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Making products consumers want
Food is at the heart of the family. Meal times are often the only opportunity to bring families
together and food is almost always at the centre of holidays and other family gatherings.
When people have fewer dollars to spend, this becomes even truer. They choose to entertain
at home more often, think more about what they're spending, and care more about the value
they're getting for their money.
Our product development strategy has two areas of focus:
- Expanding into new categories, like ready-to-eat meals and ethnic breads, to reach new
consumers and broaden our base business;
- Revitalizing our existing products by introducing new flavours, product variations and
innovations in packaging that deliver excellent value.
Think customers
Our customers include the most recognized retailers, from large and small grocery chains to
leading big box retailers. They are also quick service restaurants and distributors who sell to
restaurant chains, seniors' homes, hospitals, universities and other institutions. They are the
vital link between Maple Leaf and the people who purchase our products.
The global rise in food prices, fierce competition, food safety and nutrition issues, and rapid
shifts in consumer interests puts enormous pressure on our customers. Part of what differentiates
Maple Leaf Foods is how we partner with our customers to develop new product ideas, streamline
their product offering and help them sell these products more effectively. This means plugging into
their strategies and delivering products and services that drive their business goals and ours.
The breadth of our products and strength of our brands gives us the ability to deliver a complete
category management solution for customers - including product and consumer research, floor
layout design, merchandising strategies, and marketing initiatives like cross-promotions, education
programs and point of sale campaigns - all of which help to increase purchasing, profits and add
excitement and differentiation to their stores or their menus.
But there is lots of room for Maple Leaf to deliver more value to our customers. Growing through
acquisition and being in the meat, meals and bakery categories inevitably means that different
groups within our company have to find ways to collaborate, especially when they're dealing with
the same customers. In January 2009, we launched an internal customer alignment program that
will redefine how we work with customers, making sure we are consistent, effective, providing the
guidance and service that is best for each. By enabling us to better understand our customers'
strategies, it will help clarify what we need to deliver and when, and will be a critical component
in driving top line growth.
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