I worked in retail for MANY years before finding my path in life and I've managed and worked with the supply chain for much of that time. When it comes to delivery and stock companies consider US orders before fulfilling Canadian orders. This isn't always the case but in general that's the way it goes. A Lowes store in the US can order the same parts at the same time and if the distributor only has one on hand the US order is fulfilled first.
In Canada the distribution of inventory tends to flow from Ontario and then fan out from there. BCE is horrible for this, the buyers would get what they can from the distributors, BCE will fulfill Ontario orders and then distribute what was left to other markets. For the longest time Calgary was dead last in priority so they'd be putting items on sale that NEVER made it to the stores. Imagine how happy people are with that.
It was an issue that we just couldn't resolve with the distribution chain.
So being a Canadian and finding that a Canadian retail store doesn't have an item that they are supposed to have or dealing with frustrating shortages of what are supposed to be common materials I know where it's coming from. Big box stores discontinuing very popular products because they didn't sell well in Toronto etc. It just sucks being a secondary market.
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