It’s all on the label.
That’s one local grocer’s strategy to ensure its customers can discern which of its products are Canadian or locally made in the face of tariff threats from the Trump administration.
Food Fare’s staff across its five Winnipeg stores spent time on Monday labelling locally produced goods on shelves to give their consumers an easier time finding Canadian-made products.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS
A sign encourages shoppers to buy locally produced products at the St. Vital Co-op on Monday.
The tariff threat was halted, at least for the next month, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the pause late Monday afternoon after speaking with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The reprieve didn’t change Food Fare’s plans.
“That’s something we’re going to do regardless of whether this tariff happens or not,” Food Fare owner Munther Zeid said of making Canadian items more prominent. “It’s long overdue.”
Zeid said he fielded calls all weekend from customers trying to grasp what products are Canadian or Manitoban, and Sunday was a busier shopping day than normal.
“Was it weather-based? Was it people going, ‘I’m going to shop at the local store?’” Zeid said.
Zeid has been getting his own crash course on Canadian and American products.
“As a store owner, I don’t really want to see any loss happening on my end…. But in the end, we’ll allow the customers to say what they want.”–Munther Zeid
“There were some products on our shelves that I thought were Canadian-made because they had a label of a Canadian company, but it turned out they were made in the U.S.,” he said.
Zeid said the store would not pull American-made products off the racks, saying that would be a waste.
“Who would cover that loss? As a store owner, I don’t really want to see any loss happening on my end,” Zeid said. “But in the end, we’ll allow the customers to say what they want.”
Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Loren Remillard said businesses adjust to consumer preferences and trends. If buyers are looking for Canadian products, businesses will ensure those items are advertised prominently.
“People are looking for those companies right now, so be in the space where the consumers are,” Remillard said.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Tarik Zeid, manager at Food Fare Silver Heights (2285 Portage Ave), puts up Made in Canada signage on grocery products.
Several grocers the Free Press visited Monday had signage pointing to local items, including Red River Co-op and Save-On-Foods, both Canadian-owned chains.
A spokesperson for Winnipeg-based Red River Co-ops said $18 million worth of local products were sold in its stores in the last year.
Remillard said making Canadian items more prominent in stores is an option for retailers. He said shops could move American-made products to less visible areas or entirely off the shelves.
The integration of economies globally makes it difficult to determine who makes what and where, he said.
Remillard used the example of a Ford vehicle: it’s an American-run company, but some vehicles are entirely produced and assembled in Canada.
“It makes it more challenging,” he said, noting the thousands of Canadian workers Ford employs.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Customers want to know which products are Canadian-made, and local grocery stores are responding to that demand.
Zeid said the same is true for big chains like Costco and Walmart, which aren’t Canadian-run but provide tens of thousands of jobs nationwide.
“They support Canadian people,” he said. “I don’t want to see people losing their jobs. So with the tariff thing, we need to slow down, calm down, see how it’s really affecting us and then make changes slowly. We’re all trying to avoid losses of all sorts as much as possible.
“It’s easy to say boycott. But as a retailer, what do I do with all of this product that is American-made?”
Zeid said it’s easier for the province when it comes to alcohol, for instance, because the shelf life is much longer. If it’s taken off store shelves, there’s a chance it could return when any tariffs would be lifted.
The reality is few retailers can fill their stores exclusively with Canadian-made products, said John Graham, prairie director of government relations for the Retail Council of Canada,.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
The move to identify and clearly label Canadian-made products is “long overdue,” Food Fare owner Munther Zeid said.
“There is this global, and in particular, U.S. dependency for some supplies that many retail shippers are going to be looking for and will continue to make purchases of,” Graham said.
scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca
Look at labels
It can be as simple as checking labels or other identifiers on a package.
“Definitely take a look at the tags,” Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Loren Remillard said. “Do your research.”
Still, not every product that says it is made in Canada is always 100 per cent made in Canada.
The federal government has thresholds for items to declare themselves products of the country or made in the country.
“Product of Canada” claims will be subject to a higher threshold of Canadian content (98 per cent), while “Made in Canada” claims will remain subject to a 51 per cent threshold of Canadian content but should be accompanied by a qualifying statement indicating the product contains imported content.
Chuck Davidson, president and CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, agreed looking at packaging is the best option.
“And also looking at various organizations, food and restaurant associations, Manitoba food producers — those are going to be some of the vehicles,” Davidson said. “There’s also an opportunity for someone to make a bit of a menu of Canadian-made goods.”
Munther Zeid, owner of Food Fare, said businesses like his are learning along with consumers.
“Just (on Monday on morning), I was answering a lot of questions from customers about whether something was Canadian-made or what something on the label means,” Zeid said. “We’re educating ourselves as customers are educating themselves.”
Scott Billeck
Reporter
Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott.
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