Celebrating Canada’s Convenience Industry: National Convenience Week August 26-30th
Earlier this spring, in a meeting with a politician I was asked this simple question that surprised me.
“What is National Convenience Week and why do you host it?”
I was surprised because it was a quick pivot from our conversation that up until that point, focused on contraband tobacco and credit card fees and to be honest, the first time anyone had ever asked me outright about the event that is core to CICC’s mission.
I quickly ran through my mind what would best describe the event in as few words as possible.
“It’s all about celebrating the role of Canada’s convenience industry in supporting communities from coast to coast, while raising funds for critically ill children. In essence, making communities stronger and making wishes come true.”
It was apparent I had tweaked the politician’s interest with that statement because he asked me to explain in greater detail the role that nation’s 22,500 stores play in supporting communities.
“How often have you filled up with gas or gone to one of the 22 convenience stores in your riding to buy snacks, drinks or ice? What would your constituents do if those local stores disappeared?” I asked.
“Convenience and community are synonymous,” I reinforced. “We are there at all hours of the day or night, in good times and bad, to ensure that your constituents have access to essentials. Often, we are community hubs, gathering locations for residents to talk about what’s taking place in their backyards.
“And our industry has a strong sense of community and like to give back. We often support local minor sports teams or donate to local charities. That’s why we partner with Make-A-Wish Canada — to make the wishes of critically ill children come true. We’ve raised more than $1 million for the charity since 2017, which is an amazing accomplishment for a national program run by a small non-profit industry association.
“So, our week-long celebration is an opportunity to say thanks and recognize the thousands of workers who spend countless hours supporting the communities they serve. We ask all local leaders to take a few minutes out of their busy schedules to stop by one of the stores to honour the efforts of those workers and our industry.”
His response was short and simple: “I’m in. Let me know where and when I can participate.”
He is one of more than an estimated 100 local leaders from across the country that will participate in National Convenience Week August 26th-30th this year. CICC decided to freshen up the the week-long event with a stronger focus on expanding the network and events through social media.
In Ontario, the government’s enshrined Convenience Store Week runs in conjunction with the national event.
It would be great to see our entire industry share in the pride and get involved. Please watch for tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts on our social media channels and feel free to share through your own personal and if possible, corporate channels.
Join us as we honour our industry and raise funds for Make-A-Wish Canada. It is one of CICC’s foundational strategic priorities to “build influence via public awareness of the convenience channel and its role in our communities.”
Visit www.nationalconvenienceweek.ca and be sure to follow us on X -- @ConvenienceCan Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ConvenienceCan
Instagram: ConvenienceCanada
