I’ve been doing the ‘buy Canadian’ thing for a few years now. I actually enjoy the game of trying to find cool folks making cool stuff and I know that there are others like me just like there are people who lack the time or inclination to do the research.
I also think it can be tricky for people looking at starting a business to be able to identify a need.
So what’s a product you don’t know of a Canadian alternative to?
Personally, it’s cast iron cookware. Meyer makes great stainless stuff, but there isn’t a single foundry making cast iron cookware in Canada. I’ve actually started emailing a few to see if I can find a Canadian foundry that would be willing to batch produce cast iron skillets. Finding a local brand already doing it would be a LOT easier!
Computer parts like CPUs and almost everything else. Almost all digital services. Credit card payment systems. A marketplace like Amazon or Temu. A store that sells MP3s or similar digital music. Most household generic bulk goods (excluding premium categories).
To be fair my definitions can be a bit strict compared to others. For example I’d include foreign brands with some assembly in Canada as being foreign for my personal tastes.
In terms of marketplaces, https://www.shopperplus.ca/ isn’t perfect, but it’s a Montreal-based company that offers a lot of (probably still Chinese-made) home/office alternatives to Amazon/Staples.
used them a couple of times for things like speaker wire and computer stands, can recommend them.
This looks great! I appreciate the tip
“Credit card payment systems.” Interac (if you have the cash to spend at the time) “A marketplace like Amazon or Temu.” Mavenfair.ca is a recent start-up in BC with a wholly Canadian product line FBM (fulfilled by merchant).
Absolutely yes. However there are many cases where credit is the only option, for example parking garages, most cases where a deposit is needed like a rental car or hotel, or almost anything online.
If Interac was ubiquitous then it would solve my use case but in my understanding of the economics involved; the credit system is uniquely good for some applications
This is a neat looking site! It feels more boutique to me, but maybe it will evolve into something more general eventually. Thanks for the tip
Qubuz is a Canadian music streaming service.
Qobuz is French, not Canadian.
I thought it was from France?
Update: I don’t think it’s Canadian. In fact it only arrived in Canada in 2023.
It is! But I want to own my music, like a caveman. Google, Apple, bandcamp, and not much else and it’s all American !
I’m currently looking into the feasibility of making a store for this.
Quboz lets you buy your music though?
Egg on my face, you’re right!