A once-vital service helping Canadians avoid international shipping fees has seen a dramatic drop in clientele since a trade war between Canada and the U.S. began.
Amie Lindskog has owned At the Border Storage for 16 years. The Sweetgrass, Mont., facility receives and holds packages for its clients. Lindskog says 100 per cent of her customers are Canadian.
“[Business has] dropped,” said Lindskog. “A few weeks ago, I would have said 30 to 35 per cent. Now, maybe a little more.”
In contrast, about an hour north of the small border community, some Lethbridge businesses are reporting an increase in customer traffic since the so called “Buy Canadian” movement began. Penny Warris, co-owner of Analog Books in the city’s downtown core, says her store has seen 25 per cent more transactions in the last three months compared to this time last year.
“We’re thinking that people are actually looking at shopping local,” said Warris. “We’re thinking they’ve made a choice not to shop on Amazon and are looking to shop local. We’re getting a lot more online orders, and we’re getting a lot more phone calls for people looking to buy books.”
Warris says she’s utilized At the Border Storage in the past.
“We do use that border service, and I have to say, we try to use it less now,” said Warris. “If we don’t have to bring things in from the United States, it’s better.”
Back in Sweetgrass, Lindskog hopes her customer decline isn’t permanent and that customers will start using At the Border Storage again.
“I am here to help Canadians,” said Lindskog. “I want to do anything I can to help and answer whatever questions I can. If I can make things easier, I will. That’s what I’ve always done and will keep doing.”
Watch the video in the player above to learn more.