Latest news with #buyLocal
CTV News
05-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘It's phenomenal:' Ottawa businesses seeing a boost from Canada Day, ‘buy Canadian' push
Gareth Davies, owner of Maker House on Wellington Street in Ottawa on July 5, 2025. (Kimberley Johnson/CTV News Ottawa) Canada Day has given customers another chance to think about buying local. Businesses in Ottawa say they are seeing more and more faces determined to keep their dollars local and buy Canadian. Darren Cassidy and his family came from Greely to spend the day taking in everything Carp has to offer. 'We like to go out to the Carp Market and then we like to come here and have a glass of wine,' he said. He says the ongoing trade war with the United States has him focusing his hard-earned dollars at home. 'We feel proud to be Canadian and so we'll do our best to support Canadian businesses.' Months on, Ottawa businesses say campaigns like 'buy local,' 'Buy Canadian' and 'Elbow's Up' have helped as they weather economic uncertainty. Liam Mastersmith is the retail sales manager at Kin Vinyards. His parents also own the winery. He says their wine sales are up and are seeing more people from across Ontario and Quebec. 'We've seen a 25 per cent increase overall. On our sales in general,' he said. He says it has also translated to more sales at the LCBO. Mastersmith says they've seen their in-store sales jump 325 per cent. They've also tripled the number of LCBO stores ordering from the vineyard and have sold bottles as far as Toronto and Mississauga. Kin Vineyards Liam Mastersmith with Kin Vineyards in Carp, Ont. on July 5, 2025. (Kimberley Johnson/CTV News Ottawa) 'We did $9,000 in sales to the LCBO and we're up to around $23,000 now. So, it's good,' he said. 'That's not huge numbers by any means but it's good. It's great to have that kind of sales channel for a small business like us. Those numbers that mean something.' He hopes it gives people a chance to consider wines from Ontario, where they may not have before. 'It's a great trend that you're seeing in the wine industry towards buying locally and buying Canadian wines,' he said. Gareth Davies, owner of Maker House on Wellington Street West in Hintonburg, says he's seen his sales skyrocket – jumping 70 to 80 per cent this year over last. 'Just phenomenal,' he said. 'Even in the last week, leading up to Canada day and the last few days, we've seen that continue, maybe even up a little higher for this period.' That is showing up both in-store and online, he explains. 'It's great to know that more people are finding us because they're looking for Canadian-made and in turn, our makers, hundreds of Canadian companies, are also getting more new customers and more attention.' The store sells only Canadian-made goods, half of which are from Ottawa artists, which is important for customers like Rebecca Seal. 'I know whenever I come here that's what I'm going to get,' she said. 'I'm really appreciative of that.'
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Homegrown Loyalty Surges Ahead of Canada Day
New Horizon Media Canada survey finds 83 per cent of Canadians say buying local evokes national pride—and they expect brands to show it, too TORONTO, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the country prepares to celebrate Canada Day, new research from Horizon Media Canada confirms a powerful consumer shift toward local loyalty—one that is reshaping purchase behaviour across provinces and generations. According to the firm's latest Finger on the Pulse survey, 83 per cent of Canadians say buying local evokes a sense of national pride, and 71 per cent report being more loyal to Canadian brands in 2025 than they were a year ago. Conducted in April with a nationally representative sample of more than 1,000 adults, the survey finds that Canadians are responding to economic uncertainty, rising tariffs and a weaker dollar by making more intentional, values-based choices at checkout. 'This isn't performative patriotism—it's a strategic consumer shift,' said Robert Jenkyn, President, Horizon Media Canada. 'People are using their dollars to vote for trust, transparency, and Canadian-made value. It's a loyalty play with real staying power.' A national turn inward — and a lasting oneThe loyalty shift is taking root across the country, but Atlantic Canada (62 per cent), British Columbia (71 per cent) and Ontario (74 per cent) are leading the way. The trend is being reinforced by changes in travel behaviour as well: 67 per cent of Canadians say they've adjusted or cancelled trips to the United States due to the weak Canadian dollar, and 59 per cent say they've reduced their purchases of U.S. brands altogether. This is not a short-term reaction. Eighty-five per cent of Canadians say they plan to prioritize Canadian-made products moving forward, with many indicating they will do so even if prices increase. The preference is strongest among Gen X and Boomers, who are most likely to switch away from global brands in response to tariff-related price hikes. But even younger consumers — while more globally open — are looking for authenticity and purpose in the brands they choose. 'When a brand clearly communicates that it's Canadian, shoppers perceive it as more credible, more relevant and increasingly more responsible,' said Richard Ivey, Horizon's EVP, Business Solutions. 'That creates real market advantage — and it's an opportunity brands can't afford to ignore.' Messaging, media, and markets: what marketers need to knowThe survey offers clear guidance for CMOs and brand leaders aiming to activate against this wave of values-led loyalty. Canadians respond most strongly to campaigns that emphasize support for Canadian jobs and businesses, the higher quality of Canadian-made products, and the desire for economic independence from global trade instability. Environmental benefits also resonate but rank just behind economic and quality-based messages. Where a message is delivered matters, too. In-store promotions (67 per cent) and television ads (57 per cent) are the most trusted platforms for reinforcing Canadian identity — especially in Ontario and the Prairie provinces, where traditional channels carry outsized influence. In contrast, only 41 per cent of respondents selected digital or social media as ideal channels for this messaging, indicating a renewed consumer trust in mass media when it comes to values-based brand storytelling. The shift is most pronounced in food and beverage, where 82 per cent of Canadians actively seek out Canadian-made products, particularly in Quebec and Atlantic Canada, where local economic ties run deep. However, momentum is also growing in personal care, home goods and fashion, especially in British Columbia and Saskatchewan — suggesting strong portfolio expansion opportunities for brands that can authentically reinforce their Canadian ties. Younger Canadians: Open, but selectiveWhile Millennials and Gen Z are less influenced by patriotic appeals alone, they remain highly responsive to brands that demonstrate transparency, sustainable practices, and price fairness. These younger cohorts represent both a challenge and an opportunity: they demand more, but they are also more willing to engage with global brands — if those brands can clearly articulate their purpose and impact in Canada. Implications for brands: The opportunity aheadAs Canadians prepare to mark their national holiday, this research underscores the urgency — and the upside — of embracing Brand Canada. It's not a niche play or a seasonal slogan. It's a powerful, durable driver of loyalty, especially in a market defined by rising consumer scrutiny and spending caution. 'There's never been a more important time to reinforce Brand Canada,' added Jenkyn. 'National pride isn't just symbolic—it's showing up in shopping carts, credit card statements and the companies people choose to support. The marketers who take that seriously—not as a trend, but as a cultural signal—will be the ones who win.' About the survey Horizon Media Canada's Finger on the Pulse survey was conducted April 2 to 9, 2025, with a nationally representative sample of 1,003 Canadian adults. The study explored consumer sentiment around tariffs, trade disruptions, and the return to local loyalty across generational, geographic and product segments. Regional and demographic breakouts are available on request. Horizon MediaHorizon Media Inc., the largest independent media agency in North America, delivers data-driven business outcomes for some of the world's most innovative and ambitious brands. Founded in 1989, headquartered in New York, and with offices in Los Angeles, Toronto, and Edmonton, the company employs 2,400 people and has media investments of more than $9.5 billion. Horizon Media's fundamental belief is that business is personal, which drives its approach to connecting brands with their customers and engaging with its own employees resulting in industry-leading workplace satisfaction levels (Glassdoor). The company is consistently recognized by independent media outlets for its client excellence and has earned several "Best Workplaces" awards reflecting its commitment to DEI and the life and well-being of everyone at Horizon Media. For more information on Horizon Media in Canada, please visit Andrew FindlaterSELECT Public Relationsafindlater@ 444-1197Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
RNZ News
26-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Temu and Shein come at cost of local businesses
business about 1 hour ago Empty shop fronts and for lease signs are a call to action for consumers to buy local. That is the message from the Parnell Business Association, nestled in one of Auckland's oldest shopping precincts, with a mix of eateries and boutique shops. In a recent opinion piece, the general manager of the Parnell Business Association said that online platforms like Temu and Shein come at a cost to working local businesses. Cheryl Adamson spoke to Lisa Owen. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
CBC
14-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Province to issue 215,000 farmers' market vouchers to students and newcomers
The provincial government is issuing hundreds of thousands of vouchers for farmers' markets as its Nova Scotia Loyal program continues to shift toward more of a promotional effort and away from the original plan of a rewards program. Growth and Development Minister Colton LeBlanc was at a school in Dartmouth on Wednesday to announce that the $10 vouchers, which started last year with a handful of schools, would be going out this month to students at all public schools, non-profit Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey and clients at the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia. Post-secondary students across the province will also receive the vouchers in the fall. A total of 215,000 vouchers that can be used at any farmers' market in the province will be issued. "The vouchers are valid until the end of the year, so you can enjoy some early strawberries or wait until the end of fall for the fall harvest," LeBlanc told reporters. Increased desire to shop local The minister said the numbers show that Nova Scotia companies appreciate what the program is trying to do. In January, 120 businesses were registered with Nova Scotia Loyal. It's now more than 900 and LeBlanc said that's likely connected to an increasing buy-local movement at a time when U.S. tariffs are throwing uncertainty into the economy. "I think that has certainly drawn a line in the sand and really reignited for Nova Scotians their desire to support local. We want to make it easier for them and that's the intent of this program." The original intent of the program when Premier Tim Houston first discussed it during the 2021 provincial election, was for it to be a type of loyalty program. Shoppers who bought local products would receive points or credits that could be used toward provincial fees, such as vehicle registration. But that approach never came to fruition. Instead, the province gave Sobey's an untendered contract for almost $1 million to purchase Scene Points that shoppers could earn through buying Nova Scotia products. Air Miles rewards were also available through select purchases at the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. A shifting model More recently, however, the program has shifted to a promotional approach. Along with issuing the market vouchers, the province has started offering branding support for business operators who wish to participate in the Nova Scotia Loyal program and help their products stand out to shoppers. "It is looking at the opportunities Nova Scotia Loyal has given to different companies to open the door and get them on the store shelves that perhaps they would not have had otherwise," said LeBlanc. Last year, almost 21,400 vouchers were redeemed at markets across the province, with 38 per cent of users saying it was their first time visiting a farmers' market. "I think we'll see that number grow," said LeBlanc.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Moncton winemaker sees big potential for local producers
Two months after N.B. Liquor began pulling American alcohol from store shelves, producers like Zach Everett are seeing a boost in sales. The winemaker and co-owner of the Magnetic Hill Winery in Moncton says he's optimistic the buy-local movement will be the silver lining in this tariff war.
