April 2023 - Message from Your CAMA President

A time to celebrate!

After 18 plus years of being part of the association, our Executive Director Marie Saint-Ivany has announced her retirement for the end of June. During this time Marie has been the face of CAMA; Presidents and Directors come and go, but Marie has always been there for our association. She will be sadly missed by all of us, but at the same time we want to wish her well in her retirement years and send her off with a celebration in appreciation for all she has done for our association.  Our Board of Directors has invited Marie and her husband Tom to our UnconVENDtional Event in Whistler this September. This event will be unique, and action packed with knowledge, networking and guest speakers. To add Marie’s retirement party to the agenda will give all our members the opportunity to thank her for her years of dedication to CAMA, and wish her well in her next chapter in life. Registration will be opening soon for the event so start making your plans to attend our first UnconVENDtional Event and Marie’s retirement party!

Save the date! Wednesday June 14^th is our annual Ontario Regional Golf Tournament. It is another great opportunity to network with our industry peers. 

We also look forward to seeing all the Canadian attendees attending the NAMA Show at our Canada Night Reception on Thursday, May 11^th!

The following is an interview that I did with Host Milano that I want to share with all of you. It speaks of my thoughts on our industry as we get back to normal. Please note that CAMA will once again participate in the hosted buyer program for their upcoming show in October. We expect to invite 6-10 members to attend the show in Milan October 2023.

Question - How has 2022 been for the Canadian vending industry?

We can all rejoice as 2022 can be documented as the official start up date of business recovery for operators and suppliers in the Canadian Vending – Coffee & Micro Market industry. For an industry that relies on people being “at work” and once again participating in community, recreation and outings for survival, we have seen a significant upswing in people getting back to a normal pre-covid routine. Our industry has experienced challenges in recovery as well. We have had to deal with labour shortages, supply chain shortages and unprecedented increases to our cost of goods. But in saying that the outlook for a full recovery and new opportunities with-in our industry looks very positive.

Question - Which trends and foodservice formats do you think will be most successful in the next years?

I believe the driving force for growth and opportunity lies in the unattended retail and coffee segment of our industry. There will always be a steady demand and need for vending services and this segment will remain strong and stable, but Micro Markets and Coffee will lead the way for new opportunities and growth. With today’s shortage of talented employees, employers have become more focused on creating a culture with-in the workplace that will both attract and retain employees. The concept of having an open market in your business with fresh healthy food and an endless selection of snacks and beverages is very appealing. “Coffee Culture” plays a huge role in keeping employees both happy and productive. The trend for upscale coffee programs in the workplace is becoming the new normal. The placement of Bean to Cup machines that offer a multitude of gourmet drink options is experiencing tremendous growth.

Question - The recovery of the vending industry after some tough years, is happening in a permanent crisis world. Which actions must be made? (Energy, technology, equipment, process, …)

We all need to acknowledge and accept that our industry was severely affected by the Covid pandemic, and a portion of our previous business will not return in the foreseeable future. A segment of our workplace has adopted a work from home attitude and like I said earlier, our industry relies on people being “at work”. Now in saying that, the after effect of the pandemic has also created new opportunities for growth in specific segments of our industry. With the growth of unattended retail being so popular, vending equipment manufacturers have fought back and developed hybrid equipment options that will offer a wide variety of products similar to a Micro Market in a more controlled and secure environment. The world of technology is forever changing and manages all aspects of our industry from tracking sales to picking orders. But it still hasn’t figured out how to put the product into the machines without a human person! Payment options for product purchases continue to expand and improve and now include loyalty reward programs and discounts for frequent purchases.

It is an amazing time in our industry, and I look forward to what the future will bring to the next generation.