While department stores and chain stores roll out pretty amazing and cute clothes every season, there’s something to be said about finding a perfect “something” in a small boutique or local store. This blog post will answer some questions such as; why should I buy local? Is it worth buying from boutiques/local stores/brands? And more!
What does ‘Buying Locally’ mean?
There is a very wide variety for the term “buying local” that can range from buying goods at your neighbourhood stores, to buying goods within your country and/or buying from vendors in a different country. In my opinion, they’re all right in a sense because the term itself can mean different things. However, for the sake of keeping it less confusing, the brands/services we’re going to talk about in this article will be for goods/services bought from Canadian vendors/sellers and within Canada.
Who benefits from buying locally?
The buyer and seller. Sometimes locally made/bought goods are better quality than non-local or overseas goods, but that’s dependent on the seller/manufacturer themselves and your view of the product. It would also depend on your experience buying/using the product too. I’m sure there’s a whole list of benefits such as supporting the local economy and all that but I don’t know for sure.
So…why buy locally?
Better question actually, is why not? On a personal note and in an ideal world, I would prefer to buy clothes and accessories locally because it would lessen the chance of seeing the same piece on someone else. And once again, it’s supposed to help the economy but I’d need to look into that statement more. However, it’s good to note that sometimes buying boutique items/made locally items can break the bank a little.
I feel that with some sellers you’ll have great cheaper prices but with others the price might get jacked up exponentially, most of the time however, I see that the prices are just about the same. People who hardcore support buying locally would also probably say that local vendors are better/more trustworthy but just be diligent.
What could stop me from buying locally?
Most important factor especially if you’re super conscious about it? Cost. While items are generally the same price and quality as those sold overseas, some items can be a little pricier. For example, I’ve been buying phone cases off Aliexpress for years at about $1-$8 CAD per case. I bought a clear protective case from a Canadian vendor for $10 two years ago, and a case on my Etsy wishlist is $15 CAD right now. So as you can see, the difference in price can be a lot more than you think it is, however in the Etsy phone case’s favour, I’ll probably get it eventually.
Local stores/brands/products I’ve used:
Never tried but know of:
- Boutique 1861 (Montreal based)
- Charmed Aroma (Toronto? based)
- Skin T.O (Instagram business, Toronto based)
- Nail Polish Canada (BC based)
- Holo Taco (BC based?)
- Retea cups (Toronto? based)
- Eonni.toronto (Toronto based, Instagram business)
- Thekshop.ca (Montreal based)
- M brand shop (Toronto based)
- Bambeau.ca (Toronto based)
- Lamourbeauty.ca (Toronto based)
During the past few months when the country slowed down and started slowing down flights, I found it harder to be able to get anything from overseas and started turning more to find Canadian based sellers for things I needed. Some items I paid a little too much for and some items were cheaper than I thought, so I thought by make a pro/con list for buying locally could help those who are stuck on the fence regarding this topic. Thanks for reading this!
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