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The Canadian Dollar - 2007/10/24 11:14I just wanted to kick start a discussion about the glaring disparity between Canadian prices for coffee stuff and U.S. prices.
The Canadian deals should be better -- but they are not.
Some examples:
Bodum 3 - 8 - 12 cup SS Coffee Press; 39, 49 and 59$ from WholeLatteLove.Com
From Greenbeanery.ca in Toronto: for the same thing -- 63, 77 and 84$ ...shocking!
Bodum Antigua grinder: 69$ at WholeLatteLove.com 90$ at Greenbeanery
Rocky Grinder - $320 at WholeLatteLove.Com, 410$ at Greenbeanery
Rancilio Silvia - $773 at Greenbeanery, $595 at WholeLatteLove.Com
I could go on and on and on. I hope you do. Look around. Start complaining!
Almost all of these machines are imported into North America from Italy - there is NO reason for them to be 30% more expensive in Canada.Colin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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tmplo
User Senior Barista
Posts: 34
Karma: 15
Re:The Canadian Dollar - 2007/10/25 08:11I am curious as to how our strong dollar plays into the prices of consumer products not made in the States.
As you mentioned, most of the espresso machines out there are imported directly from Italy. Wouldn't the prices be affected by our dollar's strength against Euros and also by our importing tax?
It'd be nice to see better Canadian deals soon.
I know my next purchase (most likely a coffee roaster) will be ordered from the States for sure.Tmplo is a Vancouver area resident and coffee expert
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Kevin R
User Senior Barista
Posts: 33
Karma: 6
Re:The Canadian Dollar - 2007/10/29 23:06I don't know how fast these retailers turn over their inventory, but perhaps the issue stems from them ordering their current product at a time when the exchange rate was less advantageous, and now being reluctant to sell that product at a smaller profit margin now that our dollar is so much stronger...?
I know I wasn't pleased to learn that I had paid $60 over U.S. prices for my Maestro Plus grinder back in May, just for the privilege of buying Canadian. Of course, our dollar wasn't as strong then, and there was shipping, and potential customs fees and duty to consider (although I've not found one clear source of information about what to expect in terms of duty on purchases of home coffee equipment). Even taking these issues into consideration, I think I still paid about a 10 - 15% premium.
Unrelated to coffee purchases, but interesting: I was recently told by a friend of an interview with the CEO of LEGO where the price disparity issue came up. When asked why LEGO was so much more expensive in Canada than the U.S., the CEO suggested that it was well-known in retail circles that Canadians were more tolerant of higher prices...
Another example of us being too nice, perhaps?
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Kevin R
User Senior Barista
Posts: 33
Karma: 6
Re:The Canadian Dollar - 2007/10/29 23:11Check out the short piece on the CBC website on this topic:
Edited post to eliminate LONG URL that was tearing up the site template. --colin the editor Please use the URL tool-tips above.
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James
Visitor
Re:The Canadian Dollar - 2007/10/30 04:25The greenbeanery.ca in Toronto appears to be matching US pricing on several products, including the Rancilio Silvia. Perhaps other retailers will follow.
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colin
Admin Admin
Posts: 712
Karma: 19
Re:The Canadian Dollar - 2007/10/30 13:35They must read our site daily based on the quick turn-around on the absurd pricing.
I have had to e-mail GreenBeanery numerous times on behalf of this website or other partner web sites when they scoop content, pictures and descriptions without so much as a please.
Thank-fully, in the past year or so they seem to be behaving in a more businesslike manner.
Three cheers for Green Beanery. Colin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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colin
Admin Admin
Posts: 712
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Re:The Canadian Dollar - 2007/10/30 13:45Kevin R wrote:
Unrelated to coffee purchases, but interesting: I was recently told by a friend of an interview with the CEO of LEGO where the price disparity issue came up. When asked why LEGO was so much more expensive in Canada than the U.S., the CEO suggested that it was well-known in retail circles that Canadians were more tolerant of higher prices...
Another example of us being too nice, perhaps?
I hear you Kevin. There was a time that I thought we were all owed better prices on consumables - and I used to consider myself something of a lefty. Now, as I get older, I am not so sure where I stand on the issue of market forces. I think at the end of the day it all comes down to what the average person is willing to pay for a product. There is a larger social cost to always demanding the best possible price. Look at The Gap for instance - the media has just discovered that there are factories in India populated by 9 year olds making the Gap clothing that we demand for cheap. Gee. I guess I still am a lefty. The West has this lust for cheap everything. And from this we have a Walmart generation - where one giant retailer dictates to a community and a manufacturing sector its conditions of trade. This discussion totally belongs on my blogColin is the Senior editor and creator of the CoffeeCrew.Com Website
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