name: Store: Address: City: Province: Phone: Fax: Email: Postal Code:
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JULY/AUGUST 2010
Keys To Success
THE EVOLUTION OF PAIN RELIEF
INTRODUCING
LivRelief is a topical pain relief product thats scientifically proven to relieve joint and muscle pain using natural ingredients.
BLOCKS MORE PAIN PATHWAYS

Formulated to block 5 pain pathways where competing products block just one or two. The more pain pathways being blocked the greater the relief.
Its pharmaceutical efficacy with the safety of natural. Recommended and used by Pharmacists, Doctors, Naturopaths, Chiropractors, Physiotherapists and Massage Therapists, professional athletes and sport teams around the world.
6 TIMES STRONGER
LivRelief Pain Relief Cream contains the patented base Delivra. Its a powerful transdermal cream that absorbs molecules 6 times stronger than what is currently available.
Quick, long-lasting pain relief Non-greasy No burning or irritation Odour-free Great alternative to pills 100% natural No parabens, no petroleum, no propylene glycol and no synthetic preservatives
All ingredients sourced from Europe and Nordic areas.
Learn more at LivRelief.com

1100 Burloak Drive, Suite 300, Burlington, ON L7L 6B2 Toll Free: 1.888.788.232 info@livrelief.com
sku review
MARKET WATCH
Some of the categories/nutritional supplements on this page have experienced sales increases/ decreases since last year. In the latest 52 weeks ending January 17, 2009, AC Neilson reported the following volume of sales: Natural Joint Therapy Supplements: $69,120,712; units per volume 4% from previous year. Health and Diet Aids: $899,640,563; units per volume 2% from previous year. Anti-Oxidant Vitamins: $25,323,682; units per volume 14% from previous year.
multisure easy swallow capsules for men 50+

MultiSure for Men 50+ from Webber Naturals is a iron-free formula with natural source vitamin E, selenium, and zinc. Contains Saw Palmetto extract to improve prostate function, nutrient rich alfalfa juice concentrate, plant enzymes to aid digestion and lutein to help preserve and enhance eye function. For more information, write 120 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
Holista tea tree oil

Tea tree oil has many uses, including fighting fungal infections on fingernails and toenails; treating acne; or treating and preventing head lice. It can also be used as a first aid remedy for infections and minor skin ailments and abrasions. This convenient 10ml size makes it easy to have a bottle handy at work, at home or in your purse or car, because you never know when you might need natures first aid kit! For more information, write 121 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
Holista omega-3 triple strengtH

Triple Strength Omega-3 delivers over 647mg of EPA and 253mg of DHA. This dosage is ideal for people with high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and risk of coronary artery disease as well as for people struggling with cognitive decline. Its a one-aday formula thats also enteric coated, thereby eliminating heartburn or reflux. For more information, write 122 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
coenzyme Q10 Holista Head lice Kit

Contrary to the beliefs of many, head lice infestations do not reflect poor hygiene or lack of cleanliness, but rather social and play habits. Unfortunately, it spreads rapidly from head to head and requires persistence to eradicate. The Tea Tree Oil and Tea Tree Oil Shampoo included in Holistas Head Lice Kit provide an effective, natural alternative to chemical treatments that prevent and kill head lice infestations. For more information, write 123 on the Free Info Card on page 73. Coenzyme Q10 is a high potency antioxidant and a key nutrient for preventing free radical action and slowing aging processes. Our bodies produce CoQ10 but our levels of CoQ10 begin to decline between the ages of 20 and 40. Many medical experts suggest that age-related health problems are caused or worsened by declining CoQ10 levels. The CoQ10 product line from Webber Naturals offers high quality supplements for cellular health and cardio support. The full line, from 60mg capsules to Ultra Strength 400mg softgels is now available in 100% MORE bonus sizes. For more information, write 124 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
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July/August 2010
Keys To Success
sku review
Green beaver natural facial care
Green Beaver utilizes a certified organic 200x aloe concentrate in their facial care products. The daily facial moisturizer contains antioxidant green tea extract, jojoba and grapeseed emollients to soothe and replenish the skin. The facial cleanser contains grapefruit enzymes that dissolve impurities without drying. The facial exfoliant contains extra bamboo micro-fibers that are gentle on sensitive skin. The non-greasy eye make-up removers natural emollients dissolve make-up. The blemish mousse, free of alcohol, benzoyl peroxide and salicylate, contains citrus limonoids and bioflavonoids that have been proven to kill acne-causing bacteria. For more information, write 125 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
MARKET WATCH
Some of the categories/nutritional supplements on this page have experienced sales increases/ decreases since last year. In the latest 52 weeks ending January 17, 2009, AC Neilson reported the following volume of sales: Skin Care (all purposes): $114,971,848; units per volume 2% from previous year. Mineral Supplements: $25,558,444; units per volume 6% from previous year. Adult Multivitamins: $121,208,913; units per volume 5% from previous year.
Multisure easy sWalloW capsules

MultiSure for Women from Webber Naturals provides antioxidant protection for the maintenance of good health. Also included: calcium, magnesium and vitamin D3 (in respected ratios). Iron and folic acid are at optimal levels since young and middle aged women may be prone to low levels at this time of life, possibly leading to deficiency. For more information, write 126 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
Holista Melatonin easy Dissolve

Holista Melatonin is a natural hormone that regulates the sleepwake cycle in the body and helps to relieve insomnia, jet lag and other sleep disturbances. Our easy dissolve, sublingual tablets allow for the best possible absorption, and are synthetically derived, which is the preferred form of melatonin. For more information, write 127 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
tHe ultiMate one oMeGa-3

The Ultimate One Omega-3 from Nu-Life provides a potent dosage of omega-3 fish oils (800mg with high DHA levels) to deliver more health benefits in a single softgel per day. With a pleasant lemon flavour and pure Norwegian wild fish sources, daily consumption is easy to enjoy. For more information, write 128 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
Webber naturals vitaMin D3 liquiD

Liquid Vitamin D3 delivers fast absorption and dose flexibility! Vitamin D helps the body incorporate calcium into the bones, boosting bone mineral density. Research suggests higher doses of vitamin D may also provide protection against certain cancers. For more information, write 129 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
Keys to Success
JULY/AUGUST 2010
|15
sku review
MARKET WATCH
Some of the categories/nutritional supplements on this page have experienced sales increases/ decreases since last year. In the latest 52 weeks ending January 17, 2009, AC Neilson reported the following volume of sales: Facial Cosmetics: $211,872,383; units per volume 2% from previous year. Anti-Oxidant Vitamins: $25,323,682; units per volume 14% from previous year Sports Nutritionals: $33,900,273; units per volume 10% from previous year.
aubrey OrganicS Pure alOe Vera

For sun-exposed skin, Aubrey Organics Pure Aloe is made with 98% certified organic ingredients, plus a touch of our natural preservative. Carry a bottle in your beach bag or backpack to soothe and hydrate stressed skin on contact. Keep one in your fridge for a cool pick-me-up. For more information, write 130 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
WeiDer Daily fitneSS barS

Daily Fitness Bars are delicious 100% natural protein and fibre bars; perfect for busy and active lifestyles, and as a natural and healthy support to weight management programs. Each 50g bar contains 16g of protein and 7g of fibre, providing a delicious, long-lasting and slow-burning snack. Daily Fitness Bars are gluten-free, vegetarian and suitable for diabetics. For more information, write 132 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
nu-lifeS DefenSe
This powerful, Health Canadaapproved, protective antioxidant formula is ideal for those with suboptimal immune function and aids in recovery for regular exercisers. This unique formula features mushroom extracts and phytosterols to bolster immunity, and antioxidant vitamins and minerals to protect the body from free radical damage. For more information, write 131 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
PureSOurce
Introducing new Now Lip Balms that are completely kissable. These all-natural pomegranate lip balms moisturize and repair dry lips with no petroleum or phthalates, plus are gluten-free! For more information, write 133 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
DermaSilk anti-Wrinkle
Anti-wrinkle supplement fights wrinkle formation at the important intracellular level. New DermaSilk Anti-wrinkle works to counteract the damage from oxidation, sunlight, UV light and smoking. Clinically proven to increase facial skins firmness, hydration, elasticity, and density; promote collagen production; and reduce age spots. Check out the entire DermaSilk line of products to promote beautiful, health skin! For more information, write 134 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
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July/August 2010
Keys To Success
Treat varicose veins naturally with Varosan.

Varicose veins can be more than embarrassing; they can cause cramps and even painful swelling. Authenta's answer Varosan Leg Gel. Applied topically, Varosan reduces visible varicose veins. What makes Varosan so eective is the high concentration of Horse Chestnut Seed Extract (Aesculus hippocastanum) a proven vasodilator long used for the treatment of varicose veins. Add to that the cumulative benets of Witch Hazel extract, Nutmeg essential oil, Menthol crystals, Seaweed, and Arnica ower. With a light fragrance entirely from essential oils, Varosan is a pleasing, yet potent natural treatment for varicose veins. Authenta provides extensive information about each and every ingredient in our products. Each product label lists ingredients by common name, where they are sourced from, and exact percentages used. Our website also explains the purpose of every ingredient. Visit authentaskincare.com or call 1-800-491-1650 to nd out more.
sku review
MARKET WATCH
Some of the categories/nutritional supplements on this page have experienced sales increases/ decreases since last year. In the latest 52 weeks ending January 17, 2009, AC Neilson reported the following volume of sales: Skin Care (all purposes): $114,971,848; units per volume 2% from previous year Vitamin D: $26,218,453; units per volume 28% from previous year Childrens Multivitamin: $32,028,403; units per volume 8% from previous year.
Green Beaver Sport natural DeoDorantS

New advanced formula specially developed for extra odour protection and for those with skin sensitivities. The unique anti-odour complex composed of natural citrus enzymes and lichen provides extra protection for active people. Soothing chamomile and aloe will help to soothe sensitive, damaged or burning skin resulting from shaving. Green Beaver natural deodorants go on clear, will not leave any white residue and are also not mushy or too hard. They do not contain aluminum, propylene glycol, artificial fragrances, dyes or chemical preservatives. Available in four organic scents; lavender, wild yam, citrus and tea tree. An unscented deodorant is also available. Made in Canada. For more information, write 135 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
DelapointeS SHea Butter

Feel this wonderful, highquality pure shea butter from Delapointe. Delapointe is the first importer of Fair Trade certified and certified organic shea butter in Canada. Pure and 100% natural, shea butter can provide relief from dry skin to many minor dermatological diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. Use it on your lips and skin to battle the harsh winter climate! For more information, write 136 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
HoliSta vitamin D
Vitamin D helps the body incorporate calcium into the bones, boosting bone mineral density. The winter season inhibits the bodys ability to produce optimal levels of vitamin D, making vitamin D3 supplementation even more necessary to ensure your body receives an adequate supply. For more information, write 137 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
aScentaS nutraSea+ D orGanikaS all natural GummieS

Introducing an innovative way of allowing your kids to take their daily supplements with ease. Organikas Vita Bears, Omega Yummies and Calcium Bears have come to their rescue! Yes, they look like regular gummies but the similarity ends here. Organikas gummy supplements are packed full of wholesome goodness, for the kids you love! For more information, visit our website at www.organika. com. For more information, write 138 on the Free Info Card on page 73. NutraSea+ D is an omega-3 supplement with added vitamin D3. With a balanced ratio of EPA and DHA combined with 1,000 IU of natural vitamin D3, it is suitable for children, adults and seniors, and is available in an apple-flavour. Ascentas green tea antioxidant gives NutraSea+ D a fresh twist. For more information, write 139 on the Free Info Card on page 73.
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July/August 2010
Keys To Success
Gemmotherapy is a branch of phytotherapy which uses buds and young shoots. These are gathered in the spring at a key stage in their natural growth cycle, and stabilized / mixed with an alcohol-water-glycerin solution at collection. At HerbalGem only fresh, organic buds and young shoots are used, never frozen. HerbalGem manages all the steps of production, from harvest to final product preparation in their laboratory, in order to create the highest quality concentrated gemmotherapy extracts. HerbalGems multi-year knowhow and proprietary production techniques allow to extract all the active principles from the buds to ensure that no vitamins, minerals, natural plant hormones or nucleic acids are lost.
CONCENTRATED GEMMOTHERAPY
has several advantages over the usual D1 dilution Only 5-15 drops daily are required vs. 50-150 drops of most D1 dilutions. A 50 ml is equal to a 500 ml of D1. The quantity of alcohol and glycerin ingested is 10 times less.
Manufactured in Belgium
Single bud extracts Complexes
NPN received on all HerbalGem products Your trusted supplier of CONCENTRATED GEMMOTHERAPY
BIO LONRECO INC.

Dorval QC H9P 2T1 Tel: 1.800.361.6663 or 514.631.6627
6th Annual Top Seller Review

Your Last Chance To Validate Your Vote!
Sponsored By
Top Seller revieW

Take a moment to fill out this questionnaire and your store may be among those highlighted in the Top Seller review Section of the next issue of ihr. The number of units sold determines the top sellers. To be included in the review, products mentioned must be classified as natural health products not standard consumer brands.
>
Store Name__________________________________________________ city ______________________________________ province ___________ date ___________ Name ____________________ Title _________ Address __________________________________________________________ phone ___________________________ Fax _____________________________ email __________________________________________________ Store Size: under 1,000sq.ft. 3,000-5,000sq.ft. 1,000-3,000sq.ft. over 5,000sq.ft $20,000-$40,000 Approximate Age of Store customers: under 25 25-40 40-65 over 65
Approximate income of Store customers:
$40,000-$60,000
over $60,000
>Food Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: >HerBS Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour:
>SporTS NuTriTioN Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour:
>viTAMiNS/SuppleMeNTS Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour:
>perSoNAl cAre Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour:
>NeW producTS Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour:
FAX: 1-888-849-0155 or (416)703-6392
MAil:
ihr Magazine 60 Bloor St. West, Suite 1106, Toronto, oN, M4W 3B8
feature news
Health Canada Proposes Regulation to Exempt the NPN Back-Log

Health Canada has taken action to address the large class of Unprocessed Product License Applications. Regulations have been published in the Canada Gazette Part I (May 8, 2010) detailing a protocol for the orderly transition of the existing backlog of natural health product applications that Health Canada has not processed. In an attached Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement, Health Canada acknowledges there are about 10,000 natural health products (NHPs) currently being sold for which outstanding license applications have been made that the department has not processed. This is a situation that has been festering for many years, so Health Canada explains its current impulse to act: As a result of recent stakeholder feedback regarding the sale of unlicensed NHPs, Health Canada is of the opinion that a temporary solution is needed to allow
Canadians access to products that meet certain safety criteria, while also making sure safety measures are in place The recent stakeholder feedback refers to statements and actions taken by the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) in January 2010 against the sale of unprocessed NHPs in drug stores which they alleged were unsafe. The regulations HC proposes is described as a temporary instrument that would make the sale of these products legal. To qualify for exemption a product would have to comply with specified safety criteria. These are: The product is not a sterile product for ophthalmic use. To the best of the applicants knowledge the product is not likely to result in injury by its user. The product is not recommended for any health condition listed in Schedule A. The product is not recommended for use by children, pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Health Canada will also publish a registry of exempted products on its website. Also, manufacturers must ensure that an exemption number designated as an EN be printed on product labels within a reasonable time. An exemption number would remain valid until the application is withdrawn, is formally approved or refused or until the regulations expire at the end of 30 months after coming into force. In their cost-benefit statement, HC says the proposal could preserve $245 million or more of the product sales for the affected products in the first year of its implementation, and that there would be no additional cost to consumers and retailers. These regulations would require HC to issue an exemption number to qualifying NHPs either within 180 days from when applications was first made or by 15 days after the regulations come into force. Since most affected products have been long outstanding HC would have issue thousands of exemption licenses within a two week period.
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July/August 2010
Keys To Success
feature news
Carl Carter, regulatory affairs director of the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) is quoted in the Toronto Sun (May 19th) as saying, The proposals reassure the CHFA. A big concern to us was really the unnecessary potential for consumer confusion, he said. Lawyer Shawn Buckley of the Natural Health Products Protection Association (nhppa) has issued a personal discussion paper expressing deep reservations. As the law currently stands, persons who have submitted licence applications are not in danger of convictions for selling without a licence. There is no need to exempt them or deem licences to avoid convictions, he writes. Manufacturers who go to the expense of acquiring an exemption licence are no better of than those who decline this route and simply wait for their application to be processed. Buckley also is concerned that HC will use this regulatory initiative to ramp up enforcement at the retail store level. Once the back-log is cleared, Inspectors can walk into health food stores and seize every product that does not have a licence number on the label.
The Backstory
With pharmacy regulators throwing a fit and Health Canadas (HC) exemption regulations for outstanding NPNs how is a retailer to make sense of this and is there anything you can or should be doing? To get a fix on this, frame it politically. The Harper government is preparing to introduce its third version of consumer safety legislation. Twice before as Bills C6 and C51 the Harper government has failed in this mission and that rankles. Two public constituencies rallied to sufficiently fuel legislator concerns. These were civil libertarians and the natural health community. The Prime Ministers Office (PMO) aims to neutralize these threats this round by pre-emptive action. So, there have been leaked press stories that many authoritarian provisions will be deleted from the forthcoming Bill. Thats meant to send a friendly signal to the civil liberties folks. Now, what about the natural health freedom crowd? More than anything the PMO wants to ensure that nothing occurs to provoke a repeat incident of MP and media-directed consumer fury over fears that Health Canada is about to ban popular natural health products (NHPs). Into this scenario the pharmacy regulator initiative precipitates. Apparently, relations are such that when pharmacy regulators want to communicate some concern to Health Canada the rational thing is to issue a hostile press release. By throwing down the gauntlet the pharmacy people intended to create a public safety pretext that would allow HC to outright ban the offending class of products. In this event, the industry and consumers would go ballistic and start pounding on MPs. HC would deflect the blowback onto the pharmacy regulators (they forced us to do it!). Such a situation would jeopardize the pending consumer safety bill, so a Higher Power has forced an alternative solution. Since there is concern over the ambiguous status of outstanding NPNs, a decision has been made to resolve the problem by effectively legalizing the lot through the magic of the Canada Gazette. The PMO hopes that thus assuaged the natural health community will not be inclined to interfere with their legislative plans. For the PMO, this is an easy give. They could care less that this puts noses out of joint at HC. For them, this is a major defeat. But it is not a victory for natural health. Its not yet clear how this will play out and the situation is unstable. Theres a lot of money on the line and reputations at stake so expect more trouble. In politics there are two currencies money and people. We dont have the money but we can surely mobilize the power of hundreds of thousands of registered voters. In the absence of national organizations that command the confidence of natural health consumers only retailers as a group have a direct and trusted relationship. Natural health retail establishments are the local constituency offices of the natural health movement. Every store can be the hub of a neighbourhood support network. If retailers proactively organize, support, and sponsor their customers to speak up and act then they will make a force that has serious political weight. Your customers want you to step up to the plate.
Keys To Success
JULY/AUGUST 2010
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industry news
Karma Nutritionals Annouce Sales Team
Karma Nutritionals Inc., in Langley, British Columbia, has announced who is making up its Canadian sales team. Sean Minion, Account Manager for Eastern Ontario and Quebec, was most recently with Fit Foods. He has also worked at Xerox Canada, Doculink International and Schwarzkopf. He is a graduate of Carleton University. Chris Johnson, Account Manager for Atlantic Canada, is owner of the website Renegade Nutrition and the supplements company Advanced Genetics. Sonja Morrison, Account Manager for Atlantic Canada, works with Renegade Nutrition and Advanced Genetics. Andria Barrett, Account Manager for Ontario, has previously worked with Fit Foods and Prairie Naturals. Chelsea Danchuk, Account Manager for Alberta and Saskatchewan, is a Holistic Nutritionist and has held positions at Now Foods and Natural Factors. Heidi Blecker, Account Manager for British Columbia, has worked at Sears Health and Wellness Centres, Puresource and Solaray. Jessica Williams, Key Account Manager, worked previously at Fit Foods.
Chelsea Danchuk
In Defense of Natural Health Retailing

On Tuesday, June 8, 2010 CBC news published an article entitled Health food store advice not scientific: study. This reported on an article from the December 2009 edition of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (JACN), which is the house organ of the American College of Nutrition (ACN) representing professional nutritionists. Though the JACN is supposed to be a bi-monthly publication, there has not been another issue since the December 2009 edition. The ACN is heavily supported by funding supplied by pharmaceutical and megafood processors. In 2006, Integrity in Science cited the JACN for failing to reveal that its editor and several authors had long standing ties to the food industry. The ACN and nutritionists associated with it have long been outspoken and persistent critics of the natural health industry, which they view as a threat to their business interests. The JACN article reported on by the CBC is Advice on Dietary Supplements: A Comparison of Health Food Stores and Pharmacies in Canada, the lead author being Norman Temple, PhD, a professor of nutrition at Athabasca University, Alberta. Between 2002 and 2008, 39 undergraduate nutrition course students visited 192 health retailers and
56 pharmacies across Canada and asked questions on themes such as lecithin (for improved memory), N=25 or how to improve memory, N=19. Instruction to students is not disclosed; only sample questions are disclosed in the article. If forms were employed to record answers, they are not supplied in the final publication. No profiles of the stores are given, nor their locations. No controls for subjectivity or bias are reported. Answers to questions were graded for accuracy according to reliable websites such as MEDLINE or the American Dietetic Association. Again, no specifics at all are given, so there is no way of knowing objectively what the standards were. In pharmacies, no distinction is recorded between those questions posed to and answers given by pharmacists and nonpharmacists. Yet, the study concludes that health food stores gave 88% poor answers, while pharmacies gave 68% good answers. Even though the authors caution that we cannot be certain that all reporting was done accurately and that another possible source of error is in the interpretation of results none of this is reflected in the unattributed CBC article that quotes Dr. Temple as dismissing health store staff as being no more qualified than somebody pouring coffee in Tim Hortons.
Until yesterday this article has failed to achieve a single professional citation and zero media coverage. When something like this suddenly makes CBC headlines with authors quotes this suspicious. Both the original article and the CBC report were and are synchronized bias dressed up as objective and scientific. If this is the level and style that enemies of natural health must resort to then we should actually be encouraged. If they had solid evidence, they would lead with it. If it was real and honest news reporting, we would have seen it months ago, and with an authors name on it. Integrated Health Retailer condemns this as a choreographed stunt. We express our solidarity with all natural retailers and all staff whom we respect and have confidence in. Take heart.
References Nutrition Journal Failed to Disclose Editors and Authors Ties to Salt Industry. Integrity in Science, 2006. http://www.cspinet.org/ integrity/watch/200610021.html#1 MEDLINE, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ databases/databases_medline.html American Dietetic Association, http://www. eatright.org/ Health food store advice not scientific: study, CBC News. http://www.cbc.ca/health/ story/2010/06/08/con-health-study.html Raloff, Janet. A Salty Controversy over Sodium-and-Health Papers. Science News. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/ id/7857/title/Food_for_Thought__A_Salty_ Controversy_over_Sodium-and-Health_ Papers
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July/August 2010
Keys To Success
industry news
Shoppers Drug Mart And Sony Sign Merchandising Deal
One of Canadas leading drugstore retailers, Shoppers Drug Mart, has signed a merchandising deal with Sony. The agreement will see approximately 50 Sony products including the Playstation3, PlayStation Portable and a variety of games and accessories on the shelves of about 700 Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores across Canada. This agreement with Sony, coupled with the recent announcement of our distribution arrangement with Rogers, brings together leading brands and serves to further strengthen our value proposition and optimize the service center in our stores, said Shoppers Drug Mart President and CEO Jurgen Schreiber. The Sony products will begin appearing on Shoppers Drug Mart shelves this fall. and will include pantry basics like fruit jams, maple syrup, beef burgers and hot dog buns and household products like cutlery, light bulbs, jumbo paper towels and napkins. Signal offers our lowest prices on shelf for everyday essentials across all of the key food, household and cleaning product lines, said Sobeys Inc. Chief Marketing Officer Belinda Youngs. Were pleased to provide Canadians with a line of budget-friendly products allowing them to channel their savings toward the joys of the summer. Products from the Signal line will be available at Sobeys, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo and Price Chopper locations across Canada. fats. Finally, in April, 2010, the co-chair of the Trans Fats Task Force, Sally Brown of the Heart and Stroke Foundation finally expressed impatience with Health Canada. Its alarming that something so clear, so well-researched came up with a clear consensus that this stuff has to be out and its still in. In Parliament all Opposition parties banded together behind an NDP motion calling on the government to bring in compulsory regulations. Feeling the heat, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq has said only that a regulatory option is being considered along with further voluntary measures. On May 6th the Commons Health Committee grilled Samuel Godefoy, director-general of the Foods Directorate on the matter. He informed the committee that a regulatory option is absolutely on the table though such a measure could take a while. Liberal health critic Carolyn Bennett commented, The government has to have more than pompoms, cheering for it to get off the shelves.
Sangsters Opens 45th Store in Edmonton

Saskatchewan-based Sangsters Health Centres has opened a new store in Edmonton, AB their seventh in that city. The franchise is located in Edmontons Rutherford Professional Centre and is owned by Jeff Poshner. Its exciting to work with a company with such a rich history of bringing natural health alternatives to the Canadian public, said Poshner. I look forward to helping southwest Edmonton make health a habit. The new Edmonton location is Sangsters 45th store in Canada.
Metro Adopts New Sustainable Fisheries Policy

Metro Inc. has announced that it has a new sustainable fisheries policy. The new policy, which will be gradually implemented starting September 2010, will offer customers fresh and frozen wild and farmed seafood products from sustainable fisheries. Beginning in September 2010, Metro will stop selling a number of threatened species in its more than 600 drug stores throughout Ontario and Quebec, and will also change its product labeling. The adoption of a sustainable fisheries policy is consistent with our corporate responsibility approach, said Metro Inc. Vice President and COO Robert Sawyer. This initiative is proof that we want to go beyond the role of distributor and become an actor in sustainable development. Metros new sustainable fisheries policy will be in effect in all of its supermarkets and discount stores in Ontario and Quebec by June 2011.
Matrixx Names William J. Barba To Board of Directors

Over-the-counter healthcare product developer Matrixx Initiatives Inc. has named William J. Barba as a member of the companys board of directors. Barba, who has served as the companys treasurer and director of planning since July 2007, will be the board of directors new treasurer and vice president of finance and accounting. Barba joined the company in February 2004 in a finance and investor relations role and was named director of planning and administration in 2006.
Health Canada Criticized for Failure to Act on Trans Fats

Members of Parliament, industry leaders and health advocates are angry that Health Canada has failed to act on the question of trans fats in our foods. In June 2007, then Health Minister Tony Clement said, Today, industry is being given notice that they have two years to reduce the levels of trans fats or Health Canada will regulate their use. A Trans Fat Task Force was set up partnering Health Canada with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A monitoring report was published in late 2009, which found that compliance is poor and that high levels of trans fats persist throughout the food supply. Meanwhile, many other jurisdictions ranging from New York City to Denmark have taken decisive action to ban or severely restrict trans
Swiss Herbal Rebrands to Swiss Natural

Swiss Herbal Remedies Ltd., manufacturer of Swiss Natural Sources vitamin and supplement products, has rebranded as Swiss Natural. The new name also comes with a new tag line Supplement your life. The new brand name and tag line solidify the companys efforts to focus on consumer awareness of the nutraceutical category and the benefits of Swiss Natural products, said Sheryl Willison, Director of Marketing.
Sobeys Launches New Low-Priced Private Line

Sobeys Inc. introduced their new low price private label line during Victoria Day weekend. The new line is called Signal
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JULY/AUGUST 2010
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industry news
Neptune Technologies Neptune Krill Oil Wins Best Product Award
Neptune Krill Oil, a Neptune Technologies and Bioressources Inc. product, was awarded the prize for best product of 2010 during the 11th Congress of Nutrition and Sant in Belgium by a scientific committee comprised of professors and doctors. The evaluation of products was based on efficacy, value of innovation, biochemical composition and clinical studies supporting each product. Three finalists were chosen out of the group of 29 applicants and NKO was awarded the laureate. developed Mirafit with his colleague Catherine Jen, chair of the department of nutrition of food science. The two have formed an enterprise to market their creation and are having it manufactured by Suntrition in Windsor. Product sales have taken off with U.S. and Canadian and Middle East distributors. The Rexall chain has picked up Mirafit and it will soon be available in Europe. Were really pleased to say we have physicians recommending the product, Artiss said. Consumers are saying doctors have recommended it to them. The company recently announced the successful completion of a clinical study of Mirafit undertaken at the University of California, Davis. toxic to the kidneys. This was most likely a manifestation of the underlying myeloma. In this trial, patients were given 5g of plant sourced and micronized SRT501. At this dose some patients complained of nausea and dehydration which Dr. Jacobson allowed may have contributed to kidney problems. Some observers have questioned whether the trial dosage was too high. Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, a professor of cancer research at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, U of Texas said, I am not surprised that they had toxicity. It is too high a dose. Prof. Aggarwal also raised whether the chemical structure of the Sirtris proprietary SRT501 which differs from natural resveratrol might have played a role. Sirtris, a GlaxoSmithKline subsidiary, has been very prominent in developing proprietary resveratrol products. Despite this setback, Sirtris is continuing its research into SRT501.
Health Canada Reports Increase in Adverse Reactions to Health Products

In the April 2010 Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter, Health Canada says that it received 27,496 adverse reaction reports throughout 2009. This is an increase over 2008 of 35%. Of these reports, 74.9% were considered serious. The majority of reports were filed by health professionals. The largest category of agents responsible for an adverse effect was pharmaceuticals with 18,301 reports or 70.2% of the total. Biotechnology products were responsible for 5,998 reports or 23.0%. Natural Health Products accounted for 516 reports or 2.0% of all cases. Although Health Canada does not report the exact figures, charts contained in its report indicate that the incidence of reported adverse effects is rising sharply. From 2001 to 2009 the number has climbed from around 12,000 annual reports in 2001 to 27,496 for 2009.
Sobeys Wins New Product Awards in Private Label Category

Two Sobeys Inc. products Sensations by Compliments Tiramisu and Chocolate Hazelnut Gelatos, and Compliments Mini Artisan Breads in Harvest Bread and Tuscan Loaf flavours were recognized at the Canadian Grand Prix New Product Awards as outstanding new products in the private label category. Sobeys has previously won several Grand Prix New Product Awards, and earlier this year received a BrandSpark International Best New Product Award for another Sensations by Compliments dessert. We are always honoured to be recognized for the quality, innovation and thoughtful development of Sobeys private label products, said Belinda Youngs, Chief Marketing Officer for Sobeys Inc. When developing our private label products we are committed to providing our customers with great food inspiration.
Becel Launches First Food Fortified with Plant Sterols in Canada

Becel has announced the launch of the brands new pro.activ margarine with plant sterols, the first food product available in Canada fortified with plant sterols. Plant sterols have been recognized for their cholesterol-lowering properties for decades, said Christopher Luxon, President and CEO of Unilever Canada, makers of Becel. Greg Curnow, Associate Clinical Professor, Divisions of Cardiology and General Internal Medicine at the McMaster University Department of Medicine said, The addition of plant sterols to food products is a significant dietary advancement for Canadians. Along with a healthy diet and daily exercise, its encouraging for Canadians to have a new tool like plant sterol-fortified foods that can help reduce one of the main risk factors for heart disease.
New Fat-Binding Weight Loss Supplement Mirafit Being Made in Windsor, ON

A Windsor, ON resident and university professor Joe Artiss has developed a novel weight loss supplement that is selling well in that very crowded market. The product is called Mirafit and it is made from soluble corn fibre that binds with fat in the stomach preventing its absorption. Dr. Artiss is a professor of pathology at Wayne State in Detroit, MI and he
Resveratrol Clinical Trial Suspended Due to Adverse Effects

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, MA has stopped a Phase 2 clinical trial of its proprietary SRT501 resveratrol when several patients showed signs of kidney failure. The patient cohort all had multiple myelomas. Sirtris Chief Medica Officer Dr. Eric Jacobson said we think it likely that the drug itself is not directly
Neptune NKO Receives Best Product Award

Neptune Technologies and Bioressources Inc. has announced that Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) was awarded the prize for best product of 2010 during the 11th Congress of Nutrition and Sante in Belgium.
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July/August 2010
Keys To Success
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Neptune client Nutrisan Nutraceuticals applied for the award, which involved an evaluation of NKO by a scientific committee of both renowned doctors and professors. The evaluation was based on the efficacy, value of innovation, biochemical composition and clinical studies supporting the product. together on projects to help children at risk, he said. As part of the Herbalife-FC Barcelona agreement, a percentage of the sponsorship fee will be paid to the FCB Foundation, whose XICS Centres work to help children at risk around the world. As part of the agreement with Messi, programs will be developed to assist in nutritional education initiatives, to be carried out via the Leo Messi Foundation in collaboration with the Herbalife Family Foundation. for GNCs international operations. Before this, Berg served as VP and SVP for Best Buy, and later as Executive VP and COO for Best Buy International. In his new role, Berg will continue to directly report to GNCs CEO, Joe Fortunato, who said, David has already proven to be an excellent addition to the GNC senior management team, and we are confident that he will bring added value to our organization in his new role as GNCs COO.
Two Awards for Enzymedica at the 2010 Vitamin Retailers Vity Awards
Two enzyme supplements from Floridabased enzyme manufacturer Enzymedica Inc. were awarded first place in the 2010 Vitamin Retailer Vity Awards. Digest Gold and Acid Soothe, the two winning supplements, secured Enzymedicas third consecutive win at the annual survey. Digest Gold won first place in the Specialty Combination FormulasBest Digestive Support Combination Formula category while Acid Soothe won for Natural Medicine-Best Indigestion Remedy category.
Survey Reveals Green Marketing Gives Green Businesses Credibility

According to a recent survey released by Traffic Marketing and Design Inc., green businesses gain credibility in the public by using green marketing initiatives. The survey examined nearly 350 green businesses, government and not-for-profit exhibitors at the recent Green Living Show in Toronto. The survey was conducted to gauge how companies are communicating green to their customers, and to measure the usage of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. Surprisingly, over 66% of survey participants lacked environmentally marketing materials, according to survey results. Organizations such as government and not-for-profit exhibitors had the highest usage of FSCcertified paper, at 50%, while segments like fashion and beauty and health and wellness had adoption rates of less than 10% . While the use of FSC-certified paper is not the only indicator of a green marketing initiative, according to Traffic and Marketing Design President and Creative Director Bernard Hellen, RGD, it is one of the easiest ways to demonstrate sustainable leadership. When it comes to marketing green, in this case, the medium really is the message, he said.
Enzymedica Announces Autism Campaign

Enzymedica Inc. has launched the Hope in Every Bottle campaign in support of autism. According to the Company, the new campaign is an interactive invitation and calls on Enzymedicas retail partners and consumers to join the cause. Consumers can purchase specially marked bottles of Enzymedicas Digest Spectrum, which will have a unique code on the label inviting them to the Hope in Every Bottle website to activate an online donation. Once activated, Enzymedica will donate $1 for every 30 count bottle of Digest Spectrum; for every 90 bottle count, the Company will contribute $2. The donations will go to the Autism Hope Alliance, a non-profit educational foundation for families facing autism spectrum disorder diagnoses.
Herbalife Becomes FC Barcelona Sponsor

Herbalife Ltd. has announced a threeyear, multi-million dollar agreement with FC Barcelona to make Herbalife the clubs official nutrition sponsor. As part of the contract, Herbalife has acquired global association rights, as well as various publicity assets and rights held by the club to promote the Companys name internationally. The agreement also states that as the nutrition sponsor, doctors and nutrition experts from Herbalifes Nutrition Advisory Board will meet with members of the first team to develop specific nutrition programs to support them. FC Barcelona footballer Leo Messi has also agreed to a personal sponsorship agreement related to Herbalifes global promotional activities for the next three years. Im very happy to be associated with such a large, established nutrition company as Herbalife, thats known around the world. Together, we can help spread the word about how healthy nutrition can help athletes achieve the most out of their training, while at the same time, work
NPF Elects New Board of Directors Members

The Natural Products Foundation (NPF) has elected six new members for threeyear terms to the organizations Board of Directors. The newly elected members of the board are Carilyn Anderson, Sales Executive for Carlson Labs, Arlington Heights, IL; Jane Drinkwalter, Vice President of Sales for Vitamer Labs, Irvine, CA; Peter Hafermann, President of Alix Technologies, Carrollton, TX; David Matteson, President of Early Edge Solutions, Seattle; J. D. Weir, CEO of Primus Pharmaceuticals, Scottsdale, AZ; and Bruce Worley Jr., the Director of Field Sales for Humphreys Pharmacal, East Hampton, CT. Other members of the NPF board are Derek Hall, CEO of Qivana; and Pat Sardell, President of the Natural Products Association (NPA). <
GNC Names David P. Berg as COO

General Nutrition Centers Inc. has announced that David P. Berg has been named COO, a new title for the global specialty retailer of nutritional products. Berg had previously been Executive VP Global Business Development and COO
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JULY/AUGUST 2010
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business news
Company Name Market last Quarter stock Exchange Price Price % 52-Week 52-Week Revenue P/E Cap Ratio ($Millions) symbol 05/13/10 06/24/10 Change High low ($Millions)
Dietary & HealtH

Abbott Laboratories AEterna Zentaris Inc. Atrium Innovations Inc. Burcon NutraScience Ceapro Inc. Cyanotech Corp. Danone SA Dean Foods Forbes Medi-Tech Inc. Gaiam Inc Cl A Hain Celestial Group Inc. (The) Hansen Natural Corp. Herbalife Ltd. Immunotec Inc. Jones Soda Co. Lifeway Foods Inc. Mannatech Inc. Martek Biosciences Corp. Matrixx Initiatives Inc. Medical Nutrition USA Inc. Natural Alternatives Intl. Natural Health Trends Corp. Naturally Iowa Inc. NBTY Inc. Nutraceutical Intl. Corp. Nutrition 21 Inc. ProPhase Labs Inc. Reeds Inc. Reliv Intl. Inc. Schiff Nutrition Intl. Senetek PLC Tofutti Brands Inc. USANA Health Sciences Inc. XELR8 Holdings Inc. ABT AEZ ATB BU CZO CYAN DF FMTI GAIA HAIN HANS HLF IMM JSDA LWAY MTEX MATK MTXX MDNU NAII BHIP NLIA NTY NUTR NXXI PRPH REED RELV WNI TOF USNA XELR NYSE TSX TSX TSX TSX Venture NASDAQ NASDAQ OTC NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE TSX Venture NYSE NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ OTC OTC NYSE TSX Venture NASDAQ OTC NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE AMEX NASDAQ OTC 48.610 1.960 14.990 7.970 0.070 2.180 10.790 9.710 0.150 8.830 21.180 39.270 48.270 0.370 37.340 0.939 10.990 3.210 21.130 4.870 2.950 7.600 0.290 0.035 33.720 1.930 15.930 0.016 1.850 2.380 2.830 7.660 1.199 1.740 38.410 0.130 47.460 1.210 15.380 7.270 0.075 2.050 10.850 10.290 0.140 6.740 21.110 39.650 47.260 0.350 27.290 1.380 10.050 2.440 24.340 4.750 3.970 6.250 0.210 0.076 34.650 1.350 14.510 0.013 1.550 1.990 2.350 7.360 1.020 3.700 34.860 0.220 -2.37% -38.27% 2.60% -8.78% 7.14% -5.96% 0.56% 5.97% -6.67% -23.67% -0.33% 0.97% -2.09% -5.41% -26.91% 47.05% -8.55% -23.99% 15.19% -2.46% 34.58% -17.76% -27.59% 117.14% 2.76% -30.05% -8.91% -21.38% -16.22% -16.39% -16.96% -3.92% -14.93% 112.64% -9.24% 69.23% 56.790 3.250 17.980 10.500 0.140 5.760 13.050 22.090 0.870 9.490 23.560 44.990 53.000 0.550 44.870 2.320 14.940 4.850 25.430 7.740 4.000 8.580 1.062 0.200 51.000 2.600 16.000 0.294 4.010 3.077 4.120 11.000 1.510 3.700 39.200 0.450 43.450 0.800 11.450 5.300 0.050 1.610 9.600 9.380 0.120 4.510 14.450 24.010 27.430 0.250 26.060 0.400 8.070 1.840 17.090 3.610 1.510 5.850 0.130 0.005 25.560 1.250 9.510 0.010 1.450 1.094 2.280 4.550 0.680 1.100 23.580 0.050 7,698.00 5.02 90.05 N/A N/A N/A N/A 2,972.31 1.15 62.18 222.10 238.11 618.63 N/A 515.25 N/A 15.96 60.67 123.97 6.31 4.45 16.98 5.70 0.03 705.16 N/A 47.90 1.60 N/A 4.01 22.73 53.32 0.50 4.59 119.09 0.74 12.49 73,688.29 N/A 9.61 N/A N/A 6.03 7.85 N/A 48.14 19.73 18.70 13.94 N/A 682.25 7.26 28.71 N/A 19.32 9.50 79.40 8.80 N/A N/A 9.55 N/A 10.08 N/A N/A N/A 13.06 12.91 N/A 30.83 16.06 N/A 76.34 502.42 210.86 3.53 10.76 1,865.58 0.70 156.23 861.92 3,495.54 2,851.20 24.50 2,288.81 35.38 168.64 64.61 810.77 44.94 57.25 44.25 2.28 18.96 2,190.92 50.87 150.47 1.04 20.20 20.10 29.09 204.76 7.80 19.17 533.71 3.45
Walmart Posts Record First Quarter Net Sales and Earnings

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has announced their first quarter earnings for the quarter ended April 30, 2010. Net sales were US$99.1 billion for the first quarter of 2010. The Company, however, had a negative free cash flow of approximately US$1.6 billion. Walmart Internationals net sales were US$25 billion with an consolidated operating income increased more than 10 per cent to US$5.8 billion.
DANOY OTC
17.81 33,280.00
Inverness Medical Innovations Inc. IMA
Vitality Reports 2010 Year-End Results

Vitality reported a net loss of $252,789 for the year ended January 31, 2010, compared to a net loss of $286,839 for the same period last year. The Companys general and administrative expenses for the year ended January 31, 2010 decreased to $253,109 from $294,298 in 2009, in part due to efforts at reducing costs. The financial results for the three months ended January 31 show a net loss of $55,076, compared to a net loss of $60,448 for the same period last year.
Neptune Technologies and Bioressources Inc. NTB
SNKTY OTC
pHarmaceutical & biotecHnology

Amgen Inc. AstraZeneca PLC (ADR) Bayer AG Baxter Intl. Inc. Biogen Idec Inc. Biovail Corp. (USA) Bristol Myers Squibb Co. Cephalon Inc. Elan Corp. PLC (ADR) Eli Lilly and Co. Gilead Sciences Inc. GlaxoSmithKline PLC (ADR) Genzyme Corp. Johnson and Johnson King Pharmaceuticals Inc. Life Technologies Corp. Merck and Co. Inc. Mylan Inc. Novartis AG (ADR) Perrigo Co. Pfizer Inc. Roche Holding Ltd Sanofi-Aventis SA (ADR) Shire PLC (ADR) Sigma-Aldrich Corp. Techne Corp. Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. AMGN AZN BAX BIIB BVF BMY CEPH ELN LLY GILD GSK GENZ JNJ KG LIFE MRK MYL NVS PRGO PFE SNY SIAL TECH WPI NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NASDAQ NYSE NYSE NASDAQ NASDAQ NASDAQ NYSE 55.880 43.150 60.650 44.160 51.400 16.400 24.000 62.690 27.880 6.350 34.500 39.470 35.090 51.790 64.670 9.260 52.770 33.310 21.140 48.190 62.450 16.560 37.080 32.390 63.610 56.150 63.000 57.820 43.730 56.150 45.070 58.600 41.130 49.380 19.010 25.350 58.300 31.700 4.670 34.480 35.720 34.970 53.650 59.600 7.810 50.000 35.610 17.740 48.490 57.780 14.460 35.110 30.460 63.460 51.660 57.990 51.990 42.570 0.48% 4.45% -3.38% -6.86% -3.93% 15.91% 5.63% -7.00% 13.70% -26.46% -0.06% -9.50% -0.34% 3.59% -7.84% -15.66% -5.25% 6.90% -16.08% 0.62% -7.48% -12.68% -5.31% -5.96% -0.24% -8.00% -7.95% -10.08% -2.65% 64.760 50.700 81.600 61.880 60.280 19.000 27.070 72.870 33.140 8.590 38.000 50.000 43.470 60.150 66.200 13.200 56.190 41.560 23.630 56.420 64.660 20.360 45.190 41.590 68.350 61.000 69.950 64.950 44.970 50.320 40.300 49.420 40.340 41.750 12.140 19.190 52.550 15.120 4.610 32.020 32.840 45.390 7.560 39.080 11.660 25.910 32.580 27.900 39.850 45.800 57.100 46.620 31.480 3,592.00 8,576.00 8,316.00 3,140.00 1,108.86 212.03 4,807.00 596.59 365.00 310.50 5,485.50 2,085.85 1,074.47 380.86 884.94 1,292.37 538.31 N/A 9,748.20 816.20 572.50 70.28 3,653.00 856.50 11.120 54,552.53 9.45 65,394.77 23.96 48,460.00 10.55 24,654.14 14.92 13,312.85 23.34 12.38 N/A N/A 3,143.97 4,368.42 5,348.42 2,726.81 13.20 43,549.27 BAYRY OTC
Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd. (ADR) RDY
7.77 39,760.61 11.63 32,220.51 9.71 99,054.62 134.78 14,276.26 12.74 164,273.10 7.96 15.66 65.37 22.10 1,940.55 9,061.50 5,440.50 5,267.80
Sobeys Announces $150 Million 30-Year Note Offering

Sobeys Inc. has announced the Companys intention to issue $150 million principal amount of medium term notes pursuant to its short form base shelf prospectus dated June 1, 2010. The notes are being offered on an agency basis through a syndicate led by National Bank Financial Inc. and TD Securities Inc. and are expected to be issued on June 7, 2010. The notes will bear interest of 6.64 per cent over a 30-year term. Net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes.
32.150 11,285.86 55.038 15,631.00
25.050 11,422.20 38.970 12,356.00 14.110 16,750.00
10.59 108,770.03 11.77 110,130.49 12.86 116,662.99 17.29 121,480.00 9.78 80,141.78 14.20 11,877.81 17.64 19.94 13.36 6,262.74 2,163.61 5,298.69
RHHBY OTC SHPGY NASDAQ
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (ADR) TEVA
14.60 48,402.69
*This selection of securities is not to be interpreted as a solicitation and companies are not endorsed by Rive Gauche Media
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July/August 2010
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business news
Planet Organic Announces Third Quarter Results
Planet Organic Health Corp. has announced that sales from continuing operations for the quarter ended March 31, 2010 were $28.3 million compared to $29.3 million for the same period in 2009, a decrease of 3.4 per cent. Foreign currency translation differences accounted for $2.3 million of the decrease. According to the Company, by removing the impact of foreign currency translation differences, third quarter sales actually increase by four per cent over last year. The Company recorded a net loss from continuing operations of $16.7 million compared to a net loss of $1.3 million last year. According to the Company, the current quarter includes an impairment charge of $17.7 million, which, if removed, results in an adjusted net income for the current quarter of $1.1 million. GNC stores across the country. Joe Fortunato, Chief Executive Officer, said, Our first quarter results represent a good start to 2010, as we continue to grow revenue, profit, Adjusted EBITDA margin, and cash flow. We also continue to make progress on our major strategic initiatives. The recently announced collaboration with Gatorade is a good example of our exciting new brand extension efforts. and the independent channel showed continued improvement with growth of 6.9 per cent. In terms of UNFIs fiscal year 2010 to date, sales for the first nine months of fiscal 2010 were $2.77 billion, a 6.4 per cent increase over the prior fiscal year in the same period. Steve Spinner, UNFI President and CEO said, In May, we announced the definitive agreement to acquire the Canadian food distribution assets of the SunOpta Distribution Group business, and we expect the transaction to close later [in June] . Spinner also noted that in June, UNFI announced the extension of our long-term partnership with Whole Foods Market for an additional seven years, resulting in an amended agreement to serve them for the next decade.
Ranaz Reports 2010 First Quarter Results

Ranaz Corp. reported sales for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010 as $4.2 million as compared to $4.3 million in the same quarter in 2009. The Company also reported a gross profit of $1.2 million for the three-month period ended March 31, 2010 as compared to $1.1 million for the same quarter in 2009. The Company says that the nominal increase in gross margin percentage in 2010 compared to 2009 was due to change in product sales and market mix, the reduction of production cost and the reach of a higher productivity level for the bar line. The net loss was $444,110 compared to a net loss of $190,246 for the same quarter of 2009, representing an increase of 133.4 per cent. The increase of net loss was mainly due to the product recall compensation revenue of $320,000 in 2009. Without this credit and the termination compensation in 2010, the net loss for the first quarter of 2009 would have been $510,246 as compared to the net loss for the first quarter of 2010 of $269,110, and it would have revealed a reduction of the net loss of $241,136.
SunOpta Receives Court Approval to Settle Class Action Suits

SunOpta Inc. announced that the Ontario Court of Justice and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York have approved the Companys agreement to settle all claims raised in class action proceedings previously announced arising from the Companys retstatement of interim financial results for the first three quarters of 2007. The Class Actions were file dagainst the Company and other named defendants on behalf of shareholders who purchased or otherwise acquired SunOpta securites from February 23, 2007 to January 27, 2008 inclusive. In return for the dismissal of the Class Actions and releases from Class Members of settled claims against the Company and the remaining named defendants, the settlement agreement provides for a total cash contribution of US$11.25 million (funded entirely by the Companys insurer) to a settlement fund and the adoption of certain corporate governance enhancements by the Company. The settlement agreement contains no admission of wrongdoing by SunOpta or any of the other named defendants and the Company and other named defendants expressly deny any liability or wrongdoing in the agreement. <
GNC Reports 2010 First Quarter Results

For the first quarter of 2010, ended March 31, General Nutrition Centers Inc. reported a net income of $26.0 million, an increase of $6.5 million from the previous years first quarter ($19.4 million). The Company reported consolidated revenue of $465.0 million, an increase of 5.7 per cent over consolidated revenue of $439.9 million for the first quarter of 2009. Revenue increased in the Companys retail and franchise segments by 5.1 per cent and 12.6 per cent respectively, and declined in the manufacturing/wholesale segment by 0.3 per cent. The Company opened nine net new domestic Companyowned stores, three net new Companyowned stores in Canada, and 31 net new international franchise locations. The Company also announced an alliance with the The Gatorade Co., a division of PepsiCo, to launch G Series Pro, a sports drink variant of Gatorades recently launched G Series, in the first quarter. G Series Pro will be distributed initially through an exclusive co-marketing and co-distribution collaboration with the Company and its network of more than 3,500 company-owned and franchised
UNFI Announces Third Quarter Results

For the third quarter 2010 ended May 1, United Natural Foods Inc. reported net sales of $985.7 million, an increase of approximately $96.2 million, from net sales of $889.5 million in the third quarter of 2009. Net income was $19.5 million for the third quarter of 2010, compared to $16.8 million in the third quarter of 2009. The supernatural channel experienced growth of 17.7 per cent, the supermarket channel had growth of 12.2 per cent,
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global news
Boots Targeting Acquisitions
Alliance Boots Ltd., which owns the U.K.s largest drugstore chain, is planning to make acquisitions to better serve its wholesale operations, and is also going to expand its retail sales partnerships. Boots is hoping to make wholesale deals in China and Russia. On the retail front, the company is extending its No. 7 skincare line in Italy and France with Procter and Gamble and arranging with Mothercare Plc to retail toddlers clothing. Boots will also open between 10 and 20 new stores in the U.K. The retail market is viewed as being subdued.
U.K. Retail Sales Drop

Retail sales across the U.K. declined in May to a point not seen since March 2009. According to a CBI survey, 48 per cent of all retailers reported a drop in sales volume in the first two weeks of May compared to the previous year. Many retailers report they are not optimistic, with 15 per cent feeling that sales will continue to fall. These retail sales figures for the early part of May are clearly disappointing, with many sectors failing to achieve higher sales than a year ago, said Ian McCafferty, CBI chief economic advisor.
U.S. Retail Giant Kohls Eyes Canadian Market

Department store retailer Kohls is considering entering Canada. The company is eyeing expansion into Canada because retail sales are so weak in the U.S. New store openings in California, Florida and Arizona are on hold. With 23 square feet per capita in the U.S. Canada appears to have room to grow at 14sq.ft. per capita. Kohls is reportedly scouting for property but may take a year or two to launch new stores. Kohls specializes in private and exclusive brands in its mid-priced stores. This formula provides better margins and lower marketing costs. The company has over 1,000 stores in 49 states and showed a 2009 profit of $991 million.
Retail Business in India Booming

A study published by international property consultant CB Richard Ellis finds that retailing in India is developing very quickly and the country is becoming a preferred market for investors. The Richard Ellis report maps the presence of 294 top retailers in 69 countries. In 2009, India moved to the 39th position from 44th spot the year before. The top favoured country for retailing is the U.K. followed by the United Arab Emirates, the U.S., France and China. One factor holding back Indian retailing is the restriction on foreign direct investment (FDI). If the government relaxes FDI norms, I feel Indias ranking will go up substantially, said Anshuman Magazine, CB Richard Ellis chairman.
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When in France, Starbucks Learns to Go Gallic

The coffee chain Starbucks is learning to adapt its retail model to do business in France. The company has had a difficult time in that country selling its standard coffee and muffins fare. Starbucks has got the message and is changing its look. Local fare is being featured and specialty items are on the menu. Starbucks is also paying a lot of attention to its properties. Their new store in Marseille preserved the original architecture and used local architects. The company is planning to add six stores this year to its current 54 outlets, with a further 12 planned for 2011. Last year, Starbucks bought out its local French partner and finally turned a small profit.
Groupon Retailing Phenomenon Takes Off

One of the hottest Internet retail ventures has an unusual model. It typically offers only one product for sale, for one day only and at a huge discount. The sponsoring companies hold no inventory and there are no SKUs or catalogue. Whatever deal is offered is driven by the huge number of potential customers. If enough people buy in, the vendor issues a coupon for the item or service to each purchaser at the offered price. The pioneer in this Internet retailing is Groupon, which launched in Chicago in November 2008. There are now Groupon locations in 40 cities and many competitors have sprung up, including Toronto-based TeamBuy, which launched in October 2009. <
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company profile
Making it Work
Authenta Natural Products is the real deal.
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company profile
uthenta Natural Products, based in Kelowna, B.C., is a new company that produces natural skin-care and beauty products. When he started his research, company founder and president, Farid Ibrahim, heard from natural health retailers who were concerned about whether the body-care products they carried in their own stores were truly natural and free of the chemical soup found in many commercial cosmetic products. Coming up with skin-care products that are free of chemicals is not an easy task and finding the right combination of natural ingredients for an effective product is a challenge in itself. But a bigger challenge is to combine those ingredients into a lotion or cream that is stable, feels great and has an acceptable scent. The problem for Authenta was to accomplish that without the use of chemical binders and preservatives. In 2006, Ibrahim set about the task of developing its first product a moisturizing anti-aging face cream packed with antioxidants. We made and tested dozens of batches over a three-year period before we got it just right, he says. Every bulk production batch of Authenta Skin Renewal Cream is no more than 20 litres in size to ensure uniformity of the product and the highest possible quality without the use of chemical binders. Of course, a great product wont reach its market without a brand and a message that resonates with consumers. Ibrahims first idea was to leverage his ethnic background. I thought, well, Im halfEgyptian, and the Egyptians have been practising herbal medicine for thousands of years. So the first prototype packaging for the new brand was a black box with a shiny gold pyramid that folded together at the top. Two focus groups, made up of the owners or managers of the top health food stores in the greater Toronto area, did not care for the packaging. Their message was clear: No gimmicks just tell us whats in the product, and dont try to hide anything. The focus groups also thought the package labelling was ambiguous, and customers want to know what they are using on the biggest organ in the body. Ibrahim knew it would be very easy to fix that problem, and hence was born the idea of Authenta, a brand whose ethos is full transparency. We have developed our own labelling standard that far exceeds what is required by the regulations, says Ibrahim.
Authenta products list all ingredients by both name and where in nature they come from. The box panel also states the exact percentage of every ingredient. Our complete transparency policy means consumers never have to guess or worry about what they are putting on their skin. For more information, to learn the purpose for each ingredient in the companys products and to order online or by telephone, visit www.authentaskincare.com. Authenta products are ideal for people who want products that are largely free of chemicals. Authentas do not contain the preservative parabens or other ingredients commonly found in skin-care products, including petroleumderived chemicals such as polyethylene glycol.
Their message was clear: No gimmicks just tell us whats in the product, and dont try to hide anything.
Authenta also uses ingredients that have a lowhazard score according to the website of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization that conducts research into the safety and efficacy of chemicals and natural ingredients used in skin-care products. Oddly enough, the ingredient with the highest EWG hazard score in the Authentas Skin Renewal Cream is vitamin A, which has a score of five out of 10; however, it is used in a concentration that falls well within the safety guidelines. Ingredients used in Authenta products have been chosen not only for safety, but also for their efficacy. The Authenta Skin Renewal Cream is contains a range of antioxidants and moisturizers such as R-alpha lipoic acid and certified organic grape seed oil. There are more than 25 active ingredients in the cream. Aside from its Skin Renewal Cream, Authenta has recently introduced its Face Cleansing Milk, Facer Toner and a product for varicose veins. Called Varosan, this is a topical gel containing a high concentration of aescin, which promotes circulation and helps reduce the appearance of varicose veins. The aescin occurs naturally in horse chestnut extract, the main active ingredient in w Authenta also endeavours to be socially responsible. Its products are never animal tested, and the outer packaging is made from 100 per cent recycled cardboard. Its products come in recyclable amber glass bottles with treatment pumps. These protect and preserve the creams and lotions inside from oxidization and UV radiation, which can easily damage products made without the use of chemical preservatives. <
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Keys to Success:
Innovation & Growth
ihr catches up with retailers profiled in previous issues to learn of recent advances.
By Pauline Anderson
For more information on this stor y plea se go to our websit e: w w w. ihpmagazine. com
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Well! Well! Well!

But some things have stayed the same at Well! Well! Well! e secrets of its success remain service, education, price and very unique products, says Tina Lee, store founder and owner. Amid a marketplace grappling with increasing regulatory changes, Well! Well! Well! believes that staying steadfast to its solid base will help it weather any industry turmoil. It aims to continue to oer an enjoyable shopping experience for customers. Were hoping that service level and that experience that customers get here will keep them coming in, says Forten. We have customers telling us they could have gone to such and such a place but came here because were familiar with their needs and we take the time to serve them. Sta, too, have also remained loyal, with all seven employees having been at the store for at least ve years. Were looking at increasing sta by bringing in someone who will work closely with us to provide more in-store demos and more product information to customers, says Forten. Customers might walk in the door and see a stand set up so they can see right away whats new and exciting. e store is gearing up to do a customer survey, although the details have not yet been worked out. Another exciting new project is a Healthy Singles Club for peo ple of all ages who are keen to meet others with a similar desire to live the healthy way, says Forten. We aim to provide both a social and an educational experience by having guest speakers discuss the latest on nutrition and how it plays a role in a healthy lifestyle. To begin with, the store plans to schedule twice monthly Meet and Mingle Nights and other events based on customer feedback.
f customers at Well! Well! Well! in St. Catharines, ON, need information on a particular natural food product, they need only stand and scan the package. Information on the products ingredients, proper dosages, and any relevant cautions immediately pops up on a screen. We were one of the rst stores that provide vitamins and supplements to have this service, and now other companies want to get on board, too says Donna Forten, store manager. Since IHR last proled the company in September 2008, the store has introduced new product lines, including some unique superfoods brought in from around the world. Two examples are Shavavari Powder for women or Kapikacchu Powder, a rich source of L-dopa says Forten. As well, the company has expanded its food category by about 10 per cent. Customers can now buy foods such as goji berries, purple corn and organic foods like yogurt, cheese and even pizza crust. A newly renovated premises allows for larger display of these new products; an entire area is now devoted to raw foods.
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Good Health Mart
lmost overnight, the Good Health Mart business ballooned in size, adding six new stores to its existing nine, after purchasing Planet Organic Living Stores earlier this year. The company is now in the process of rebranding these stores, located in downtown Toronto, Mississauga, Burlington, Milton, Guelph and Brampton. The process involves phasing out the Planet Organic fitnessoriented product lines, bringing more Good Health Marts natural medicine products to the new stores (about 98 per cent of the companys products are supplements and one to two cent food/snacks), and switching from the membership card driven marketing of Plant Organic to a loyalty card system. ere are still nal details to work out painting the stores, hanging signs, setting up information clinics but so far, the transition has been almost seamless. Weve experienced a little bit of dissatisfaction among customers, but weve given them something extra for the money they spent on the membership card, says Murray McMahon, Good Health Mart founder. Overall, were presenting a better deal to the customer. In the process, the company has about doubled its staff, which now numbers close to 50 full and part time employees and includes RNCPs (Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioners), homeopaths and naturopaths. e new mangers have been quick to adapt to the new way of doing business. e feedback Im getting so far is that they like working for us, says McMahon. The purchase was part of a well-thought-out strategy. Our ve-year plan was to add 10-plus stores and that ve-year plan
started two years ago so were ahead of the game right now, says McMahon. e plan is far from complete; future expansion is all but certain if we can nd markets that are not well served, and if the growth is managed carefully, says McMahon. For the most part, weve been talking to people and looking at purchasing existing stores that are similar to ours in makeup and t our model. McMahon has witnessed phenomenal growth in the natural products market since he went into business in 1993. When we first started, there was probably one health food store for about 25,000 people in Toronto; now, theres a store for every 7,500 to 8,500 people in the city and thats not including pharmacies. But 70 per cent of the population still doesnt buy supplements on a regular basis. Future advertising initiatives will target this potential market says McMahon.
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Dads Organics
While larger supermarkets are getting into the organic food business, most of these stores dont oer as wide a selection as Dads does, and their sta are not always trained to handle the special produce. Theres a shorter time life for organic products, even with something like corn akes, says Elder. Sta at other places might regard it as just another product, and might not rotate it enough. ey may also not know how to explain these products to customers.
ince Dads Nutrition Centre was pro led in IHR ve years ago, the family-owned company has opened a second store in Regina, a bigger 6,200-square-foot showcase franchise. e outlet, which opened its doors last January, has everything youd expect in a grocery store but healthier, says Drew Elder, franchise manager. In addition to the supplements and natural products oered at the original store in Saskatoon, the new location oers organic and free range meats, and organic bakery goods and produce. While the Saskatoon store is still known as Dads Nutrition Centre, the new business is being branded as Dads Organic Market, says Elder. Why the new focus on organic produce? We noticed from our research that for people to shop organically, they have to go to about four or ve locations to complete their full shopping list, so we thought that by pulling it all together and provide a pleasant mainstream design, it would be a welcome change. e reception so far has been tremendous.
And why open a store in Regina? In some ways, it was a no-brainer; many customers were already commuting the two-plus hours from that city to the store in Saskatoon anyway. Located in a high trac neighbourhood, the Regina store has a wide-open feel about it, especially with its virtual blue skyline visible immediately upon entering the spacious, premises. You can see the whole store from the entranceway, says Elder. Even though it specializes in organic products, the new franchise has by no means abandoned supplements. ats denitely an area we would never want to kiss goodbye, says Elder. Opening more franchises is on the future agenda. Were targeting a number of key areas; weve looked at a couple of other locations in Saskatchewan, some in Alberta and were beginning to look at BC and Manitoba, says Elder. Within ve years, we will probably have close to 10 stores up and running. And plans are afoot for a more creative and unique form of advertising which Elder is reluctant to discuss in detail.
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Apple Market
rom its 500-square-foot location inside the Apple Market in Mississauga, the Health and Wellness Center may not be large physically but it certainly plays a major role within the health food sector. We are currently, dollars per square foot, turning out the equivalent of a store three times our size, says Frank Pirri, Health and Wellness Manager. We may be only 500 sq. ft. but were packed to the rafters. Since last being pro led by IHR in early 2004, the company has widened what Pirri calls its prescription food sector, oering more products aimed at treating various health ailments. For example, people with diabetes will nd a wide selection of sugarfree candies, cookies and baking mixes, while those with a gluten intolerance or outright celiac disease can choose from a number of gluten-free products. e company continues to operate as a separate entity within the Apple Market store, a 12,000 sq. ft. family-owned country market. Its focus remains a holistic centre oering vitamins, minerals, herbals, and homeopathic products. The company still holds corporate seminars, and organizes wellness days for employees of area companies. We oer courses in everything from weight-management to healthy eating habits, to dietary plan and supplementary plans; we do all of that over and above what we do within this 500 sq. ft. space. And customers continue to come through the doors at roughly the rate of 100 per day. But whereas only a few years ago, a customer would spend $10 or $20, today each spends upwards of $50 per visit. e awareness for natural products has expanded dramatically, says Pirri.
He chalks up much of this success to forging relationships with local health experts. Many of these experts are recent medical graduates who are more accepting of the role of supplements and are more apt to refer patients who have not been successfully treated with traditional medicines. We have worked extremely hard at building relationships within the pharmacy trade and with medical doctors and surgeons, says Pirri. ey trust us enough to send patients to us. e 20 to 25 per cent yearly growth the store enjoyed a few years ago has dipped somewhat to perhaps over 10 per cent Its obviously slowed down but there is still double-digit growth; so its still steadily increasing, notes Pirri. e company is set to host its 11th annual health and wellness fair in September. e largest free event in the area, it typically attracts 60 vendors, as well as customers from as far away as Peterborough, Barrie and Hamilton.
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Ottway Herbals
ince IHR proled Ottway Herbals in July/August 2004, the company has made some major changes. First o, it closed its St. Clair location in Toronto, which had opened in 2002 and was the companys smallest store, and consolidated that business into the three remaining GTA locations. Another change was dismantling the pharmacy at the Church and Wellesley store, which meant the end of an experiment of having allopathic and natural products under the same roof. It may have worked on paper, but clientele just didnt take to it, says Touq Satiar, President and CEO. e customer speaks loud and clear, he says. As a business entrepreneur, you always have to try out new ideas and thats what we did. e store is now devoted entirely to natural and homeopathic products, vitamins/minerals and sports nutrition. Its a one-stop shopping experience for natural products to help people maintain good health, says Satiar. Meanwhile, the company has maintained its intense focus on customer service. e customers come rst and they get looked after, says Satiar. As soon as they walk through that door, they get a hello and they get a thank-you the moment they walk out. Satiar remains unphased by the growing number of grocery and drug stores carrying natural products. I never look at big box stores as our competition; if anything, they bring out some awareness in the market. Unlike larger chain stores, Ottway can provide one- to-one service on a personal level. Our market will always be there, says Satiar condently. As long as we look after the people who walk through that door, I think were safe.
One way he continues to look after that clientele is to have informed, well-trained staff including a medical doctor, naturopaths and homeopaths. ats always been our strength. How else does he stay ahead of the competition? Be true to yourself; be true to your clients, and from there, business will ourish. is, he says, is a winning formula for any company. Another major change is a new focus on natural products for pets. Ottway carries a range of immune boosters, weight-loss products and animal calming aids. e next step after people look after themselves is to see what they can do for the family pet, who is often very close to their heart. Pet products now account for about 5.5 per cent of the business, but this percentage is growing. ere will be more changes in the future. One of his most pressing goals is to improve the company website. We were among the rst to start a website in our industry and since then, our website probably became a bit dated.
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feature
Electronic Inventory Control Counters

Are they right for your business?
By Lyndsie Bourgon
ou Liberatore has a message for storeowners avoiding the switch to electronic inventory counters: Dont be afraid of technology.
We can scan products and ingest emails to tell customers about events, he says, adding that they send over 8,000 people regular company newsletters. Their customer contact list is maintained through Comcash, the point of sales system the store uses. Running a quick and efficient front of house is something every business wants to do smoothly and electronic inventory control counters are one way to keep transactions flowing throughout the day. The technology also has long-term payoffs and incentives. Included among the pay-offs are discount option, accounting reports and inventory tracking, along with other basic tasks like returns and payment options. Manufacturers of electronic inventory counters include Comcash (Laliberatores technology of choice), Logivision, CanadaPOS and Microsoft Dynamics. Most of these options run around the same price and theyre not cheap. Laliberatore estimates each of his two consoles cost around $3,800. Electronic inventory counters are very rarely leased: most manufacturers usually sell them through a reseller who has the
A lot of stores still use a [traditional] cash register, he says. But [electronic inventory counters are] beneficial you can see profit margins, financial reports, last costing and we update the cost every time we receive something. As owner of The Healthy Bug in Halifax, N.S., Liberatore has been using an electronic inventory counter (or electronic pointof-sales system (POS)) for about four years, after chucking his cash register reliance. Adopting the technology cost the business around $10,000 but to him its been worth every penny. We use it to track customer purchases and to run our rewards club, he says. Weve also found it useful for tracking purchases for customers, so they can describe and find products that theyve forgotten. Recently, The Healthy Bug used their electronic inventory control counter to entice customers to an in-show event with author Brad King.
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expertise to help stores install and program the technology. When looking for an electronic inventory control counter, businesses should be aware of this while searching for a retailer that has the time to understand individual business needs. Of course, shopping by price is discouraged when it comes to bringing an electronic POS system into a retail business. While it can be tempting to buy a used console, or the cheapest option, its important to consider future upgrades and the price of repairs that could follow. To get a sense of the real pros and cons associated with adopting electronic invoicing counters, you need to talk to Sanjiv Jagota. Jagotas Mississauga store, Natures Source, is in the process of developing their own POS software that is completely tailored to their individual needs. Natures Source has never operated without an electronic inventory counter, but Jagota says its been difficult finding software that provides the exact data the store needs, including a focus on seasonality and expiry date management. Jagota acknowledges its a high cost to set up an electronic control counter system, especially for independent businesses. Having cycled through a number of console options, he estimates that it costs about $10,000 to $20,000 to equip an average-size store with the technology. Much of that price has to do with installation fees, training and ongoing technical support. Costs will also be tacked on if you need a new computer to operate the system through and if you need remote access. The Buyers Zone retail assistance website says that, in most cases, the steep cost of adopting the software will pay for itself within the first few years of use. For a mid-size store similar to The Healthy Bug, up-front cost is still a huge deterrent but in return the system offers a glance into the lives of customers, along with the ability to streamline everyday activities, like managing inventory, updating price lists and keeping track of expiry dates. Of course, with every modern technological convenience comes risk and frustration and electronic inventory control systems are not without their pitfalls. Liberatores shop had problems syncing up their two computers when the second console was attached, only one received Microsoft patches and upgrades. This caused a system malfunction and required a complete operating system overhaul. Liberatore opted to purchase a whole new computer instead. He adds that there are also other technical snags. In his experience, You shouldnt operate the Internet on it at the same time, because the systems often cannot handle that much stress. Like Jagota, Dorothy Wilson, store manager at Ottawas Rainbow Natural Foods, has found that finding the right POS software fit has posed a challenge: We werent comfortable with our original one, and its inventory tracking system, she says. We hope to reorganize the way we receive and do inventory tracking. These troubles havent been enough to dissuade Wilson and the store from using an electronic inventory counter all together: Its a good tool, that provides powerful data for better stock management and controlling cost of sales, she says. But her biggest challenge? The hardest experience was when we first got it and inputting new products and learning how to use it. Wilson says its important for businesses to find a provider that understands their needs. As long as you get a good software provider that can help you, and look at your interface, its not too difficult for the cashiers to get trained up. In many cases, this can mean syncing a POS system to a number of stores, especially for chain stores and franchise outlets. Some electronic inventory counter systems provide an Internet-based data board that takes a snapshot of the days business. The information can be accessed from anywhere through the web, and is especially helpful for businesses that have multiple locations. So if the weaknesses plaguing electronic inventory counters are minimal, why is it that many businesses across Canada are reluctant to adopt the technology? Jagota estimates that close to 80 per cent of his colleagues across the country arent using the technology and thats probably due to cost and technology fears. They think: Why do it if youve always worked without? he says. However he likens that attitude to going to the bank and not asking for a balance statement having a reliable electronic POS system is integral to managing and maintaining your business both presently and in the future. Laliberatore is a bit blunter when it comes to the importance of the electronic counter system, saying: I think everybody should have it. Its like going from horse and buggy to a car, there very few disadvantages. Of course there will always bugs, but you live and learn.
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Weekend Warrior
Its a category thats been traditionally ruled by Polysporin. Youll see seven or eight variations of the same product, explains Warren Brander, the general manager of Thera-Wise products in Vancouver. Thera-Wise makes a line of natural, plant-derived, bio-active skin healing ointments, anti-inf lammatory creams and soothing balms marketed toward physically active people seeking an alternative to mainstream remedies. All products in the line have NPN numbers, making them officially approved by Health Canada. Brander feels that this range of over-the-counter skin therapy ointments is selling quite well. First aid is a universal need.
The
With the warming weather, active men come out to play and the result is aches, pains and sprains when the work week begins again. Natural healing products for weekend warriors are gaining momentum heres what you need to know.
By Sophie Kohn
ere comes the sun! For many active men, the warming weather brings with it a whole new activity schedule. Fridays are for Frisbee, Saturdays are for sailing, Sundays are for squash. When youre a 9-5er, theres no better feeling than powering down the laptop, Blackberry and meeting room projector on Friday afternoon, packing up early and heading outdoors. Inevitably, when you push your body to new heights and depths, you feel it the next day. But what do you do when you still feel it the day after that? And the day after that? Mainstream commercial personal care products have dominated the first aid market. The consensus among some natural health retailers is that this is starting to shift.
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LittLe Weekend Warriors
Some of the fondest memories of our youth were of days spent outdoors. But exuberant children will inevitably present with various minor injuries and irritations. Parents are aware of two important things. Children recover from injury quicker than adults, but absorb toxic and dangerous chemicals with greater efficacy. This is good reason to want our children treated with natural products. Homeopathic Arnica is the premier remedy for injury. But for convenience, many parents prefer a homeopathic combination in order to cover symptoms such as puncture wounds (Hypericum), insect bites (Apis, Ledum) or poison ivy (Rhus tox). Ferrum phosphoricum is extremely well received for any type of swelling, inflammation or first signs of illness. And the tablets can be crushed and applied to injured skin. When in nature there are a few necessary remedies to take along. Tea tree oil is handy for many skin applications. Sunburn heals well with aloe vera but it can be drying. Suggest a soothing emollient cream with little or no scent for night time healing, as pure as possible to avoid chemical absorption. Slippery elm is a demulcent herb that can alleviate the signs of food poisoning and settle an upset stomach. Found in lozenges, they are very much enjoyed by children with upset tummies while away from home. In its dry form cayenne will stop bleeding. A bloody nose can be stopped within a minute of taking a capsule of capsicum. It will miraculously heal a bleeding ulcer. Interestingly, when it is heated it becomes an irritant and can create an ulcer! Cayenne has been used for hundreds of years to prevent hypothermia in freezing weather. Simply sprinkle a moderate quantity into socks and gloves to prevent frostbite. External wounds in children can be healed effectively if they are kept clean. Calendula ointment and tea tree oil are handy for abrasions and scratches. Deeper wounds need to be cleaned to prevent infection. The classic use of hydrogen peroxide should be reconsidered as it will seal the wound and any bacteria that is within it. A gentle wash of four tablespoons sea salt in three cups of water is of the same pH as blood and soothing to the wound. A generous sprinkle of powdered goldenseal root and a sterile covering will heal the wound with no scarring! Jane Zathey
How does he account for the shift in consumer demand toward more natural healing products? Theres more information being made available to consumers, he says, citing The Environmental Working Groups website, Skin Deep, as an example. This website lets users search any personal care product by brand. It gives a full ingredients list, an explanation of what each ingredient does, and a danger rating out of 10. People dont want chemicals on their skin, Brander says. Theyre also thinking about it from the global perspective, too. This category continues to grow every year. Theres a green chemistry movement thats finally getting momentum and awareness. What types of natural ingredients are proving effective for healing? Whats very important in our types of ointments is that the base is a non-petrochemical base. The problem [with petrochemicals] is that these dont help the skin breathe, Brander explains. In place of petro-chemicals, products are starting to make use of a more bio-compatible base. Olive waxes are proving most compatible with the fatty composition of the skin. They provide an effective foundation while also allowing the skin to breathe naturally. Olive waxes also provide a cream or ointment with a safe preservative system, allowing the product to have a shelf life while forgoing the need for toxins and chemicals. Beta-glucan, a derivative of plant cellulose, is a powerful ingredient for increasing the immunologic function of the skin. Argan oil is currently enjoying a surge in popularity thanks to both mainstream and natural products that are exalting its efficacy in shampoos, conditioners and moisturizers. This oil helps to regulate water and lipid loss in the skin following any kind of abrasion or surface trauma. It expedites the healing process by replenishing these two crucial substances after injury, which is when the body needs them most.
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Athletes of all stripes are turning away from mainstream options because people worry about side effects, Fontas explains.
Calendula flower, chamomile and burdock root are all plantderived ingredients that offer considerable soothing properties. Calendula ointments are particularly good for cuts and scrapes. Rosehip oil and aloe vera are also common in todays up and coming skin-healing ointments. Both aid in the healing of burns, mild to moderate topical dermatitis, inflammation, redness and itchiness. Aloe vera is especially soothing in gel form stored in the fridge. Mark Fontas, a supplement salesperson at Noahs Natural Foods in Toronto, says he sees a lot of athletes, both amateur and professional-level, come in seeking anti-inflammatory treatments and homeopathic solutions for sore muscles. And increasingly, Fontas notes that his customers are looking specifically for natural remedies. Athletes of all stripes are turning away from mainstream options because people worry about side effects, Fontas explains. He estimates that a typical customer spends anywhere between $20 and $40 when he or she is buying natural first aid solutions. Fontas customer base is generally divided into two main groups professional athletes looking for preventative treatments prior to engaging in sports, and amateur weekend warrior athletes looking to treat minor skin and muscle distress that has already occurred. For the weekend warriors, Fontas recommends anti-inflammatory agents which include homeopathic preparations available as ointments, gels, drops, tablets and even injection solution. The topical applications are most sought-after by those casually involved in recreational sports and those new to the natural health market. Robert McMaster, a former Science Director for Heel in Canada said, There are many homeopathic creams and gels that are widely used to address strains, sprains, bruises and similar trauma. Sport practitioners and professional athletes have long relied on these as safe and effective anti-inflammatory and healing agents.
Ointments and gels are commonly sold in quantities of 50 or 100 grams, contain aconitum napellus, which helps to reduce pain following injury. Arnica montana, belladonna and bellis perennis all help to reduce swelling, bruising and pain. Another product that sells quite well at Noahs is concentrated arnica oil on its own. Arnica is a relative of the sunflower family used to treat strains, sprains and bruises. The oil is used to make a concentrated arnica ointment. True arnica oil is 100 per cent petroleum-free, and these ointments instead have a beeswax base. This type of base helps the product absorb quickly into sore muscles and damaged tissue, because unlike petroleum, the product does not turn the skin into a barrier for moisture. This type of ointment can be applied 3-4 times daily, directly to the affected region. Weekend warriors are also opting to take internal antiinflammatory treatments, as well as topical ones. Fontas says that turmeric has become very popular for this purpose. Turmeric contains several curcuminoids that are powerful anti-oxidant, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agents. In its most common uses, turmeric is mixed with boiling water and ingested, or mixed with a basic essential oil such as jojoba oil and applied directly to skin abrasions. There are many turmeric and curcumin supplement product that are taken internally for systemic effect. Also, several lines of todays top multi-vitamins include turmeric in their ingredients list. At the other end of the spectrum, seasoned athletes are opting for natural preventative treatments such as glucosamine and methyl sufonyl methane (MSM) capsules to help stave off osteoarthritis and joint degeneration resulting from sustained, intense exercise. Both of these options require several months of reliable consumption before the user will notice results. Fontas says that the pro athletes generally tend to plan ahead more, and thus are in the market for treatments that demand more foresight. By contrast, weekend warriors and recreational athletes are after faster-acting healing solutions.
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1. Kimmatkar N, Thawani V, Hingorani L, Khiyani R. Efcacy and tolerability of Boswellia serrata extract in treatment of osteoarthritis of knee--a randomized double blind placebo controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2003 Jan;10(1):3-7. 2. A mmon, H P., S afayhi, H., Maeck , T., Sabieraj, J. Mechanism of anti-inflammatory actions or curcumine and boswellic acids. J Ethnopharmacol. 1993 Mar;38(2-3). 3. Ammon, HP Boswellic acids (components of frankincense) as the active principle in treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. Wien Med Wochenschr. 2002;152(15-16). 4. Murray, Michael T. The Healing Power of Herbs: The Enlightened Persons Guide to the Wonders of Medicinal Plants, revised and expanded 2nd ed. Prima Publishing, 1995.
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feature
Vitamin Water
What you should know and the impact of the U.S. lawsuit on health food retailers.
By Sarah Snowdon
lacau vitaminwater can be found just about at any mass food retailer in North America. Even Hollywood celebrity Jennifer Aniston poses seductively holding a vitaminwater bottle in a recent ad for the product. While the product is ubiquitously touted as a smart choice for todays watchful consumer, e Coca-Cola Co. makers of the product recently failed to win dismissal of a lawsuit, brought by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which is serving as cocounsel in the class-action suit. e lawsuit accuses the company of misleading the public through health-related claims on bottles of its glacau vitaminwater beverage. Judge John Gleeson of the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn stated vitaminwaters labels could violate the Food and Drug Administrations labelling regulations. The lawsuit is hinged on alleged misleading statements that reinforce a consumers belief that the product comprises vitamins and water. It alleges potential for confusion is heightened by the presence of other statements in vitaminwaters labelling. An extract from The Coca Cola Companys website states: The glacau vitaminwater lawsuit is a ridiculous and ludicrous lawsuit. glacau vitaminwater is a great tasting, hydrating beverage
with essential vitamins and water, with labels showing calorie content. Health food retailers are the gateway to a consumers informed decision. With so much contradictory information f loating around, its dicult for retailers to fairly estimate any possible dangers of the product for consumers. One thing is for certain: many health food retailers have already avoided the product. Impact on Retailers Stephen Gardner, CSPIs director of litigation, suggests retailers may not have felt the impact just yet from the lawsuit. Because of new stories on the product, people may realize that it is not in fact a good source of vitamins and then the retailer would care because the consumer would stop buying it, he asserts. With retailers, so far theyre not doing anything. ey dont care, because they havent been sued. eyre not reacting as long as theyre selling it. Many smaller health food retailers in Ontario have chosen not to carry the product, without even knowing about a lawsuit. Anthony Gerbrandt, store manager at Noahs Natural Foods in Toronto, reports that the health food chain doesnt carry vitaminwater. He says health food retailers are aware of the risks
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Its not vitaminwater, its sugarwater...
of added sugar. Janet Kaplan of Ottawa-based Rainbow Natural Foods notes they have never carried the product. Family owned and operated health food retailer The Health Shoppe in Toronto do not carry vitaminwater; they say simply that there are other healthier options to the brand and give preference to electrolyte beverages that arent sold in mass food retailers across Canada. Health food retailers understand the health implications of misleading labelling far more in depth than the average grocer or food retailer. They read the labels carefully and they understand the difference between various vitamin-laced products. Reassuringly, in the matter of vitamin-related beverage products, health food retailers maintain a cautiously authoritative stance. According to a recent CSPI news release, the FDA disapproves of products that mention some ingredients to the exclusion of more prominent ingredients such as added sugar. Each bottle of vitaminwater contains 33 grams of sugar. CSPI nutritionists claim this amount of sugar can promote obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. Dave Moran, director of public affairs and communications at Coca-Cola Canada states: while we cant comment on the court
case, the vitaminwater bottle speaks for itself, from the nutrition facts panel to the ingredient statement on every bottle of glacau vitaminwater, which clearly states what vitaminwater contains, the vitamins and at what levels, the number of calories and carbohydrates in every serving, sugar content, natural flavours, etc., in compliance with Canadas labelling regulations. CocaCola argued that simply listing the sugar among the ingredients on its label was sufficient disclosure but the judge ruled this was not enough. Whats in a Name? CSPI alleges misleading labelling and marketing has put the company in a tight corner trying to defend claims proving otherwise. It starts with the name and it goes from there. The names misleading, says Gardner. Its not vitaminwater, its sugarwater to which theyve added some vitamins, he says. They deceive people into buying it because they dont know its a Coke product and they think its vitaminwater; they think thats all it is. Gleeson conveyed both the name vitaminwater, and the names of the individual flavours such as defense, energy and revive, have the potential to reinforce a consumers mistaken belief that the product comprises only vitamins and water.
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Coca-Cola has since launched into its marketing of vitaminwaterZERO, a naturally sweetened no-calorie water drink. Its flavours include names such as go-go, recoup, rise and squeezed. The question is whether they launched these products as a response to consumer demand or as a fall-back measure should the lawsuit threaten the $4.2-billion brand. Many health food products claim to prevent disease, or support the immune system through antioxidants and other super vitamins. These claims are generally upheld to be trustworthy, especially if being mass marketed at the level of vitaminwater. Theyre making drug claims and using the language that they can prevent a disease, which turns the product into an illegal drug, says Gardner. Savvy consumers no longer need to call their naturopath to know the ins and outs of many health food products. Healthy choices are top of mind for consumers, and marketers are following suit. Coke bought this product to help salvage its drink business because people were moving away from sugary soft drinks. Theyre trying to buy into something that looks healthy, Gardner says.Coke is really an unprincipled marketing company. It may be a cry of the desperate because, by and large, people arent consuming their products as they once used to. Gardner says with all the effort to make Coca-Cola divulge the truth about one of their best-selling beverages, many just want the company to come clean. The desire would be to make them change their name. To stop making the
drug claims, and claims that are illegal. But their problem is they bought the name, vitaminwater, and thats what they want. But the judges clearly state that its not right; it violates FDA policy, he says. Duel-labelling, something many consumers and retailers look for when stocking and purchasing health-food products, can further limit understanding of a products caloric levels. What Coke has done has played tricks with duel-labelling, says Gardner. They can show you that its got 100 per cent of vitamin C per bottle but they only give you eight ounces (per serving), instead of the 20 ounces [on par with vitamin levels], which doesnt tell you how much sugar is in the bottle. They tell you how many vitamins are in it because they look like good numbers, says Gardner.
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Customer Loyalty Programs

Are they the way to go for your store?
By Wendy Glauser
anadians are big on loyalty programs. According to a 2009 survey conducted by Colloquy, the average Canadian family is part of 9.2 different loyalty programs. In the United States, meanwhile, the average family participates in 6.2 loyalty programs per household. As Canadians get used to being rewarded for return visits, its no surprise that theyre looking for the same treatment from other stores they frequent. Customers will come in and ask me: Do you have a loyalty program in place,? says Susan St. James, the owner of e Garden Health Foods in Vancouver. She doesnt, but the questions are certainly making her consider it. But are loyalty systems programs that oer rewards to customers based on how much they purchase right for small business and health food store owners?
Roger Brooks, loyalty program consultant and author of The Power of Loyalty: 10 Essential Steps to Build a Successful Loyalty Strategy, thinks so. A loyalty program would work for a single location or a chain for that matter, he says. You can do something very rudimentary like a punch card for a specic type of product or you can get more sophisticated and have something that is built into the program on your point-of-sale machine. Loyalty programs can be structured in various ways. Customers can get gifts, money back or discounts on specic purchases, for instance. According to Brooks, however, systems that are based on points collection are more eective than those that track the amount of money spent perhaps because customers dont like to be reminded of the latter gure. Most major stores in Canada, from grocery chains like Loblaws, to book stores such as Chapters, have loyalty programs in place. Starbucks is currently testing out its loyalty program in Calgary.
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start with small, simply loyalty programs, and build up to more sophisticated
It has plans to roll out the system across Canada. The program lets customers advance up to higher reward levels based on loyalty. With its 9.7 million cardholders across Canada, however, Shoppers Drug Mart is Canadas biggest chain-based loyalty program. Members get 10 points for every dollar they spend, with the possibility of gaining more on special promotions. If they buy a specially marked product, customers earn bonus points, usually anywhere from 250 to 1,000. On top of that, the store designates days on which customers receive 20 times the points. Once customers reach 8,000 points, they get $10 off their purchase but the more points customers collect, the bigger the reward becomes. At the 95,000 mark, the rebate is $170. In comparison to non-Optimum members, Optimum cardholders spend 60 per cent more every time they pass through the checkout, according to the retailer. While it is not clear that the rewards themselves spur the added spending (those who spend more at the store will also be more likely to sign up for the card in the first place), the statistic does suggest that customers who like loyalty programs are the ones retailers want. Whatever type of loyalty program a company uses, Brooks recommends that it offer special, surprise promotions, in addition to the standard reward system. Generally, he says, stores implementing loyalty programs will shift a significant share of the discounts they offered to the general public and only start to offer those deals to loyalty program customers. Its important to have that surprise and delight factor, says Brooks. When a loyalty card holder is unexpectedly rewarded perhaps because theyve made their third purchase in a month theyre more likely to buy into the program, and tell others about it. Theyll tell 10 people what happened and then theyll tell 10 people. While loyalty programs can make it more likely that customers will stock up at your store, the other big benefit of programs is the marketing opportunities they offer.
By tracking the spending activity of repeat customers, stores compile marketing data that they can use to better serve their customers, and perhaps even share with suppliers in win-win strategies. You can offer to share data about your customers with the manufacturers and suppliers, and they may agree to offset some of the costs of the promotion, says Brooks. For example, stores can collect data on which age groups are more likely to buy certain products or what other items tend to be in the basket of buyers of a particular brand. In addition, customers who sign up for loyalty discounts are more likely to give their emails to stores allowing stores the opportunity to market directly to their customers inboxes. Murray McMahon, the CEO of Good Health Mart, says his company sends out a monthly email to members of its loyalty program. The email offers information on special promotions and also includes news that customers might find interesting, such as a new study showing the benefit of a particular supplement. Good Health Mart has 12 franchises in Ontario (six were acquired in March 2010 with the purchase of three Planet Organic Living stores and three Healthys Nutrition stores) but McMahon has had a loyalty program in place since 1993, when he only had one store. The store gives customers points that they can then redeem as discounts on their purchases. While McMahon doesnt want to disclose the amount of the discount his store offers members, he says his program gives better return than Shoppers. McMahon says his customers are fully on board with the program, and they monitor their point accumulation closely. One of our new staff might make a mistake and the customer will say I should have got points! he says.
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More sophisticated, data-collecting loyalty programs may have costs in the thousands and even tens of thousands, says Brooks. The other issue to keep in mind with loyalty programs is the legal implications, especially in light of a possible law suit against Shoppers Drug Mart after the company changed the rate at which customers were rewarded. Before July of this year, Shoppers used to offer a reward after 7,000 points. In July, a customer asked a Quebec Superior Court judge to approve his motion to launch a class action against the company on the grounds that it contradicted the terms he and others agreed to when they initially signed into the program. But few programs are as involved as Good Health Marts in the health food business. Abu Sarwar, the owner of Natures Health Food, simply offers any customer who spends more than $10 a 10 per cent off card that is good for life. They get discounts from every other store, says Sarwar. They expect it. There is no guarantee, of course, that loyalty programs will increase profits. Stores that have loyalty programs usually have to reduce the number of sales they have for the general public, and that could hurt business. Even when membership to a program is free as Brooks recommends customers could be hesitant about joining. Many customers already have several loyalty program cards in their wallet and a program has to be worth their while for them to want to take another one. Brooks argues that for programs to work, they have to offer very attractive incentives. The more you put into a program, the more youll get in return from a customer, he says. But he also suggests small and medium-sized businesses start with small, simple loyalty programs, and build up to more sophisticated, IT-based systems over time. Several companies offer to set up loyalty card systems that work with a point-of-sale system, and usually start at around $500, with monthly maintenance fees. Brooks strongly recommends discussing a programs legal terms and conditions with a lawyer before launching any program and have a lawyer look over any promotional material that has information about the program. While St. James says shed have to see some statistics that it really works before she would consider a card-based points program, shes more likely to go for the tried-and-true stamp card. St. James says shes noticed other health food stores in her city offer cards that are stamped and signed after every $20 or so spent. Once customers accumulate enough stamps, they win a discount or reward. Still, St. James thinks ultimately what draws customers in are the products and prices a store offers and how staff treat people. I think one of the most important things that we have is a high quality line of products that other stores dont carry, she says. St. James thinks the main reason loyalty programs are popping up in so many stores is that bringing in customers and customers that spend is getting trickier. A lot of retailers are suffering. Theyre wondering how theyre going to manage in the future but the only way is really great customer service.
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Looking Forward
Optimism drives business owners through recession, with eye to brighter year ahead. By Howard Groseld
hile consumer confidence and spending are on an upswing once again, indicating that the economy is indeed recovering from a dicult recessionary period, business owners are also dealing with a recovery period. During the economic downturn, retailers had to make tough decisions regarding the states of their businesses, and the members of their teams. ese decisions applied on a large-scale in the case of mass-market retailers, and on a smaller-scale in the case of smallto-medium-sized or independent retailers. What decisions did you, as a retailer, have to make when the recession hit, and how
did you arrive at those decisions? Were they permanent choices or temporary solutions? As the economy recovers, what changes will you make? In this piece, Howard Grosfield reviews the decisions small-business owners made during the recessionary period, as per the American Express Small Business Monitor survey of small-business owners, which was conducted across Canada over the last year. On the plus side, according to the survey, things are improving, particularly for Canadian small businesses around 80 per cent of businesses said that they expect to take on more business in the next year.
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The past year has certainly had its share of ups and downs for Canadian small business owners. Small business owners do not particularly enjoy letting people go, or following up with customers to pay their bills, or trying to negotiate better deals from suppliers. Those necessary evils have all been a bigger part of the job for small business owners in the last year or two. What keeps them moving forward? Simply put, a firm belief that the benefits of owning their own business are worth it, and an optimism that great things lay ahead. The American Express Small Business Monitor has been surveying small business owners across Canada for the past year, and owners have reported taking a variety of measures to deal with the recession. Almost half reported that they had implemented costsaving techniques such as pay freezes, reduced spending allowances and pay cuts. One in four had to cut staff. Owners even dipped into their own pockets to reward their employees at year-end. Even in the midst of a recession, or perhaps because of it, small business owners were willing to take a number of risks to keep their business going. More than half (55 per cent) of the respondents said that the recession was pushing them to accelerate effort towards innovation. About a third of the respondents said they were willing to use their personal assets to cover costs. And nearly the same number reported they would use their line of credit to pay creditors if need be. Small business owners have strong survival instincts, but much of their willingness to take risks was likely premised on their belief that a recovery was in the distance. An increase in measured optimism speaks to that belief: In March 2010, 54 per cent of respondents said they were confident that their financial position would improve in the future. Thats up from 40 per cent in March 2009. If you are in business for yourself, youd better be an optimist, said Dwight Boyd, who has been making boats for 30 years. Boyd owns Clarion Boats in Campbellford, Ontario. Although mahogany boats that can cost as much as half a million dollars can be a bit of a tough sell during a recession, Boyd is positive when looking to the future. As the economy turns, we have plenty of stock, we will recall the employees that we laid off. More than third of companies that laid people off found that they were then understaffed in the first quarter of 2010. Recognizing their employees were working harder, small business owners made sure that they kept staff happy and motivated. They found creative ways to make sure their employees hard work was recognized. It doesnt make a difference whats happening with the economy. Employees need to be recognized, said Pat Harris of Trenton,
Ontario. Harris, who owns Paradigm Financial Services, a business tax and consulting company, and her employees celebrated yearend with dinner and a night at a comedy club. And she was also able to give them bonuses. Another small business owner held his regular annual party for his employees but to pay for it he started working extra hours and putting money aside several months in advance. Owners recognize that their employees are their greatest assets, and that when the economy starts to improve, having well-trained and experienced employees will be key. Some small businesses have already started to see growth 17 per cent reported in the March 2010 American Express survey that their business has grown significantly and that they need more staff. Around 80 per cent of businesses said that they expect to take on more business in the next year. Almost 60 per cent expect to expand the scope of their business, and 57 per cent plan to invest in new equipment or other capital spending. For all of those plans, a supportive and experienced group of employees is vital to success. One thing that has held strong amongst last years turmoil is the sentiment that at the end of the day owning your own business is worth the challenges associated with it. More than threequarters of respondents said in the last quarter the benefits made it all worthwhile, the same level as a year earlier. Thats not to say that the last year hasnt been stressful respondents said that the economy caused them stress throughout the year. But the numbers have improved. In March of last year, 66 per cent of survey respondents said they were stressed by the economy, a number that has since dropped to 56 per cent. The best indicator that conditions for small businesses in Canada are improving comes from American Expresss Small Business Index. When combining measures of confidence, performance and small business owner attitudes, the Index rose to C, or 65 per cent in the March survey, an incremental yet steady improvement from C- or 61 per cent in March 2009. The change captures both the difficult realities of business in the last year, as well as improving optimism and confidence in business growth. Of course, small business owners are almost by definition optimists. They know that no matter the economic climate there will be obstacles, so they charge forward. We started our business in the toughest economy in recent memory and weve made sacrifices, said Melissa Thibodeau, owner of www.buycanadianfirst.ca, in Montreal. But the fact is, we have grown our business.
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GREEN AND BLACKS ORGANIC ESPRESSO DARK CHOCOLATE EDEN ORGANIC RICE AND BEANS
is sweet treat is refreshing and light with the zing of real lime juice. Its dairy-free and contains organic whole soybeans, POTATOES making it a family-friendly ($3.28/kg) option. (4 x 100g cups, $4.49)
Great for quick meals like burritos, this favourite is mildly seasoned with a blend of organic vegetables, organic herbs and sea salt. Its low-fat, low-sodium and a good source of dietary bre. (398ml, $2.79)
is delicious dark chocolate is 70 per cent cocoa infused with Arabica coee for a two-in-one avour sensation. (100g, $3.89)
feature
The Spice of Life

Show your customers how to add bold flavours to their gourmet pantry.
By Dani Ng-See-Quan
he gourmet customer is one who is comfortable in the kitchen, and confident with experimenting with flavours. The gourmets interest, therefore, lies in ingredients that will add further flavour and pizzazz to a meal prepared with gourmet or exotic ingredients (think organic figs, stoneground flour, vine-ripened organic tomatoes, exotic cheeses and spreads). The old adage that variety is the spice of life rings true when it comes to your gourmet customers that is, focus on herbs and spices as a main point of interest. Natural health and food retailers are in an advantageous position to first market the health benefits of certain spices, and second, to merchandise an exotic variety of said spices to appeal to the consumer who also has health on his or her mind. Health-conscious individuals follow low- or no-sodium diets, so offering a plethora of herbs and spices as flavourful
Gourmet Elements Saffron
alternatives allows your customer to focus on both the healthful aspects of your store, the gourmet flavour experimentation. In addition, this is an opportunity for both gourmet merchandising and cross-merchandising with some of your herbal supplements, or your personal care products that may contain some of these natural ingredients. Be creative educate your employees on some simple pairings of foods and spices for example, rosemary with roasted potatoes or lamb; ginger to give an added kick to homemade Asian-inspired dishes; or trying cinnamon-spiced pancakes or tea. They should already be educated in the health-promoting properties of these ingredients, so theyll have no problem combining a health tip with a spicy suggestion.
Health Helpers Remedy for sore gums, inflammation and menstrual problems; antioxidant properties A study at Italys LAquila University found that saffron may protect and correct vision in individuals who have retinitis pigmentosa Source of iron Can reduce bloating, gas and nausea Sage tea used for sore throats and coughs, and as a gargle for inflammation of mouth and gums Reduces inflammation and free radical/oxidant stress Researchers at the University of Michigan recently reported that curcumin, found in turmeric, decreased the number of tumour-causing stem cells while having no effect on normal differentiated cells Soothes digestive tract, reduces length and severity of stomachaches Mint teas have shown promise in easing IBS discomfort
Saffron threads come from the crocus sativus flower and are hand-harvested Can be used in Italian risottos, French bouillabaisse, English saffron cakes, Indian biryani
Cumin
A main component in spice mixtures and curry powders Used to flavour Dutch and French cheeses and breads Used in breads, dressings, can be grown at home
Sage
Turmeric
Native to Asia and related to ginger Sharp, musky, slightly bitter flavour and golden colour, often added to dishes for colour as much as flavour Gives prepared mustard its yellow colour
Mint
Fresh mint has a hearty taste, which makes it a great garnish; adds zest to homemade iced tea or lemonade Refreshing in Middle Eastern dishes like lamb or when flavouring a marinade Enhances tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, potatoes Often used to scent roasted lamb and beef Sprigs can be used as garnish Can be used to flavour cider and punch Cinnamon sticks as can act as a garnish or add flavour to savoury dishes Can be used in sushi dishes, stirfries, salads, desserts, and infused into tea
Rosemary
Reduces free radicals and oxidative stress Can aid with digestive disorders
Cinnamon
Research has shown that it can support healthy blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetics, and reduce LDL cholesterol levels
Ginger
Reduces inflammation Helps with nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness Carminative effect can help to break up intestinal gas
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Keys To Success
feature
Topical Skin Care

Pycnogenol in topical skin care.
ycnogenol is widely used in topical and oral applications for various dermatological indications. A unique combination of pharmacological functions of Pycnogenol provides an unmatched variety of health benefits for skin health. Human Skin Absorbs Pycnogenol Pycnogenol was tested for the ability to be absorbed by human skin [Sarikaki et al, 2004]. A Pycnogenol solution was applied to a viable human skin patch and molecules penetrating the skin were identified. Smaller constituents such as phenolic acids were identifiable already 30 min after application. Many constituents, including catechin, showed the highest concentration after four hours. Many constituents of Pycnogenol were measurable in significant quantities even 12 hours after application.
Pycnogenol Binds and Protects Collagen and Elastin Pycnogenol has a high affinity to proteins rich in the amino acid hydroxyl-proline. These are predominantly the matrix proteins in the skin, collagen and elastin. When Pycnogenol is added to collagen or elastin, a high amount remains tightly bound. In consequence, Pycnogenol also tightly binds to the skin. To other proteins such as albumins Pycnogenol has little affinity [Grimm et al., 2004]. Further experiments showed that Pycnogenol as well as its metabolites, developing after oral consumption in humans, protects collagen and elastin from enzymatic degradation. These enzymes, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), influence the equilibrium between collagen degradation and renewal. The inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of Pycnogenol metabolites were lower than that of a known MMPinhibitor Captopril.
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feature
Pycnogenol Accelerates Wound Healing and Lowers Scar Formation In a pharmacological study the ability of skin to heal wounds was investigated [Blazs et al., 2003]. Wounds were inflicted by heat treatment followed by topical application of Pycnogenol gel once a day until healing. In absence of treatment the healing process took 15.3 days and application of gel without Pycnogenol had no effect on the healing time. Gel with 1% Pycnogenol was found to accelerate the healing process by 1.6 days as compared to gel without Pycnogenol. Pycnogenol was found to dosedependently shorten the period required for wound healing. Furthermore, scar size was lowered with increasing Pycnogenol concentration. In two clinical trials topically applied Pycnogenol was shown to improve healing of ulcers in individuals with venous disorders or diabetes [Belcaro et al., 2005 & 2006]. Application of Pycnogenol powder directly onto ulcers in 30 diabetic patients allowed complete healing in 84% of patients, whereas the control group receiving standard treatment only had 61% with completely healed ulcers. Pycnogenol is a Potent Antioxidant Pycnogenol was demonstrated to be a very potent antioxidant with the ability to neutralize every naturally occurring oxygen radical species [Rohdewald 2002]. Pycnogenol can recycle oxidized (spent) vitamin C to restore its activity. This supports the availability of vitamin C as co-factor for the enzymatic activity of prolyl hydroxylase, which synthesizes functional collagen and elastin. Pycnogenol Helps Prevent UV Damage and Photo-ageing Exposure of the skin to UV-light generates reactive oxygen radicals and triggers pro-inflammatory processes which may cause sunburn. Pycnogenol was shown in preclinical studies to effectively counteract sunburns [Sime at al., 2004]. The skin thickness was evaluated after exposure of the skin to UV-light for three consecutive days, which serves as measure for the skin sunburn reaction. As compared to baseline, the UV exposure almost doubled the skin thickness, ref lecting a significant reaction of the skin to the UV radiation. Application of lotions containing Pycnogenol to the skin immediately after each UVexposure dose-dependently reduced edema. A concentration as low as 0.05% Pycnogenol significantly inhibited the inflammatory sunburn reaction. Pycnogenol was applied to skin after UVexposure because the procyanidins in Pycnogenol absorb UVlight. Application to the skin subsequent to UV-exposures ensures that exclusively the anti-inflammatory properties of Pycnogenol are active. Pycnogenol was also shown to potently counteract the systemic immuno-suppressive effects of UV-radiation. Application of 0.1% Pycnogenol lotion to exposed skin post irradiation restored the UV-affected immune response (evaluated as contact hypersensitivity to chemical irritants) to 87% of nonirradiated levels [Sime et al., 2004]. Pycnogenol was demonstrated to protect from UVradiation induced carcinogenesis [Sime et al., 2004]. In absence of Pycnogenol treatment (0%) mice chronically exposed to UV began to develop benign papillomas after 11 weeks which thereafter progressed towards more malignant states. Pycnogenol lotion applied after each UV-exposure prolonged the onset of tumors, this effect reached significantly when 0.2% Pycnogenol was applied. Some mice treated with 0.2% Pycnogenol never developed a tumor during this experiment. These findings suggest a significant photo-protective effect of Pycnogenol. Pycnogenol has Broad Anti-Microbial Activity Pycnogenol exerts anti-microbial activity against a broad range of micro-organisms: gram positive and negative bacteria, as well as yeast [Torras et al, 2005). The minimum inhibitory dose ranged from 20 g/ml, such as for Staphilococcus aureus, to 250 g/ml as in the case of Campylobacter. The MID for Candida albicans was shown to be 30 g/ml. Pycnogenol does not have bacteriocidal activity. Upon dilution of Pycnogenol concentration below MID, microbial growths will be restored. Formulations bearing at least 0.025% Pycnogenol will possess anti-microbial activity towards both gram positive and negative bacteria as well as Candida albicans. Pycnogenol is Effective for Acne Treatment Pycnogenol has been clinically tested in 40 women suffering from adult acne. A 0.5% Pycnogenol lotion was applied twice a day after washing the face. The symptom severity was investigated at baseline and after one month treatment using an established symptom severity grading standard [Seki et al., 2006]. The results showed that the majority of women experienced an improvement of their acne. One in four women did experience any effect of the treatment. 75% of the women found an improvement and 5% had their acne dramatically improved. Pycnogenol was suggested to improve acne as a result of its antiinflammatory activity, its anti-microbial activity as well as the improved wound healing properties. This study suggests that Pycnogenol may be beneficial in a variety of skin conditions involving inflammatory and infectious components. Pycnogenol is most effective for healthy skin when it is applied topically as well as taken as supplement. Each delivery form has unique advantages. Both delivery forms in combination provide optimal supply with nutrients from within and warrant highest efficacy particularly for photo-protection and improved skin elasticity.
References FBelcaro G et al. Venous ulcers: microcirculatory improvement and faster healing with local use of Pycnogenol. Angiology 56:699-705, 2005. Belcaro G et al. Diabetic ulcers: Microcirculatory improvement and faster healing with Pycnogenol. Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis 12: 318-323, 2006. Blazs G et al. Pycnogenol accelerates wound healing and reduces scar formation. Phytother Res 18: 579-581, 2004. Grimm T et al. Antioxidant activity and inhibition of matrixmetalloproteinases by metabolites of maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol). Free Rad Biol Med 36: 811-822, 2004.
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research news
VITAMIN D
HIGH DosEs of VITAMIN D fouND sAfE DuRING PREGNANCY
A meeting of pediatricians in Vancouver has been told that the safe amounts of vitamin D that can be safely taken by pregnant women is much higher that the official recommendation. Dr. Carol Wagner presented result from a controlled study where varying amounts of vitamin D was given pregnant women and the safety and efficacy was evaluated. We found that 2,000 Ius was better than 400 Ius, and 4,000 Ius was the best, without any adverse events said Dr. Wagner. Dr. Wagner noted that in the 1950s and 60s it was believed that high levels of vitamin D could cause birth defects but that this opinion has since been debunked. However, she also allowed that her findings may be controversial to some practitioners as the official recommended dosage is between 200 and 400 Ius daily.
VITAMIN B12
METfoRMIN lINKED To VITAMIN B12 DEfICIENCY
Diabetics who have been prescribed the drug metformin are at risk of developing a vitamin B-12 deficiency, according to research published in the British Medical Journal (May 12). Dutch researchers conducted a double-blind, placebo controlled study on 390 patients with type 2 diabetes. They found that those who took metformin developed a 19 per cent reduction in their B-12 levels compared to the placebo group. over time, the researchers found that this tendency increased and symptoms of B-12 deficiency became more pronounced. Because a B-12 deficiency has a wide range of symptoms, doctors could easily fail to detect the condition. our study shows that it is reasonable to assume harm will eventually occur in some patients with metformin-induced low vitamin B-12 levels, the study team concluded.
MAGNETIC THERAPY
MAGNETIC THERAPY fouND To AffECT A PATIENTs MoRAl VAluEs
A research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology devised an experiment on volunteers that tested their moral judgment. Volunteers were presented with situations where another person was put at risk. Normally, subjects condemned exposing another person to serious risk even if no actual harm occurred. In this experiment, the researchers stimulated the right temporo-parietal junction of the brain with magnetic impulses before the subjects read the scenario. After this, subjects did not condemn knowingly allowing another person to face risk. If no harm was done, then subjects would judge [it] as oK, even if the story made it clear [that someone] was trying to poison [another]. Thats the sort of moral judgment you often see in kids who are three or four years old, said research team member lianne Young. To be able to apply a magnetic field to a specific brain region and change peoples moral judgments is really astonishing, said Dr. Rebecca saxe.
MAGNETIC sTIMulATIoN fouND To RElIEVE DRuG-REsIsTANT DEPREssIoN

Patients experiencing chronic depression and who are resistant to drug therapy many benefit from a daily application of magnetic stimulation, researchers report. The procedure involves a mild form of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) that was approved by the food and Drug administration in 2008. At the Medical university of south Carolina, 190 patients were enrolled in a controlled trial. Treatment involved jolting the top left section of the brain with an electromagnetic coil emitting 3,000 pulses over 37 minutes. After three weeks, 14.1 per cent in the control group reported their depression relieved compared to 5.1 per cent in the control group. When the treatment was repeated for a further three weeks, the positive reports increased to 30 per cent. This study should help settle the debate about whether [this treatment] works for depression, said study leader Mark George. We can now follow up clues suggesting ways to improve its effectiveness. The study was funded by the u.s. National Institute of Mental Health.
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July/August 2010
Keys To Success
research news
NATURAL HEALTH
SURVEy REpoRTS THAT MANy CANADIANS ExpERIENCE REgULAR pAIN
As many as 85 per cent of adult Canadians report they experience at least one episode of moderate to severe pain in the previous three months. of this group, 55 per cent sought help from a health professional but 31 per cent of those who did were dissatisfied with the outcome. one in six Canadians seek relief from pain by using alcohol, illegal narcotics or nonprescribed medications. over-the-counter products are used by 81 per cent and half of those suffering moderate to severe pain use natural health products or some form of alternative or complementary therapy. For one-third of those surveyed pain is something they endure every day or on several days of the week. The survey was conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of www.painexplained.ca.
pATIENTS wITH CHRoNIC pAIN TURN To ALTERNATIVE oR CoMpLEMENTARy THERApIES

one-third of patients who experience chronic pain use alternative or complementary therapies for relief. This is the finding of University of Michigan researchers who studied 5,750 patients. patients who were white and older were most likely to use acupuncture, biofeedback/relaxation or manipulation techniques such as chiropractic. patients reported that they used these therapies because they worked. Lead study author Dr. Carmen R. green, said, This research may provide important new insights into the use of alternative therapies for people living with chronic pain. green also said, Its helpful for physicians to know that patients are using these therapies. Unfortunately patients are often reluctant to share information regarding alternative therapy usage with health care providers. The study was published in pain Medicine, Vol. 11 Issue 1.
VITAMIN E
VITAMIN E BENEFITS pATIENTS wITH CHRoNIC LIVER DISEASE
A study has found that 43 per cent of patients with chronic nonalcoholic steatohepatitis who do not have diabetes would benefit from a daily dose of vitamin E. This form of liver disease is common, affecting as many as 10 million Americans. At present, there is no approved drug for this condition. The study ran for 96 weeks with 247 adults. Vitamin E at 800mg or a placebo was given. There was a significant improvement in the vitamin E group, principally seen as a reduction of inflammation. No adverse effects were reported. This clearly shows that vitamin E is effective for treatment of patients with nonalcoholic steaohepatitis who dont have active diabetes, said Arun J. Sanyal, study author and chair of the division of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Virginia Commonwealth University. Sanyal also said vitamin E as a treatment should be taken under the direction of a physician. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, April 28, 2010.
CELIAC DISEASE
STUDy poINTS To BIFIDoBACTERIA FoR THE RELIEF oF CELIAC DISEASE
Spanish researchers have found that manipulating the intestinal microbiota with pro and prebiotics may have favourable consequences for patients with celiac disease. This study used cell cultures that were exposed either to gram-negative bacteria isolated from celiac patients or bifidobacteria, a friendly bacteria that is dominant in the large intestine. Both sets of cell cultures were studied alone and in the presence of disease triggers. The gram-negative cultures provoked marked inflammation whereas the bifidobacteria cultures up-regulated anti-inflammatory cytokines. In an accompanying editorial, Louis Montaner, DVM, MSc, Dphil, editor-in-chief said, Just as some foods can lead to poor health, its no surprise that others can have positive effects. For people with celiac disease, this opens a line of research into new therapies that may be as accessible as a grocers shelf. The study was published in The Journal of Leukocyte Biology, May 2010. <
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events
Can-Fit-Pro international Fitness and Club business ConFerenCe and trade show august 11-15 Metro toronto Convention Centre toronto, ontario www.canfitpro.net nha healthy living ConFerenCe august 19-23 Flamingo Conference resort and spa santa rosa, California www.healthscience.org art oF being green Festival august 27-28 Middleville Fairgrounds Middleville, ontario www.artofbeinggreen.ca
August
shoPPer MarKeting exPo october 5-7 navy Pier Chicago, illinois www.shoppermarketexpo.com solar Power ConFerenCe october 12-14 los angeles Convention Center los angeles, California www.solarpowerinternational.com natural ProduCts exPo east october 14-16 boston Convention and exhibition Center boston, Massachusetts www.expoeast.com Can-Fit-Pro Personal training and grouP Fitness ConFerenCe and trade show october 16-17 Macewan Conference and event Centre Calgary, alberta www.canfitpro.net goodliFe Fitness toronto Marathon exPo october 17 direct energy Centre, exhibition Place toronto, ontario www.torontomarathon.com/expo.shtml ChFa exPo east october 21-24 Metro toronto Convention Centre toronto, on www.chfa.ca
October
Fort MCMurray health and wellness show october 23-24 suncor leisure Centre, Macdonald island Park Fort McMurray, alberta www.albertahealthshows.com 9th international ConFerenCe on urban health october 27-29 new york academy of Medicine new york, new york www.nyam.org/icuh2010
November
health and nutrition show november 6-7 long beach Convention Centre long beach, California www.healthandnutritionshow.com green business networKs green business seMinars november 6-7 Concourse exhibition Center san Francisco, California www.greenamericatoday.org Can-Fit-Pro Personal training and grouP Fitness ConFerenCe november 19-21 vancouver Convention Centre vancouver, british Columbia www.canfitpro.net Fraser valley health and wellness show november 19-21 Chilliwack heritage Park Fraser valley, british Columbia www.fvhealthshow.com/home
suPerior living health, wellness and leisure exPo september 17-18 the sports dome, Cle grounds thunder bay, ontario www.tb-chamber.on.ca grande Prairie health and wellness show september 25-26 evergreen Park, teC Center grand Prairie, edmonton www.albertahealthshows.com the total health show september 25-26 vancouver Convention Centre vancouver, british Columbia www.canwestshows.com/health
September
our eVeNT SeCTIoN IS e X PA N D I N G

And we would like you to contribute. We want to inform retailers about your upcoming events, seminars and symposiums. Please email a brief description (under 30 words, including contact information) to: Place event listing in the subject line. Events will be chosen based on relevance to the retailer (space is limited).
Event Submissions
danielle@rivegauchemedia.com
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July/August 2010
Keys To Success
We are considering applications for the following Management position at various locations in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic stores
Natural Value/ Natures Treasure Department Manager

Interested candidates must be available to work varied shifts, including weekdays, weeknights and weekends on a regular basis. The successful candidate will be responsible to oversee the operations of the Natural Value department including: Ordering Merchandising Labour scheduling Ensuring budgets are met Inventory control and selection Motivation and development of the department team The ideal candidate will have: Retail experience and/or education in Alternative Medicine, Herbology, Vitamins & Minerals, as well as an interest and knowledge of Food and Nutrition; The ability to work in a fast paced environment and the ability to multitask and prioritize; Excellent communication skills and exemplary customer service skills. If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit a detailed resume and cover letter to:
HEAD OFFICE HEAD OFFICE

1135-13560 Maycrest Way 1135-13560 Maycrest Way Richmond BC V6V 2W9 Richmond V6V 2W9 PHONE: 604.288.0017 TOLL FREE: 1.800.668.3008 PHONE: 604.288.0017 - TOLL FREE: 1.800.668.3008 FAX: 604.273.3417 FAX: 604.273.3417
Territories available across Canada

Boston Mills Allergy Group Inc. is looking for highly motivated, commissioned sales representation. We offer allergy testing services to Naturopathic Doctors. If you are already calling on Naturopathic Doctors and are looking for an additional product line please send your resume to: Boston Mills Allergy Group Inc. 15023 Chinguacousy Road, Caledon, ON L7C 3H7
Senior Category Merchandising Manager (905) 861-2627
NEW FAX!
Fax Number: 905-838-4567
Thank you for your interest, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
CANADIAN REGULATORY SERVICES

HIRING DEMO STAFF
Puresource Naturals is currently hiring part time demo staff for Ontario, specifically, SW, GTA, and Niagara Region. A fun and fantastic opportunity to subsidize your income! Must have education in nutrition, naturopathic, or similar alternative background. Please forward resumes to: emma.mcfarlane@puresource.ca. Only qualified candidates will be contacted.
Preparation of compliant Canadian label text for food products, supplements, skin care and drugs Preparation of Drug Identification Number (DIN) and Natural Health Product (NHP) Number submissions Preparation and management of GMP, SOP and Quality Control programs within the guidelines of the Natural Health Products Directorate Formulating and contract packaging available for Canada and the U.S.A Warehousing services and order fulfillment
Regional Sales Managers Regional Sales Managers g Tracey Burby East Tracey Burby - East 905.872.2775 or tracey@mtbi.ca 905.872.2775 or tracey@mtbi.ca m Shawna Quigley - West Shawna Quigley W es st 403.547.0486 or shawna@mtbi.ca 403.547.0486 or shawna@mtbi.ca m Account Managers Account Managers Darlene Costello BC Mainland Darlene Costello - BC Mainland 604.220.2962 or darlene@mtbi.ca 604.220.2962 or darlene@mtbi.ca m Anne Hume-Smith - BC Interior Anne Hume-Smith BC Interior 250.499.9589 or anne@mtbi.ca 250.499.9589 or anne@ tbi 4 @m i.ca John Tivadar AB Prairies/Van Island John Tivadar - AB & Prairies/Van Island V 403.620.6950 or john@mtbi.ca 403.620.6950 or john@mt i.ca tb Kerri Job BC Mainland Kerri Job - BC Mainland 604.512.6142 or kerri@mtbi.ca 604.512.6142 or kerri@mt i.ca tb Brian Asttaria BC Mainland Brian Asttaria - BC Mainland a 778.938.5361 or brian@mtbi.ca 778.938.5361 or brian@mt i.ca tb Vik Saini Toronto Western Ontario Vik Saini - Toronto & W estern Ontario 519.267.2191 or vik@mtbi.ca 519.267.2191 or vik@mtbi.ca b Helene Huot Ottawa/W Que/Maritimes Helene Huot - Ottawa/W Que/Maritimes 613.224.4983 or h.huot@rogers.com 613.224.4983 or h.huot@rogers com 2 h s.c Kevin Alexander - Quebec Kevin Alexander Quebec 514.995.7388 or kevin@mtbi.ca 514.995.7388 or kevin@mtbi.ca
SERVING THE NATURAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRY SINCE 1981

MMP ENTERPRISES LTD., 130 Industry St., Units 31-34 Toronto, Ontaro, Canada M6M 5G3 Phone (416) 604-7604 Fax (416) 604-7605
ihr MARKET
If Youre Reading It, You Know It Works!
BUSINESS FOR SALE

Have you ever thought of owning your own health store and becoming part of the growing natural health industry? A reputable independent health and nutrition retail store is for sale in Calgary in an excellent, long-term location. Consistent annual revenues of $1.2 million, netting owners earnings of $200K. Share sale at $600K, including $110K of inventory. Come follow your passion to assist others with their wellness. For more information contact Andrew Savage at 403-827-3911 or asavage@paladingroup.ca
PLACE
To Advertise in Marketplace Call (416) 203-7900 ext. 6108
MICHAEL THEODOR MICHAEL THEODOR CHFA HALL OF FAME CHFA HAL LL FAME
Top Seller revieW

July/August 2010
queSTioNNAire* The first 15 people to respond will receive a
esurprise gift!
>
Take a moment to fill out this questionnaire and your store may be among those highlighted in the Top Seller review Section of the next issue of ihr. The number of units sold determines the top sellers. To be included in the review, products mentioned must be classified as natural health products not standard consumer brands.
Store Name__________________________________________________ city ______________________________________ province ___________ date ___________ Name ____________________ Title _________ Address __________________________________________________________ phone ___________________________ Fax _____________________________ email __________________________________________________ Store Size: under 1,000sq.ft. 3,000-5,000sq.ft. 1,000-3,000sq.ft. over 5,000sq.ft $20,000-$40,000 Approximate Age of Store customers: under 25 25-40 40-65 over 65
Approximate income of Store customers:
$40,000-$60,000
over $60,000
>Food Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: >HerBS Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour:
>SporTS NuTriTioN Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour:
>viTAMiNS/SuppleMeNTS Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour:
>perSoNAl cAre Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour:
>NeW producTS Top SellerS product: Size: product: Size: product: Size: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour: Brand: Flavour:
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more out of life 2010
you r pr e m i u m wom e n s n at u r a l h e a lt h m ag a z i n e
15+
Green superfoods for your summer
ey! H
Prediabetes
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IHR - July / August 2010 Issue

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Keys to Success July/August 2010 | $6

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Health Canada Proposes Regulation to Exempt the NPN Back-Log

In Defense of Natural Health Retailing

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Metro Adopts New Sustainable Fisheries Policy

Matrixx Names William J. Barba To Board of Directors

Health Canada Criticized for Failure to Act on Trans Fats

Swiss Herbal Rebrands to Swiss Natural

Sobeys Launches New Low-Priced Private Line