My Halloween decorations have once again been vanquished to a dusty box in the corner of my basement, I am ready to embrace the Christmas season. Once the Christmas tree is standing tall in all of its glory on Nov. 12, my mind turns to the gifts that will be neatly wrapped and placed under the tree on Christmas morning. This year, a combination of geopolitical circumstances, inflation, and a personal desire for quality products have led me to question and reconsider how I will be Christmas shopping this year.
In light of the U.S. tariffs imposed on Canadian goods, many Canadians have decided to support national brands and struggling local businesses, known as the Elbows Up movement. This consumer sentiment and buying behaviour is still going strong into Christmas as shown by a survey from Deloitte Canada suggesting that 73 per cent of Canadians are planning to support local or Canadian businesses this season. A similar survey by PwC Canada also suggests that 78 per cent of Canadians would be more likely to buy a comparable Canadian product instead of an American product. It also suggests that up to 64 per cent of Canadian baby boomers would be willing to pay significantly more for a product made in Canada.
This year, my family and I will be joining this consumer practice as we will only be buying our Christmas gifts from local and Canadian businesses. Our decision was not solely based on the geopolitical circumstances I mentioned, but it did play a part. Truthfully, our biggest driver for committing to shopping Canadian this Christmas season was our desire to gift and receive high quality products sourced from hard working artisans in our community.
My family doesn’t view Christmas as a religious holiday, we instead view it as an opportunity to gather as a family, and the gifts we exchange end up being practical or utilitarian in nature. One could say that Christmas and birthdays in my family are the twice a year free top up shop sponsored by the rest of the family for all manners of personal needs like skin care, shampoo, and new clothing. For us, gift giving is our love language. We gift items that will be useful to the recipient in the future or something that they wouldn’t buy for themselves based on cost.
This year, the items on my list are from Canadian brands in the following categories: clothing apparel, skin and hair care, and handmade gifts. For instance, I will be shopping online at Vessi, XXL Scrunchie Co., and Truly Lifestyle Brand Inc. Vessi is a Vancouver-based brand that makes waterproof products such as shoes, jackets, and bags. XXL Scrunchie Co. is a small brand based out of Belleville, Ontario that sells hair clips and makes handmade scrunchies. Truly Lifestyle Brand Inc. is a skincare brand based out of Surrey, B.C. that makes clean and sustainable products. I love Truly’s skincare products, I haven’t seen a zit in weeks! I will also be shopping in-person at places in Abbotsford’s Downtown Core like Spruce Collective, Lotus & Lemongrass, and Totally Bookish. I will also frequent the Mango Market and other Christmas markets in the Lower Mainland and Metro-Vancouver area. Although buying products from multi-national brands can be a cheaper option for people on a budget, this year I’m going to spend a little bit more and support a local artisan. This may cost me more, but I think it is a higher quality, more personal, and more meaningful gift. If it’s something that is within your financial means, I encourage you to give Canadian business owners a helping hand in these uncertain times. Merry Christmas and happy holidays everyone!
