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Home > Industry at Work > Unsaleables

Unsaleables

Unsaleables are any food or consumer products deemed to be unfit for sale through primary market channels. There are many causes of unsaleables throughout the supply chain ranging from package design to product handling. The industry has been working collaboratively on this issue for over 10 years. In 1996, the industry undertook an initiative in collaboration with trading partners to identify and implement ways of reducing the cost of unsaleables. With support from the ECR Committee on Unsaleables, Canadian grocery manufacturers and distributors who have signed the Protocol for Enrollment have been following an industry recommendation that includes a benchmark system, a list of eligible products and best practices for reducing unsaleables.

For more information on this industry initiative, see the following resources:

• Changes to User's Guide for Unsaleables Effective May 1, 2010
  In 2008, a new joint industry Unsaleables Committee was convened to update the 2003 Unsaleables User's Guide. The objectives of the project were

  • To conduct an in-depth analysis of the current joint industry protocol, specifically in relation to the incidence benchmark and the handling rate; and
  • To recommend changes to the current protocol for industry approval and adoption.

  The project utilized historical data collected through reclamation centre providers, APS and Allied. A smaller scale analysis was also conducted on dairy case categories, including warehouse and DSD shipments. This analysis encompassed all dairy products except eggs and fluid milk.

  The above document outlines the results of this project and recommends changes. A revised User Guide will be online May 1, 2010.

  Moving forward, the joint industry committee has agreed to develop a more proactive plan to manage Unsaleables.

• A User's Guide for the ECR Unsaleables Recommendations
  (Revised April 2010)
• Retailers’ communication to vendors (Sobeys, Safeway). Loblaws is only communicating the change through a desk drop in their lobby.
• Sign the Protocol for Enrollment in the Food Industry [ PDF ]
• Distributors who have signed the Protocol for Enrollment in the Food Industry