Great Things in Store: Retail Partnerships for Better Food Access

Between 2022 and 2024, Food First NL partnered with food retailers and communities across the province. Our goal was to explore retail options that improve food access for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Together, we met with community members and asked them what retailers could do to make a difference.

Our Retail Partners

We co-created six pilot projects based on what we heard from community members. These projects included delivery services, offering smaller portion sizes, food distribution, ready-to-eat meals, and more.

We worked with:

  • Flynn’s Clover Farm and Liquor Express (Avondale)

  • Oceanview Convenience Ltd. (Southern Harbour)

  • Ray’s by K & D Grocery Ltd. (Paradise)

  • Spruce Meadow Farms (Happy Valley-Goose Bay)

  • St. Barbe Consumer’s Co-Operative Society (Flowers Cove)

  • Three Mile Ridge (Lethbridge)

Learn more about each of our partners and their projects on our Great Things in Store retailers page or by clicking on the images below.

Why Retail Partnerships?

Small food retailers across the province are a core part of how people access food. Convenience stores, small grocery stores, farm stands, and gas stations all play a role in our food system. Small retailers also care about their communities. They know their customers, their community members, and their neighbours. When we work to improve food access, we need to include retailers in that work.

We know that there are many challenges to food security here in Newfoundland and Labrador. Much of our food comes from outside of the Province and we are at the end of a long and complex supply chain that is currently, and will likely continue, facing many disruptions.

We also know that food insecurity is overwhelmingly an income issue. With the costs of living rising rapidly, the number of people having to make tough decisions about how to prioritize their spending and stretch their income is also growing. High-quality and/or nutritious foods are often the first to get removed from a long list of household expenses.

Finally, we know that while income is critical, it isn’t everything. Many people in both rural and urban areas in the province cannot get a full load of groceries without relying on someone who has a personal vehicle or setting aside large chunks of time to use public or active transportation.

Food security means having economic and physical access to adequate amounts of nutritious, safe, and culturally appropriate food.

Questions about the project? Contact us at info@foodfirstnl.ca call and leave a message at (709) 237-4026