There is a difficult conversation that often has to happen when we talk about what low prices mean in the pet industry, and in many other industries for that matter.
We are seeing a growing movement that promotes and supports buying local. As a small Canadian business, we of course LOVE this! But!
This also brings to the forefront the need to acknowledge that there is cognitive dissonance around the subject of prices.
We want products made here in North America, whether in Canada or the US, but we also want to keep the low prices that only come with products that are made overseas for a fraction of the cost. Those products are made where workers receive low wages, have terrible working conditions and are often mistreated. Those products are also often made with sub standard or poor quality materials in order to further reduce production costs.
We don't want to be one of those companies.
When we founded Fusion By Design, we decided from Day 1, that our dog collars and leashes would always be ethically made right here in Canada and that our staff will always receive a living wage for their efforts. That's why everything is made right here in our workshop in Ottawa and always will be.
It's also the reason why the price of our collars might seem a little... Rich.
By reason of the founding principles of our business, our production costs will never be what they would be if we were to offshore manufacturing of our products. Then again, we also wouldn't be us if we changed how we do things.
Because of the belief system that we have and choosing to keep all of our production here in Canada, we also know that not everyone will want or will be able to pay the prices for our products.
We want people to choose products based not only on their values but to also within their means. We also know that not everyone will see the value in a handmade leather dog collar like the ones we craft here.
Making a purchase isn't the only way to support a small business like ours. Word of mouth, sharing our social media content, and even just a few simple words of encouragement for our team - all of these things are so so so appreciated and they help us continue to grow.