

Mid-Summer Update - Road Trips, Trade Shows, and What's Next
Jul 29, 2025
34:10
Mid-Summer Update - Road Trips, Trade Shows, and What's Next
Phil and Kenny reconnect for a candid mid-summer update on what's been keeping them busy and what's coming up for This Commerce Life. After spending five hours together booking travel (and learning they should have let Keelin handle it), the duo shares their exciting plans for the fall.
In This Episode:
- Anuga 2025: The hosts are headed to Germany's massive food trade show (October 4-8) to bring back marketplace intelligence
- Ontario Road Trip: Kenny's coming to Toronto in late September/early October for filming across Central Ontario - from London to Barrie, or potentially east to the Belleville-Kingston area
- Behind the Scenes: Meet Keelin, their "not-so-secret weapon" who keeps them organized, and why they're crystallizing their three core focuses
- The Unsexy Fundamentals: Why they keep returning to the same crucial topics - cost of goods, margins, cash flow - that aren't glamorous but are essential for Canadian retail success
- Retail Stories: Their passion for independent Canadian retailers, from Brian Pilau's stores to Peter at Kelowna Your Independent Grocer, and their dream to visit North West Company's Arctic Circle operations
- Looking Ahead: BC Food & Bev accelerator program, Manitoba webinars, a mystery Interior BC conference, and their ongoing mission to showcase Canadian retail
Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/