The North West Company Highlights Nutrition North Savings on Customer Receipts

Press Release

Northern and North Mart stores implement changes to point of sales system ahead of April 2016 deadline

Winnipeg, November 24, 2015 – Northern and North Mart customers who shop for heathy foods eligible under the Nutrition North Canada (NNC) subsidy program will now see the savings on their receipts. Changes in the NNC program called for retailers to provide this information by April 2016 – a change that The North West Company (North West) has substantively completed ahead of schedule.

“Making this change to our receipts was a priority with our information systems, because we know that it helps our customers and their confidence in knowing that they have received the full subsidy on all purchases. We have shown the price drop for nutritious food items on our shelf labels from day one, and now customers will be able to see it by item and in total on their receipts.” said Christine Reimer, Vice President, Sales & Operations at North West.

Making Healthy Food Choices More Affordable

North West has tracked over 1,600 subsidized items across 67 communities since the NNC program began. Since April 2011, the price of these subsidized items has dropped an average of 8.9 percent as at May 2015. These results were achieved despite the fact the cost to retailers to purchase food has increased due to higher supplier costs over this time. When the inflation in perishable food costs is adjusted for, the actual retail price savings are approximately 19 percent.

Lower prices have translated into Northern and North Mart shoppers buying significantly more healthy food. Nutrition North food purchases across all 67 NNC markets are up an average of 26%, led by dairy with an increase of 37%, and followed by produce at 24% and meat at 22%.

“Nutrition North subsidies and the Northern and North Mart freight savings passed through to consumers continue to outweigh inflationary costs incurred for products, fuel, utilities, travel, staffing and other operating costs,” stated Reimer. “North West has four years of experience with the NNC program and we’ve carefully tracked its successes and where we see room for improvement,” added Reimer. “We are encouraged by the Federal Government’s previously stated plan to increase investment in the NNC program by $40 million and we look forward to more details on the NNC commitments made by the new Liberal government. We believe program funding must keep pace with food inflation and population growth and must include all remote communities that are currently not subsidized or receive only nominal subsidies.”

About Northern and North Mart

Northern and North Mart are store banners of The North West Company LP, a subsidiary of The North West Company Inc., a leading retailer of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighbourhoods in Canada, Alaska, the South Pacific and Caribbean. Northern and North Mart are collectively the largest private employers of indigenous people in Canada, with over 3,100 employees and an annual payroll exceeding $65 million.

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For more information contact:

Derek Reimer
Director, Business Development
P: 204.934.1469
E: dreimer@northwest.ca

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