Montreal store selling only local products sees surge in interest

There’s been a big push to buy local in recent weeks. One shop in Montreal’s Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie borough has been 100 per cent Local for three years — and it’s seeing a boost in visitors.

Toutes les Choses Parfaites owner Karine Martel says the name “All Things Perfect” came to her during the pandemic.

Business has been good, but ever since the U.S. threatened Canada with tariffs, sales increased. Martel says clients have shifted from a curiosity to pride in their local purchases.

From skin care to candy to wine, the store’s shelves include 360 homegrown products.

Employee Simon Lagarde noticed the surge in interest.

“People are always walking around impressed by all the stuff that we have and always also impressed by the fact that it’s made mostly in Quebec,” he said.

Only three per cent of products sold at the store are from outside Quebec, like Covered Bridge potato chips from New Brunswick, but they’re all Canadian.

Martel says without import fees nor transport costs, Quebec products have good value — especially because your bucks stay in this province.

“We have a lot of clients, not even from the neighborhood, come to our shop and they do talk about the ongoing trade war,” Lagarde adds.

Martel says customers are looking replace products they used to buy.