Dear old United States

[Reef Pilot]

The problem in Canada, is the cost of doing business, It is not just taxes, but the regulations that jack up the cost, and much of that is at the local municipal level. That means you need much higher gross margins to make a profit.

I was in retail (big box) my whole career. We used to be able to build a store from land purchase to opening in 2 - 3 years. Then it stretched to 3 - 5 years. Now it is not uncommon 5- 7, and even 10 years to get a large store up and running. And the costs just keep going up. And then it usually takes another 5 years or so, just to break even with the new store.

Some places are better than others. Alberta is still not too bad. But BC is very bad, and getting worse, especially in the Metro Vancouver area. And I know Ontario is bad, too.

It is very hard for a Canadian retail chain to grow organically (store by store). It is much easier to buy a dying chain (like Zellers and others gone by) and then get a head start with a bunch of stores. But that takes a lot of capital, which the struggling Canadian retailers don't have. As a result, American chains, with their massive economies of scale can come in and set up shop here, much easier than us locals.

Having said that, they all don't get it right either from the start. Target is a good example. And they can't sell the stuff here either for the same price as they do in the US.

But like I said, the real culprit is the municipal fiefdoms, called planning depts, that are really only there to serve themselves, not the tax paying public and consumers. As a result we are doomed to keep buying from the US whenever we can.

[Madreefer]

Maybe polls on this site should be reef related.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Madreefer

Maybe polls on this site should be reef related.

Maybe you could make a salt poll...

[Magickiwi]

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.

[Alberta-newb]

Well keeping on topic and reef related, I haven't shopped in the US yet except for chloroquine phosphate. I have now got a local vet to write a prescription so I can purchase locally. I would like to travel south for fish food IF I can find a way to get it across the border without ending up in jail. It seems the Canadian government had now made mixed frozen fish foods virtually impossible or unprofitable to import. Specifically I've been looking for Pro-Salt's Angel Diet. I have used this successfully for very finicky new fish as a first food where everything else has failed. Now I can not get it anywhere

The new rules also seem to apply to Ocean Nutritions Angel Blend as well.

So yes, I will cross border shop if I can find a way to import for personal use.

[Treebeard]

I am reserving judgement until someone can tell me where I can find this in Strathmore or Calgary.

Clear netting

Not interested in the garden variety gray or green stuff with 1/2 holes. Hell, for that matter, tell me where I can order it from an online Canadian shop.

[Madreefer]

Originally Posted by Treebeard

I am reserving judgement until someone can tell me where I can find this in Strathmore or Calgary.

Clear netting

Not interested in the garden variety gray or green stuff with 1/2 holes. Hell, for that matter, tell me where I can order it from an online Canadian shop.

Have you seen the stuff that your not interested in? Many have used it.

[kien]

I don't travel to the United States specifically to find things that I can't find here. It's the 20th century, that's what the Internet is for. I've found a lot of stuff online from various vendors across Canada.

Also, none of those polls options seem to apply to me! There should be another option it seems. "None of the above"

[jorjef]

The "poll" option on this site needs to DIE..........Except for pretty pictures and tanks.. The next poll should be about killing polls

[Magickiwi]

I voted I want to move there but I specifically have the Virgin Islands or Hawaii in mind