A "Shout Out" from SweetMama

Even when our wallet is woefully short on cash, it’s always plump with the promise of discounts. And while our cards always serve us well at the mall, we rarely get to whip them out when frequenting our favourite neighbourhood shops -- until now.

The new Shop the Block membership discount card ($65/year, $10 for extra cards) offers up to 20 per cent off products and services at some of the best independent neighbourhood retailers in Toronto.

The brainchild of Lauren Wise, Shop the Block is her answer to encouraging consumers to shop locally. Wise has already signed on 50 stellar shops – mostly in North Toronto – with plans to expand across the city in the coming months.

We took our card for a test drive and came away with super discounts at Li’l Niblets and Baby Sprouts and Gretchen & Co. before slipping into Bella, One Girl Who… and Kathryn’s Lingerie for a little something for us. We even got to flash our card at Hope St. Café, and when registering for our kids’ lessons at Eunice’s Swim School and yoga classes at Orange Dot.

We’ve never needed an excuse to support our fabulous local businesses, but now we have an incentive that makes shopping just a little sweeter.

Shop the Block
www.shoptheblock.ca