MONTREAL -- As the pandemic sends more and more Quebec shoppers online, the province launched the first steps of a program to encourage buying locally on Monday.
The Blue Basket program, which encourages residents to buy locally-sourced products, will receive a $900,000 investment from Mouvement Desjardins and the Banque Nationale to create a Quebec-oriented alternative to online retail giants. The move is one of 49 recommendations made in a Blue Basket report on the future of the province's retail sector.
Blue Basket general manager Alain Dumas said the objective is not to create a Quebec version of Amazon, but rather to present an option that “puts the retailer first” and would have search options that would allow a consumer to find their desired product via a local retailer.
The initial investment will help build a “viable financial model” and “validate the necessary technology,” Dumas said, adding that ultimately, funding should come from “a collective of private companies” and the Quebec government.
Dumas acknowledged that what will constitute a Quebec product needs to be clarified, saying there could be a grading system for products made in Quebec with or without local raw materials.
