Haystack Finds helps East Toronto residents shop local, support independent business owners

By MATTHEW STEPHENS

As finding local Canadian businesses becomes more challenging in the digital landscape, one East Toronto resident and her team are working to help independent east-end shops compete with retailers such as Amazon and other big box stores.

“We offer a solution that allows shoppers to find products much faster than by walking around or by asking where to find them on community groups,” said Carrie Allard, co-founder of Haystack Finds, an online business designed to easily connect shoppers with local retailers both in person and online.

Started in 2024, one year before U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposed tariffs, Allard and her co-owner Nicholas Parian set out with a specific goal: to allow community-focused shoppers to support local from the ease of their homes, and secure community-based businesses’ spot as the number one option for online and in-person shoppers.

“We support both online and in-person shopping journeys, allowing users to discover the stores and products that have what they’re looking for,” said Allard.

Similar to big-name e-commerce sites such as Amazon, Haystack Finds serves as a one-stop shop space for local retailers to sell their products, bringing together items at more than 100 stores, and creating a centralized place to search for 200,000 different products.

“People select Amazon and other options because of convenience and product selection. We’re working to make local shopping as easy as electing to shop on a big multinational e-commerce site, so shoppers can make their dollars count by keeping money in the local community,” said Allard.

Grouping products by individual store, Haystack ensures local businesses are highlighted so shoppers can be sure they know exactly what business they’re supporting.

Haystack also gives shoppers the opportunity to browse and find inspiration for shopping purchases with intuitive category pages and an easy-to-use home page.

For shoppers looking to receive a product as soon as possible, Haystack features the ability to filter stores that offer delivery, ensuring they only show delivery options carried out by independent delivery services or the stores themselves, not Uber.

With localized delivery options, Haystack’s services allow shoppers to get products delivered to their door even faster.

“Until now, there wasn’t an easy way to figure out which stores offer same day or next day delivery,” said Allard.

The online site also features a map showing exactly where each store is located, allowing customers to determine the most convenient place to make a purchase, whether it’s online or in person.

“Many shoppers, once they find locations to make a purchase, want to actually go to the store to see products. We help them figure out where to go,” said Allard.

With Haystack, Allard said shoppers are given the power to make purchases based on both their location and spending preferences.

“If a product is offered by multiple stores, shoppers can determine the most convenient location or the best price. We know that price is a determining factor for many shoppers, and we don’t want to create price wars. Many customers will choose the closest place, but if someone is price sensitive, they can see which store offers the lowest price,” said Allard.

And for stores without a robust website or online presence, Haystack eliminates worries surrounding Search Engine Optimization (SEO), meaning stores can spend more time focusing on their sales and less time worrying about designing and managing a website.

A long-time East Toronto resident, Allard has a wide range of experience in tech and the retail industry, working at mission-driven and retail tech companies for much of her career.

With Haystack, Allard set out to create a company that empowers people to have agency in their lives and bolster the local economy.

“Shopping locally benefits our communities. The difference in the amount of money that stays in our economy is significant, providing a plethora of benefits to the community,” she said.

“We’re not saying that people should never shop at the big box stores or on the multinational e-commerce sites. We’re just suggesting that when you want or need to buy something, take a few seconds to check if it’s offered locally first. Check Haystack first, see if the product is available locally, before going to the big players.”

For more on Haystack Finds, please go to https://www.haystackfinds.com/