/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24540531/The_Legend_of_Zelda__Tears_of_the_Kingdom___Official_Trailer__2_____The_Legend_of_Zelda__Tears_of_the_Kingdom___Official_Trailer__2_2023_3_27_123238.488_1080p_streamshot.png "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has dropped to $30 for the first time")
BC Buy Local Week takes place around the first week of December each year. During that time Vancouver residents are reminded of the value of buying local.
In 2024 BC Buy Local Week runs from December 2nd to 8th.
It’s important to buy from small, independent and locally-owned businesses throughout the year, now more than ever! Giant online retailers fare much better than small, local businesses. So support your local merchant when you can.
In this article we remind everyone about the importance of buying local and then give suggestions on where and how you can do that during the holiday season.
Another article that might be of interest is Vancouver Experiential Christmas Gift Ideas where you’ll find a list of Lower Mainland adventures, attractions and concert tickets that your friends and family might really enjoy. In our article about Black Friday we also include a list of local businesses offering special deals in late November.
For the official BC Buy Local Week website, visit bcbuylocal.com.
Did you know that for every $100 you spend with a locally-owned independent retailer, that an average of $63 stays in the local economy compared to about just $14 with chains and major multinational companies? (Source: Loco BC 2019 Report on the Economic Impact of Local Business.)
Unfortunately, several thousand Lower Mainland businesses had to close in recent years because of COVID-19 and its consequent economic hardships. It’s been a tough little while for a lot of people!
How can you help? By buying local and shopping locally. By investing your savings with credit unions, supporting local businesses with your purchasing dollars, and getting take-out from locally-owned restaurants.
Spending dollars at local and independently-owned businesses keeps dollars in the local community, keeps local people employed, contributes to local tax revenues, and helps keep communities healthy.
BC Buy Local Week’s Seven Ways for Seven Days
BC Buy Local Week lists seven ways to support local businesses on its website. The seven things you can do to help include the following:
- Buy Local Online (instead of doing all your online shopping with giant corporations like Amazon or major big box stores).
- Shop in Store (because it’s fun, you can try things on, and doing so saves on unnecessary shipping and packaging, and helps to lower carbon emissions).
- Give Experiences (by gifting experiences to others, like beauty treatments or passes to local attractions).
- Support your Community (by shopping at bricks and mortar stores near your home).
- Put Local on your Table (by using locally-grown ingredients in your cooking and treating yourself to meals from locally-owned restaurants).
- Buy Local Made (by buying products that are made in the Lower Mainland or BC, or at the very least somewhere in Canada).
- Buy Local Gift Cards (instead of buying gift cards from big box stores and multinational corporations, buy them from your local coffee shop, restaurant or small independently-owned retail store).
To learn more, see the BC Buy Local Week website.
Buying local and supporting local businesses is so important! To learn about a number of locally-based food manufacturers and the benefits of buying locally-produced food, see our article about Buying From Vancouver and BC-Made Food Producers.
Where and How to Buy Local
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people shopped online more than ever before, and have continued that trend since. Last year, for example, according to Shopify, people spent even more on online Black Friday Sales than they did in 2022.
Especially now that COVID-19 restrictions are a thing of the past, try to shop in person at local retailers. Shopping in person at small retailers is the best way to support local businesses.
If and when you do shop online, try to buy from small independent businesses. Don’t give all your shopping dollars to multinational corporations and online big box stores. Giant online businesses don’t employ people in your local community, and companies like Amazon are thriving even without your help!
Below are some ideas on where you can shop and support local businesses during the holiday season.
For the official BC Buy Local Week website, visit bcbuylocal.com.
Shop at Farmers Markets
Farmers markets are where you can buy locally-grown produce and handmade artisan products. In the winter there are usually weekend markets at Hastings Park at the PNE. However, this market is not operating in the 2024 to 2025 season. One winter market that is happening this season is at Riley Park by Nat Bailey Stadium. There is also a weekly market this time of year in Port Moody, along with a flea market in Cloverdale.
Shopping at the above markets is a great way to find awesome things and support local farmers, artisans and entrepreneurs.
To learn more, click any of the above venue links or see our article about Lower Mainland Winter Markets.
Buy from Artists, Artisans and Independent Businesses
There are so many art studios and shops selling artisan products in Vancouver. There are also lots of small and independently-owned specialty shops that sell all kinds of cool and wonderful things.
One of the best places in all of Canada to find unique shops, one-of-a-kind boutiques, artisan products and art studios is at Granville Island. The Granville Island Public Market is full of great places to find tasty treats. Nearby, in places like the Net Loft and surrounding streets, there are numerous locally-owned shops selling amazing things.
For more details about the above area, see our article about Shopping Opportunities at Granville Island.
The Lonsdale Quay Public Market in North Vancouver is also a great place to find small local businesses, as are commercial areas along Main Street, Commercial Drive and other “main street” sorts of neighbourhoods elsewhere in the Lower Mainland.
Holiday Artisan Markets are also fabulous places to shop at. For more details about those, continue reading.
Christmas Craft Markets
There are usually lots of holiday artisan markets this time of year. These are fabulous places to find unique and wonderful locally-made gifts.
Other markets and artisan craft fairs include the following:
In addition to the above, there are dozens of local food and crafts artisan vendors at the Vancouver Christmas Market, Noel Holiday Light Festival and Shipyards Christmas Market between mid-November and December 24th.
To learn about other similar events, see our article about Lower Mainland Christmas Craft Markets.
Shop at Stores in Your Community
Shopping malls are popular places to go shopping at, but so are small town main streets and places such as Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver, the West Broadway area in Kitsilano, Robson Street and Granville Street in downtown Vancouver, and other neighbourhoods throughout the Lower Mainland.
When shopping in-person, don’t always go to well-known brand stores and outlets owned by big corporations. Shop at small, independent places too. There are amazing locally-owned camera shops, toy stores, gift shops, pet stores and even second-hand stores close to where you live that are full of treasures to discover.
TIP: If you are in the market for a high-quality e-bike, you might want to know about the Black Friday sales at OHM Bikes. For example, until the end of November last year, this retailer had bikes on sale for as much as 30% off! That’s an amazing deal! The store also had accessories on sale for 20% off. Whether or not the Black Friday deals happen again in 2024 is to be confirmed. OHM Bikes is a North Shore-based bike company that designs and assembles its own line of e-bikes.
Other Things You Can Do
Other ways you can help local businesses and the economic health of your community this shopping season include eating out (or getting take-out) at local restaurants and donating to local charities. And when you want to travel, vacation close to home and spend your holiday dollars at local hotels and attractions.
Support Local Restaurants
While doing your holiday shopping, when you’re out and about and feeling hungry, don’t forget to support local restaurants with your shopping dollars. And while you’re there, consider getting restaurant gift cards to support your favourite restaurant (for yourself or as gifts for friends).
Many restaurants offer bonuses over the Christmas season, like $10 or $15 extra when you purchase $50 or $100 in gift cards. Look out for these deals! The Pier 7 Restaurant in North Vancouver is just one example. Last year, if you bought a $65 gift card from the restaurant you got $15 extra, but only for a limited time.
For ideas on places to eat, see our article about Lower Mainland Restaurants.
Did you know …
FreshSlice Pizza and A&W are big chain fast food restaurants. Did you know, though, that both corporations have head offices based in the Lower Mainland? When looking for fast food and you can’t find a small, local, independent place, consider buying from a locally-owned franchise from a chain with BC-based roots.
Donate to Charity
Recent years have been challenging for non-profits and local charities. If you can afford it, consider helping those less fortunate. Whether it be the Salvation Army, the United Way of the Lower Mainland, the Harvest Project on the North Shore, your local food bank or some other favourite charity, they can use your help.
If you want to help kids, consider donating to KidSport, the Boys & Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, or to a Lower Mainland summer camp.
The Red Cross is another great charity to donate to.
If you care about theatre and the performing arts, consider a donation to places like the Arts Club, The Improv Centre, Bard on the Beach, Theatre Under the Stars or any of the Lower Mainland’s various other music and performing arts groups.
TIP: When making a donation to a charity that covers multiple jurisdictions, like all across the country, be sure to specify that you want the dollars to benefit someone or something in your local community (unless you want to help people in developing countries who can really use our help too).
For the official BC Buy Local Week website, visit bcbuylocal.com.
Vacation Locally
Instead of travelling overseas, stay close to home and enjoy a staycation. Stay at a local hotel, either in your own town or somewhere else in the Lower Mainland. You’ll also be saving lots of money and contributing to eco-friendly travel.
Local hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions were hard hit by the pandemic and now high inflation rates. Don’t spend all your dollars going to far-away places. Stick close to home, where medical coverage is free, and support the local economy with your vacation dollars!
For ideas on where to stay, see our article about Downtown Vancouver Hotels.
VANCOUVER HOTEL TIP
When booking a hotel in downtown Vancouver, check out the website StayVancouverHotels.com. You will find competitive rates on accommodations, plus bonus perks like $25 gift cards when making reservations through this website. And sometimes this site’s gift cards are worth a whole lot more!
About BC Buy Local Week and LOCO BC
BC Buy Local Week celebrates its 13th year in 2024. Organized by LOCO BC, which is a network of local and independently-owned businesses, the campaign connects buy local efforts and promotions across British Columbia.
During BC Buy Local Week you can expect to see and hear a lot about the importance of buying local and supporting local businesses. Hundreds of businesses and organizations from across the province participate.
Campaign partners in BC Buy Local Week include chambers of commerce, business improvement associations, and individual businesses (including places like Vancity Credit Union, North Vancouver’s Lower Lonsdale Shipyards District and other business associations).
LOCO BC is the organization behind BC Buy Local Week. It does research, facilitates business engagement, and works with stakeholders on public policy and educating the public. Vancouver’s Best Places has been a proud member of LOCO BC for a number of years, and a proud sponsor of BC Buy Local Week.
For those who might be interested, some fascinating research papers LOCO BC has been involved in producing include the following:
- The Economic Impact of Local Businesses
- The Impact of Online Shopping on Local Business
- The Power of Purchasing: The Economic Impacts of Local Procurement
See the LOCO BC Resources web page for details about these and other papers.
Did you know that credit unions are locally-based financial institutions that are owned by their members? When you keep your money in a credit union, you help keep dollars in your community and BC.
Other Information
Other articles and resources that might be of interest include the following:
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