Cover Story
© surangaw / Adobe Stock
about small communities here [ so ] you ’ re not going to see a Walmart up there . We will fill that void .”
Marchand says he and his team work hard to find new ways to overcome logistical challenges and help keep prices down for northern customers .
“ I need to do my job very , very well in order to keep food at a reasonable price in those communities ,” he says . “ We ’ re going to continue to make changes and adapt new technologies that allow us to do things faster and better .”
For instance , a Boeing 767 now flies twice a week direct from Winnipeg to Iqaluit , permitting much larger volumes to make their way to Baffin Island stores . The NWC ’ s commitment to innovation is also evident in the special wraps and tarps it has developed for shipping fresh produce to frigid climes .
“ When you ’ re transferring product on an airfield in the middle of the Arctic , it doesn ’ t take long for lettuce to freeze at -40 C with a wind-chill of -60 C , so you have to be creative ,” Marchand says .
He adds that NWC stores , like their trading post predecessors , are integral to the life of northern communities . “ These stores tend to be gathering places . Sometimes , it ’ s the only one in town ,” Marchand says . “ Most retailers don ’ t have that concept where the store is really central .”
In recent years , the NWC has expanded its customer offerings by adding complementary niche businesses like Tim Hortons , Pizza Hut and KFC franchises to some locations .
“ We ’ re also building pharmacies in many of our stores today , which is something that we ’ re very proud of because some of these communities have never had a pharmacy ,” says Marchand . “ We believe that when we do go into one of these communities that we are going to make a difference in their lives .”
Part of making a difference is hearing what people in remote communities have to say . According to Marchand , the company listens to customers and tries to provide them with what they ’ re looking for in their specific communities .
“ This is not a cookie-cutter operation ,” he says . “ Every store doesn ’ t look exactly the same , and the assortment in every one of those stores is different . This is a company that is national in scope but very regional in the way it handles the assortments and what ’ s in those stores .”
The company is also looking to expand its offerings by leveraging its logistical expertise to support online shopping , or what ’ s termed “ the endless aisle ”.
“ That is one of the strategies that we ’ re working on ,” Marchand says . “ If you don ’ t do that , then you could find yourself losing your customers to the online experience as more and more of these communities have Internet service and people are getting used to doing things online .”
While the NWC looks to the future , it remains firmly grounded in the past and true to the spirit of enterprise and other core values instilled by the early voyageurs .
“ Those roots are still celebrated and in fact we still have people in the organization whose family goes right back to the original Nor ’ westers ,” says Marchand . “ That connection is something that many people here at the North West Company really gravitate towards .”
Marchand will talk about the NWC ’ s supply chain strategies at the national conference to be held at Winnipeg ’ s RBC Convention Centre from June 14-16 . His presentation is included in sessions entitled Tales from the Table , and is scheduled for June 16 .
SUPPLY CHAIN CANADA • QUARTER 1 2017 • 13