Given that Canadians want to do as much as they can to support the Canadian economy, several apps have been developed to help consumers identify and purchase Canadian products, typically by scanning a product’s barcode to reveal its origin and suggest local alternatives. Popular options include Buy Canadian, Maple Scan, O SCANada, Buy Beaver, and Shop Canadian.
Apps for Identifying Canadian Products
Buy Canadian
This app allows users to scan any grocery barcode to instantly see the country of origin, ingredients origin, and brand information. It uses data from OpenFoodFacts.org and aims to help users make eco-conscious and locally supportive decisions. The app is available on both the App Store and Google Play.
More Info: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/buy-canadian/id6741429188
Maple Scan
Maple Scan uses AI technology to determine a product’s Canadian ties, often by taking a photo of the product. It provides information on whether a product meets the official “Product of Canada” or “Made in Canada” criteria and offers Canadian alternatives if the scanned item is not local. Reviewers on the App Store praise its informative nature and the smart incorporation of AI.
More Info: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/maple-scan-buy-canadian/id6741467577
O SCANada
Developed by a Calgary mother-son duo, this app lets users search by name or scan a barcode to get a breakdown of a product’s Canadian authenticity. It uses AI and live internet data and also includes features to find nearby retailers and online stores that carry Canadian products.
More Info: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/o-scanada-buy-canadian/id6741120187
Buy Beaver
This Montreal-based app rates how Canadian a product is on a scale of one to five based on manufacturing location, ingredient sourcing, and brand ownership. It relies on a community-driven, crowdsourcing approach where users can contribute information to make the database more accurate over time.
More Info: https://www.buybeaver.ca
Shop Canadian
This app makes it easy to quickly get product and location information by scanning barcodes. The app is community-driven, meaning users can help add to the directory and rate items. It has been praised as a “Best Value” option and for its focus on keeping dollars within the Canadian economy.
More Info: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/shop-canadian/id6741485264
Economic Impact and Growth
While precise statistics on the number of direct jobs created or the specific revenue generated by these individual apps are not publicly disclosed, reports highlight significant user traction and a notable impact on consumer purchasing habits, which in turn supports the Canadian economy. The apps themselves primarily run with small development teams but have achieved significant user traction.
User Engagement
The apps have quickly built substantial user bases, with Buy Beaver reaching over 100,000 downloads in less than five weeks and O SCANada seeing 160,000 downloads. Maple Scan also reported more than 100,000 downloads and over 540,000 product scans shortly after its launch, demonstrating high user interest and frequent use.
Shifting Consumer Habits
The main effect of these apps is encouraging a consumer shift towards local purchasing. A 2025 survey from KPMG and Interac revealed that nearly three in four Canadians (73 per cent) value spending their dollars on local goods, and 71 per cent actively search for Canadian-made products.
Sales Impact for Businesses
Major retailers have observed a tangible effect on sales. Loblaw Companies Ltd. noted a 7.5 to 10 per cent increase in sales of Canadian-prepared products, a significant bump attributed to the increased “Buy Canadian” sentiment.
Economic Flow-on Effect
This redirection of spending is crucial, as an estimated 66 cents of every dollar spent at a local store stays within the local provincial economy, compared to only 11 cents for multinational corporations. By facilitating these local purchases, the apps indirectly contribute to the support of jobs and overall economic strength across the country, a trend that a BMO economist suggested could add as much as $10 billion annually to the economy.
Direct Job Creation
The apps themselves were developed by small teams (e.g., a mother-son duo for O SCANada, two developers for Shop Canadian). The broader Canadian app industry, however, is a substantial and growing market, forecast to reach over $10 billion in revenue by 2027, supporting thousands of jobs in software development and related fields.
