The rising cost of living is hitting immigrant business owners hard in Saskatchewan as they struggle to make a profit.
Niche sellers are amongst some of the hardest hit but are doing what they can to serve their customers.
“The only thing we can do is make it easy for consumers to buy and try not to make the price crazy, and at the end of the day, make some profit … at least a little,” said Banke Disu Adebara.
Adebara runs Laghos African Restaurant in Regina, serving specialty dishes that are hard to come by in the rest of the city. But the cost of transportation and shipping for specialty products is a major challenge for her business and others like it.
Folashade Onasanya, CEO of Heritage African Market, which supplies produce to restaurants like Adebara’s, said that transportation and shipping are some of the industry’s biggest hurdles.
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“What you would normally pay a dollar for before, you are paying three dollars, five dollars. Transportation has just gone up there, and the backlog is just terrible. What would have arrived here in a week before could take three to four weeks.”
Onasanya has tried to alter her stock to offset costs, but at the end of the day, she’s just trying to stay in business.
“We kind of reduced some things, we bumped some things, took out some food from our menu. That way we can all balance everything.
“I have to pay my rent. I have to pay all my overhead costs. I have to pay my staff. So I had to, like, hike my prices.”
She said her customers have been understanding, for the most part.
Tony Playter, CEO of Regina and district chamber of commerce, says inflation is hitting every business in individual ways. Most are having to hold off on big purchases or upgrades.
“The streamlining of expenses is very important, as well as being able to keep up with high customer service,” he said. “That will allow people to come back to their business because they feel like they are getting their money’s worth.”
Canada’s inflation rate is close to six per cent and there is no sign as to when it will return to pre-pandemic levels.
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