Urban Grocer has kept American fruits and veggies off its shelves for nearly four months 香蕉视频直播� a streak it plans to extend.
In late February, as Canada香蕉视频直播檚 relationship with its southern neighbour soured, the shop, which sits on Fort Street near the Oak Bay Junction, stopped ordering U.S. produce.
香蕉视频直播淚t was in response to the tariffs,香蕉视频直播� said the store香蕉视频直播檚 manager Garth Green. "At the end of the day, we recognize that building the economy from within is the best thing we can do in a situation like this, so pushing everybody to try to pick Canada first was our angle."
The move began after the grocery store stuck small tags to its shelves to illustrate the origin of its produce. Soon, Urban Grocer's management found shoppers were buying items marked with stars and stripes far less than before.
香蕉视频直播淧rior to all of this, one of our most popular spinach was Popeye Spinach. We used to sell 60 to 80 bags a day of that stuff,香蕉视频直播� the store's previous manager Gary Innis told Victoria News in March. 香蕉视频直播淚n the last week that we had it, we sold two bags. That香蕉视频直播檚 a message.香蕉视频直播�
Now, the 200 types of American fruits and veggies Urban Grocer once offered have been replaced with Canadian alternatives 香蕉视频直播� and what the grocery can香蕉视频直播檛 find at home, it sources from abroad. In March, it ordered products from as far away as Morocco, Argentina, Mexico and Japan. Today, Dutch cauliflower, Spanish broccoli and apples from New Zealand take the place of U.S. varieties.
To avoid raising prices, Urban Grocer has absorbed the extra cost incurred as a result of ordering produce from countries farther away. Though it香蕉视频直播檚 now seeing less profit per item sold, the store is making more money, thanks to an uptick in customers supportive of the move.
香蕉视频直播淚t has not hurt us at all,香蕉视频直播� said Innes in March. 香蕉视频直播淲e're growing our overall sales by catering to new customers that want to come to us.香蕉视频直播�
However, finding non-American products hasn香蕉视频直播檛 been a walk in the park.
"It香蕉视频直播檚 been a lot of sourcing 香蕉视频直播� sourcing items and staying up late trying to find things that not everybody carries," said Green. "It's taken a lot of work."
Since March, news of the shop香蕉视频直播檚 policy has spread. A B.C. farm reached out to the company to express its support, for example, even offering Urban Grocer first access to its newest crop of peaches.
香蕉视频直播淭he farming industry is big and they've been talking about what we've been doing and how much support it's been giving to the local economy,香蕉视频直播� said Green. 香蕉视频直播淲e've built that relationship with a lot of local people where they ... want to support it, so it's been a win-win.香蕉视频直播�
The manager added the shop plans to eventually rid all of its aisles of U.S. products.
"I'm working with suppliers and buyers to really work towards that," he said. "It's not going to happen overnight, but ... our goal is to eventually be that way."
In the meantime, Urban Grocer's staff have been busy promoting its Canadian offerings.
"We've definitely pivoted and put more focus on Canadian items, realigned all our shelves and pushed most of the American products away from your prime spots and eye-level locations," he said.
Though time-consuming, the work has been worth it.
香蕉视频直播淚t's been so rewarding," said Green. "All the customers and even the staff have been so appreciative of what we're doing. It makes a big difference when you can come into a store and have confidence in where it's coming from."
