Shopping in US or Canada

Henry wrote:

Claim Guy wrote:

"Paul Harrison" wrote in message

Is it cheaper to shop in the USA or Canada?


The $CAN has
appreciated almost 20% against the $US in the last 2 years - I think the
Pound and Euro have done similarly,

According to OANDA, the average rate for GBP USD for the month of
January 2003 was about 1.62. Today it is about 1.88. So, that's about a
16% appreciaiton. On the other hand, the average rate for GBP CAD in
January 2003 was 2.49. Today it is only 2.34. Thus, sterling is actually
6% _weaker_ in Canada than it was two years ago.

The Canadian dollar has been relatively steady against the British Pound,
especially in comparison to the ups and downs on the US$. Never the less,
current rates are as you indicate, with a Pound getting you $1.88 US or $2. 34
Cdn.

Others have pointed out that some products are cheaper in Canada while
other things are cheaper in the US. Leaving that comparative pricing
issue aside, however, and just looking at how to take maximum advantage
of _spending power_, it would seem that the pound should go further in
the US rather than north of the border.

That is a puzzling conclusion. Granted, there are some things that are cheaper
in the US than in Canada, but the sorts of things that a tourists would be
interested are generally about the same. Living close to the border and
having done my share of cross border shopping, I have been amazed at the
number of things that have the same sticker price on both sides of the border,
clothing, computers, software, music, even US grown produce. Prices vary
within the US. On a trip to Colorado a few years ago we had to do some grocery
shopping and found a lot of prices significantly more expensive than I was
accustomed to paying in Canada. Our dollar was quite low at the time, so it
was that much more expensive. Liquor there was $2 per bottle more than here,
but in some other states it is much cheaper than our local liquor prices.

Given that so many items are the same price, that extra 46 cents on the
dollar, close to 25% extra on the exchange rate, the Pound is going to buy a
lot more in Canada.






cheers,

Henry

"Henry" wrote in message
...

But if the pants cost less in Canada, why did you write

Ummm, because one does not know this unless one comparison shops! It was
illustrative of my point that comparison shopping is the ulitmate anlaysis
for this exercise.


more and more things in the US [are] a bargain for Canadians.

?

Many things are a bargain for Canadians, others are not. With the $CAN
rising against the $US more things become a bargain. Maybe the pants, maybe
not. We never know until we comparison shop.

"Henry" wrote in message
...
Dave Smith wrote:
I was responding to the point that the US dollar is quite weak at the
moment. If you have sterling pounds and you convert them to USD, you
will receive 16% more than you would have two years ago. On the other
hand, if you have sterling pounds and you convert them to CAD, you will
received 6% less than you would have two years ago. So if you have
sterling pounds and you need to convert them, which looks better, USD or
CAD? How much you are able to buy with whatever kind of dollars you get
is a different question.


I wouldn't say it's a different question - it's the ultimate question. This
is not a mathematical exercise.

Walking around with more ultimate UK purchasing power in my pocket is not a
benefit until I try and spend it. If less (relative to the US) purchasing
power could have been exercised more effectively in Canada, that has to be
the goal..

Henry wrote:

That is a puzzling conclusion.

Of course, the actual price being paid is of concern to the shopper.
Sometimes it is the paramount concern, occasionally perhaps the only
concern. I'm not disputing that.

I was responding to the point that the US dollar is quite weak at the
moment. If you have sterling pounds and you convert them to USD, you
will receive 16% more than you would have two years ago. On the other
hand, if you have sterling pounds and you convert them to CAD, you will
received 6% less than you would have two years ago. So if you have
sterling pounds and you need to convert them, which looks better, USD or
CAD? How much you are able to buy with whatever kind of dollars you get
is a different question.


But the direction of the dollar or its past performance are of little
relevance to a shopper who is concerned only with current prices and exchange
rates. That fact remains that at current exchange rates someone using British
pounds gets approximately 25% more Canadian dollars than US dollars, and given
that so many prices are the same or close, his British money goes further in
Canada.

This is a tough call to make. As some poster stated "it depends".

I live in Manitoba and occasionally buy things in the USA. I get so-called
used books from amazon.com in the USA and shipped to my northern Minnesota
postal address for "very good" prices as compared to getting them in Canada.
Remnants and so-called "used" of the subject matter I require are hard to
come by here in Canada. I have even purchased university level mathematics
text books that way at substantial savings (like 50% of the Canadian
university bookstore price). Some sporting goods are less expensive here
than in the USA. Baseball and rock climbing, and cycling - some
rock-climbing friends buy here (from www.mec.ca) for instance and have them
shipped to the USA. Apparently a savings for them that way - and the gear is
"US made"! I purchase Levis Strauss denim jeans in the USA and then bring
them back because the particular model/type of jean is not available here in
Canada.

Food is generally less expensive here than in the USA. For instance turkey
sells for $1.09 on both sides of the border, but one is in USD and one is in
CDN $. Same for apples: $1.29 USD vs. $1.29 CDN There should be bargains,
but I don't go into grocery stores in the USA to search them out. US beer is
less expensive than Canadian, but the beer certainly depends on one's taste.
The 3% beer is not worth drinking in my opinion. There are however, some
excellent micro breweries that are just excellent and their more expensive
prices are certainly worth every penny - a part of a traveler's expense.

One poster mentioned that Montana is not as populated as Calgary. Bear that
in mind because it can drive the prices up on some things in northern
Montana that would be perhaps less expensive in Minneapolis or in
California. For example, when we stopped in Shelby (spelling??) northern MT
several times in the early 1990s food prices in the grocery store were MUCH
more expensive there than in Calgary.

Ken
Winnipeg, Canada
Paul Harrison wrote:

We're visiting Alberta and Montana in the summer with two teenage girls.
Flying to Calgary and travelling down to Yellowstone via Glacier NP and
back. Is it cheaper to shop in the USA or Canada?

There is no provincial tax in Calgary... Therefore all you pay for tax
is 7% GST. This is an awesome deal. Not too sure on the tax in
Montana.



On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 13:54:57 -0600, Ken Pisichko wrote:

summer with

Claim Guy wrote:
"Paul Harrison" wrote in message
...

We're visiting Alberta and Montana in the summer with two teenage girls.
Flying to Calgary and travelling down to Yellowstone via Glacier NP and
back. Is it cheaper to shop in the USA or Canada?



Paul;

You won't find much selection in Montana as there are no sizable "cities",
like Calgary. If the girls are going to be looking for "fashion", Calgary
will have the best selection you are going to see on your route.

I won't suggest that you drive 3 hours north from Calgary to visit a mall in
Edmonton, like the other poster does - Calgary has almost 1 million
residents and you can find whatever you want there. For some reason,
Edmontonians take some strange pride in having the world's biggest mall in
their midst. Hey, why do all the trees in Calgary bend north? Cause Edmonton
sucks! Guess which two cities have BIG rivalry :-)

Having said that, there will likely be some things that you can find cheaper
in the US, if you are thinking of standard Wal-Mart type fare. The $CAN has
appreciated almost 20% against the $US in the last 2 years - I think the
Pound and Euro have done similarly, making more and more things in the US a
bargain for Canadians.

If you want to do some pre-trip research, check out www.Walmart.com prices
online and compare them to www.hbc.com (The Hudson's Bay company - which
operates The Bay, and Zellers, Canada's premier regular, and economy,
respectively, department stores - for similar items. Or, you could try
www.sears.com (US) vs. www.sears.ca (CAN)

Do remember that Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so the only tax will
be the 8% GST.

Have fun - Glacier is beautiful. Remember that it is a trans-border park
with Canada's portion called Waterton Lakes Provincial Park.

Waterton/Glacier will be much less crowded than Jellystone (sorry, but I
love Yogi Bear cartoons!), so look for your "peaceful" time there.








GST for AB = 7%

Mark Brader wrote:

I'm not a person who pays a great deal of attention to prices,
but as a rule I expect things to be somewhat cheaper in the US,
except if they were made in Canada in the first place.


Until recently, selection and bargains at US "outlet" stores (last year's
styles, remainders, odd/larger/smaller sizes) were superior, having a
larger market to draw from. An upscale outlet consolidator called
Winners in Canada, part of the US TJ Maxx stores that include
Marshall's (not to be confused with Chicago's Marshall-Field's),
has brought better values in that sector.

Gap stores in Canada feature more Canada-made items while US
stores feature more Mexico-made items.

gld