ABSURD SHOE PRICES IN CANADA

sounds like a good opportunity for someone to open a discount online running shoe store in CA

gramthlete wrote:

Makes me realize that "Highway robbery" is an expression one never encounters outside of Canada.

Definitely use it in the states.

And it surprises me that taxes/duties/etc would create such a difference from US to Canada. Wasn't NAFTA supposed to fix that sort of thing?

I hate the running room. I won a 15 dollar gift card (at a race) and I can't even use it because not only are their prices so crazy high that even with a gift card, it still doesn't make sense to shop there. Most of them have horrible selection, they don't restock other brands, so they rarely have your size. Just a bad place to shop overall.

MECfan wrote:

Try MEC.

http://www.mec.ca

They are selling road running shoes that are closer in price than other retailers.

I would never shop at the Running Room.

Yes, this is the case. I used to order from Holabird but recently went on to order the Brooks Launch and found that they were not available for shipping to Canada. When I called the company they told me that it is the shoe companies that are requesting restrictions on exports. Too bad, because previously the total cost from Holabird, with shipping and tax included was about half of what retail stores charge in the Toronto area.

Health Care...

NAFTA only covers American shoes, so no duty, but taxes are higher here, so we have to pay Canadian tax on them.

Try $8 - $12 to make the shoe. Shipment from Shenzen, China not included.

Agree with kiwi. It is crazy in NZ. You would find it difficult to find a semi serious runner in NZ not importing there shoes from the states or UK. Your talking 250NZD for any decent trainer which is about 200USD. So buy them cheap in the US and you still win with the massive shipping price.

I am amazed at that price in Canada.

1. Book a trip to the US

2. Go to an outlet store - stock up - buy 2 or 3 pair.

Works every time.

dont blame the retailer. an equivalent business in the US can operate on average 10% lower margin than one in canada. In canada we have not only higher business taxes (small and large alike) but also there is a higher relative wage required for employees than in the US.

Furthermore, for a shoe company in canada to import shoes into canadian warehouses it costs between 12 and 18% MORE than the same product shipped into US warehouses. Our canadian government takes higher import duties than the US does.

another factor to consider is economies of scale...the US is WAY bigger than canada. Retailers and shoe companies alike have more leverage to buy larger orders and thus negotiate lower landed costs.

IF a person bought a shoe for regular retail (we arent talking about last years models on close out) in the US, then was charged all of the appropriate duties and taxes (that the shoe companies in canada have to pay no matter what) they would probably would be surprised at the similarity in price.

Imagine if overnight all of the retailers and shoe companies in canada were gone...our sport would look quite a bit different. When was the last time you saw a US retailer (big box, online or independent) volunteer to put on a race in your community or sponsor a local track meet?

Shoes are cheap compared to the price of cheese in Canada.

Blowing.Rock Master wrote:

I just noticed Asics won't allow Holabird to ship their shoes out of the US. Neither will several other manufacturers I checked. I wonder if the shoe companies are restricting imports like the drug companies do?

Shoes are about who has the agency and where they are allowed to sell.

Pharmaceuticals is about FDA manufacturing practice.

Pharma company MSRPs are not that different across the world. Its usually the rebated price of the health plan or the government rebate that differentiates.

US quote AWP, but pharma rebates or discounts based on contracts.

e.g. The Government pricing is 15% off the best commercial price.

So if a drug costs a dollar, and is discounted / rebated to Aetna at 50 c, the government pays 42.5 c.

Its the cash payers (about 6% of the total) and the uninsured, or those who have used up their benefits who see the costs.

As an aside the 'famous PPI was about $3.50 a tab, but sold to the DOD for less than 30 cents a tab. Most times its less than a $1.00 a day.

Pricing pharma is a hodgepodge of mathmatics and complainers.

Shoe companies may have different distributor contracts. Pharma usually are the same company in the next country. In Europe the data is shared and rolled up to the country.

Shoe companies are responsible for their own region.

Not only is the cost of shoes high, races are also. The races in Windsor are not too bad, but in London, Ontario some of the 5K\'s cost $45 for early registration and $55 for late registration. I think that is way too high for a 5K. But based on their turnout, participation always seems to be high. You have to wonder when runners will start to balk at the high cost of races.

1. as someone pointed out, the US online stores are not allowed to ship to Canada or anywhere outside the US for that matter.

2. It has very little to do with taxes in Canada, although that does obviously inflate price a bit. It is even higher in countries in Europe.

3. While I will not tell you the answer, I will give you a hint, it is the same reason Asics and Mizuno, shoes are some of the most expensive in their categories in the US.

CanadianRunererererere wrote:

So I wanted to buy the Sky Speed II in Toronto today...$169.99 at Sporting Life. The Brooks Pure Flow? $139.99 at Running Room.

PURE HIGHWAY ROBBERY and the reason I always buy my running shoes and gear in the US of A.

Especially considering our dollar is at par...WHAT THE HELL CANADA??

What are you doing at Sporting Life or Running Room??

1. Ebay

2. Shoe Warehouse

3. Spring/Fall Close-out

4. Don't laugh--Sportcheck. You can sign up for a team assist program and they will mail you about 30 coupon booklets. Each booklet has a coupon for 20% off footwear.

Finally, I wish Canadians would stop focusing on the relative strength of the CAD vs the USD. That's not what determines retail prices or much else for that matter. As some have pointed out, the cost of doing business is simply higher in Canada BUT there is also much less competition.

Also Canadian consumers are idiots who will shell out $200 for a pair of shoes (incl. HST) at Running Room AND replace them after three months cause the "expert" told them to. Otherwise you'll get injured dontchaknow.

easy wrote:

Also Canadian consumers are idiots who will shell out $200 for a pair of shoes (incl. HST) at Running Room AND replace them after three months cause the "expert" told them to. Otherwise you'll get injured dontchaknow.

Agreed. People here do what they are told. And complaining is not done. So retailers have a (somewhat) easier ride.

I have had more than one run in w/ service providers who refuse to accommodate my requests. That is just a downside of Canada - service sucks, and the customer is occasionally right.

Keep on paying - you know you want to.

(Yes, I know it's cold in Canada. I'd wear some sort of foot covering, though not one with "gel" and "stability control." But the rest of you? And the Kiwi!???)

Tom Longboat wrote:

I have had more than one run in w/ service providers who refuse to accommodate my requests. That is just a downside of Canada - service sucks, and the customer is occasionally right.

'more than one run in' Maybe the problem is you.

Ive never had bad customer service.

can you give us an example or are you just gonna throw mud anonymously

TD

I had $25k in a savings account. Every transaction was charged $2. I was told I could open a checking account for $8.95/month. Still getting fees fees fees. I finally went in and went berserk, and the head of the branch told me, "we have a option with a minimum of $5k with no fees". That took 4 months.

TD again

They told me my US and UK credit ratings don't count. Again, I had to go around their backs and get this sorted.

The default answer in Canada is always, "This is the way it is". Customer are looking for problems to be solved, not hear what the policy manual says.

Maybe your expectations are extremely low. I have had more than one friend be surprised that I would not be satisfied with, "the way things are".