CFIG

What CFIG does

CFIG (Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1962 and headquartered in North York, Ontario. It serves as the recognized industry body representing independent, franchised, and specialty grocery retailers across Canada, and is the only retail association in the country that advocates to all three levels of government solely on behalf of retail grocers. The association operates through a three-tier membership model (Retailer, Associate, and Affiliate) and delivers a portfolio of programs spanning government relations and advocacy, industry events, training, member services, and recognition awards.

The organization's core product surface includes the HUB @ CFIG members-only digital portal that centralizes resources, templates, news, event registration, and e-learning, and two flagship annual expositions: Grocery Innovations Canada (GIC) in Toronto and Grocery & Specialty Food West (GSF) in Vancouver. It also operates the Master Merchandiser Awards Program, the Life Member Designation, the Spirit of the Independent Award, the National Scholarship Program, and e-learning offerings such as the Certified Canadian Beef Training Program (CCBTP) delivered with Canada Beef and BSI food safety training. CFIG holds board representation on the Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct (OGSCC) and acts as an information conduit for members on regulatory matters such as the Competition Bureau's food supply chain examination and the federal National Food Security Strategy.

CFIG's revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed but are understood to combine membership dues across three tiers, sponsorship and advertising sold around the two annual shows and across the HUB portal, event registration and exhibitor fees, and partner-driven member discount programs (Perkopolis, BMO, Interac, FMS Solutions, Burnbrae Farms, Conestoga Farms). The association maintains a staff of 11-50 organized across executive leadership, public policy and advocacy, marketing and communications, conference and events, membership and programs, and finance. The independent grocery channel it represents generated $12.8 billion in sales in 2015 per CFIG's own Independent Impact Study, a market-size figure rather than CFIG's own revenue.

Name

CFIG

Legal name

Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers

Website

https://cfig.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CFIG (Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1962 that represents independent, franchised, and specialty grocery retailers across Canada through advocacy, two annual trade shows, e-learning, and member services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CFIG is a non-profit trade association that provides advocacy, programs, events, and resources for independent grocery retailers across Canada. It operates a members-only portal (The HUB) for resources, training, and member services, hosts two annual grocery expositions (Grocery Innovations Canada in Toronto and Grocery & Specialty Food West in Vancouver), and advocates to all three levels of government solely on behalf of retail grocers. It also delivers e-learning programs such as the Certified Canadian Beef Training Program and offers recognition, scholarship, and award programs for the independent grocery channel.

Product overview

CFIG (Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1962 that provides a suite of programs, services, and events for independent grocers across Canada. The organization operates the HUB @ CFIG as its primary members-only digital portal, which centralizes resources, member services, and industry information. CFIG also presents two major annual grocery expositions: Grocery Innovations Canada (GIC) in Toronto and Grocery & Specialty Food West (GSF) in Vancouver. The association offers recognition programs including the Life Member Designation, Spirit of the Independent Award, and Master Merchandiser Awards Program. Additionally, CFIG provides the National Scholarship Program and e-learning offerings such as the Certified Canadian Beef Training Program (CCBTP) in partnership with industry stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HUB @ CFIG
• Grocery Innovations Canada (GIC) Annual grocery exposition and conference held in Toronto, Ontario, featuring trade show exhibitions, networking opportunities, educational workshops, and industry awards including the Master Merchandiser Awards and Top 10 Most Innovative Products.
• Grocery & Specialty Food West (GSF) Annual grocery exposition and conference held in Vancouver, British Columbia, serving as the largest western Canada grocery industry event with trade show exhibitions, networking, and industry recognition.
• Certified Canadian Beef Training Program (CCBTP) Retail training program for Canadian beef, offered in partnership with Canada Beef, providing certification for retail staff on beef products through CFIG's e-learning platform.
• National Scholarship Program Annual scholarship program supporting students pursuing careers in the grocery industry.
• E-Learning Programs Educational programs and training resources for member grocers, including compliance checklists, operating guides, and staff onboarding materials.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• InteracminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInterac partnership providing payment solutions advertising on CFIG website. Interac is a Canadian interbank network for debit card transactions.
• FMS SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvertising partnership with FMS Solutions providing retail management solutions advertising on CFIG platforms.
• PerkopolisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCFIGmodified Perkopolis program providing employee discount programs for CFIG members.
• Burnbrae FarmsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvertising partnership with Burnbrae Farms, a Canadian egg and poultry producer.
• Conestoga FarmsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvertising partnership with Conestoga Farms featured on CFIG website.
• BMO (Bank of Montreal)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking and financial services offers for CFIG members through BMO partnership.
• Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct (OGSCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFIG is actively involved in the Canadian Grocery Code of Conduct initiative, with representation on the OGSCC Board of Directors. The OGSCC oversees dispute resolution processes and code implementation.
• Canada BeefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing Certified Canadian Beef Training Program (CCBTP) for retail through CFIG's e-learning platform.
• BSI (British Standards Institution)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood safety management training and certification partnership offering courses to CFIG members with discount code CAMKT24.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Grocers Association (NGA): US-based trade association representing independent grocers. Most directly comparable to CFIG by mandate (advocacy for independent grocery retailers) and business model (membership, annual show - NGA Show, government relations, training programs).
• Retail Council of Canada (RCC): Canadian retail trade association advocating on behalf of retailers to government and stakeholders. Comparable to CFIG in Canadian advocacy mandate, though broader in scope (all retail verticals), and competes for members and policy influence with CFIG on grocery-specific issues.
• Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB): Canadian advocacy organization representing small and medium-sized businesses. Comparable to CFIG in policy advocacy mandate and membership-based model, with overlap on issues affecting independent retailers (taxation, regulation, labour), and broader scope across all SMB verticals.
• National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS): US trade association for the convenience and fuel retailing industry. Comparable to CFIG in membership-based trade association model, government advocacy, annual exposition (NACS Show), and member training/resources for retail operators.

Regional players

• Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP): Canadian industry association representing food, health, and consumer products manufacturers. Comparable to CFIG as a Canadian food-industry trade association, but represents the supplier side rather than the independent retailer side of the grocery value chain.
• Atlantic Convenience Store Association / Regional Canadian Retail Associations: Regional Canadian associations serving independent retailers in specific provinces (e.g., Atlantic Canada, Quebec). Comparable to CFIG in advocacy and member services mandate, but with narrower geographic and segment focus.

Broad incumbents

• FMI - The Food Industry Association: US food industry trade association serving the entire food retail and wholesale ecosystem. Comparable to CFIG as a food-retail advocacy and events organization, but operates at much larger scale with a broader mandate covering chain retailers, wholesalers, and the full food value chain.

Others

• Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA): Global network of independent grocers operating under the IGA banner. Not a trade association, but a comparable independent-grocer support organization providing branding, marketing, and operational services to member stores, with similar end-customers as CFIG's retailer members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cfigfcei
• Facebookfacebook.com/CFIGFCEI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-federation-of-independent-grocers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CFIG