Amidst ongoing trade tensions with the US, a startup out of Vancouver is helping consumers shop from Canadian sources.
“At a time of economic uncertainty and growing trade tensions, choosing Canadian when it makes sense can help keep more of that economic activity at home,” states the TryCanadian platform, a digital database for north-of-the-border alternatives.
However, finding out whether a company is actually Canadian isn’t always straightforward, according to the company, which notes how some local brands are foreign-owned, or a foreign company may employ many Canadians and manufacture products locally—all while smaller brands tend to fly under the radar.
TryCanadian is described as “an independent directory designed to help people discover Canadian businesses, products, and alternatives to major international brands.”
To accomplish this goal, the platform researches company factors like ownership, headquarters, and where products are made.
TryCanadian prioritizes legitimate sources of information, such as official company websites and corporate disclosures; government and regulatory databases; and manufacturer information and product documentation.
The platform considers, but weighs less, information sourced from social media and online forums and discussion boards.
The startup advocates for honesty and transparency, explaining that sometimes there will be a direct Canadian alternative—and other times, there may not be.
To be as accurate as possible, TryCanadian separates different questions rather than black-or-white label of “Canadian” or “not Canadian.”
Canadian-owned, for example, means that “ultimate control of the business appears to be Canadian,” while Canadian-founded suggests that the business was founded in the country, but may or may not still be Canadian-owned. And that is different than “Headquarters in Canada,” an implication that the business is still based in Canada today.
“Made in Canada,” meanwhile, indicates that the products of a business “are manufactured or substantially produced in Canada.”
And when an answer is unclear, an “Unknown” tag acknowledges “we could not establish ownership with sufficient confidence.”
Categories span a wide range of industries, from Automotive and Technology to Clothing and Entertainment to Groceries and Travel.
Popular alternatives include A&W Canada over McDonalds; Giant Tiger over Walmart; Home Hardware over Home Depot; Crave over Netflix; and Nature Clean over Clorox.
So far, roughly 1,000 companies have been added to the database.
“Our goal isn’t to tell you what you must buy,” the company states online. “It’s to make choosing Canadian easier.”
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