‘This decision wasn’t ours’

While many St. Vital Centre shops have papered their storefronts with holiday décor, one outlet representing hundreds of Manitoba products has different signage — closure notices.

“This decision wasn’t ours,” said Peter Fehr, co-founder of Love Local Manitoba.

The shop has maintained an outpost in the south Winnipeg mall for six years in varying capacities. It was a seasonal pop-up for about three years, Fehr said. Around 2021, it moved Manitoba makers’ goods into a more permanent stall near the former Hudson’s Bay.

Roughly 100 suppliers stock the store — such as Utoffeea, Jacked Up Jill Coffee and Decadence Chocolates, Fehr said.

St. Vital Centre wouldn’t renew Love Local Manitoba’s lease despite growing sales at the shop, Fehr said: “We don’t know why.”

St. Vital Centre declined to comment on the upcoming closure. Love Local Manitoba’s last day is Dec. 28.

“It makes me sad that we weren’t able to keep going because a lot of the local businesses, we depend on these local sales,” Fehr said.

He’s unsure about the company’s future. Love Local Manitoba may open some pop-ups next year, but it doesn’t have concrete plans.

The move comes as “Buy Canadian” sentiment surges across the country. The Canadian Birch Company, which sells within Love Local Manitoba, has noticed an undercurrent of “buy local” support since the COVID-19 pandemic. The feeling has spiked following trade tensions with the United States.

“We have a very niche product, so it does go well in things like a gift store,” said Glenda Hart, co-owner of the Canadian Birch Company Ltd.

“None of us anticipated (this)… It’s sad to see it go.”

She’s been supplying birch-based condiments to Love Local Manitoba since its early days as an annual food and drink event. The first Love Local event launched with about 20 vendors in 2014.

It’s since grown to 40 vendors and an average 400 to 500 attendees.

Love Local Manitoba’s transition from event-only to pop-up shop and then permanent shop was organic, Fehr said.

“None of us anticipated (this),” Hart said of the closure.

“It’s sad to see it go.”

Promoting products can be difficult as a local maker, noted Pamela Cavers, co-founder of Wooden Gate Cider. She doesn’t sell inside the St. Vital shop but is a customer.

“It’s not the easiest to get in front of people,” Cavers said. “People are just so accustomed to whatever it is that draws their attention — be it fancy marketing, be it products all over the world.

“You have, really, only a small amount of people in the first place that stay dedicated to local.”

Sales are generally split 50-50 between vendors and Love Local Manitoba. The shop is entering its busiest season: it can log up to 150 sales daily during a busy holiday period, Fehr said.

The number drops to five or 10 purchases on a slow day, he added.

“We have some steady growth every year,” Fehr said. “(It’s) been really encouraging.”

Customers filtered in on Monday, passing by a row of empty shops across the hall. Rumours are circulating that Uniqlo Co. Ltd., a Japanese clothing retailer, will enter the strip. (St. Vital Centre declined to comment.)

“I really love the ability to come to a one-stop place, to be able to pick up (and) see what’s available from the province without having to do a bunch of research.”

Kristen Lipinski bought Manitoba-made candy for a work event. The shop’s incoming closure came as a surprise.

“I really love the ability to come to a one-stop place, to be able to pick up (and) see what’s available from the province without having to do a bunch of research,” Lipinski said.

Until this year, Love Local Manitoba held annual food, beer and wine events. It’s called off this year’s event to recalibrate, Fehr said.

Fehr owns Gourmet Inspirations, a Steinbach-based sauce company. The St. Vital shop’s end will allow more time to focus on Gourmet Inspirations, he said, adding he’s trying to see it as a silver lining.

He started Love Local Manitoba with a fellow entrepreneur; both sold products at the St. Norbert Farmers’ Market and sought to bring small businesses together.

Love Local Manitoba now employs six to eight staff regularly. It sent a mass email to vendors upon learning about its lease ending.

The news comes as small businesses — and consumers — grapple with increased costs, noted Tyler Slobogian, a Prairies senior analyst with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

“Every sale with these small businesses really matters.”

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“Every sale with these small businesses really matters,” Slobogian said, adding Love Local Manitoba suppliers will feel “a hit” post-closure.

Small firms have trouble accessing high-traffic space, like in malls. Many are scrapping their physical footprints for online-only to save money, Slobogian said.

CFIB data show just one-third of Canadians are regularly shopping local, despite a majority saying they desire shopping locally, Slobogian added.

Fehr said he’s looking to open Love Local Manitoba in another Winnipeg shopping centre.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com

Gabrielle Piché
Reporter

Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.

Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.