90 per cent of Atlantic Canadians prefer to shop at small businesses: report

Despite tough financial times, small businesses see big support from local shoppers.

Jennifer’s of Nova Scotia is a small Halifax business that has been around for 45 years and its owner Kurt Bulger says many of their customers are locals.

“I’ve always been saying for years that 70 per cent of our traffic is local and during COVID that wore out with 66 per cent of our business with no tourists at all,” says Bulger.

The Silk Route, which opened in Halifax in May, has seen an uptick in local traffic.

“I find that the month of September was very busy with tourism with all the cruise ships in but most of my business comes from local people,” says owner Cailean Jan.

According to the latest Happiness@work index by ADP, 90 per cent of Atlantic Canadians prefer to shop at and support small businesses.

Michelle Champniss, executive director of the Sackville Business Association, says it’s important to support local businesses whenever possible.

“The money that you spend here in Nova Scotia, a much greater portion of it stays in Nova Scotia, upwards of 60 per cent. If you’re buying from the giant online retailers, it’s about six per cent. If we could all increase our local spending by 10 or 20 percent, that will put millions of dollars into the local economy,” says Champniss.

“Costs are up, money is tight for everyone. It’s certainly more difficult. At the same time, we are hearing how grateful they are to be in business, how grateful they are to be part of this community, to hire local neighbours, sponsor the local sports teams.”

Champniss says the cost of living, product prices and minimum wage increase could impact the bottom line.

“The property taxes have gone up, the minimum wage has gone up twice this year, not that people don’t deserve to get paid, but it’s twice in one year is tough to adjust to. Water has gone up, power is going up, and it’s all happening all at once,” says Bulger.

“Luckily for me I don’t have to deal with the tariffs because I am getting everything from Kashmir, and we don’t have to go through the U.S., but as far as my online business goes, that has been something that I have been struggling with because I am not sure who I am going to use for shipping and if I do use Canada Post, is it going to get there?” says Jan.

For some Maritimers, shopping at local businesses is convenient.

“We shop locally because don’t have a vehicle, so we rely on transit,” says Halifax resident Michael Bramah

Sophie Guilmette, who plays with the Halifax Tides, says she goes to Apartment 3, a local coffee shop in Halifax, almost every other day because it’s important to get involved in the community and support the family-run businesses.

“I have always been an advocate for buying and supporting locals. I’m going to get my coffee anyway so why not do it where it’s going to make a difference?” says Guilmette.