Anne Kothawala

Anne Kothawala

President & CEO, CICC

Author Profile

Anne Kothawala is president and CEO of the Convenience Industry Council of Canada. The national, not-for-profit council represents retailers, vendors and distributors, who put the needs of the customer first. The council advocates for the diverse and dynamic convenience channel by representing their interests at the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government, while also providing access to industry data, research and best practices to help them with critical business decisions.

ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR

12/15/2025
An open letter to Santa from the convenience industry
As an industry, we’ve worked hard to become the most responsible retail channel in the country, and we are proud of that honour.

Anne Kothawala
11/17/2025
Canada’s federal budget: Obsession with nation-building ignores importance of community building
The danger of focusing on the big and ambitious, is that we take for granted the entrepeneurs in our neighbourhoods.

Anne Kothawala
10/22/2025
Turning the corner: The new age of Canadian convenience
Fewer closures and growing community connection are reasons to be optimistic: From navigating supply chain disruptions to new trade realities, operators are redefining resilience and finding growth through innovation and local pride.

Anne Kothawala
9/30/2025
Bold ideas, new frontiers: CICC 2025 Summit
CICC’s president Anne Kothawala opened the event by addressing the channel's challenges, growth and opportunities. Here is an excerpt from her welcome.

Anne Kothawala
8/25/2025
Celebrating a new era: Introducing Convenience Week: August 25-29, 2025
At its core, Convenience Week highlights how convenience stores serve as community hubs.

Anne Kothawala
7/28/2025
Reimagining engagement: How CICC stands out with bold, innovative storytelling
From economic stats to heartfelt connections. Here's how we made it personal.

Anne Kothawala
6/2/2025
Contraband tobacco—a crime wave impacting us all
Legal tobacco sales have dropped 13% in units and 8% in value for the year ending March 31.

Anne Kothawala
5/5/2025
Corner stores at a crossroads: A call to action for Canada’s new government
A relentless tariff war with the United States, soaring costs to keep shelves stocked and a thriving black market for nicotine products are hurting our industry.

Anne Kothawala
4/7/2025
Fighting for certainty in uncertain times: One win at a time
Retailers across all sectors, including the convenience industry, are under pressure to meet this growing demand for homegrown products.

Anne Kothawala
2/9/2025
United we win, divided we fall
Whether American or Canadian owned, our retailers, distributors and vendor partners have one thing in common: Supporting Canada, its economy and communities.

Anne Kothawala