Episode Details

Our special guest in this episode is Susan Krashinsky Robertson, Retail Reporter from The Globe & Mail, recently nominated for two National Newspaper Awards. Susan gives us an insiders look into her tradecraft as a reporter and how modern media approaches and crafts the narrative of a story.   We delve into the unique aspects of reporting on the food and grocery industry. We solicit Susan's advice on best practices for retailers and brand owners in dealing with the media and what to avoid doing.

But first, we discuss a range of news topics, including the Chinese-owned baby powder plant using Canadian dairy for export to China, the downsizing of ice cream tubs by major brands, a new survey on food affordability and political parties in Canada, and Alimentation Couche-Tard's $4.7B acquisition deal. The episode also includes updates on the Ukraine grain deal, Sobeys' cyberattack bill, the Buffalo Wild Wings lawsuit, and Kit Kat cereal's debut in the U.K. The episode concludes with news about Kellogg's snacking unit getting a new name. 

Grocery Customer Service Research

About Susan

Susan covers the retail industry for The Globe and Mail. Before joining The Globe in 2009, Susan worked as a freelance reporter contributing to the Ottawa Citizen, the Montreal Gazette and other publications, as well as CBC Radio. She has a Masters degree in journalism from Carleton University. In 2008 she worked at a radio station in Kigali, Rwanda as part of a media development project through Carleton. She has also lived in Osaka, Japan.

Here are a few links to recent stories that might be helpful for the show notes. 

-A recent story on the Tim Hortons issue: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-tim-hortons-franchisees-profitability/

-A story on food waste-diversion apps: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-groceries-apps-food-waste-flashfood/

-Here’s a story on the communications challenge facing the grocers amid food inflation: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-loblaw-food-prices-twitter/

-My colleague David’s piece on grocers and inflation, so I’ll include a link to that: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-greedflation-or-savvy-selling-grocers-like-leaving-us-guessing/

-This is the story I mentioned about sick pay policies: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-retail-workers-face-jumble-of-corporate-sick-pay-policies-amid-omicron/

-For something completely different, if listeners are interested in the ballet piece discussed that was nominated: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/article-karen-kain-national-ballet-swan-lake/

About Us

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie U