Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I wonder if the people in big cities like Toronto and Vancouver have a more American buy culture than other places in Canada.
Some do. A generalization from my observations is that immigrants seem to want to buy more stuff. I know a couple of Russian immigrants who are caught up in this " designer label " nonsense, and always having the latest etc. It seems to be competition between them and their other Russian friends. Probably because they didn't grow up with so much choice and now they are making up time.
I know Canada always had less stores than the US, it always was like that.Just cross the border it is like day and night comparing stores!!! It like comparing big city like New York city to a really small city. Very little retail in Canada I have notice.
Why is that?
In the US a city population of 1,000,000 people can have easy 10 to 15 stores of that one type of store name!! Where in Canada a city population of say 1,000,000 people less than 6 stores!!
This does not count all the retail stores closing in Canada as of late!!! Yes like in three days the world is coming to a end and all the retail stores are closing like no tomorrow!! The recession is over, yet retail is weaker now than before!! And stores are crossing like no tomorrow. I known many people who have gone to Canada on vacation and have to go back to US because of the lack of retail.
Only thing I can think of is following 1 of the 4 reason may explain the problem.
1. Americans like to buy more thus more retail in the US.
2. Demographic change in Canada than the US.
3. Higher taxation on retail and commercial in Canada.
4. It easier to build retail and commercial in the US than Canada (zoning laws are different)
Many retail in Canada are struggling or closing. And some places in Canada may be worse than other places.
I live in Toronto ... there are no shortage of stores. However .... people want value and not garbage. Ex Sear ... Zellers.... Kmart.... who wants to buy over price low quality items. Not me! People at least in my city want good quality trendy items. They dont want junk sold at these department stores. Our standards for quality are higher. Also people are buying stuff online or re-sale all the time.
I am a recreational shopper as I like to coin it. I like nice stuff ... but I want it a rock bottom prices. I buy stuff when it is on sale and typically get most of my stuff at 70% off or more. If you like night things and want to get more bang for your buck you shop smart. Resale market in Toronto is on fire... so why would you pay full price from a retail store?
The USA likely has more stores because it has a higher total population.
Smart urban shoppers know how to grab great deals and lower costs either though re-sale, swaping or buying at the right time.
I could walk through the city and point out stores that should be removed. Top of my list is Walmart. If sell garbage at higher prices ... but markets itself as this great value store. In the city there are way better places to get higher quality items at comparable or better prices.
I am going to give an example ....
The body shop in January had this cleareance sale.... some items were marked down even lower then 90% of orignal price. Selections varried from store to store. You buy a points card for $10... you get $10 off any purchase over $10 in the month you where born and 10% any other purchases all year around. Also you get points every time you spend $25 to get $5 off your next purchase over $5.
You scan the store for all the items that are the best value that you like ex gift sets on mark downs alway offer the best value as when buying a gift set you already getting discounts ex extra products or more product vaule for the price of buying them separate.
So with the additional discounts and using my points I easily walked about to that store with over $600 of stuff for around $100.
I think people are just shopping differently now and don't need all these generic stores when they can either by online or re-sale/ person to person.
I live in Toronto ... there are no shortage of stores. However .... people want value and not garbage. Ex Sear ... Zellers.... Kmart.... who wants to buy over price low quality items. Not me! People at least in my city want good quality trendy items. They dont want junk sold at these department stores. Our standards for quality are higher. Also people are buying stuff online or re-sale all the time.
Sears does not sell "garbage"...at all. Kmart is dead, it has been for years. Canada has no higher standard of quality than US, that is hogwash and wishful thinking...they are about the same. Simply there are less choices of stores and less "tiers"...but you have plenty of the low quality stuff....
Quote:
Top of my list is Walmart. If sell garbage at higher prices ...
Have you been at a Walmart store lately?? If you know what to buy actually they have some good/decent stuff
I live in Toronto ... there are no shortage of stores. However .... people want value and not garbage. Ex Sear ... Zellers.... Kmart.... who wants to buy over price low quality items. Not me! People at least in my city want good quality trendy items. They dont want junk sold at these department stores. Our standards for quality are higher. Also people are buying stuff online or re-sale all the time.
I am a recreational shopper as I like to coin it. I like nice stuff ... but I want it a rock bottom prices. I buy stuff when it is on sale and typically get most of my stuff at 70% off or more. If you like night things and want to get more bang for your buck you shop smart. Resale market in Toronto is on fire... so why would you pay full price from a retail store?
The USA likely has more stores because it has a higher total population.
Smart urban shoppers know how to grab great deals and lower costs either though re-sale, swaping or buying at the right time.
I could walk through the city and point out stores that should be removed. Top of my list is Walmart. If sell garbage at higher prices ... but markets itself as this great value store. In the city there are way better places to get higher quality items at comparable or better prices.
I am going to give an example ....
The body shop in January had this cleareance sale.... some items were marked down even lower then 90% of orignal price. Selections varried from store to store. You buy a points card for $10... you get $10 off any purchase over $10 in the month you where born and 10% any other purchases all year around. Also you get points every time you spend $25 to get $5 off your next purchase over $5.
You scan the store for all the items that are the best value that you like ex gift sets on mark downs alway offer the best value as when buying a gift set you already getting discounts ex extra products or more product vaule for the price of buying them separate.
So with the additional discounts and using my points I easily walked about to that store with over $600 of stuff for around $100.
I think people are just shopping differently now and don't need all these generic stores when they have either by online or re-sale/ person to person.
Are you saying Canadian stores sale better stuff than American stores? And people in Canada don't like all those American stores that is why there is less of them?
Are you saying Canadian stores sale better stuff than American stores? And people in Canada don't like all those American stores that is why there is less of them?
Only the good quality ones ex designer brands. When I go shopping in the USA with the expection of very popular higher ends brands and I can 100% tell the quality of the close in some of the chains are low. Ex cheap fabric and poor craftmanships. For example I find places like sears and JC penny sell lots of poor quality items and high prices. You can get better quality elsewhere for the same price if not cheaper .... so why go there?
I think the brands that we do have in Canada are producing higher quality items. We have fewer, but the ones that are around higher quality other wise they would not be able to stick around. That does not mean there are not American stores that have good quality items too. The point is standards at least in my city are higher because we want quality and great prices.
Only the good quality ones ex designer brands. When I go shopping in the USA with the expection of very popular higher ends brands and I can 100% tell the quality of the close in some of the chains are low. Ex cheap fabric and poor craftmanships.
In your imagination.....Canadians living in border areas flock to every store in the US when the exchange rate is favorable...do not make stuff up.
You should have seen the Walmart parking lot in Tulalip not long ago....all Canadian plates....
Are you saying Canadian stores sale better stuff than American stores?
In his alternative reality....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.....
