Feed The Dream: Empire Company Limited celebrates the supporters behind every Team Canada athlete's dream at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
MWN-AI** Summary
Empire Company Limited, the Official Grocer of Team Canada, has launched its "Feed The Dream" campaign in anticipation of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. This initiative aims to celebrate the families and communities that support every Canadian athlete's journey. With a history of backing Canadians since 1907, Empire’s campaign is designed to unite the nation through pride, food, and sport.
The "Feed The Dream" campaign encompasses various activities, highlighting the vital role of nourishment and community support in athletes' paths to success. Key features include inspiring content featuring Team Sobeys athletes, community engagement through a mobile food experience in Nova Scotia, and a partnership with CBC for exclusive Olympic coverage. Furthermore, the campaign aims to enhance the journey of Team Canada athletes both leading up to and following the Games, including support programs like the Athlete Grocery Card.
Significantly, the campaign also creates opportunities for personal engagement and prizes. Canadians can win gift packages that include groceries and viewing kits for cheering on Team Canada, alongside grand prizes worth substantial Scene+ points.
Team Sobeys features a diverse group of athletes, including Olympians and Paralympians from various disciplines, showcasing their resilience and Canadian spirit. The campaign's impact is further amplified through collaborations with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees, emphasizing the importance of nutrition and national support in the athletes' success.
Empire's "Feed The Dream" initiative is not just a celebration of athletic achievements but strives to strengthen community ties, enhance national pride, and inspire all Canadians to pursue their dreams while cheering on their athletes this winter. Discover more and participate at Sobeys.com.
MWN-AI** Analysis
Empire Company Limited (TSX: EMP.A) is poised for significant opportunities as it prepares to serve as the official grocer for Team Canada during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. With its "Feed The Dream" campaign, Empire not only garners national pride but also strengthens its brand through community engagement and athlete support initiatives, potentially translating into increased sales and customer loyalty.
Investors should take note of Empire’s strategic alignment with a cultural event that drives visibility and emotional connection. Such partnerships often yield positive consumer sentiment, particularly during significant international events, fostering increased foot traffic in stores. Empire's broad portfolio including Sobeys, IGA, and Safeway allows for diverse outreach, targeting multiple market segments effectively.
The campaign aims to cultivate connections between food, family, and sport, resonating deeply with Canadian values and encouraging community participation. The planned initiatives like food trailers, contests, and exclusive athlete content are likely to enhance customer engagement, bolstering its market share amidst increasing competition in the grocery sector.
While the immediate financial impact of the Olympic and Paralympic Games on Empire may be challenging to quantify, the potential long-term brand loyalty gained through these efforts can drive sustained revenue growth. Furthermore, the partnership with CBC to provide custom coverage aids in expanding brand visibility, while the donation initiatives represent a goodwill effort that can enhance corporate reputation.
Investors should consider Empire’s historical performance, the potential uplift from increased brand engagement during the Olympics, and the general health of the consumer goods sector. Maintaining a watchful eye on quarterly earnings reports following the games and consumer sentiment metrics will be essential for informed decision-making as these market advantages begin to materialize. Overall, Empire stands as a strong player in the retail sector, reflecting both cultural relevance and community commitment.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
Canada NewsWire
The Official Grocer of Team Canada celebrates the families and communities who feed every athlete's dream.
STELLARTON, NS, Jan. 8, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, Empire Company Limited ("Empire" or the "Company") (TSX: EMP.A), the Official Grocer of Team Canada, proudly unveils its Feed The Dream campaign, which celebrates Canadian pride, Team Canada athletes, their families and communities at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Through Feed The Dream, Empire's family of brands – Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, Thrifty Foods, Farm Boy, and Voilà – will unite communities from coast to coast to cheer on Team Canada and celebrate the powerful connection between food, family and sport.
As Canada's Family Grocery Store, we have stood behind Canadians and their dreams since 1907. This year, Empire's Feed The Dream campaign will come to life by celebrating the people who stand behind every athlete's journey: their friends, families, and communities. In addition to supporting our athletes, the campaign also reflects the powerful rise in Canadian pride and will seek to unite the country and Feed The Dream of a nation. Canadians will experience the campaign through:
- Athlete Content: Inspiring short films and striking Team Sobeys athlete imagery that highlight the vital role nourishing support through food, people, and communities plays in the journey to the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
- Community Mobile Food Experience: A visit from the Feed The Dream Mobile Food Experience Trailer to Pictou County, Nova Scotia, featuring food sampling, giveaways and other activities to engage the local community.
- CBC Partnership: Custom Olympic and Paralympic coverage, in partnership with CBC, where Canadians can experience the excitement of Team Canada's journey in Milano Cortina, along with exclusive behind-the-scenes stories featuring the athletes and their biggest supporters.
- Team Canada Support: Continued support of Team Canada Olympic and Paralympic athletes in the lead up to and after the Milano Cortina Games as part of its Athlete Grocery Card program.
- Empire Teammate Engagement: Four Empire teammates will be selected through a company-wide contest to serve as correspondents for the Paralympic Games, traveling to Italy for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. From the heart of the action, they will deliver exciting behind-the-scenes highlights live from the Games. Teammates can also nominate a local community sports organization to win one of three donations worth $5,000 in value.
- Feed The Dream Prizes: The opportunity for Canadians to visit Sobeys.com for their chance to win a Feed Your Team prize package, complete with a limited-edition viewing kit, snacks and $100 grocery gift card to cheer on Team Canada. A contest featuring in-store and digital engagements also provides shoppers with the chance to win one of three grand prizes of 1 million Scene+ points.
"As Canada's family grocery store, we've stood behind Canadians and their dreams since 1907. With the surge of Canadian pride and unity over the past year, we broadened our Feed The Dream campaign to be about inspiring and feeding not only our athletes but the dreams of all Canadians," said Erika DeHaas, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, Empire. "With our campaign creative, we worked to really capture this spirit by highlighting both our deep Canadian roots and our Team Canada partnership."
Empire is also thrilled to announce this year's remarkable "Team Sobeys" athletes, an inspiring group of Olympians and Paralympians who embody the resilience, excellence and heart of Canada. These athletes represent a diverse range of backgrounds, disciplines, and dreams, and will take the world stage at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, proudly carrying the Canadian flag. Team Sobeys is represented by:
- Blayre Turnbull, Ice Hockey (Stellarton, NS)
- Isabelle Weidemann, Long Track Speed Skating (Calgary, AB)
- Kalle Eriksson, Para Alpine Skiing (Kimberly, BC)
- Paul Poirier, Ice Dance Figure Skating (Toronto, ON)
- Piper Gilles, Ice Dance Figure Skating (Toronto, ON)
- Sarah Nurse, Ice Hockey (Hamilton, ON)
- Tyler Turner, Para Snowboard (Campbell River, BC)
"The support of partners like Sobeys, who understand what it takes for Canadian athletes to realize their Olympic dreams, is essential for Team Canada's success on the world stage. Our shared values are helping Feed The Dreams of not only Team Canada but the entire country who will be cheering on Canadian athletes this winter," said Jacquie Ryan, Chief Brand and Commercial Officer at the Canadian Olympic Committee and CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
"Sobeys helps provide two critical ingredients towards the Canadian Paralympic Team's success – providing access to proper nutrition and helping rally the nation's support by shining a spotlight on the athletes," said Karen O'Neill, CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee. "It takes a huge team to bring the dreams of Canada's Paralympians to life and we can't wait to celebrate them on the world stage."
This winter, Empire is connecting fans, families and communities through the power of food and sport as they cheer on Team Canada. Canadians can learn more about Feed The Dream, participate in contests and giveaways, and show their support for Team Sobeys athletes by visiting Sobeys.com.
ABOUT EMPIRE
Empire Company Limited (TSX: EMP.A) is a Canadian company headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Empire's key businesses are food retailing, through wholly-owned subsidiary Sobeys Inc., and related real estate. With approximately $31 billion in annual sales and $17 billion in assets, Empire and its subsidiaries, franchisees and affiliates employ approximately 129,000 people.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
The Canadian Olympic Committee believes sport has the power to transform Canada. Team Canada 2035 is our commitment to safe, inclusive, barrier free sport so more young people can play and stay in sport. We will achieve that through a relentless focus on Podium, Play and Planet, so the next generation of Canadian athletes can achieve their Olympic dreams. Learn more at olympic.ca.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization in collaboration with 28 member sport organizations. We are deeply committed to harnessing the transformative power and impact of Paralympic sport. With a vision of fostering an inclusive world through Paralympic sport, we focus on two strategic priorities: elevating Canada's performance at the Games through excellence in preparation, and extending that impact nationwide with the power of Para sport. By celebrating the stories and successes of high-performance Para athletes, the Canadian Paralympic Committee aims to break barriers, create opportunity, and ensure more Canadians with a disability can engage in sports. For more insights, visit Paralympic.ca.
SOURCE Empire Company Limited
View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2026/08/c3757.html
FAQ**
How does Empire Company Limited Non-Voting Class A Shares EMP.A:CC plan to measure the success of the Feed The Dream campaign in terms of community engagement and brand visibility during the Milano Cortina 2026 Games?
In what ways will the Feed The Dream campaign contribute to the long-term brand loyalty of customers towards Empire Company Limited Non-Voting Class A Shares EMP.A:CC beyond the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games?
How does Empire Company Limited Non-Voting Class A Shares EMP.A:CC intend to leverage the partnership with CBC to enhance the visibility and impact of the Feed The Dream campaign among Canadian audiences?
What strategies will Empire Company Limited Non-Voting Class A Shares EMP.A:CC employ to ensure that the Feed The Dream campaign resonates with diverse communities across Canada during the lead-up to the Milano Cortina 2026 Games?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Empire Company Limited Non-Voting Class A Shares (TSXC: EMP.A:CC).
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