Nova Scotia opposition parties take aim at new ‘gimmicky’ buy local point program

HALIFAX — A new provincial program meant to deliver on a campaign promise and encourage residents to buy local that’s been called “gimmicky” and “laughably stupid” by opposition leaders has left some shoppers unimpressed.

Premier Tim Houston’s government unveiled its long-promised Nova Scotia Loyal program Tuesday that will award people who buy local with Scene+ points at Sobeys Inc. grocery stores one week a month, and eventually bonus Air Miles points at the provincial liquor corporation.

Halifax resident Emilee Sarty, interviewed while shopping for groceries at a downtown Sobeys Sunday, said the program is underwhelming.

“It’s not really helpful to anybody, especially if it’s just one week out of the month. It doesn’t really make sense, it’s almost a waste of time,” Sarty said.

“I don’t think Scene+ points are that valuable, unless you’re exclusively shopping at Sobeys,” she added.

Houston’s party campaigned in 2021 on the promise to have a unique loyalty card for people to earn points if they bought local goods, and the initial pitch for the program would have seen people redeem their points for discounts on fees for government services.

Houston defended the way the Nova Scotia Loyal program has evolved last week, saying the original intention is intact.

On Thursday the premier said the roll out for this program came after “a lot” of research and conversations with over 10,000 Nova Scotians, adding that 70 per cent of residents in the province are already participating in some type of loyalty program.

“They asked us to meet them where they are, they’re already using loyalty programs, and they said it would be easier to be loyal to Nova Scotia products if we did in the way that’s consistent with how they’re already behaving but give them more information about the products,” the premier said. In addition to the points, both Sobeys, and eventually the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation, will feature in-store displays highlighting local products.

Opposition leaders are bashing the program.

“This program is laughably stupid,” Liberal leader Zach Churchill said Thursday. “They spent $6 million dollar on this, so one week a month people who manage to find local products in Sobeys can get 50 cents worth of Scene points. Like are you kidding me? And it took them three years to come up with this plan,” he said.

Churchill said the money for the Nova Scotia Loyal program would have been better spent if it were given to food banks or directly to the local food producers who are struggling financially.

The points program and branding for local products are two components of Nova Scotia Loyal program, which have a combined budget of $6 million. Under the same program, farmers market vouchers have been given out to children in Nova Scotia schools, and the province is changing its procurement policy to favour local companies.

Nova Scotia business competing for government contracts will be awarded the tender if they come within 10 per cent of the leading bid from a non-Nova Scotian business.

Economic Development Minister Susan Corkum-Greek said last week that although 75 per cent of all government spending already goes to Nova Scotian companies, the new procurement policy will help ensure local firms are given more of a boost.

The minister also said the special branding is expected to increase sales in local products.

Corkum-Greek said the government will continue to monitor data from the program to determine how to expand it, adding that the province hopes to add more participating retailers.

NDP Leader Claudia Chender called the program “gimmicky” and disappointing, given that so many Nova Scotians are struggling with food insecurity and “farmers are, in many cases, in dire (financial) circumstances.”

“The program that is supposed to incentivize us to buy local and to support our local industry is in fact incentivizing the profits of a national grocery chain, I think is really, deeply disappointing,” Chender said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2024.

Lyndsay Armstrong, The Canadian Press