North Bay company tries to face the internet giant Amazon. The One Red Maple app is up and running, aiming to redirect online shoppers to locally owned stores that sell the same products as corporate chains, all to encourage customers to shop locally.

Mark Sherry, president of One Red Maple, said, "We are basically the marketing engine for small independent stores." The app is currently operational only in North Bay.

The app is free to download on both iPhone and Android. The smartphone app, described as the "Robin Hood" of retail, intercepts online shoppers on major retail or brand websites and finds the same products in the local market.

The idea for the app came before the pandemic and aims to level the playing field between big chains and smaller independent retailers.

North Bay and the Central Chamber of Commerce were highly supportive of the app launch. "One Red Maple app is all about supporting and shopping locally.

It keeps wealth and jobs local and that is a positive for both business and the local economy.

We all need to support it by downloading the app and having more companies participate," said Donna Baker, Director of Development, Policy, and Communications at North Bay and the Chamber of Commerce in a statement, "the app experience will be strong."

Lori Laporte, from Laporte's Nursery and Greenhouse, describes the app as a "game changer" for her business and other small businesses in the city after two years of pandemic hardships.

Laporte told CTV News. Within a few weeks, it will be open to residents of Sudbury and businesses with plans to expand across Canada and North America.