By Mario Toneguzzi

Calgary-based Wild Tea Kombucha has launched a collaborative one-stop online shop to provide shoppers with easy access to food and beverage and other products from a number of local businesses.

The new ecommerce platform, which is being powered by WTK founders Emily Baadsvik, the company CEO, and Brigette Freel, its COO, have lined up a number of businesses to join the network as consumers change their shopping habits due to social distancing and store closures brought on by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

“Brigette and I were just brainstorming ways once we knew the pandemic was becoming the real thing and we quickly saw the effects of all trends and businesses closing or having restricted hours,” said Baadsvik. “So we immediately wanted to do something to bring awareness to the small businesses in Calgary and try to bring extra sales because it’s the small businesses that don’t have the big multi-conventional distribution. We have to struggle to stay open.

“So basically just on an idea we texted a bunch of our local business friends and then immediately they all replied and it’s just grown organically from there.”

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𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿! 👯‍♀️ 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗧𝗞 + 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝗻 $𝟮𝟱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲! 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁. 𝗧𝗮𝗴 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹-𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱.💕 ➖ @five21roasters @fitkitchenyyc @mandaygrooming @littletucker_cad @torills.table @realtreatkitchen @fitwave @realtreatkitchen @nudemarket.yyc @pioneeryyc @sarjesa_inc @microyyc @partakebrewing @pilotsfriendca @lambtasticfarms @carebakery @drizzle_honey @enjoyworthy @dwarf.stars @ohnaturals @twigzpretzels @fitkitchenyyc @food.glow @beetrootnutrition @highvibehealth ...and more added weekly! ❤️

A post shared by Wild Tea Kombucha (@wildteakombucha) on Apr 20, 2020 at 4:41pm PDT

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✨NEW✨ Shop local YYC on our online shop with FREE contact-free delivery. Tap for participating brands!🙌 LINK IN BIO <<<<<𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿>>>>> 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀/𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀/𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁. ❤️❤️❤️ WTK @ Wholesale Pricing @sangsterscalgary @littletucker_cad @fitwave @realtreatkitchen @torills.table @five21roasters @nudemarket.yyc @pioneeryyc @partakebrewing @mandaygrooming @ganeshafoods @microyyc @pilotsfriendca @sarjesa_inc @lambtasticfarms @carebakery @drizzle_honey

A post shared by Wild Tea Kombucha (@wildteakombucha) on Mar 21, 2020 at 7:59am PDT

WTK, which has been in business since 2015, has a goal to add more local brands to the platform to simplify the shopping process for Calgary while also helping fellow business owners to stay afloat during these challenging times.

“We’d like to grow it. We haven’t really thought about putting any kind of cap on it yet. So anyone that’s interested is welcome to reach out to us and join us in this little endeavour,” said Baadsvik.

When asked if the concept might continue on when the pandemic is over and times return to a normal state, she said: “It’s going to be just play it by ear. I think that it just depends. If people continue to want home delivery, it’s something that we’re really glad to do and I think that collaborating with our friends and having more than one option besides Kombucha is just smart business.”

She said the initiative involves contactless delivery because the company is trying to limit the number of people that are coming to the facility and the contact with the outside world.

*emily (left) and brigette (right). photo: wild tea kombucha*

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Thank you front line workers.🙏❤️💯Shout out to the lovely nurses in unit 82 @ Rockyview General, hope you’re enjoying your treats. *air hugs* xo #nursesweek ➖ @wildteakombucha @ohnaturals @partakebrewing @pilotsfriendca @8cakesyyc @beetrootnutrition @twigzpretzels @bigrockgrill

A post shared by Wild Tea Kombucha (@wildteakombucha) on May 14, 2020 at 11:58am PDT

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Happy #earthday today, and every day!🌎🌸🌿🌎 ~ 𝚆𝙸𝙻𝙳 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚝: 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚔𝚘𝚖𝚋𝚞𝚌𝚑𝚊 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚊𝚙 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚖 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟿,𝟶𝟶𝟶 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝’𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟷 𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝙼𝙻 𝚘𝚏 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚌𝚑!🙉 ~ Kombucha on tap is still pouring (safely) with delivery from our amazing friends @apothecaryyyc & @branchmarketandstudio in Black Diamond, Okotoks area.

A post shared by Wild Tea Kombucha (@wildteakombucha) on Apr 22, 2020 at 7:34am PDT

“We just want to help the small business community in Calgary,” said Baadsvik. “The thing is a lot of us don’t qualify for the benefits - the 75 per cent wage subsidy. You have to show that your business decreased by 30 percent and when you’re a small business you’re trying to grow every year. So it’s a bit of a weird situation. Even though our sales have gone down they haven’t gone down enough so we don’t qualify. So we have had to lay off some staff.

“Right now it’s just about survival and taking it day by day, week by week. So whatever we can do to lift each other up that’s all that matters.”

The businesses on the platform include:

Wild Tea Kombucha – bottled and canned kombucha and kombucha cider at wholesale, case lot pricing.

Micro YYC - Sustainably grown, nutritious micro greens.

Partake Brewing – Award winning, craft brewed non-alcoholic beer.

Pioneer Butchery & Charcuterie – Locally sourced, naturally raised meats.

Little Tucker – Guilt-free, plant powered snacks.

Nudefood Market Peanut Butter - All natural, sustainable and locally made peanut butter.

*image: screenshot of wild tea kombucha ecommerce store*

Five’21 Roasters – Locally roasted, organic coffee.

Torill’s Table – Norwegian style waffle and pancake mix.

Real Treat Cookies – Unapologetically delicious organic gourmet cookies.

Fitwave Protein Energy Balls – Plant based whole food energy balls.

Sangster’s, Glenmore Landing – High quality vitamins and supplements.

Ganesha Foods – Cold Ground Organic Spices.

Sarjesa – Beautifully crafted teas supporting women’s social programming.

Pilot’s Friend – Organic, natural energy tonic.

Mario Toneguzzi, based in Calgary has 37 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist and editor. He worked for 35 years at the Calgary Herald covering sports, crime, politics, health, city and breaking news, and business. For 12 years as a business writer, his main beats were commercial and residential real estate, retail, small business and general economic news. He nows works on his own as a freelance writer and consultant in communications and media relations/training. Email: mdtoneguzzi@gmail.com

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