Maple Market

.tech domain: tackle-the-tariff-titan-with.tech

Picture This:

A nice, cold, refreshing cup of orange juice on a warm morning. Now imagine paying 25% more for that juice because of tariffs. Why should Canadian consumers bear the burden of decisions made far from home?

Canada and the US have entered a tariff-driven trade war that threatens to undermine the two countries’ deeply linked economies and raise consumer costs.

Meanwhile, local businesses in Canada are struggling to reach Canadian consumers. We’ve made it our mission to #AccelerateAction and create Maple Market.

What it does

Maple Market is a digital platform built using modern web technologies to connect Canadian businesses with consumers. It features an intuitive user interface, making it simple for businesses to sign up, create profiles, and list their products. For consumers, the platform provides a fast search functionality powered by efficient indexing, ensuring they can easily find local, Canadian-made products.

How we built it

On the backend, Maple Market leverages a robust database that organizes business information and product listings efficiently, supporting scalability as the platform grows. We utilize secure authentication protocols for business sign-ups and data protection, ensuring a safe environment for both businesses and consumers.

In terms of the technology stack, Maple Market is built using React, Tailwind, and Firebase, allowing for smooth, real-time updates and a responsive experience across devices. With this infrastructure, we’re making it faster and easier for Canadians to #BuyCanadian, supporting local economies while enhancing the user experience.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Learning Firebase
Integrating Parallax Animations

What we learned

Firebase
How to use Material UI Components in React

What's next for Maple Market

Community Guidelines & Verification: Implement error checking to ensure product authenticity, verifying that creators are who they claim to be (e.g., actually Indigenous-owned businesses).
Shopping Cart Feature: Enable users to purchase items directly from our website instead of just linking to external company websites.
Tariff Navigation Resources: Provide more written guides on how to navigate tariffs imposed on Canadian businesses.