How to Support Local

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As local shops and restaurants throughout New Brunswick begin to re-open, now is a great time to think about how we can support them. In this article, the NBWIB team will outline ways to do so and will provide a directory of what is currently open in the city of Fredericton and Saint John.

Some simple ways to support businesses that may not be fully open is to:

• BUY GIFT CARDS

  • Thankfully, these can sometime be purchased over the phone, by email, or via a website if the business hasn’t opened its doors yet! Don’t be afraid to contact your favourite local businesses directly to ask them if it isn’t advertised!

• ORDER ONLINE

  • Plenty of New Brunswick-based boutiques have great online websites!

  • There are also multiple platforms where you can shop local businesses in New Brunswick such as Etsy and Buy Local NB. Another way to purchase locally-made products is through the NB Box!

• ORDER DELIVERY OR TAKEOUT

  • If you aren’t quite ready to dine-in at the now open restaurants throughout the province, a great alternative would be order take-out or delivery! Skip the Dishes typically has a list of restaurants open in major cities in the province, but many restaurants use their own online platform or are able to take orders through the phone - just contact your favourite restaurant and ask!

Things you may not have thought of:

• BUY LOCAL GROCERIES

  • Rather than shopping at the larger grocery stores, this is a great opportunity to seek local vendors and markets for your grocery needs!

• USE LOCAL COSMETICS

  • Many local boutiques and health food stores, such as Sequoia Fredericton, offer locally-made cosmetic products!

• RESCHEDULE, DON’T CANCEL

  • Perhaps you aren’t ready to hit the gym or your favourite exercise class, we encourage you to reach out and ask to reschedule your class or pause your membership rather than cancelling it completely!

It’s also possible to support local without spending a dime (because sometimes we just can’t afford to), here’s how: 

• SEND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT ON SOCIA MEDIA

  • You can DM or Facebook Message any shop, restaurant, business-owner and make their day just by sharing how much you enjoy or look forward to their product/service

• SPREAD THE WORD/SHARE MESSAGES THROUGH SOCIA MEDIA

  • If you have had the chance to go to a restaurant in town and enjoyed your time there, put it up on social media! Tag the company and you never know how many other people you will influence to try that restaurant too!

• HAVE A LARGE SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING? ASK TO BE AN AMBASSADOR

  • Email local businesses with a proposal to be a brand ambassador. This way the company is getting their name and reputation portrayed to a large audience, while you get cool freebies from the brand!

• LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW

  • Whether it’s on Google or Yelp, leaving a good review for a business can help bring more traffic!

• STAY ENGAGED THROUGH SOCIA MEDIA

  • Like, comment, share and tag friends!

We hoped this helped you support local! As always,

- NBWIB Team

Useful Links:

Directory of hospitality and restaurants open to support in Fredericton

Groceries and pharmacies in Fredericton

Fredericton local businesses

Downtown Fredericton businesses

Fredericton North-side businesses

Local business, restaurants and services in Saint John