Products made on Vancouver Island see boost in sales with local shopping campaign
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As current economic conditions squeeze our wallets, shopping seasonal and local may be key to saving money – and for these island businesses, a renewed focus on local foods can mean they can grow.
The stickers were part of the trial "Island Good" campaign, which adds a blue label to local products amid shelves lined with competitors.
"It really was to support our local suppliers and local manufactures and help keep dollars within the community," said Craig Cavin, operations manager South Island for Country Grocer.
The Island Good campaign was started as a trial in 2018 by the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance.
"Really, we wanted some empirical data to prove that islanders would choose island products over non-island products," said Dan Dagg, chair of the Island Good committee for the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance.
That data came back and showed a 16.4 per cent increase in sales in 2018, and that number has risen to a 37 per cent increase in 2021.
People shopping at Country Grocer seemed to like the signage Friday.
"It’s great to know which ones are from here," said shopper Bre Bonneau.
Now, in 2022, the Island Good program has evolved. The program is here to stay permanently, and participating local producers can now use the brand in different ways.
