Toronto-based F.G. Lister & Co. brings a longstanding vendor and customer relationships to its formula for success, said Michael Fallico, vice president.
The company’s sales office is located at the Ontario Food Terminal, with its head office and distribution center being located in South Etobicoke, Ontario.
“We source products from around the world and offer a full range of products; and with our in-house transportation company, we have the ability to offer our customers quick and efficient delivery,” Fallico said.
The company has a good balance of both retail and foodservice business, he said. “Both our retail and foodservice customers are continuing to use us as they always have; as an essential partner in their business,” he said. “This can be attributed to the strong, longstanding relationships we have built with our customers over the years.”
Coping with changes
Fallico said the change in customer buying patterns and consistency in purchase volume during the pandemic has been a challenge. “It is more difficult to predict customer demand, which puts more pressure on our buyers to be more precise when they are procuring product,” he said, noting that the company also has a greater focus on limiting shrink.
The company has seen success in a variety of areas, with Fallico noting that core/high-frequency products, bagged items and organics have performed well over the past year.
“During this time, we have continued as always to focus on the safety and well-being of our team members; further, we have continued with our commitment to food safety through our successful British Retail Consortium Food Safety Program to ensure that our customers receive fresh and safe produce,” he said. “We always monitor changes in the industry and the overall economy, and make operational adjustments to account for these changes to ensure that we continue to offer our customers fresh quality produce and great service.”
