Buying Canadian isn’t as Easy as It Sounds

It turns out that buying Canadian isn’t as simple as it sounds. Our economy is deeply connected to global supply chains, and even the most intentional small businesses feel that complexity.

When we first started RowanTree, we didn’t want to carry inventory. We’re very conscious of overproduction, clothing waste, and the “fast fashion” cycle. For artisan markets, we sourced from Canadian brands whenever possible. For online orders, we partnered with a print-on-demand company that uses regional production hubs, which seemed like the perfect solution.

Each design was made to order and printed as close as possible to the buyer’s home. However, we soon discovered that the company’s automated routing system sometimes sent out-of-stock orders to the nearest available hub, occasionally across the border into the United States. It didn’t happen often, and it seemed minor at first, until the threat of tariffs made those occasional shipments more complicated.

We’re now shifting to new printing partnerships, especially for our East Coast customers, to reduce shipping distance and delivery times. At the same time, we’re printing some of our designs right here at home in British Columbia.

We’ve also found several excellent Canadian partners and a few international suppliers who produce ethically and sustainably outside of the United States. It’s fascinating once you start tracing where things are made and where the companies themselves are based. Even many shipping providers in Canada are subsidiaries of American firms, which is why we do our best to support Canadian shippers whenever we can.

Small businesses face steep challenges competing with large corporations in pricing, shipping costs, and delivery speed. But choosing to buy from small Canadian companies keeps money, creativity, and community right here at home.

Learn more about our story:
👉 https://rowantreeclothing.ca/pages/get-to-know-us