Why shopping local this holiday season is more than just a nice idea

As the holidays approach, Manitoba small business owners are preparing for their busiest and most uncertain season in years.

Across Manitoba, businesses are feeling the weight of rising costs, supply chain pressures and uncertainty, making this holiday season particularly challenging.

This Nov. 29, Small Business Saturday is a chance for Manitobans to support these local entrepreneurs when it matters most.

Through the Canadian Federation of Business’ latest surveys, we’ve heard from thousands of small business owners who are facing mounting challenges.

The economy is slowing, and with it, Canadians’ purchasing power. Tariffs and ongoing trade disputes with the U.S. are driving up supplier costs. Labour strikes are disrupting operations. And the rising cost of everything from utilities to property taxes to insurance is making it harder for businesses to stay profitable.

Small business owners across Canada are extremely worried. A specialty hobby shop owner in Mississauga told us, “We are all suffering, every one of us. Between economic instability, tariffs and the Canada Post strike, it’s just too much for small businesses to bear.”

From Winnipeg, a beauty shop owner reminded us of the broader impact: “Businesses like mine create local jobs, invest in community resilience and promote Manitoba’s reputation for quality handmade goods, but we need tangible, accessible support to keep growing sustainably.”

In Saskatoon, an outdoor equipment store owner shared a growing fear: “I’m worried for the first time. Small businesses never seem to get the help they need compared to larger industries, even though we’re the backbone of the local economy.”

And in Prince George, an auto parts store owner revealed a painful reality: “For the first time in five years, we couldn’t afford raises for our own employees.”

Perhaps, most starkly, a manufacturing company owner in Edmonton put it plainly: “We are almost at a breaking point.”

These voices reflect a growing reality for small businesses across Canada. And yet, in the face of these challenges, local entrepreneurs continue to show up by opening their doors, serving their communities and doing everything they can to keep going.

Small Business Saturday is not just a shopping day. It’s a chance to show up for the people who show up for us every day. The café owner who knows your order, the mechanic who squeezes you in last-minute, the florist who wraps your bouquet with care.

These aren’t faceless corporations.

They’re your neighbours and they need your support.

Every dollar spent at a small business sends ripples through your neighbourhood — supporting local jobs, charities and even your kids’ sports teams. In fact, 66 cents of every dollar spent locally stays in the community, whereas only 11 cents spent at a big-box multinational business remains local.

Canadians care about local businesses. Nine out of 10 say they value having them in their communities.

Yet in the rush of daily life, it’s easy to default to big-box stores or online giants. The reality is that only one in three Canadians make the effort to shop at independent retailers.

This Small Business Saturday, let’s turn good intentions into action.

Choose to shop small on Nov. 29 and keep that momentum going all season long.

Use tools like Amex Maps and the Shop Small directory to discover incredible local businesses near you.

Share your support on social media with #SmallBusinessSaturday and #FallinLovewithLocal, and don’t forget to leave a review or tell a friend. Every small step helps strengthen the businesses that make our neighbourhoods feel like home.

To small business owners: download your free Small Business Saturday toolkit and invite your customers to celebrate with you.

To governments: it’s time to recognize the mounting pressures and deliver meaningful support. This means reducing red tape and providing relief for those on the brink of closure.

Let’s make Nov. 29 the biggest Small Business Saturday yet by championing shopping local as a joyful, everyday habit.

Supporting small businesses isn’t just a nice idea. It’s how we keep our communities strong.

Tyler Slobogian is senior policy analyst for Prairies & Northern Canada, and Molly MacCracken is a policy analyst; both are with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.