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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This Canadian grocer has avoided US produce for a whopping 117 days — is 'Canada-first' buying hurting the US?
A grocery store in Canada is sending a strong message amid U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war with the country — going 117-plus days without selling any U.S.-grown fruits or vegetables, according to Global News. 'We're, you know, just really trying to promote the local farms,' Garth Green, general manager of Urban Grocer, told the news outlet in a story published July 14. 'It's been very, very good for us. The customers have been very appreciative of it.' Green says the store, located in Victoria, British Columbia, made the bold move to go cold turkey on American produce after Trump first imposed tariffs on Canadian goods in March. Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it 'There's people every day almost that come in here and say, 'You know, we hear what you're doing and we love it and we'd love to join on board with you and really shop here,'' Green said. Despite the success of the project, Green says it has also brought challenges. Supply challenges Green says the grocer has taken a 'Canada-first' approach to sourcing its products, but the reality is not everything can be found in Canada at all times. At one point, Green thought they could only get cauliflower from the U.S., per Global News, until he found out it was cauliflower season in Holland. 'So we reached out to a few suppliers and said, 'Hey, can you get Holland cauliflower for us?'' he recalled. 'We ended up finding some, brought it in, and you know it's a little bit more expensive to bring in because you're flying it in. But we just took a [lower] margin, [sold] it at a regular price and [were] able to give the customer something that they can buy until B.C. cauliflower was available.' Supply is also an issue, and Green admits they've had to buy extra to maintain stock. It's all part of a cross-country trend of Canadian consumers avoiding U.S. products. Read more: Americans are 'revenge saving' to survive — but millions only get a measly 1% on their savings. Canadians reject American-made goods Sylvain Charlebois, a food researcher at Dalhousie University, says what's happening at Urban Grocer reflects the way Canadians have been spurning U.S. goods lately. 'The boycott is absolutely real,' he told Global News. A report by marketing research firm NielsonIQ shows, amid trade tensions, nearly half (45%) of Canadian consumers are avoiding U.S. products or opting for Canadian-made alternatives. 'What's really interesting is that people haven't really boycotted chains like Walmart or Costco, but they're boycotting products,' Charlebois said. Canada has traditionally been one of the biggest buyers of American agricultural goods. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2023, Canada made up 16.3% of U.S. agricultural exports. It's not known how long Canadians will maintain a boycott mindset, but Urban Grober is leaning into the trend. 'Across the store, we are working towards trying to go all Canadian if possible,' Green said. 'It's going to be a lot harder, but we've started the process and started to weed out some of the suppliers that we don't need.' What to read next Robert Kiyosaki warns of 'massive unemployment' in the US due to the 'biggest change' in history — and says this 1 group of 'smart' Americans will get hit extra hard. Are you one of them? How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you'll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Global News
5 days ago
- Business
- Global News
B.C. grocer avoids selling U.S. produce for 117 days in what expert calls a ‘real' boycott
A grocery store in Victoria, B.C., has avoided selling U.S. produce for 117 days. Garth Green, general manager of Urban Grocer, says when U.S. Donald Trump launched his trade war on Canada in March, they decided to pull all U.S.-grown produce from the shelves. And so far, it's been a big success. 'We're, you know, just really trying to promote the local farms,' he said. 'And the Canadian farms. And so it's been very, very good for us. The customers have been very appreciative of it.' The experiment has not been without its challenges. When Green found out they could only get cauliflower from the U.S., he realized it was currently cauliflower season in Holland. Story continues below advertisement 'So we reached out to a few suppliers and said, 'Hey, can you get Holland cauliflower for us?'' he said. 'We ended up finding some, brought it in, and you know it's a little bit more expensive to bring in because you're flying it in. But we just took, you know, a less margin, sell it at a regular price and be able to give the customer something that they can buy until B.C. cauliflower was available.' 6:19 50% tariffs to hit Canadian copper imports to the U.S. Green said local farmers are now reaching out to offer produce to their customers. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'There's people every day almost that come in here and say, 'You know, we hear what you're doing and we love it and we'd love to join on board with you and really shop here,''' he added. Green added that it is unfortunate that it took something like the trade war to make this change but he is happy it has been so successful. Story continues below advertisement 'We've got a Canada-first motto that we like to push, but, you know, we're also not blind to the fact that you can't get everything from Canada, right?' he said. 'And so, you know, even across the store, we are working towards trying to go all Canadian if possible. It's going to be a lot harder, but we've started the process and started to weed out some of the suppliers that we don't need.' 0:27 Business response to Trump's 35% tariff threat Sylvain Charlebois, with the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University, researches food distribution, security and safety. He told Global News that what Urban Grocer is doing points to a broader movement against American products at the grocery store. 'What's really interesting is that people haven't really boycotted chains like Walmart or Costco, but they're boycotting products,' he said. Story continues below advertisement 'And the boycott naturally worked. If you look at the data, not surveys, actual sales data, according to NielsenIQ, by volume, sales for American food products are down about 8.5 per cent.' Charlebois said in the food retail business, that number is huge. 'That's a boycott. That's the boycott now,' he added. Charlebois added that while consumers are seeing fewer U.S. products, they are seeing more products from around the world so it does not necessarily mean that Canadian product companies are benefiting from the boycott. 'The boycott is absolutely real. So this boutique store is a good, strong case study for what actually is happening across the country.'
