Diversifying supply chains to achieve strategic growth
In 2010, Gopal Gupta and his wife, Fazleen Khan-Gupta, founded City Wide Produce. Over the years, the business became a high-volume supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables to retailers and restaurants across Western Canada.
Today, with a growing team and a strong emphasis on customer service, City Wide has built its reputation on consistency, trust and long-term partnerships.
Tariffs as a catalyst for change
In 2025, Canadian counter-tariffs on U.S. imports posed a serious challenge for City Wide. With over 90% of its imports coming from the United States, City Wide faced climbing costs, exchange rate volatility and shifting consumer preferences.
“We were paying tariffs on three commodities: tomatoes, watermelons and citrus,” says Gopal. “The rate of use or consumption had slowed down on some kinds of produce, whereas on others it was unchanged.”
Still, the company saw this disruption as a chance to evolve: “It forced us to start certain programs that we were putting off. Now, we have more resources and more growers willing to sell to us. We’ve widened our base,” says Gopal.
Now we have more resources and more growers willing to sell to us. We’ve widened our base.
Gopal Gupta
Co-founder, City Wide Produce
A strategic shift in leadership and logistics
City Wide diversified its supplier base to mitigate the impact of tariffs, sourcing from Mexico, South Africa, and Chile. “We were loading a lot of Mexican watermelon and tomatoes, while also using local tomatoes as much as we could,” Gopal explains. “We pivot to overseas supply when needed, but it isn’t instant. Transit alone takes weeks, so we plan ahead to keep customers covered.”
The company also used a strategy commonly used in investment practice: cost averaging, also known as dollar cost averaging. This approach involves investing the same amount of money in something at regular intervals over a certain period, regardless of price.
It eliminates the need to try to time purchases according to the best available price. In a highly uncertain market, cost averaging can help to maintain stability and reduce the effect of day-to-day volatility.
Cost averaging helped City Wide Produce manage exchange rate risks, while transparent communication with partners ensured stability. Peer support also played a key role: Gopal joined a WhatsApp group of entrepreneurs to share strategies. He also says that BDC’s roundtable discussions helped foster collaboration with other organizations.
Gopal also points to good communication as one of the most effective means to manage uncertainty: “Providing stability and being able to reassure staff was important,” he notes. As a result, everyone on the team “was willing to step up to figure out how they could help navigate this uncertainty.” The team effort paid off, and Gopal knows that the business can handle different challenges.
Each year might have some uncertainty, but with the right team, we’ll navigate and get to where we need to.
Gopal Gupta
Co-founder, City Wide Produce
Investing in growth and resilience
Now, City Wide remains committed to growth by continuing recruitment and strategic investment. The business is deploying a new software system to enhance margin visibility, traceability and operational efficiency.
Gopal has shifted his focus from day-to-day operations to strategic growth and continues to advise his team, particularly as they manage ongoing operations and the development of a new facility.
The new building, scheduled to open in the fall of 2025, will expand capacity and support ongoing development initiatives.
City Wide is also exploring acquisitions and vertical integration, including repackaging and brand development. AI tools are being adopted for forecasting and contract support, with plans to expand their use.
The co-founders are optimistic about the future: “Each year might have some uncertainty, but with the right team, we’ll navigate and get to where we need to,” says Gopal.
Next step
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