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Tottenham Foodland under new ownership

October 16, 2013   ·   0 Comments

The Tottenham Foodland is nothing new in town, but its owner is.

Johanne Leduc first began as a cashier in Montreal and, 25 years later, is still devoted to the Sobey’s company.  She now owns two store locations, the other being the Sobey’s in Orangeville which she owns with her husband, who runs that location.

With 14 years of ownership experience under her belt from the Orangeville grocery store, Leduc is comfortable in her new position at the 24-hour Foodland that she took on in August 2013.

“The population is smaller so I need to increase the traffic coming through the store. I have a great client base, but I think a lot of people shop outside of Tottenham. I have to bring the people in the store and get them shopping in their community. That’s going to be the biggest struggle, because there’s so many different outside influences.”

Leduc says there are certain strategies to create a positive shopping experience for customers, and competing with other nearby shopping areas in Alliston, Bolton, and Newmarket, including the new Wal-mart Supercentre that recently popped up.

“Making sure we’re full, produce is very important, so variety and freshness, a clean store and great customer service.”

Competing with nearby discount stores can be difficult, but on top of great specials and promotions that Foodland offers regularly, Leduc has implemented a Kids Club at the store.

She first started it at the Orangeville location and it was incredibly successful, she said. At the Tottenham location, she already has about 500 kids signed up. Kids can register for the Kids Club at any time at the Customer Service desk, and will then receive a postcard in the mail welcoming them to the club and inviting them back to the store for a free surprise! They also receive a postcard on their birthday, inviting them to the bakery department for their free birthday treat.

Different Kids Club activities will also be hosted throughout the year. Leduc already plans to host something fun for Halloween, Christmas, and even Mardi Gras!

With most people shopping almost daily, rather than once a week, Leduc says it’s important to make it different and exciting for customers as much as possible. That includes interactive opportunities and samples, which she likes to be able to offer.

“It’s creating an experience. When they come into the store, you want them to say wow this was fun. Because a lot of people dread grocery shopping.”

But running the store isn’t just about keeping customers happy, it’s about keeping staff happy. Because happy staff will ultimately provide better service.

“It’s easy to sell groceries,” says Leduc. “It’s easy to figure out what to sell and what people want and keep up with the times and Sobey’s really gives you everything you need, all the tools you need to do that. So really the hardest part of the job is just making sure your staff is happy.”

Of the 120 on staff, 90 per cent are part-time students. So how does she keep everyone happy?

“Just by being there for them. Good support, listening to what they have to say, working side by side with them and just being fair and consistent with everybody. I have to say the staff here is amazing. I was lucky to come into this store because there’s a lot of knowledgeable and friendly people.”

Leduc is also involved in the Greater Dufferin Area Chamber of Commerce with the Orangeville Sobey’s location, and was happy to become a member of the Tottenham-Beeton and District Chamber of Commerce as well, having seen the benefits.

Being part of the Chamber supports business networking and helps with promoting and advertising various events, says Leduc, which is an enormous help for any business looking to grow with the community they serve.

By Emily Wood

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