Canadian Style Gold Rush

E-com Studies Show there's $ to be made up North

[martinibuster]

I was wondering about the Canadian market, so I did some superficial research and came across these statistics from a PR [newswire.ca]:

According to a June 2003 study conducted by Ipsos Reid:

• 74% of Canadian adults have Internet access.
  
• 46% of Canadian adult Internet users have made at least one purchase directly online since they started using the Internet.
  
• Canadian households purchased $3.7 billion online in 2002 which
  increased over 58% from $2.3 billion in 2001.
  
• Canadians spent approximately $148 (CDN) per online order in 2001.
  
• Canadian households purchased products from both Canadian and foreign ecommerce sites. Approximately 42% of ecommerce spending from home was to foreign countries in 2000.
  
• The number of Canadians turning to online shopping is increasing
  year-over-year. It is expected that approximately 6 million Canadian
  households will spend approximately $11.7 billion (CDN) online by
  2004. This will increase to an estimated 7.2 million Canadian
  households spending approximately $24 billion (CDN) by 2006.

Shhh... Don't tell anyone.

[robertito62]

Thanks for the info!

[Jenstar]

The fact is, I would spend far more $$ online if more online stores would ship to Canada. So many will not ship to Canada (even when asked).

I could easily say only about 1 in 30 sites I would have placed an order with would ship to Canada. I have often searched site after site after site for an online store that would ship a specific product to Canada, willing to spend $XXX and could not find a single place that would ship to Canada. These are not products that would have a tough time going through customs, I'm talking basic things like clothes, shoes, books, crafts, electronics.

Yes, I realize shipping is higher. Yes, I realize I may have to pay duty. Yes, I know you can't say it is a "gift" on the customs form. Yes, I realize shipping will take longer.

I just wish more businesses would realize how much business they are missing out on by only shipping within the US. I know I am missing out on a lot of buying ;)

[urameatball]

Prices in Canada for lots of things (especially electronics) are higher than that of the US.

Sometimes ordering from the US can save you upto 50%.

[john316]

Sneakers must be cheaper in the US too. You can go to a mall parking lot in Buffalo on Monday morning and see dozens of discarded sneakers, the Canadiens leave them there and wear the new ones back across the border to avoid duty.