Karmavore is an independently Canadian-owned and operated 100 per cent vegan store that has been online for some time, but just opened a store front in Sapperton at 468 E. Columbia St. Their goal is to help make it easier for people to adopt and maintain a cruelty-free and sustainable lifestyle, and they carry vegan, eco-friendly, ethical, and 100 per cent natural products.

Q: Why have you chosen to locate in New West?

A: New West has a unique charm in the sense of independent, small, owner-run shops that are hard to find elsewhere. The majority of other areas are plagued by generic, corporate giant stores that are the only ones left able to afford the extremely high lease rates. New West is also very central, and vegans are very diversely located in the Lower Mainland. This location makes it central for people to travel to from all parts of Metro Vancouver within a reasonable amount of time, and is also very close to the SkyTrain stations. We also based the decision on our previous online sales (as we were an online store only first), and the majority of our business came out from this direction and not Vancouver, surprisingly.

Q: Are there very many vegans in the city?

A: Yes, many! We were surprised ourselves by the numbers. Many of our walk-in customers mentioned that they live very near the store.

Q: Where do most of your customers come from?

A: For the retail store it is hard to say as we have just opened, but certainly a fair number have indicated they come from New West, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Vancouver, North Vancouver and Surrey (in no specific order). Online sales are quite diverse throughout Canada, the U.S., and the rest of the world (mostly UK and Australia thus far).

Q: What are the most popular food items in your store?

A: Our variety of vegan marshmallows and vegan nacho cheese sauces are certainly at the top of the favourites list. We actually sold out of these in only two days of being open.

Q: Is being a vegan just a way to eat or is there more to it?

A: Being vegan is much, much more than just a dietary choice. Being vegan refers to one’s ethics and respect for animals and other sentient beings on this planet. Although there are environmental and health benefits to adopting a vegan lifestyle as well, the primary reason for being vegan, and the reason the term was invented, was to classify a person who does not wish to cause unnecessary suffering and exploitation of animals, whether it be for food, scientific research or clothing. Karmavore’s focus is on this aspect of being vegan; therefore, we offer a complete variety of products ranging from footwear, belts, wallets, bags, personal care items, animal companion food, to of course—people treats! We also focus on obtaining organic and eco-friendly products, and have selected to donate 10 per cent of our profits to charities that do not test on animals.