February 28, 2024
Halifax Seed Company Inc. has been helping Nova Scotia’s gardens grow for more than 150 years, selling seeds and garden supplies at its retail locations and by mail order since 1866. The company is Canada's oldest continuously operating family owned seed company.
When global e-commerce giant eBay chose to launch its first Canadian Retail Revival program in Halifax last year, the timing was perfect for one of the city’s oldest businesses to branch out.
The Halifax Partnership, along with partners Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Nova Scotia Business Inc. and Saint Mary’s University came together to pitch Halifax during eBay’s competitive national search for a location.
Halifax was selected for the strength and diversity of our small business community in Nova Scotia, the growth opportunity for ecommerce and exporting, the region's commitment to small business, and its vision for local economic growth overall.
Halifax Partnership was influential in bringing Halifax Seed into eBay’s 12-month Retail Revival training program, which is designed to help small and medium-sized retailers stay local and grow globally.
A total of 60 Nova Scotia retailers have been participating in the program since last March.
After working with Halifax Seed for a few years, Halifax Partnership recognized that Retail Revival was the perfect opportunity for the family business which sells garden supplies to landscapers, golf courses, commercial growers, licensed producers and small farms along with its home garden customers.
“The Halifax Partnership was integral in Halifax Seed being included in the Retail Revival program,” said Emily Tregunno, co-owner and who, along with her sister Alison, is the fourth generation of her family to run the business. “The Partnership is there to support, guide and direct businesses. They’re a really good liaison between businesses and government, from small details to looking at big-picture growth for the future, and they were integral to our success in strengthening our e-commerce sales.”
Tregunno explained that her company has always shipped across Canada and started selling online almost 20 years ago, but the new program enabled them to look at upgrades that are vital to the success of an e-commerce business.
“We’re working on a project now where we’re completely overhauling both of our websites and connecting them to an inventory management system,” said Tregunno. “We've certainly become a lot more technological and have broadened our business and our scope.”
