Grocery Business

Grocery Business is an independently owned, bimonthly trade magazine for the Canadian grocery industry. It launched in 2011 as a client of Boomerang Studio, a design studio. I have managed and art directed it since the third issue. I oversee the design of every issue and coordinate it through to final artwork.

The problem

A new independent magazine had to compete with established leaders for advertising dollars. It needed to stand apart from the first issue.

Each issue turns around in about ten days. Late ad sales, last-minute content changes and a fixed print date all have to fit.

The approach

The industry puts content above design. Grocery Business does the opposite.

The readers are mostly busy industry leaders. So the magazine uses whitespace, breathing room, infographics and stats, larger text, concise stories and a bold colour palette. It is organized into departments, like a grocery store. Branded standalone sections give advertisers new ways in.

The design system has evolved over the years. It still stays true to the personality of those first issues.

The result

Total circulation has grown year over year since launch. It has passed the previous market leader by more than 14 percent. Among grocery stores, wholesalers and manufacturers, its reach is more than 37 percent larger than the competition.