Strategy

Retailers in Ontario will earn 30% sales commission for every pack of $5 Plinko tickets activated from January 4 to March 31, 2021. This is an increase of 22% over the regular commission of 8%.The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation says the move is a way to "thank all our retailers and support you for your hard work through this challenging time due to the pandemic."It's also a strategy to drive customer awareness and sales growth of this new lottery game, which launches in the new year.Retailers will earn $105 per pack activated vs $28 based on regular commission of 8%: The promotion is slated to last three months.This fall, the Ontario Convenience Stores Association petitioned the provincial government to recognize and reward the key role that c-store operators play in driving revenue for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation by increasing lottery commissions across the board by 2%.As the cost of doing business for c-stores continues to increase—not to mention the added financial and related challenges brought on by the pandemic—the OCSA argues that this is an ideal opportunity for the province to support the channel and small business owners.  C-stores account for 76% of Ontario lottery sales for OLG.

Resident's in Toronto's west end are lamenting the closure of a favourite neighbourhood convenience store, Stardust Convenience.

Across Canada, 7-Eleven Canada is offering more than 1.3 million face masks and 77,000 bottles of hand sanitizer in the five provinces where it does business: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.7-Eleven Canada has donated masks and sanitizers to schools in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Nestlé, the world's biggest food company, is laying out a global roadmap to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and plans to spend US$3.6 billion to achieve its goals.

Walmart Canada announced new cash bonuses for its workers on Friday, saying the “appreciation bonus payment” recognizes their ongoing dedication during the pandemic.The move follows similar announcements made by other companies in recent weeks and could put pressure on more retailers to offer so-called hero pay to essential workers as the second wave of COVID-19 worsens.Walmart said more than 85,000 employees will receive the additional payment on Dec.

Parkland Corporation has announced it has entered into a series of transactions to acquire the assets of two U.S.-based fuel distributors.The company reported last week that it is working to acquire Story Distributing Company and its affiliates.

2020 has been a challenging year for all retailers in Ontario.

The Saskatchewan government is reviving an emergency grant program for small businesses that have been hit by restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19.