Why do so many people from Ontario go shopping in Buffalo?

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Pichi

I am on the other coast, in Vancouver, BC, and the same is true here. In Bellingham, a small city (85,000) just south of the U.S./Can border, half the cars are canadian, even moreso on weekends and holidays. And since I have lived in Canada, I have become one of those who does cross-border shopping.

As mentioned, prices on many items are so much less ... most notably electronics, cheese, butter, snackfoods, furnishings. Also, the taxes are less. And the Canadian dollar is relatively high right now in comparison to the U.S. Dollar, so it makes cross-border shopping worth it.

David H

Having lived in anada all my life and being almost 50, Buffalo alway posed it self as an exotic place, America but so close to us.

I have watched Buffalo TV since the early 1960's, channels 2, 4 and 7, and remember shows like Rocketship 7, Meet the Millers and personalitys like Irv Weinstein.

Basically the prices are lower, the selection is different and the tax levels on clothes, alcohol and some grocery items.

Like Butter we pay $3.50 cnd a pound, cheese is very expensive, a 40 oz bottle of Black Velvet Whiskey in Buffalo liqour outlets is $8-12.00 am $, here it is $35-40 cdn $.

bobus1964

Prices are a lot cheaper on some items (not all considering exchnage rate etc., , but there is also a difference in the items we can get.

The stores in Buffalo stock many different items brands than what are available in Canada.

smilingsoda

because its close and offers something different.
the prices seem to be better as well sometimes

better prices

josephlincolnlordstanley

I'm like everybody else, here, I guess: It's cheaper, the mall in ginormous and hey, yeah, you can enjoy the thrill of being abroad 2 hours drive from home!
By the way, lots of Americans come here for the same reasons, and occasionally drive much further to come to Ontario! You'd be surprised how often I see car plates from California, Arizona, etc.

kheserthorpe

Basically, prices don't move as much as they 'should' based on the exchange rate. Shopping in the US was really popular when I was younger, then when the Canadian dollar slid down it became much less attractive. The canadian dollar has risen a ton in the last few years, but prices have not fallen as much - so once again, its worth driving to the US.

AUCT!ON

I go shopping in Buffalo because of better prices, and its cheaper for us. In Ontario it;s much expensive. For example, I bought an I-pod nano for 200 US when in Canada it was about 350 CND. Buffalo isn't far and the people there are great. It's nice to cross the border once in a while, instead of going to nearby mall and spending more money.

jackaboo007

Yeah a lot of things are cheaper! I was just down in Niagara Falls, NY to change some US coins I had been saving into paper money! I of course picked up some things from the grocery store while I was there. Like milk they sell a 1 gallon jug or 3.78 litres for $2.19, 4 litres of the same white drink goes for approximately $5.40 so even with the exchange on the dollar it is still a way better buy! I am flying to Panama in early December and I decided to fly out of the Buffalo airport rather then the Toronto airport to save money and this is not the first time I have done that. I live in Hamilton, Ontario so driving to Buffalo is almost the same distance as driving to Toronto but the traffic going toward Buffalo from here is way better then the traffic going into Toronto! So go figure, who wouldn't go to Buffalo or Niagara Falls, NY to shop, go out for dinner... *hugs* JAC<

sandro k

well in the usa prices are cheep and in canada we have a weak doller and also tax is lower in the usa

Mama Gretch

Prices for a lot of goods, as well as taxes, are higher in Canada, and it's an easy drive to Buffalo. My hubby used to live in St. Catharines and his family shopped more on the U.S. side than in Canada. Don't you know how expensive beer is in Canada - twice the price, even for Molson and Labatts!

xSarahx

hey, i've been to the eaton center mall more than once, i'll leave it at that. the only difference between the stores here and the ones in buffalo are that here they have 10 items 100 of each. but in the states they have 100 items 10 of each. it's just so much more of a variety in the stores rather than having alot of stock but only a small variation.also most clothing companies are based in the us so that not as much of a variety is sent to canada. and we don't have some stores like for instance we don't have hot topic or target here.

darcy m

Prices are cheaper!!

We also get tired of paying our governement taxes taxes taxes

Come Jan. 1st you'll see a drop in amount of cars from Canada
too much trouble to get passports just to get into the States only to save a few bucks.

So....more money will be spent here and small towns along the border will begin to lose money because the parking lots will only have a few Canadians and you will have lots of room to park.

HO HO HO HIC

# 1 they have 2 much money
# 2 they like border hassles
# 3 they like crappy beer
# 4 i dont know canada has great stuff and great stores with out all the hassles just to save $ 2 which they spent on gas just to get there

moglie

the money is good right now for $1.00 cdn we get more in US$ so we can buy a lot more cheap crappy stuff and some go across to see what ghettos are

shoe s

because AmericA has it all

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