How to shop and buy Canadian

Dorothy of Wizard of Oz fame once chanted the words, “There’s no place like home.” And we couldn’t agree more—especially when it comes to shopping and supporting local Canadian businesses.  

Not only are you supporting cool local people and their businesses, but you’re also injecting hard-earned loonies into local economies while doing the environment a solid.  

In this video we’ll show you all the (very sensible) ways you can shop Canadian—and just how easy it is to shift your buying habits towards local!  

How to spot a Canadian business in the wild 

Ah, here’s where we get a little bit Discovery Channel by showing you the tell-tale signs of a wholesome, local, Canadian product. A good place to start is by looking for phrases on goods, like:  

• Made in Canada 
• Product of Canada 
• Assembled in Canada 

How “Canadian” is a product, exactly?  

“Made in Canada” products must be made of a minimum 51 per cent Canadian material or content, while “Product of Canada” is the gold standard, with the product needing to be 98 per cent Canadian to get the certification. What’s more—the direct costs of producing or manufacturing the product must have also been incurred in Canada.  

In 2008, the “Made in Canada” versus “Product of Canada” distinction was created to help consumers and highlight businesses that are achieving that 98 per cent threshold.  

So, who upholds (and enforces) these standards? That’s the Competition Bureau’s job. Aside from having a cool-ish name, they help protect you from misleading “Made in Canada/Product of Canada” claims.  
 

Shopping Canadian online  

When shopping online, the first thing to look for is the domain name.  .CA is the only domain that proudly declares your Canadian connection, because in order to register a .CA domain, individuals, businesses or organizations must meet CIRA’s Canadian Presence Requirements. 

Research shows that Canadians tend to prefer shopping from .CA websites too, because it means they are likely to get more affordable goods, faster shipping times and the added benefit of supporting their community.  

There are loads of other advantages to buying from .CA websites, too! For instance, shopping in Canadian currency means getting the best possible price from the retailer and you won’t risk being surprised by a currency exchange.  

Using a .CA domain also means Canadian businesses see a lift in search traffic as well. For searches in Canada about Canadian topics, search engines like Google tend to favour local results, which can lead to increased website traffic and leads. 

Where to start your new local shopping habit  

The following categories of goods and services are a great place to test out your new commitment to local and Canadian. Why? Because any money that’s made tends to stay primarily in Canada and helps the business owner keep the lights on.  

More importantly, these are the types of businesses that are most vulnerable to international or corporate competition.  

Apparel  

Many apparel companies either locally make their clothing, or source from Canadian suppliers where possible. In the apparel industry, international competition is ultra-intense, so supporting your favourite local boutiques is an important way to help them stay open.  

Local Laundry is one of our favourite examples of Canadian-made clothing that supports the local economy. 

Home and lifestyle goods  

Locally made home and lifestyle businesses tend to carry a lot of Made in Canada products that have the greatest impact as far as local purchases are concerned. When you shop for these goods locally, a diverse group of artisans and crafters also benefit, keeping the cultural fabric in a community vibrant.  

Salt Shop, based in British Columbia, sells Canadian made and designed home accessories and art, inspired by the ocean.  

Food, beverage and grocery  

The more local the food, the closer your money stays to home. The food industry has a high environmental footprint when it comes to importing and exporting goods that expire quickly. For your next shopping trip, consider visiting an independent grocer, farmers market or butcher instead of making a one-stop shop at a major grocery chain. 

The goods at local shops are often high quality and locally made or sourced, which can have a big impact on the community supply chain. 

Pets and plants  

Pet goods and plants are great examples of independent businesses that are often overlooked on the quest to buy local. Think about stocking up at these stores in batches as a part of a regular routine.  

Farms and local nurseries can also benefit from these purchases as a positive ripple effect. Woof Packs offers a subscription box of toys, natural treats and tasty chews for furry friends. 

Services  

When looking at services like grooming, automotive and paramedical, think of independent businesses first. Chains are well known corporations that usually offer compelling prices and trusted service, but they are often internationally owned.  

Another good way to investigate this is to search locally for services and look for a .CA domain. It’s an easy way to tell if—say—OttawaDogWalkers.ca is from Ottawa, Ontario, or the charming town of Ottawa, Wisconsin.  

Don’t forget about local delivery and curbside pickup

Delivery times can be a huge motivator for sales and conversions. After all—we’ve been conditioned to expect near-instant gratification when ordering online.  

For those time-crunched shoppers, choosing local one-day delivery or curbside pickup can be a fantastic way to speed up the purchasing process while still supporting local and lessening your environmental footprint.  

Start your local shopping with the best gift-spiration  

For all things local, Canadian and awesome, we invite you to dive into our .CA Small Business Gift Guide! There’s no shortage of amazing finds just waiting to be added to your cart.  

Want the scoop on what Team CIRA will be giving this year? Check out our Editor’s Picks, too!