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Industry honours ‘Generation Next’ Canadian Grocer awards rising stars at gala event

November 30, 2018   ·   0 Comments

Rising stars of the grocery trade were recently recognized at the eighth annual Generation Next awards. The event, held November 19 at the Royal York in Toronto, honoured nine recipients, under age 40, who demonstrated leadership, a commitment to working in grocery, and involvement in the industry or their community.

Vince’s Market category manager Nigel Oliver was one of the recipients.

“I started at the dairy counter stocking milk 12 years ago at Vince’s,” recalled Oliver. “I worked my way up to a supervisory role during university, and then into the office in an analyst role during CMA/CPA school.”

Oliver then completed his designation and was promoted to management, where he’s involved with operations across all five Vince’s stores, as well as overseeing the commissary and warehouse.

“I feel very honoured to receive the award, and to have been nominated by my peers,” said Oliver. “I look forward to pursuing further growth in this exciting, thriving industry.”

Oliver believes that the grocery trade is a great opportunity for young people to start and build a career, with its many levels of management: supervisors, category managers, senior management, ownership.

“It’s a dynamic industry, and highly competitive,” he continues. “We are constantly looking for ways to better serve our customers – beyond price. Connecting with them personally, and providing fresh, high-quality foods, along with more in-store sampling, are some of the ways we accomplish this. Technology is also playing a greater role – in particular when it comes to convenience.”

“The future is bright,” he adds, “and innovation will be key in transforming a weekly routine task into an immersive shopping experience.”

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