Retailers Make It Easier to Shop Canadian
Canadian retailers are highlighting Canadian-sourced products — and in some cases, U.S.-made ones — as a potential trade war unfolds.
Red maple leaves are dotting e-commerce sites, flyers, store displays and products of numerous retailers. Loblaw Cos., Metro and Empire Co. banners in particular are making their Canadian connections clear.
Retailers are making commercials or releasing video statements stating their commitment to Canadian products. Empire Co. banner Sobeys has its “So Canadian” spots, for example.
Related: Learn how Best Buy is using learnings from its Canada marketplace to inform the new U.S. version
To help consumers sift through label-speak, Canada’s Consumer Packaging and Labeling Act has issued standards to sort out confusion:
- Product of Canada: At least 98% of the production costs (including ingredients, processing and labor) happened in Canada.
- Made in Canada: At least 51% of the total direct production costs took place in Canada. Imported ingredients should be disclosed on the label.
And of course, if a product is 100% Canadian, the label can say just that.
Other symbols adorn product labels to indicate SKUs have origins close to home — “So Local” and provincial origins — “Manitoba Made” and “Made in Alberta” are just two examples.
Loblaw is taking things a step further with a banner-wide test: Identifying products with a “T” symbol — for “tariffs” — to let shoppers know when a product has been sourced from the United States.
Per Bank, Lobaw president and CEO, took to LinkedIn to warn that prices may be ticking up in the coming weeks — once existing inventory that was purchased pre-tariffs is sold. The “T” will help explain potential price hikes and allow shoppers to make informed buys, he explained. Shopper feedback will shape policy going forward.
Rona is also highlighting more than 6,500 Canada-made products online and at its 425 stores nationwide through the “Well Made Here” program, which the home improvement retailer has been involved in since its inception.
To receive the "Well Made Here" stamp, products must meet the following three criteria:
- Compliance with Canadian legal requirements, including construction codes and regulations.
- At least 51% of the direct production or manufacturing costs must have been incurred in Canada.
- The final substantial transformation of the product must have taken place in Canada.
"We’ve always had a strong selection of Canadian-made products. In fact, less than 10% of our supply comes directly from the United States. The challenge was primarily about making these products more visible," J.P. Towner, president and CEO of Rona, said in a media release. "To help consumers choose Canadian-made products, they need to be clearly identified, well-organized and prominently displayed."
