Deb Craven, President of Longo’s, on 70 Years of Retail Excellence and being named Retail Council of Canada’s Distinguished Retailer of the Year for 2026
From The Voice of Retail by Michael LeBlanc
May 22, 2026 · 25 min · Episode 516
About this episode
Deb Craven discusses Longo’s retail strategies and insights after being named Retail Council of Canada’s Distinguished Retailer of the Year for 2026.
In this episode on The Voice of Retail, I sit down with Deb Craven, President of Longo’s, fresh off being named Retail Council of Canada’s Distinguished Retailer of the Year for 2026. We explore how Longo’s is scaling across Ontario while staying true to its local roots, why AI and agentic commerce are about to transform grocery shopping, and what Canadian consumers really want right now in terms of value, wellness, and experience. From supply chain expansion to leadership lessons and the future of food retail — this is a fascinating conversation you won’t want to miss from this award-winning retail leader.
People in this episode
Host: Michael LeBlanc
Guest: Deb Craven
Topics covered
- retail excellence
- grocery shopping
- AI in retail
- consumer trends
- leadership lessons
- supply chain
- food retail
Keywords
- Longo’s
- retail
- AI
- grocery
- consumer experience
- supply chain
- leadership
- wellness
- value
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Longo’s, Retail Council of Canada
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