More than two months after the end of the labor dispute in four American Kellogg factories, the cereal aisles of Quebec supermarkets are still as bare.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
The multinational justifies this slowdown by arguing that its activities remain affected by the pandemic, thus forcing loyal Rice Krispies or Corn Flakes lovers to turn to other brands to fill their morning bowl… until the situation returns to normal. normal.
“Corn Flakes have been hard to find for a long time,” says Nancy Valois, category manager at Pasquier, which operates stores in Delson and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
According to the merchants interviewed, in addition to the strike, the labor shortage, the difficulty in obtaining supplies of cardboard and the disruptions in transport contribute to slowing down the arrival of cereal boxes at their destination. Arguments also made by Kellogg, in an email sent to The Press. However, it is impossible to know when the cereal department will regain its former appearance.
“The stop was long. The return will be long, ”sums up Michel Rochette, president for Quebec of the Retail Council of Canada (RCCC), which represents major brands such as IGA, Metro, Loblaw, Costco and Walmart.
“It’s a whole ecosystem that is trying to restart and that affects the final chain: transport, arrival in shops, storage, he adds. It’s the supply chain that’s been on hold for a long time. It’s the accumulation of delays throughout the supply chain that makes it take a long time to recover all that. »
After a tour of stores of different brands, The Press noticed that the variety and quantity were not there on the shelves intended for cereal boxes, sometimes causing the frustration of disappointed customers not to be able to get their hands on what they are looking for. Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies or Mini-Wheats have become rare commodities.
Backtrack
Empty spaces in the grain aisle began to appear last fall. Flashback: On October 5, 2021, 1,400 workers at Kellogg’s factories in Battle Creek (Michigan), Omaha (Nebraska), Lancaster (Pennsylvania) and Memphis (Tennessee) went on strike. “For more than a year, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Kellogg workers across the country have worked long, hard hours, day in and day out, to produce Kellogg’s ready-to-eat cereal for families. Americans,” read a statement released by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) at the start of the strike.
“Kellogg’s response to these loyal employees has been to demand that they give up quality health care, retirement benefits and paid vacations. The company continues to threaten to send additional jobs to Mexico if workers do not accept outrageous proposals that strip away the protections they have enjoyed for decades. »
A few weeks later, supply problems began to be felt in Quebec supermarkets. However, on December 21, an agreement was reached between the employees and the multinational whose head office is located in Battle Creek, Michigan. However, in stores, several colorful boxes are still conspicuous by their absence. “It hasn’t come back yet as it was”, laments Mme Valois, adding in the process that it is very difficult to know when the vacant spaces will be filled with a sufficient number of boxes.
In an email sent to The PressKellogg’s communications department writes that the multinational’s activities are still affected by the pandemic, in particular due to “inflation, [des] logistical challenges, [des] packaging and labor shortages, as well as [de] the extended work stoppage at four US grain plants in the fourth quarter of 2021”.
“We’ve been working hard to address these intermittent shortages and get Kellogg’s cereal brands back on store shelves,” it added.
Space for Quebec actors
Until then, some supermarkets are trying to offer other products to their customers. “I try to find new varieties, different things, assures Nancy Valois. There are holes, there are posters mentioning that there are supply problems. Customers are aware and they see it elsewhere too. »
This situation has been profitable for Quebec companies, such as La Fourmi bionique, whose bags of granola have, in certain supermarkets, been able to have better visibility. Corey Eisenberg, president of Montreal-produced cereal Grandma Emily, has seen a slight increase in sales.
In the case of La Fourmi bionique, although the company has had its share of glitches since the start of the pandemic, it has always managed to honor its orders from merchants, assures its president, Geneviève Gagnon.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Geneviève Gagnon, founding president of La Fourmi bionique
“There is a lot of opportunity to place our products in secondary locations that might previously have been occupied by conventional cereals,” she says. There is greater availability of grocery slots that are otherwise filled by a Mini-Wheats. »
Good news for La Fourmi bionique, founded 18 years ago, since it wants to get rid of this image of a niche product, perceived as being more expensive, which sticks to its skin. For this reason, M.me Gagnon wants his bags of granola to come out of the organic sections of grocery stores.
“We are able to compete in large areas. We are a mass product. We have a product that everyone likes. I am not targeting consumers with dietary restrictions. I really want to be a product like the Croque-Nature (Quaker). I want to be considered in the same way by a family. »
“The reality, she adds, is that the majority of people will continue to frequent the aisles of conventional. If we’re not there, they’ll never put us in their basket. »