Conseil en innovation stratégique

Bulk Barn Food Limited, Canadian’s largest bulk food retailer

Toronto is crazy city.

With 30 cm of powdery snow at my arrival, I took the opportunity to discover one of the largest underground shopping center in Toronto (1200 shops!!).

I was especially amazed by one of them: BulkBarn, a supermarket based on a unique concept, it only sells bulk food. When bulk food is slowly reaching French supermarkets, but mostly in small areas, here, all is in bulk!

It goes from the usual dried fruits to spices, flour, tea, coffee, pet food, candies, Nutella, and even new products such as Kale powder, “made-just-for-you” nut butter or even apple pie filling. Customers only take what they need, placing the bag on a scale and paying for the product by weight. Their catchphrase: “Smile, you’ve just reduced your carbon footprint!

One of their main strenght is also merchandising, playful and spotlessly clean, it relays perfectly the concept of the store. They offer reusable and attractive packaging such as plastic bags or glass pots.

Last but not least, their prices are ultra-competitive.

Virginie Grillet, special reporter for Tilt ideas in Toronto