Strategy

Pearl’s Top 3 Picks- Megatrends

Euromonitor International’s 2019 Megatrends report focused on eight trends that will have significant impact on a wide range of industries. Below we will drill down on our top 3 picks and provide examples of products or services that are on target with these trends. Healthy Living The study reports that consumers are demonstrating a more holistic approach to wellness, encompassing physical, spi [...]

2019-11-25T22:43:54+00:00 Innovation, Strategy|

Carlo’s Bake Shop Vending Machine in Toronto

Pearl checked out the Carlo’s Bake Shop vending machine in Toronto! Here is our assessment. Slices from Carlo’s Bake Shop “ATM” around Toronto have been in high demand since their launch last week – most machines selling out by 2pm everyday! We were lucky enough to stop by during a quiet time and check out the machine and pick up a slice of our own to try. We were disappointed to see the beauti [...]

2019-11-13T10:04:25+00:00 Innovation, Strategy|

Pearl’s Top Picks from GIC 2019

Pearl attended the 2019 Grocery Innovations Canada Tradeshow in Toronto on Oct 22-23 to check out the new products entering the market and to understand food and beverage trends. Below are Pearl’s top innovation themes and product picks from this year’s show. Wholesome. The word “wholesome” made an appearance in numerous ways as consumers continue to look for healthy snacks that feature a short [...]

2019-10-29T12:16:54+00:00 Innovation, Strategy|

Part 2 – QSR Chicken Sandwiches: The Face Off

Chicken sandwiches have been in the news lately, with the hype of Popeye’s limited time offering in the U.S. and the launch of the first Chik-fil-A location in Canada. Our team of tasters tried 6 of the most popular chicken sandwiches at quick service restaurants in Toronto, and here is what they thought. This is the 2nd part of a two-part blog series. Read part 1 here.   Chick-fil-A Chick [...]

2019-10-24T11:16:29+00:00 Innovation, Strategy|

Part 1 – QSR Chicken Sandwiches: The Face Off

Chicken sandwiches have been in the news lately, with the hype of Popeye’s offering in the U.S. and the launch of the first Chik-fil-a location in Canada. Our team of tasters tried 6 of the most popular chicken sandwiches at quick service restaurants in Toronto, and here is what they thought. This is the 1st blog of a two part series. McDonald’s – Mc Chicken - $5.99   The Mc Chicken sandwi [...]

2019-10-16T12:19:37+00:00 Innovation, Strategy|

The Tools and Techniques of Design Thinking

Design Thinking, simply put, is a “human centered” methodology or approach to innovation. At its very core it is about developing empathy for the end user of a product or service so you understand them and designing a solution that will solve a problem. Anyone can do Design Thinking. Here are some of the tools and techniques to help get you started. Photo Elicitation Select your target group. A [...]

Cannabis Innovation Through Technology

There are many ways technology is bringing innovation to the cannabis market, ranging from the extraction and measurement of active ingredients, to recipe development of new food and beverage products. We explored some of the innovative technology applications taking place in cannabis and summarized them below: Customisation In the future, cannabis product ratios could be altered to meet partic [...]

Pearl’s Top Picks from CHFA East Show

Pearl reviewed the vendors in attendance at the Canadian Health Food Association Eastern Tradeshow held on Sept 12-15 in Toronto. Below are our top picks from this years show: Sproos Sproos promotes collagen as being a key component for the maintenance of healthy skin, gut and joints. They offer a variety of supplements and snacks targeted in these areas. For example, their Sproos Up Your Gut c [...]