Gambles Produce grows with the needs of its customers

In the past year, the Gambles Group of Companies has transformed from a regional wholesaler to a full-service distributor that services all markets across Canada, says Lisa D'Ambrosio, marketing manager for the Toronto-based company.

“Gambles is now able to service customers coast to coast, suppling them with product from two centralized distribution centers in Toronto and Calgary,” D'Ambrosio said. “With the growing demands of our customers, the need to service all areas of the country became evident.”

Gambles is a full-service produce distributor that offers a full range of products to retail, foodservice and the wholesale sector, she said. Gambles offers customized solutions depending on client needs. Those solutions include retail-ready packaged items, precuts, salads, dips, dressings and floral, she said.

Market forces

The Toronto market has seen an uptick in foodservice demand as consumers are driving the desire to engage more socially outside the home, D'Ambrosio said. Within the retail sector, the company sees a shift to more discount format stores where pricing is more competitive. 

“As consumers seek to strike a balance between household needs and engaging socially out-of-home, we’re prepared to react to the industry’s changing demands,” she said.

For example, Gambles is offering volume purchases to retailers and the option to create smaller pack sizes that offer lower retail price points. 

“We are innovating to meet these changing needs by providing retail offerings that include value-added produce and smaller pack sizes, while the foodservice market continues to look at adjusting their menu items to capitalize on lower pricing and higher volume purchases,” D'Ambrosio said.

As consumers seek to stretch their household budgets, the company has seen a rise in root crops sales growth within the last year, she said. Produce items such as potatoes, onions and carrots have seen an increase in demand, D'Ambrosio said.

Going for growth

Gambles is keeping its growth mindset despite the challenging headwinds of higher costs and tight labor markets, she said. 

“We continue to engage our team to create a growth mindset, focusing on improving and finding [innovative] ways to overcome challenges that arise,” D'Ambrosio said. “As a company, we invest in a company culture that encourages training and development and it’s proven to help us in retaining good people. The opportunity is in the challenge. Our challenge lies in improving efficiencies as we continue to collaborate with our internal team and our external partners to address one another’s needs.”