If you are reasonably normal person, you will like snacks. Sometimes you eat them too much or think you do, but they often seem to go with events or watching TV to make it better. Recently was in the library and pick up a book about A Canadian Food History guide to Snacks written by Janis Thiessen published by the University of Manitoba Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2017. Similar to many people who read the book, most of the snacks discussed were never eaten but listing to older people they remember old snacks they use to eat. Not sure if generation X will remember the difference between the Mars bar or the Hershey’s bar but many years ago there were regional snack makers.

In the book, the author included both the food history and the labor history – what was it like to work there? How were the products made and sold? In reality, although the industry is dominated by giant corporations who recently have been buying the natural food snack the industry has not changed. The distribution systems have changed – the history was there were more shops and the sales representative job was not just to show product but also teach how to display and strengthen the individual store. There are many stores which still exist but most of them are now chain convenience stores. The old days most of the stores were independent and could make a choice of whether to carry a product or not. Many of us now go into chain grocery stores to do most of our grocery shopping which changes the distribution channels and methods.

In the book, many og the companies have disappeared partly because of competition, partly because to stay in business a profit must be made and partly because the larger companies have more clout and sometimes they will source their products through 3rd party companies and sometimes they will buy manufacturing plants to service their needs. The  companies still must make a profit to stay in business.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, as people we all need to eat and every once in while somebody cooks a little better than everybody else. The idea forms either to stay small and local or expand to regional or national levels. The expansion takes different skill sets and different expectations. In also means different forms of competition, typically as a dividend buyer we tend to favor established companies – the big ones which have many advantages before them and their job is to execute. It is great if you have memories of different services, but ask yourself did they make money?

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.