Canadians are buying local, but retailers lag behind surging demand

Food and household goods companies in Canada say they’re seeing a surge in demand as Canadians prioritize shopping local amid the ongoing trade dispute.

Despite the strain of higher prices at the grocery store, they say many shoppers across the country are going out of their way to buy Canadian-made products.

Kathleen Chapman, president of aVenco Ltd., says the Bowmanville, Ont., supplier of parchment paper has been slammed by U.S. tariffs.

The company, whose customer base was nearly 40 per cent in the U.S., was initially affected by U.S. tariffs on European goods as it sources raw parchment paper in France, and now it faces an additional 50 per cent tariff because its product is prepared and converted in Canada.

But she says Canadians have reached out to offer support and order directly from the company, sending its direct-to-consumer orders from about 20 in the last two years to hundreds in the week since new U.S. tariffs came into effect.

Chapman says consumers are moving faster than retailers, with many stores slow to respond to shifting demand with more shelf space for Canadian items.