Our Mission
To create a vibrant economy by bringing the shop local movement to our community. We do this by promoting local independent businesses through our online marketing suite.
The St Catharines area is home to more than 10,000 businesses, most of which are locally owned and operated 'independent' businesses. These independent businesses are the backbone of our St Catharines Economy.
We built ShopStCatharines.com to support and promote these local businesses with the principle of the 'local multiplier effect' in mind.
The Local Multiplier Effect refers to the increased wealth creation that occurs when money is spent locally and re-circulates within the local economy.
The trend for many consumers has been to shop at big box stores or online at Amazon, but unfortunately, these shopping choices actually hurt St Catharines by taking money out our local economy.
To reverse this trend, and keep more money in St Catharines, we've developed a local online directory, marketplace and marketing suite featuring great local businesses and the products and services they offer.
About Dan and Randy,
your ShopStCatharines City Managers
Dan Ranch – an avid sports fan and graduate of marketing at Sheridan College, Dan started his sales and marketing career with the Toronto Blue Jays and then as a sales rep for Carling O’Keefe.
Dan then transitions into a restaurant career opening multiple pubs in the G.T.A, Burlington, Oshawa, Ajax, Stouffville) while working for the Pub Concepts team. (The Judge & Jury, The Portly Pyper, The Dickens, The Clever Conductor, The Waltzing Weasel)
For the last 17 years Dan has been plying his trade as a sales rep/ manager for big box retailer Canadian Tire.
Dan has decided to get back to his roots and revive his entrepreneurial spirit by joining the ShopStCatharines.com team and re-dedicating his focus to helping spread the shop local message.
Randy Ferguson started his career in the restaurant biz when the travel bug bit him and he moved out west and started as a bartender at the Chateau Lake Louise and continued on as he designed developed and launched 4 different restaurant concepts in Burlington On. (Joe Dog’s Gasbar Grill, Honey West Lounge, The Red Rooster and The Nines Sports Bar) over the next 20 years.
After moving to and falling in love with St Catharines, he transitioned into management into big box retail, Mark’s.
After the pandemic, Randy has decided to use the power of his entrepreneurial spirit and get back to helping spread the Shop Local movement.
What’s in it for Shoppers
Accessible from both computers and smart phones via a mobile version, ShopStCatharines.com is the perfect tool when researching for the specific products and services you want online.
The ShopStCatharines.com community marketplace enables you to buy products online for in-store pick-up or delivery, or locate merchants offering products and services you need, find coupons and deals, read and write reviews, purchase online gift certificates, view restaurant menus, find out when businesses are open and how they can be paid, as well as contact business owners via email.
There are also helpful links to businesses' websites and social media profiles.
What’s in it for Businesses
Local independent business owners, even with limited marketing budgets, can now present and promote their products and services online using our comprehensive local marketing platform.
This platform optimizes participating businesses' content so it will be found when people are searching locally and makes it easy for shoppers to take action, whether that's buying online or sending an inquiry through email.
Now business owners can deliver consistent messaging to their website and social media platforms as well, with one-stop updating through their ShopStCatharines.com business control panel.
We give local business owners the ability to level the playing field with the biggest of companies.
Local independent businesses generally keep more of the money spent with them, within the community than corporate chains (45% for independent vs. 15% for chains), therefore, shopping with local businesses leads to a much stronger local economy.
This benefits everyone in the community as a strong local economy creates more jobs and provides funding for local initiatives like parks and recreation, services and infrastructure, health and education.
What You Can Do to Help...
There are several easy steps you can take to help us build up the community and support local businesses:
- Use ShopStCatharines.com as often as possible to learn what products and services are available locally
- Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ShopStCatharines
- Make informed purchases and consider the total impact of your spending, not just the price you pay
- Encourage great local business owners to keep going by posting reviews on their profile pages
- Buy our local online gift certificates instead of plastic gift cards from big box stores
- Frequent locally-owned restaurants and shops instead of the national chains
- Shop locally first whenever you can
We can always use more help spreading the word, and we greatly appreciate those who help convey the message by putting up signs and stickers or by linking to us online.
ShopStCatharines.com is part of the ShopCity.com Network, and is based on the successful local model developed with ShopMidland.com, serving the community of Midland, Ontario.
The network is leading the shop local movement.
We invite you to join almost 50,000 shop local fans on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shoplocally
The trend toward shopping “locally” is catching on, both online and offline, and we encourage you to be a part of it. For additional reading on the subject, check out The Small-Mart Revolution, a ground-breaking book that makes a strong case for local independent business and provides a road map for restoring our local economies.
Thank you for taking the time to read about Shop St Catharines.com. We are passionate about building up St Catharines and love to connect with like-minded individuals.
Sincerely,
Randy Ferguson
Dan Ranch
Owners & City Managers
ShopStCatharines.com
