Latest news with #shoplocal
CTV News
08-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Patriotic pointers: Tech tricks to help you buy Canadian
Watch Tech Expert Katrina German offers some advice on ways to help you support Canadian businesses
National Post
08-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
Miconex and EML Launch Digital Gift Card Technology in Canada
Article content PERTH, Scotland — Fintech Miconex is building on the success of its digital gifting product in Europe by launching digital gift card technology in Canada, alongside EML Payments. Article content Article content Miconex operates over 200 closed loop gift card programs globally with almost $60 million in local spend delivered. Its Downtown Gift Card program is active across North America, with 42 district branded programs and over $15 million in sales in Canada. The local gift cards enable downtowns to capitalize on the 'shop local' opportunity and divert online spend into local communities. Article content The launch includes the introduction of digital e-cards and the tokenization of physical cards, both allowing Miconex's local gift cards to be added to digital wallets, enabling contactless payment technology. Article content Colin Munro, CEO, Miconex, said: 'Our digital advancements in Canada tap into the growing trend for digital wallets and mobile payments in Canada, and for supporting local businesses, enabling districts to give consumers choice and flexibility in how they buy and spend local gift cards. This is the future of local gifting.' Article content Patrick Hall, Chief Commercial Officer, EML Payments, said: 'We're thrilled to partner with Miconex to bring our digital private label gifting solutions to Canada, making it easier than ever for people to give thoughtful, flexible gifts. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to innovation and delivering convenient, customer-first experiences.' Article content Kingston, London, Victoria, Barrie, Peterborough and Red Deer are some of the districts set to launch digital versions of their existing Downtown Gift Card programs alongside Miconex. Article content Katie Woodcock, Downtown Kingston BIA, said: 'The Downtown Kingston BIA and its members are thrilled that the Downtown Gift Card is going digital. This update will make it even easier to shop local and support the diverse range of businesses that makes our downtown so special. With just a quick tap on their smartphones, visitors can explore everything our vibrant downtown has to offer while contributing to its continued growth and success.' Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Huge retail chain with over 300 locations to shut popular store as ‘everything must go' closing down sale launched
A RETAIL giant has pointed to permanent closure in a popular town centre after launching an 'everything must go' closing down sale. The chain has over 300 branches across the UK - but isn't the first of its kind to be knocked off the high street. Trespass in Westgate Street, Ipswitch was seen plastered in ' closing down ' and 'everything must go' posters this week. The store has also announced on the banners it will close Saturday, October 18. It comes after the outdoor clothing store said in March that it would be temporarily closing for refurbishment. However these signs have now been ripped down and swapped with adverts for a closing down sale. Locals took to Facebook over the news, with one shocked shopper writing: "Another one bites the dust. New barbers and a vape shop coming your way." A member replied: "Or a phone shop." However others have theorised that the store isn't actually closing down. One person claimed: "They are renegotiating another lease, it's a tactic." Another said: "Its been closing down for years lol." A third joked: "This shop has been shutting more time then I have had hot sausage rolls from Greggs." Tragic Closure: Primark Store Shutdown After Fatal Incident In November 2019 the Ipswich shop but up signs to say the store was closing down that December and that "all stock must go". Except it later emerged that the shop was not shutting after all - with staff claiming Trespass had renegotiated an extension on its lease. The Sun reached out to Trespass for comment. RETAIL WOES You may have noticed Trespass isn't the only brand to be fading from the high street in recent months. Red Menswear in Chatham in Medway, Kent shut for the final time on March 29 after starting business in 1999. Meanwhile, Sports Direct axed its Newmarket Road store in Cambridge on April 18. And a couple months ago, Essential Vintage told followers on social that it would be closing down after they had been "priced out" because of bigger players in the market such as Vinted. More WHSmiths stores are also set to close this month, with plans to leave the high street forever in an agreement to sell 500 shops as part of a £76million deal. New Look is also depleting, having made the decision to axe nearly 100 branches as they battle challenges linked to Autumn Budget tax changes. Approximately a quarter of the retailer's 364 stores are at risk when their leases expire - equating to about 91 stores, with a significant impact on New Look's 8,000-strong workforce. Many say the latest drive to accelerate closures is driven by the upcoming increase in National Insurance contributions for employers. The move, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in October, is hitting the high street hard - and the British Retail Consortium has predicted these changes will create a £2.3billion bill for the sector. Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
CBS News
07-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
National Small Business Week takes over city of Lodi
LODI -- You might want to grab yourself a cup of coffee before you shop because in Lodi, National Small Business Week is taking over. "It's just really fun to work downtown and to be a part of the community," said Gracie Diaz, a barista at Brew House Coffee. Diaz has worked in countless small businesses across the city. She knows firsthand the importance of shopping local. "It's hard to own a small business," she shared. "Having the people and the community of Lodi come together to support them, it means a lot to them. They're just people that want to start up, and they're just really chasing their dreams." The city of Lodi is overwhelmingly local. Out of the nearly 2,600 businesses, nearly 94% of them are run by one to 15 employees. You can take a stroll downtown and hardly see any chain restaurants or retailers, which means small businesses are the driving force of the economy. That's why this week, the city, Lodi Chamber of Commerce and the San Joaquin County Economic Development Department are helping pave their paths to success. They've hosted free webinars, summits and are even holding a mixer later this week. But that's not all. "I was lucky enough to walk with the chief of police, and we went broke into groups and visited some local businesses to just try to understand what challenges they are facing right now and then also encourage them to utilize the resources that are out there," said J.P. Doucette, president of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce. Jennifer Pratt is a small business owner of Her Pretty Things in Lodi. Knowing that the city has her back creates a sense of security. "Sometimes being a small business owner can be very isolating," Pratt explained. "You kind of feel like you're on an island by yourself and so it's really nice to know that the city has our back and that they're trying to help us." But she and other business owners know, Lodi loves local. "You're feeding someone's family," Pratt continued. "You're putting gas in someone's tank. You're paying their mortgage. It really makes a difference and you get to know these people. On the flip side, we get to know our customers, and so we get to build those connections with our customers, which is also really rewarding." This year, the city is featuring two initiatives -- Lodi's Microloan Program and the County's Spark Relief Grant. The microloan program offers financing of up to $50,000 to first-time borrowers or owners who have had a hard time accessing traditional capital. The grant provides utility reimbursements of up to $5,000 to help businesses across the county recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
