South Surrey entrepreneur brings Betty Be Good back to Canada with pop-up shop, turning U.S. trade challenges into opportunity.
South Surrey Entrepreneur Brings Business Back Home
Suzanne Smith, the founder of Betty Be Good, is taking a bold step in response to ongoing U.S.-Canada tariff tensions. The South Surrey businesswoman, who expanded her brand across the Pacific Northwest, has now launched a pop-up shop at West Coast Gardens, bringing her collections back to Canadian soil.
“This move feels right, now more than ever,” Smith shared in an email with Peace Arch News.
From Online Startup to U.S. Expansion
Smith began Betty Be Good in 2012 as an online and pop-up shop in South Surrey. A year later, she opened her first physical store in Blaine, citing high South Surrey real estate costs as the main reason for setting up just across the border.
Over the next seven years, Smith expanded to four locations in the Pacific Northwest, including Lynden and Bellingham, steadily growing her presence in the U.S.
Tariff War Sparks Strategic Shift
Last November, after Donald Trump’s presidential election, Smith foresaw challenges that would hit her business hard. She recalls, “I anticipated a tough year for the economy, but I couldn’t have imagined the havoc his policies would wreak on our trade agreements.”
By early 2025, the impact was clear: one store was closed to brace for uncertainty, and between February and May, Canadian customers boycotted U.S. shopping, causing a 60% drop in sales.
Optimism in a Pop-Up
Undeterred, Smith seized the opportunity with West Coast Gardens. “It feels great to be home again, and the response so far has been optimistic,” she said.
The pop-up store is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will remain in operation through December 31, 2025, giving Canadians a chance to shop locally while Betty Be Good navigates uncertain trade waters.
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