‘Buy Atlantic’ push helps turn interest into orders at P.E.I. Craft Trade Show

Maria Sarrouh explains how the buy Canadian movement is contributing to retailers and makers in Atlantic Canada as they gather for the annual craft trade show.

Tables packed with Atlantic-designed goods filled a Charlottetown convention hall Friday, as retailers browsed, sampled and placed orders with makers from across the region.

The P.E.I. Craft Trade Show, organized by the P.E.I. Crafts Council, puts everyone and everything under one roof, giving buyers a chance to see and compare products in person as they prepare for the spring and summer season.

Vendors and retailers said the push to buy Canadian – more specifically, buy Atlantic – is helping turn interest into orders.

“We’re here just to support local and brand more into local products,” said Ashley Ramsay of A Touch of Gold. “I think that people are looking for a Canadian brand, something to take back as a souvenir.”

That demand has been a boost for Island businesses, like Kim’s Beachy Designs. Owner Kimberly Jesty makes coastal-inspired pieces using materials found on local beaches, such as driftwood, lobster trap remnants and sea glass.

Jesty said the show has been a game changer, helping her expand distribution to 15 stores, and 2025 was her best year yet. She added that the fellow small-business owners she’s spoken with have also noticed a big jump in sales.

That success is happening alongside more challenges, said Ayelet Stewart, executive director of the P.E.I. Crafts Council.

“A lot of our makers used to ship to the United States, but because of the tariffs, they don’t,” Stewart said. “It’s really important for them to make more alliances in the region.”

At her booth, Carol Rybinski of Tyne Valley Teas said the challenge isn’t just shipping products out, but getting supplies in.

“Shipping costs have gone up, so when I get the teas in, I have to mark up the price a little bit more,” Rybinski said.

Food costs have also increased, and staffing is more expensive, making it harder to balance the books at her restaurant on the Island’s west end.

“I don’t want to raise my prices too high, but I’ve got to cover those inputs,” she said.

Beyond transport costs, Adam Kenny of Nutshell Woodworks in New Brunswick said rising expenses are affecting makers across the board.

“Fortunately, it’s a Maritime trait to be resilient,” Kenny said.

That resilience is top of mind for shoppers, too.

“The customers that show up at my store, they want P.E.I. made,” said Roger Gillcash of Poppies Porch. “That’s why we’re here.”

His wife and partner Pam Gillcash chimed in: “I like to see the customers come and support the economy, our economy.”

Makers at the event also spoke about sourcing locally where possible, including Pieter Ijsselstein, who runs the Island Potato Soap Company. He buys raw materials from a local potato farmer to make products such as bar soap and hand cream.

“Those are waste potatoes that would normally go to cattle yards for cattle feed,” Ijsselstein said. “We take them all and we juice them, and we make different products.”

The orders placed at the trade show can shape what shows up in shops and galleries