What can be done to encourage Canadians to support local retailers?

Question

A group of Canadian shoppers claim a Canadian border guard delayed and even chastised them for spending money in the US (more here: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/071105/canada/canada_bus_shoppers_6).

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says he's 'encouraged' to see some retailers cutting their prices in light of the super-strong loonie (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/071105/national/loonie_economy_8).

Answer 1

Lower the price of your product. I had just seen a book cost $4.99 US and $6.99 Canadian. Lets do some math here sure our dollar is going up and the USD is going down. Now shouldn't it be $4.99 Canadian and $6.99 USD. A few months ago I was at the States when our Loonie was par with the USD. I saw something that I would like to get for myself and the price was $14.95 USD and the same item identical was selling for $29.99. Now this is when our money was par with the Americans. Think about it folks when the Americans bought something here its hipp hipp hurray. Now we can by something from the states and the Canadian Retailers are crying the blues cause no one is buying Canadian. The Americans aren't coming here to buy anything.

So you do the math wouldn't it be better if they lower the prices here in Canada.

Answer 2

In order to help our economy get better buying locally helps the currency stay in our hands, this way investing in ourselves.

We have to realize that we are better because we are unique.

We do not need their stuff, we have our original ones.

We do not have a foreign debt of trillions and we never will.

Advertising Canada made we help our own industries, buying locally is the best way to support our own economy.

Worldwide people are realizing the Loonie and the Euro are better options in contrast of the decadent south border economy currency.

Support Canada buy locally.

Answer 3

Yes we pay more in Canada.  But.  Let me say this.  When you shop at a Canadian Store consider the government legislation that has to be adhered to.  Safety programs that have to be abided by, WSIB, Insurance, Legislation of Vehicles, Utilities, Taxes and Environmental issues.  Understandable that the US has the same (but not all ) issues but doing business in Canada is very government regulated.  (Many examples available)

By the way, when the dollar was worth $.65, there did not seem to be as much complaining from the CDN consumer.

How long was the $ at that level. ( a long time)  How long will the $ be at this level.  ( a much shorter time)

Support your local retailer.  Short term pain is long term gain.  You will benefit more from local companies, especially smaller companies through customer service, product knowledge, and warranty issues.  I guarantee it.

Answer 4

come on......really!!! get with the program.

the prices in canada don't compare to the U.S.

When i can go across and get a 30pk of name brand beer at Topps for $14 and a 24pk of that same beer in canada is over $40...do the math.

That is just an example....we need to structure our prices so that we are GETTING A DEAL HERE!!!!!!!

Answer 5

The primary tenant of a free enterprise system is supply and demand.  Canadian retailers have created a demand for cross border shopping through unfair pricing practises.  It is incumbent upon retailers to curtail cross border shopping by putting their prices in line with the strength of the dollar.   The main obstacle is the huge profit margins retailers are experiencing.  What they are losing is volume of sales.  It seems a compromise they are willing to make.  As for the Canadian consumer, price will always rule the day.  In short, if one wants shoppers to support local retailers then local retailers need to give them an incentive to do so......fair pricing!

Answer 6

A big reason for cross border shopping is the variety of shops and goods available.  Here in the Maritimes, the shopping in Halifax, Moncton and any other of the larger cities, is all the same.  The same stores exist in every mall and the big box stores are all the same.  Shopping in the US is much different.  Shoppers head to the outlet towns and have 100+ different stores available to them within a few minutes walk.  The prices, variety and quality of the goods are much higher.

Answer 7

I own a retail maternity and kids clothing store in a smaller city with no direct competion, and have seen a huge reduction in traffic and sales in the last 3 weeks. It is now almost getting to the point of devastation.

I have been spending money advertising a "we value your dollar" sale for 25% off everything in the store for 2 weeks now, and so far there has been no increase in business whatsoever. So I really have no answer to this question, because I have lowered my prices, at my expense, and that still hasn't worked.

I do not belive that (most) Canadian retailers are "gouging". It is the suppliers and wholesalers that set the base price, and suggested pricing for goods, (most) retailers only charge what they are supposed to in order to turn a profit to pay bills, and exist as a functioning profitable company. And we can't simply return goods to companies - anything that we have purchased is a final sale, other than flawed goods.

Believe me, I totally understand the value of getting a good deal, and saving money, but aren't we already too saturated with USA owned, "Made in China" big box stores here in Canada? IF this is what everyone wants, fine I guess, but say goodbye to unique boutiques, Canadian made goods that work towards building and supporting our LOCAL Canadian economy.

Canadian made goods do tend to cost more, but you will get quality, and we actually pay people a decent wage here, not pennies a day in some mass-production sweat shop.

When and if our company does not exist anymore, people will sure moan and complain then that there is nowhere locally to buy maternity and kids clothes...they should have thought of the big picture sooner I guess.

So my question is this: Do YOU value your local independent Canadian retailers? If so act before it is too late.

Answer 8

Lower prices comparable to our US counterparts may be a start in having Canadians support local retailers.  I go to the US many times a year for vacation, so now that the dollar is higher than the US dollar I have been waiting for my vacations to buy merchandise (clothes, gifts).  Why buy locally when you can get the same product for a lot less.  

Prices are rising for almost everything so if I can save a few bucks when I can, I go for it.  Would I rather support Canadian retailers? Yes, you bet, but not when I am the one losing money.

Answer 9

Prices in Canada need to be lowered.  It is also cheeper for companies to buy foreign products, so they should be adjusted prices to reflect new purchasing costs.  As long as it is cheeper to get the same product from the US even AFTER duty and shipping, I will be shopping online from there.

Answer 10

Local business owners whine about consumers shopping elsewhere instead of meeting the needs of the consumers.  I lived in a small town where business owners often whined about people shopping in bigger centres.  But when I shopped locally I felt I was treated as though they were doing me a favour by letting me shop there, and paying extra for the priviledge.  

If Canadian businesses want consumers to shop in Canada then provide the consumer with a reason to do so.  I will shop where I can get the best deals.

Answer 11

Simple! Lower prices! Why should I spend 30 to 50% more at home (Canada) for things I can get a heck of a lot cheaper an hour's drive away. When the Loonie was trading at 75 or 80 cents US, I can understand why we were paying more for products made in the US. But now that the Loonie is worth more than the US greenback, why are we still paying more? We are being ripped off. It's that simple!

Answer 12

same thing everyone else is saying. lower prices...  I dont know why at a time that our loonie is 1.10$ US dollars, i go to a bookstore and a 20$ US book, is 30$ canadian... So I dont even need to head south, i buy online, the conversion is automatic.

overpricing is evident everywhere in canada. cutting price is the only way from stopping us to seek cheaper alternatives

Answer 13

Our government doesn't allow competition.(look at CBC). They interfere in all aspects of consumer life. I will shop in the USA where there is cheap prices, better selection and fairer prices.

Answer 14

Canadian retailers must improve customer service.  I have attended many retail stores where I was treated as a distraction to the store staff.  When talking to store staff, I would appreciate their undivided attention.  I feel that excellent service is more important than the difference between U.S. and Canadian prices.

Answer 15

Retailers should definatly honour American pricing where possible.  Books are often 10 or 15 dollars more in Canada, so with our money being worth more, it's cheaper then ever to buy in the states.  And not just books!  It's no wonder everyone's running across the border, especially with the holidays coming.  We need more stores dropping their prices!

Answer 16

Come on, Folks use common sense !!!

Canada does not have the Economic power ( Economics 101) that the USA has.

How many people in the USA? How many people in Canada?

Costs are different because the USA has the "people" numbers to support better costs.

When will Canadians stop their wining and understand?

Additionally as the world is a global marketplace and all manufactures buy forward on US dollars. That means while the CDN $ is 1.07 vs the US$ manufactures may still be paying high US $ costs such as 1.13 or more..........so why should we get immediate cost reflection?

Answer 17

I dont think Canadians will be convinced to shop locally unless they are given fair prices that reflect the high dollar.  No matter how loyal you want to be to Canadian companies it is extremely difficult when they dont show you the same loyalty by valuing your business enough to give us a break after so many years of having a low dollar.

Answer 18

Actually the government can help this situation. Lower taxes for business owners. This is probably the main reason why our prices are higher than they are in the states. Land taxes are astronomical in themselves. Just look at what we pay for our own property. A good chunk of that is land. Business owners pay high taxes in leases because the land is taxed so high. There are other taxes, it's not just land. Gas prices are higher here because our government charges so much in...get this...taxes! Anyway, back to the subject. You just can't blame retail for wanting to make a profit. This is the only way they can is through higher prices.

Answer 19

Canadians will never be on par price with the USA because

of the taxes we pay.

I just bought an I-pod Touch for 300.00 plus 7% tax in

New York City.

Best Buy in Toronto sells it for 400.00 plus,plus.

Why do you think we are called "Hosers".

Gas in the USA (New Jersey) where Im visiting is 2.75

a gallon and in Toronto,it is probably 4.40 per gallon.

Get used to it, it will be never as cheap in Canada as the U.S

Answer 20

Well this is a simple one. Make it as affordable to shop in Canada. Lower prices!

Answer 21

dear retailer, wake up and smell the coffee. it is your responsibility to keep us your customers by your door by making best price offer. if you do not have good price the customer is going goose track, why for god sake should i let you to make my wallet thinner and thinner and yours thicker and thicker?  banks make enough damage to our finances

Answer 22

It is rather simple, make the products the same price.  Either increase the price in the US or decrease the price in Canada.  Increasing the price in the US may further compound their economic problem so we should see a decrease in the amount we pay for products.

Answer 23

The Canadian retailers have to set their price to reflect the real value of the merchandise. If they don't i will continue to shop in the US !

Answer 24

when I arrived in canada many years ago,, there is one thing I immediately noticed..

""THERE IS NO CONSUMER PROTECTION"..

insuranceare ot of whack, dollar parity, etc. etc...

i hope I win the lottery so I can move to the US..

Answer 25

Local retailers need to drop their prices immediately.  If shoppers are giving retailers dollars that are now worth more, then shoppers deserve to spend less.  Retailers are no doubt  talking to their suppliers and demanding price drops too.   If a person is willing to drive for many miles to save money that is just free trade and will encourage retailers to pass on savings they receive rather than pocketing more profits.  Really, it is that simple.

Answer 26

What can be done?

Aside from encouraging retailers to cut their prices, why not all corporate retailers match the price of their U.S. stores.  I know that Best Buy Canada is now matching prices of their U.S. Best Buy online Canada, why can't other big box stores do the same? What most of these stores only match is any products that has both U.S. and Canadian prices.  Why not all of their products?  I, for one, will still head down south to get better deals, because even though the Canadian dollar is strong, the prices down south is still cheaper and the hassle of travelling is still worth it.  Not to mention that our tax is higher compare to the ones in the south.

Answer 27

First we need to get the same type of buyers who purchase for the companies in America to get similar merchandise here.

We also need to have merchandise marked down at the end of the season instead of resurfacing next year with a higher price tag. To inventory things is costly

We also need to ensure these retailers are not gouging us every time we try and get merchandise.

Canadian retailers need to put more thought in the products. DO they not get it that we are not so interested in what they offer generally.

Answer 28

I would recommend a tax rebate/deduction that could be filed for as a very small percentage of any receipts for goods and services purchased in Canada. It is something that can get to everyone at once, instead of relying on a few conscientious retailers. As I said as well it can be very small like a fraction of a percent.

Answer 29

Simple.

Equalize prices. If you treat us fairly, we will stay.

The Canadian consumer has suspected they were being ripped off for years, and now they are certain of it. There has been more than enough time for prices to equalize, but they still remain artificially high. Who is profiting from this price discrepancy? The movers and shakers of the world elite. Perhaps some very pointed questions should be aimed at them.

I do wonder why the media isn't all over this story like jam on toast. It couldn't possibly be because the the same Powers-That-Be that are making these profits also have friends in the media, could it?

Naw.

It's just a coinsidence.

Answer 30

Local retailers depends on the wholesalers or manufacturers to provide them with the goods and the prices are decided by these corporate greed's.

I would like to take a car dealership as an example.

The Canadian head office of the car manufacturers would not pass on the savings to their dealers and therefore the customers. So if the dealers want business they have to reduce the price which they don't control - what can we do? get the govt to legislate? Let the consumers do the correct thing - shop in US.

The probelem is everywhere - books, cards (birthday, etc), clothing, you name it.

If we want to save our economy then only the government can do it (by some legislation) and no point to expect the greedy corporate offices lead the way.

As for me I have a lot of wants (including a car) and I am waiting until I can make a visit to US and not willing to pay some greedy businessman who  want to kill me with his prices.

Answer 31

The sad fact is, that you can not convince Canadians to spend their money in Canada.

We have tried for years to get that message out to them, and they refuse to buy into it.

As a result, thousands upon thousands of well paying Canadian jobs have left the country.

This was the case in textiles, they bought foreign, and the Canadian manufacturers went out of business, the same with electronics, and now the same thing is happening with the automotive industry

Canadians love a bargain, just as long as it does not hurt them.

What they do not realize is that eventually it will hurt them.