Winter Holidays

The sales potential for cough drops and cold remedies is nothing to sniff at in c-store channels, especially for the upcoming cold and flu season. The numbers paint an interesting picture of the potential.

With some adjustments, foods and beverages will remain at the centre of celebrations.

With the constant uncertainty and change that is prominent in a COVID-19 environment, it is vital that we look towards the face of this new reality and consider how we might adapt upcoming fall and winter celebrations.Undoubtedly, foods and beverages will remain at the centre of these celebrations, particularly during the upcoming treat-focused Halloween 2020 season and into the myriad of winter social occasions.

Canadians are divided about whether to let the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt their plans for upcoming holidays and seasonal events, a new poll suggests.The poll, conducted by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, comes as COVID-19 cases are surging and public health authorities are pleading with Canadians in places with rising case counts to avoid contact with anyone outside their immediate families or at least to stick to small social circles.The results suggest that message is only partially getting through.Respondents with children who went door to door for Halloween last year were closely divided on whether to let them go trick-or-treating again this year, with 52% saying they won't and 48% saying they will.The poll found sharp regional variations, however.

A Halloween night that falls on both a Saturday and a full moon would normally be ideal for spooky festivities, driving up sales of candy, costumes and decorations.But with cases of COVID-19 on the rise, experts expect retailers to see soft demand for Halloween supplies as plans are scaled back and trick-or-treating is questioned altogether.They add that sales related to the spooky celebration may also serve as an indicator for what retailers can expect this Christmas, the largest shopping season of the year.Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory, says Halloween is a significant portion of business for many retailers and candy makers.She says the lack of gatherings, office parties and trick-or-treating could lead to soft sales for retailers from grocers to specialty Halloween pop-up stores.Retail analyst Bruce Winder says families and friends might plan their own ``bubble Halloween'' like a backyard celebration or scary movie night.He says while people will still buy some candy, decorations and costumes, it likely won't be as profitable a season as usual for retailers and candy manufacturers.

January is cold, dark and gloomy and 7-Eleven Canada aims to help with the post-holiday blues, pulling customers out of their winter slumps.

Not long after he was named VP of Crevier Group’s fuel division in early 2018, Jean-Claude Clément was tasked with choosing a vehicle car wash system for the company’s showcase service station off exit 112 on Highway 20 in Beloeil, Que., a 20-minute drive east of Montreal.“To make such a decision you need to consider many things to make sure the system you choose is right for the business,” says Clément.

Stocking stuffers with a kick moved briskly off the shelves at Nova Scotia's government-operated cannabis shops and at other Canadian vendors that managed to bring in a supply during the leadup to Christmas.