To optimize accessibility and promote local products

TORONTO, June 10, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Metro is proud to announce today that it is launching its local purchasing program in Ontario. This initiative is part of Metro's overall corporate responsibility approach.

This program, which is premised on establishing and maintaining a close and collaborative relationship with industry players, is intended to promote local agri-food products and increase access to them by all consumers.

The program rests on the following three guiding principles which will offer consumers shopping at Metro and Food Basics:

1. A unique showcase for regional products focused on increasing the presence and visibility of regional products in stores;
2. A key partner of Foodland Ontario and sectoral agri-food associations that promote Ontario products;
3. A key ally to Ontario innovative suppliers.

This approach will take into account customers' needs for freshness, quality, availability, and price,  suppliers' offer and Metro's business practices.

A pilot project will first be implemented in the fall, which will then be rolled out provincially over time.

"Metro has made a commitment to invest in Ontario. Local purchasing is already part of our day-to-day activities and this new program enables us to strengthen our focus even more," said Carmen Fortino, Executive Vice President and Metro Ontario Division Head. "The implementation of the local purchasing program allows Metro to make a real difference in the promotion of local products for the benefit of our clients."

Local Purchasing

Metro's corporate responsibility approach takes into account the issues and trends that impact the food sector and related activities. The local purchasing program is therefore based on the realities of the agri-food industry. Our consultations and review of current practices served to confirm that local products and suppliers are important to our clients, our employees, the communities in which we operate, as well to the agri-food industry.

Local purchasing contributes to the socio-economic development of regions and is thus a high priority for Metro. It is one of the levers within responsible procurement that fosters better social and environmental practices throughout its supply chain.

To establish this program, Metro will count on the continuing cooperation of its stakeholders, on the follow-up of results using indicators to document the impact of the program, as well as on the mobilization of the teams in order to reach our goals.

"Ontario has a growing number of strong local food champions like Metro, who were featured in our recently launched Ontario's Local Food Report, to showcase their hard work in making local food more accessible and more identifiable for the people of Ontario," said Jeff Leal, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "By increasing efforts to supply and promote local foods and beverages within their stores, Metro is not only supporting our farmers, producers and processors but also helping to grow our entire agri-food sector and provincial economy."

"We are delighted to be able to count on Metro's support to make it easier to identify products on the shelves and in the weekly flyer by using logos of Foodland Ontario. By intensifying its efforts to promote Ontario products, Metro is making the local food choice easier for their consumers," said Denise Zaborowski, Manager, Foodland Ontario

Quebec: three years later

Since the launch of the first phase of the local purchasing program in Quebec in 2013, Metro has worked to implement concrete initiatives to help make Québec's agri-food sector stronger and more competitive. So far, the implementation of the program in eight regions has enabled more than 827 new fresh and grocery products from 133 suppliers to make their debut in Metro and Super C stores in their region. Quebec's local purchasing program has also been updated to reflect new objectives.

Metro's local purchasing program can be downloaded on the corporate website. Also, Metro released its 2016 corporate responsibility report on the progress of its initiatives. Click here to read the report.

METRO INC.

With annual sales of over $12 billion and over 65,000 employees, METRO INC. is a leader in the food and pharmaceutical distribution in Québec and Ontario, where it operates a network of more than 600 food stores under several banners including Metro, Food Basics, Metro Plus and Super C, as well as over 250 drugstores under the Brunet, Metro Pharmacy and Drug Basics banners.

SOURCE METRO INC.

Image with caption: "Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal in attendance at Metro Front Street Market, alongside Metro Senior Vice President Joe Fusco and Food Basics Senior Vice President Paul Bravi, as Metro Ontario launched its local purchasing program. (CNW Group/METRO INC.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160610_C2425_PHOTO_EN_710749.jpg