Ontario-based grocers say ‘more interest’ in Canadian goods amid trade war

Owner Alex Sinclair outside of Hamilton's Barton Lettuce.

Since the start of the trade war with the U.S., there has been a stronger push to buy Canadian goods—a shift that has attracted more business for some Ontario-based grocers.

For supermarket chain Metro, CEO Eric La Flèche noted in a recent quarterly meeting with analysts that their customers are putting their dollar behind local products—something seen in their sales, as they say Canadian goods are “outpacing total sales, and the gap has accelerated over the past few weeks.”

“In this uncertain economic environment, customers are favouring local and Canadian products, as a Canadian owned and operated company, we have always sourced the products we sell from Canadian growers and manufactures as much as possible,” a statement from Metro reads.

“In the current context, we are putting even more emphasis on local and Canadian products and optimizing their visibility in all our banners, whether in store, online or through our various promotional tools, like the weekly flyer.”

Aside from increased business for a retail giant, U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs are also bringing in more customers to some small businesses. Hamilton’s Barton Lettuce opened four years ago as a local supplier of vegetables and fruits. Owner Alex Sinclair acknowledges that it is currently a busy season for her business, so it is “hard to pinpoint where business comes from.”

However, she says more customers are asking about the origin of the store’s goods.

“People are reaching out trying to avoid big grocers. There are definitely people wanting to avoid American products…There’s more interest in where food is coming from,” Sinclair told CTV News Toronto. “Wasn’t as much of a conversation in the past.”

Industry experts have commented that it is easier said than done to truly buy Canadian, since many products have supply chains that go beyond Canada’s borders.

However, Sinclair says she has been able to source most of her produce from within Canada.

“It’s always been the ethos to be as local as possible. If not from Hamilton, if not Ontario, then Canada,” Sinclair says.

But there are a few items at Sinclair’s store that are American, such as the berries that tend to come from California. She says they were, at one point, being sourced from Mexico but changes in the production chain led to California being the most viable option. Barton Lettuce also has to look outside of Canada for leafy greens.

However, Sinclair has found alternatives for items that are less perishable. The store’s oranges currently come from Morocco. Meanwhile, she says other goods, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, can be sourced from Canada all-year round. Sinclair remains connected to supporting local and is confident that they will “usually be able to sort elsewhere.”