Town hall meetings were held across Canada, where task force members and our moderator Kevin Graff, of Graff Retail, gave you a forum to voice opinions about the industry and tell us exactly what challenges you face on a daily basis.

Retail Council of Canada was delighted to have Kevin Graff, a highly successful retail consultant and author, as our Town Hall Moderator. With his extensive knowledge of the retail industry and skill for engaging any audience, Graff put everyone at ease while encouraging you to speak out about your experiences.

"The Independent Retail Task Force has the unique opportunity to give independent retailers what they need most; a centralized source of information and skills," says Graff. "Independents are no different than retail chains in their need for constant evolution in store concept, and this evolution can only happen when accurate and timely information is made available. For chains, they can 'hire' the talent necessary. For independent retailers, they need to be able to foster change and innovation on their own. To do that, they need the right information in the right place."

That valuable information is what we gathered at our meetings and what future research will provide us. Look for your next Independent Retailer newsletter to find out what we heard and where we're going in 2009.