Made in Calgary red stickers point shoppers to local businesses during downturn
Danielle Nerman | CBC News | Posted: March 16, 2016 7:48 PM | Last Updated: March 16, 2016
Campaign aims to make it easier for Calgarians to buy local
Buying local just got easier — all you have to do is spot the dot.
The big red stickers are going up in storefronts across Calgary as part of a new campaign to help homegrown businesses during the economic downturn.
"It reminds me of the flood in 2013 where we were in a bad situation and, as a city, we pulled together to help each other out," Travis Martin, co-founder of the Made in Calgary campaign, told the Calgary Eyeopener on Wednesday.
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"We weren't waiting for someone to intervene and save us. But instead, we grabbed a shovel, we grabbed some work boots and we said, 'Hey, who needs help?'"
"When we know a business is local, that may influence our purchasing decision," said Martin.
The stickers are free to local businesses that got their start in the city and are still headquartered here.
"From the mom-and-pop-shop to somewhere like Good Earth, that has their origins in Calgary and now has spread outside."
The stickers are available for pickup at three locations:
- Higher Ground Cafe, 1126 Kensington Road N.W.
- Victoria Park BRZ, Suite 310, 105 12 Ave. S.E.
- Little Rock Printing, Suite 124, 1011 9 Ave. S.E.
So far, more than 30 businesses have registered for the campaign. An online map shows where they're located in the city.
With files from the Calgary Eyeopener