Is Cross Border Shopping Unpatriotic ?

[guyser]

August, graduate of the jbg School of Comedy?

[bush_cheney2004]

Uh-oh....the numbers are in and Canadians went hog wild on cross-border shopping:

Cross-border shopping by Canadians in the U.S. rose 72 per cent between 2006 and 2012, but still represents less than two per cent of Canadian retail sales, indicate statistics released today.

A study by Statistics Canada estimates Canadians spent about $8 billion Cdn in cross-border shopping in 2012, up from $4.7 billion in 2006.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cross-border-shopping-rose-72-from-2006-to-2012-1.2792467

As usual, the reader comments are very entertaining, pitting citizen against citizen in the cross border shopping battle.

Black Friday in the U.S. is coming around again.....

[Boges]

Uh-oh....the numbers are in and Canadians went hog wild on cross-border shopping:

Cross-border shopping by Canadians in the U.S. rose 72 per cent between 2006 and 2012, but still represents less than two per cent of Canadian retail sales, indicate statistics released today.

A study by Statistics Canada estimates Canadians spent about $8 billion Cdn in cross-border shopping in 2012, up from $4.7 billion in 2006.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cross-border-shopping-rose-72-from-2006-to-2012-1.2792467

As usual, the reader comments are very entertaining, pitting citizen against citizen in the cross border shopping battle.

Black Friday in the U.S. is coming around again.....

I suspect those numbers will level off if not decline if the Loonie stays below 90¢ US.

In a few weeks I'm actually not going to bother take US money with me to the Caribbean, I'll just order the local currency at the bank.

[overthere]

yeah, cross border shopping is directly related to the exchange rate.

In Washington State, Albertans don't pay any state tax while people from BC do.....

hahahhaha

[bush_cheney2004]

yeah, cross border shopping is directly related to the exchange rate.

Maybe....some Canadians plainly state that it is also about access to more goods and services than are available "north of the border".

[Boges]

Maybe....some Canadians plainly state that it is also about access to more goods and services than are available "north of the border".

You can usually purchase those things online now anyway.

There are stores that don't exist in Canada but that list is getting smaller.

People generally go down because of the price. I can't think of too many things I can't get in Canada that i can in the US.

[cybercoma]

Only 2% when we were at parity and above? That's lower than I expected, given the majority of the population's proximity to the border.

[bush_cheney2004]

.... I can't think of too many things I can't get in Canada that i can in the US.

Example: women's apparel has a far greater selection in styles and sizes; ditto "big/tall" men...in the U.S.

[overthere]

It used to be worse, but internet shopping has changed it.

Things like car parts were a giant ripoff in Canada, the availaibility on the web means that many though not all dealer prices for parts have dropped a lot.

Tires, not much difference at retail.

[waldo]

Example: women's apparel has a far greater selection in styles and sizes; ditto "big/tall" men...in the U.S.

other than the largest U.S. metropolitan areas, Walmart/Target/J.C. Penney et al, seems to be the brick&mortar women's apparel du jour! Canada doesn't share the degree of the U.S.' obesity epidemic... less call for "Big&Tall"!

.

[eyeball]

yeah, cross border shopping is directly related to the exchange rate.

In Washington State, Albertans don't pay any state tax while people from BC do.....

hahahhaha

How does that work?

[bush_cheney2004]

More product selection in the USA: guns, auto parts, apparel, aquarium supplies, tools, tobacco products, electronics, certain foodstuffs, cosmetic brands.

Then there is this:

Your Twitter stream is lighting up with buzz, tech publications are examining every rumour with a microscope, and your office bandwidth is getting bogged down as everyone tunes into the live stream. It’s time for the latest cool tech product announcement, and you can’t help but get swept up in the hype around it. Until you remember that you live in Canada, and that product probably won’t be getting to a retailer near you until weeks or months later – if ever. As Amazon’s recent product launch reminded Canucks, we’re often second-rate consumers when it comes to getting the opportunity to buy the newest tech stuff.

http://www.itbusiness.ca/slideshows/no-canada-cool-tech-stuff-not-available-north-of-the-border

[guyser]

Example: women's apparel has a far greater selection in styles and sizes; ditto "big/tall" men...in the U.S.

Uh no.

Certainly not around these parts.

If a Yank wants nice clothes and lives anyhwere from Michigan to the Finger Lakes, they come to Toronto. The only better place for variety and class is New York.

LOL...Penn, Ohio, the Up, Minn, well.....they gots all the fat lousy clothes for fatties.

Greater selection.....OH lord thats a laugh. Thanks!

Edited October 9, 2014 by Guyser2

[bush_cheney2004]

Canadians even prefer U.S. Netflix....natch !

[On Guard for Thee]

Canadians even prefer U.S. Netflix....natch !

Complete whiffer.

[overthere]

How does that work?

It works great if you're from AB, all three territories or any other Sate that does not levy sales tax- and can prove it with ID..

Washington State rebates state sales tax to any jurisdiction that does not charge it. I am guessing that it is aimed at getting people from Oregon to shop there.. WA has no state income tax, and does have sales tax. Oregon has high state income tax, and no sales tax. It's cross border shopping within states, though I reckon most of their business comes from BC.

Some stores make you fill out a short form recording DL info. Others have it as part of the receipt, you just sign with a bit of info added and they tear off their part.

[Hal 9000]

No. Fuel is essentially duty free if it is in your tank.

...and lets be honest, no one comes back with an empty tank of fuel

[sharkman]

Canadians even prefer U.S. Netflix....natch !

Yep, and on the West coast, we've been preferring the clothing prices and selection too. Even with the dollar at .92 this summer, I saved on some great brands. I'm currently looking for a set of winter tires, and they are much cheaper state side.

[Bonam]

It works great if you're from AB, all three territories or any other Sate that does not levy sales tax- and can prove it with ID..

Washington State rebates state sales tax to any jurisdiction that does not charge it. I am guessing that it is aimed at getting people from Oregon to shop there.. WA has no state income tax, and does have sales tax. Oregon has high state income tax, and no sales tax. It's cross border shopping within states, though I reckon most of their business comes from BC.

Some stores make you fill out a short form recording DL info. Others have it as part of the receipt, you just sign with a bit of info added and they tear off their part.

Most of the impact is from people that travel between WA and OR. The impact from BC and AB due to these policies is minimal.

The greatest beneficiary is of course someone that lives and works just north of the WA-OR border and doesn't pay income tax, and does all their shopping a short drive south in Oregon and pays no sales tax, but can still claim a state sales tax deduction on their federal tax return due to their WA residency.

[Boges]

Speaking of cross-border shopping. How about Cross border flying?

With millions of Canadians already flocking to U.S. airports in search of cheaper flights, the Buffalo airport is launching a marketing campaign to woo even more passengers.

While Canadian airports and airlines have complained about the millions in lost revenues when travellers head south of the border to catch flights, the Americans see it differently.

“It’s not a negative thing. We have been serving the Canadian market since forever,” said Pascal Cohen, senior marketing manager for the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, who was in Toronto on Tuesday to make his pitch to reporters.

Cohen notes that he, like many other residents of Western New York, will go in the opposite direction, using the Toronto airport to fly to international destinations. “You wouldn’t use the Buffalo airport to go to Abu Dhabi,” he said.

“We’re like conjoined twins,” he argued. “It’s a contiguous marketplace. There just happens to be a border.”

But it’s that border that results in cheaper overall costs for flyers, thanks to lower taxes and fees for airport operations in the United States, even when the weaker Canadian dollar is taken into account.

Edited October 22, 2014 by Boges

[Bryan]

Speaking of cross-border shopping. How about Cross border flying?

People here in Winnipeg do that a LOT. Flights from North Dakota are often so much cheaper that it's more than worth it to drive down and fly from there. But, much like the article, you wouldn't do much international flights out of Grand Forks or Fargo. North Dakotans who want to go to Cuba will come to Winnipeg.

[overthere]

I'm currently looking for a set of winter tires, and they are much cheaper state side.

I checked a couple years ago and could not find any deals for name brand tires that I could not match at Costco in Canada. Lemme know if you find a cheap source in WA.

Most of the impact is from people that travel between WA and OR. The impact from BC and AB due to these policies is minimal.

The greatest beneficiary is of course someone that lives and works just north of the WA-OR border and doesn't pay income tax, and does all their shopping a short drive south in Oregon and pays no sales tax, but can still claim a state sales tax deduction on their federal tax return due to their WA residency.

The impact for people from BC is zero as they are not eligible for the Washington state tax rebate. Only places that have no sales tax- like Alberta or Oregon- get the break at the till. The greatest impact is on WA businesses, who get trade from Oregon they would not normally have, and they get it becuase their prices are lower in WA. I have not noticed the giant outlet malls in Oregon that are found in a few places in Washington. Makes sense, it is quite a drive from BC to Oregon, but not far at all to the malls on I-5.

[Smallc]

People here in Winnipeg do that a LOT. Flights from North Dakota are often so much cheaper that it's more than worth it to drive down and fly from there. But, much like the article, you wouldn't do much international flights out of Grand Forks or Fargo. North Dakotans who want to go to Cuba will come to Winnipeg.

If you look at the Waetjet deals page, GF is almost never worth it.

[Bryan]

It really depends on where you're going. I know a lot of people who paid less than half of what Westjet was charging. It seems the trick with flying is sticking with whatever is in the deals, instead of going where you actually WANT to go.

[guyser]

No idea of th distance from GF to Winny is but Buff-TO is 2 hours, more if the border guards decide to open 1 lane.

Frankly, the savings have to be huge to go that route. So far, not worth it. Getting there..?....no problems but there is no way on return, tired, traveled out,cranky and then a 2+hr trip?

F it, Pearson here I come