When you choose to buy from a local business you’re helping support our community, create jobs and enhance prosperity by circulating dollars between businesses and residents. In this micro-economy, it’s important to #ThinkLocalFirst and buy local all year round. Find a comprehensive list of local businesses in our business directory.
6 Reasons to shop local
When you shop local you get something unique — something you won’t find anywhere else. It’s authentic. Just like the folks you’re buying from.
Show pride in the place we live. And help protect the small businesses and mountain town culture that makes our hometowns one-of-a-kind.
Local businesses contribute vital financial support and volunteer time to so many non-profits. Has Amazon ever helped your kid’s team or the local food bank? Didn’t think so.
Deal with pros you know, not a foreign website or out-of-town voicemail that’ll never return your call. Get a trustworthy expert opinion on what you’re purchasing and any help you need afterwards, by simply walking through the door or dropping a line.
Pay here and it stays here. For every $100 spend with a local business, $63 is re-circulated back into our local economy. Local businesses re-circulate 4.6 times more revenue in the local economy than their chain competitors.
Locally made products are cleaner and kinder. Shop local and you are reducing your environmental impact with less packaging and transportation from overseas factories.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING LOCAL
Local businesses want to thank you for your terrific support — and remind you to keep shopping local through the winter and the rest of 2022 too!
Ashmans Smashburger
"We weren’t sure how opening a new restaurant in the middle of a pandemic would go, but with the support of our local community we were able to get through it. We’re hopeful that tourism will increase, but it’s our local customers — the ones who come every day, once a week, or whenever they pop downtown — who keep us open and happy. Thank you Nelson. You are amazing."
- Mandy and Aron Ashman, Ashman’s Smashburgers
Dragon Fly Cafe
"We wouldn’t have made it through the pandemic without the support of everyone from Salmo and the surrounding area. Tourism keeps us busy in the summer — but locals get us through the winter and the harder times. Locals are the ones who really care that our business is here. They appreciate that we work hard and do our best."
- Lamiah Trower, Dragon Fly Cafe
Pixie Candy
"The local support we‘ve received in the past two years has been astounding. I’m confident without it we wouldn’t have been able to keep our doors open through the pandemic. Looking forward, shopping local will be even more important as travel and tourism begin to open up and people start taking their dollars out of the community. From all of us Pixie’s THANK YOU!!"
- Angel Stuyt, Pixie Candy
Nelson’s Chocofellar
"It is amazing to have this much local support. We are so grateful for it — especially with the faithfulness of longtime customers, and new-time customers too. We wouldn’t be in business if it wasn’t for the support we get from the community."
- Aurelien Sudan and Mark Tomek, Nelson’s Chocofellar
Kootenai Moon
"I’m so grateful for the recognition people have of what small business brings to our community. Though the pandemic, I couldn’t believe how many people supported us and shopped with us. And it’s 125 percent important that that continues. As long as our customers keep telling us what they want, we’ll get it."
- Val Semeniuk, Kootenai Moon Furniture
Salmo Hotel
"We want to preserve history and make sure Salmo has a fun place to hang out for cold beer and good food. And all the local support we get helps us do that. It’s been so important — it’s critical that it continues too. Locals help us a lot by getting the word out to tourists to town that we’re a great place to visit as well."
- Katie and John Mirko , Salmo Hotel
Erie Creek Brewing
"Local support was the base that has kept us going through the pandemic, and now. Outside support will help us grow, but the base that keeps us going is our customers from around here. There are a lot of regulars from Salmo — and quite a few from surrounding communities too. We want people to know there’s lots happening at the brewery during the evenings and weekends now."
- Colin Hango, Erie Creek Brewing Company
Taylor & Mae
"As a collective of local, small batch, and eco-focused products, Taylor & Mae was created with and for this amazing community of local creators, business owners, and passion-driven individuals. Being able to support and be supported by this community has made our space and this experience feel extra special. We want to thank the people of Nelson for their constant feedback and support, and for being with us on this journey."
- Jessica (Mae) Wood & Noa (Taylor) Dagan ,
Taylor & Mae
KTK Spices & Kootenay Tamil Kitchen
"Local support at both the shop and market is really, really important. Especially in the pandemic. The market is meant for locals, and their day-to-day life. The support helps us keep our staff. We’re also trying to bring more local products into the stores. Because our locations are ethnic, we bring product you can’t find in regular groceries stores, so we need to put more time and effort into finding those."
- Ciraj, Kootenay Tamil Kitchen / KTK Spices
Cowan’s
"We love and appreciate our local customers, they’re the best. When people shop at our store it provides stable jobs for our dedicated employees who also live and shop locally. It’s been my family’s pleasure to serve this community and grow this business over the past 50 years, and we look forward to serving Nelson for many more years to come as an independently owned business."
- Paul Cowan, Cowan’s
Intuit Studio
"Intuit Studio’s vision is one of a supremely inclusive community. Our customers are local Nelsonites with a desire to move in a space without judgment. Without our local customers, we simply would not exist. If Nelson wants to have access to goods and services that improve their quality of life, NOW is the time to spend and play locally."
- MJ Armstrong, Intuit Studio
Hipperson’s Home Hardware
"We have received a lot of support from local customers. They often come in to our store to try to find what they’re after, or to have us order the item in for them, before they go and shop online. I think a lot of people feel good about supporting local businesses."
- Courtney Dooley, Hipperson’s Home Hardware
Photo of team members Courtney Dooley
Kootenay Co-op
"People in our community love to shop local. That demand has given rise to incredibly talented local farmers, growers, artisans, makers and bakers, which in turn creates more local choices for us all. The ripple effect from shopping local keeps your dollars in your community, creates local job opportunities, helps build a resilient local food system and keeps our communities strong and vibrant. Thank you all. Keep up that local love – it matters!"
- Amanda Verigin, Kootenay Co-op
Photo of team members Sam Allum
Sacred Ride
"Local support has been pretty darn good. The community has really embraced shopping on Baker. And we need it, 100 per cent. The community is our backbone."
- Alex Woikin, Sacred Ride
Photo of team members Christine McKay
Eddy Music
"Christmas was great. And it was really, really great the year before. We sold a record number of ukuleles! Everybody wanted to start playing music. Local support is very important — and it always goes back to the community. It keeps the music going."
- Yolanda & Brendan Stewart, Riley Stewart
Photo of team member Nikko Forsberg
AM Radio Cafe
"A.M. Radio Cafe relies heavily on the businesses and residents of Lower Fairview as well as cyclists, walkers and those who venture out of the downtown core. We bake everything in-house and serve up No6 Coffee, Virtue Tea, and Kootenai Chai — all located in Nelson. Without locals, the cafe simply wouldn’t exist. The coming year will continue to be challenging as we navigate the ongoing pandemic and will need the local support more than ever."
- Jen Cowan , AM Radio Cafe
Blue Sky Clothing
"A lot of our customers supported us through Christmas. People took advantage of our great gift card program and sent them to friends and family. And when nobody was travelling over the pandemic, our local customers were our blessing — they kept us open. Over the years, many of our customers have become just like friends."
- Pat Schmidt, Blue Sky Clothing
Photo of team member Tracy Scribner
Secret Garden Toys
"Christmas is always busy for us of course. Thank you so much for another stellar year. Our customers are almost exclusively local. We see kids here who turn into adults and then bring their kids in. It’s like Matryoshka dolls! We always look forward to working together to make dreams come true."
- Bill White, Secret Garden Toys
Photo of team members Zoe Bingham and Dakota Faulkner
Nelson Fine Art Printing
"Support for our businesses over the holidays was really good. A number of our customers have always been supportive of us and local businesses in general. People really appreciate the quality, attention to detail and personal service — all that you can offer when you’re not a huge corporation. And we don’t think people mind paying a bit more for that either."
- Derek Bruce, Nelson Fine Art Printing
Jill Gauvin, Gogh Van Custom Framing
The Nelson and District Chamber of Commerce Think Local First campaign is presented in partnership with The Nelson and Area Economic Development Partnership, supported by the Government of Canada’s Strategic Activities Program and delivered through the BC Chamber of Commerce.
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Support local businesses by choosing to shop local and work with Kootenay experts.
