Canadians don't shop online

[Fred Derf Veteran]

No thanks, just browsing, online shoppers say

MARINA STRAUSS

Globe and Mail Update

Canadians are trailblazers when it comes to banking and paying bills online. They're even comfortable buying concert tickets and booking travel.

But when it comes to snapping up a kettle or a cardigan, they've been slow to embrace virtual shopping. They tend to do the research on the Web and then head to the mall to make the purchase.

The paradox emerges in a study by New York research firm EMarketer, which called the phenomenon the Canadian conundrum.

?In recent years, Canadian e-commerce has stagnated in something of a ?chicken or egg' situation,? the study says.

?Canadian online shoppers complain that Web retailers are not serious about selling on their websites,? said EMarketer, which analyzed data from several reports. ?Meanwhile, retailers feel that too few Canadians are shopping online to justify the costs of operating an online store or doing it well.?

Duncan McKie, president of market researcher Pollara Inc. in Toronto, sa big deterrent for Canadian consumers is the time it takes and the high cost of getting Internet purchases delivered delIf you've got to wait three, four or five days for something you can walk out and purchase in a mall ? what's the point?9;s the point??They want it nowThey want it now.?

The problem stems from the comparatively expensive and underdeveloped systems in Canada to move goods from Web retailer to customer, he said. In contrast, U.S. e-tailers have found the economies of scale to provide free, 24-hour shipping, especially during the cruciDuring the current shopping rush, a recent Pollara survey found, about two-thirds of U.S. consumers will shop online; in Canada, shoppers will make purchases on the Internet at only half that rate, Mr. McKie said. Mr. McKie said.

Many retailers in Canada haven't exactly raced to provide extensive online shopping, said Jeffrey Grau, senior analyst at EMarketer, who wrote the report on Canadian e-commerce. They're content to sell through their stores and don't want the technical headaches of running a website. They don't want the costly challenges of marketing in two languages and shipping to geographically dispersed customers.

?Some large retailers have neglected their websites,? Mr. Grau said, pointing to weak website designs and functionality. They have trouble tracking orders and meeting delivery deadlines, he said. And they have limited selections.

Amazon.ca, for example, offers a much narrower array of products than its U.S. counterpart, while department store retailer Hudson's Bay Co. has a smaller range of merchandise online than in its outlets, the EMarketer report says.

Heavyweight discounter Wal-Mart Canada Corp. has no e-commerce at all, despite the popularity of its online shopping site in the United States. Its U.S. e-shop does not ship outside that country. And clothier Gap Inc., with stores under its own, Old Navy and Banana Republic banners, is also without an online buying site in Canada, even though it has more than 230 outlets in this country.

Andrew Pelletier, a spokesman for Wal-Mart Canada, said it is planning to offer e-commerce, and in the meantime has one of the country's most visited informational websites. ?Ultimately we would rather be right, than fast.? Few, if any, general merchandisers provide a complete online product selection, he said.

?Canadians generally want a very broad assortment of choices to draw from in all of their shopping channels,? he said. ?Perhaps the lack of this expansive assortment online is one of the reasons Canadian customers have not yet embraced e-commerce quite as quickly as their American counterparts.?

Gap also is exploring e-commerce in Canada and, for now, has a ?pre-shop? website to browse, said spokeswoman Tara Wickwire. The global merchant will not conduct e-business internationally until it is sure it can deliver the level of service that customers expect of its brands, she said.

Still, the report said Canada's e-commerce market is gaining momentum. Considerably more Canadians plan to buy gifts online this holiday season than last year, and a number of chains have launched online stores recently. Even fine jewellery purveyors Tiffany & Co. and Henry Birks & Sons Inc. have an e-commerce presence.

And Sears Canada Inc. has set an example for other major retailers, the report says. Last year it teamed up with Amazon to refashion its site. Even so, Sears' online sales are just an estimated $175-million of the retailer's total annual $6-billion.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...Technology/home

[planetik]

Well if the price of shipping to Canada was lower and if the fear of customs kicking you in the arse when they charge you 30% more wasn't there, I'd buy off ebay more often.

And as to buying off retailer's e-stores, it's not as advanced (or not even existent) as the American counterparts, so no one really cares.

[User6060]

Why buy something and wait for it to come when you can get up off your lazy a*s and buy it and bring it home.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Why buy something and wait for it to come when you can get up off your lazy a*s and buy it and bring it home.

That idea inspired this poll:

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...=524080&st=

I bought everything in-store this year.

[einsteinbqat]

I do online banking and shopping, but when it comes to clothing, I'd rather go to the store. You have to try on clothes before buying to see how they fit you, how you look in them, etc. Clothing is nothing like electronics or banking.

[what]

I only do a bit of online shopping - the occasional purchase from Play.com and eBay and that's it. Everything else I go out of my way to buy in the stores. At least you can check the condition of the goods instore - when it gets delivered, you only know whether it's in perfect working order when you unwrap everything, and it can be a pain to return to get a replacement. And if you discover something is missing in the box after you buy the product instore, it's just a case of showing them the receipt and you'll get your part.

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

i didn't do any online.. and im canadian.. i guess the survey is correct

[Rob2687]

I have never bought anything online before in my life.

[MasterC]

I only buy something online if I can't find the item in stores or it's cheaper. :/

[qdave]

^yep. much more convinient this way really.

[rootwiler]

meh, I buy stuff online all the time.. but I always buy from Canadian stores.. customs at the boarders are B A D

[osirisX]

Not Canadian but oh well =P I do some online shopping. But really for things that I can't find in a store. I dislike having to pay extra for shipping.

[*John*]

Online is just easier and cheaper. I guess i'm just better at anticipating my needs than Canadians, so I dont have to rush out and get things :whistle:

*Warning* may be an attempt to wind up the Canadian posters in this thread.. ;) :shifty:

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Online is just easier and cheaper. I guess i'm just better at anticipating my needs than Canadians, so I dont have to rush out and get things :whistle:

*Warning* may be an attempt to wind up the Canadian posters in this thread.. ;) :shifty:

I don't find it cheaper or easier. You have to wait and hope that it arrives correctly. It's a bit like gambling.

Plus, you have to pay for shipping (even when they offer "free" shipping, the shipping cost is just bundled into the item price).

I just like getting the item the same day and knowing that if it doesn't work correctly I can get it exchanged easily.

[exotoxic]

so what??

[null_]

meh, I buy stuff online all the time.. but I always buy from Canadian stores.. customs at the boarders are B A D

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Joshie]

(even when they offer "free" shipping, the shipping cost is just bundled into the item price).

Anyone who's ever done any price comparisons knows this is just not true. Frequently stuff costs less online than in stores, while still offering free shipping if you spend a certain amount.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

Anyone who's ever done any price comparisons knows this is just not true. Frequently stuff costs less online than in stores, while still offering free shipping if you spend a certain amount.

FutureShop charges the same, online or in-store. The same is true, as far as I can tell, from Chapters/Indigo.

[TokyoKiller]

That idea inspired this poll:

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...=524080&st=

I bought everything in-store this year.

Same, the only thing I bought online was my laptop and that wasn't because I was lazy or anything, it's only because Dell is not available as a retailer store. Even going to a Dell direct store requires the same things you would use at home to buy online (They pretty much just make an online order for you over there.)

I mean, honestly, I am out most of the time so if I need anything I can just get it on my way.

[gigapixels Veteran]

I usually purchase in-store, simply because I want to have it NOW :p

I purchase online when I don't need it so soon (usually computer parts from Newegg, or car electronics from Crutchfield), or if I can't find it in any shops around here, or if the deal online is just that good that it would be stupid to buy it in-store.

But I'm not Canadian, so it doesn't really matter :laugh:

[NienorGT]

When I want something, I want it now. If I have 30min of bus to make to get something now, it's better than pay shipping (if applicable) and wait until tomorrow...

Only PC Parts, this is different, PC stores don't usually hold stock and buying online come interesting but even there, I pay for express shipping... :whistle:

[TokyoKiller]

I usually purchase in-store, simply because I want to have it NOW :p

I purchase online when I don't need it so soon (usually computer parts from Newegg, or car electronics from Crutchfield), or if I can't find it in any shops around here, or if the deal online is just that good that it would be stupid to buy it in-store.

But I'm not Canadian, so it doesn't really matter :laugh:

You can be, it's as easy as applying for immigration and moving here. Then you can join the dark side :shifty: (and our fuutre plans to take over the south :devil:) Not that anything could happen :whistle:

[thagame]

If i buy online its only because i couldnt find it in my city which is rare. so ya i guess thats right for me as well.

[revvo]

I don't find it cheaper or easier. You have to wait and hope that it arrives correctly. It's a bit like gambling.

How is it gambling if online shopping is so successful? It's gambling if you're talking about DOA but as far as receiving the package itself, the company really have to sucks and to be a screwjob to pull this one out. That's why you got sites like bizrate that lets customers review these online stores.

It's gambling if you're not careful when buying online and not using your judgement and get screwed, that's your fault because not every store in town is perfect either.

Yes, there are arguments on how you don't save that much to shop online versus in-store but the selection is much more wide online that you can find anything you need without moving your ass. The best example I use is cellphones and computer hardware. For cellphones, well we always buy unlocked phones for obvious reasons but as far as computers go, whenever I go in a computer store to purchase something, they say they have to "order it from the warehouse" in a way of avoiding restocking fees. Anywho, it takes them as long to receive as it takes me to receive parts from ncix.com which is located in Vancouver, always between 2 to 4 business days.

If I see the same item in-store and online and the prices is just a bit cheaper online, if course I'll buy it in-store and get the item now but the reason I buy online is either

1) I can't find it in stores

2) The price is significantly cheaper

And it happens many times that either of the above pushes me to buy something online.

[Fred Derf Veteran]

How is it gambling if online shopping is so successful? It's gambling if you're talking about DOA but as far as receiving the package itself, the company really have to sucks and to be a screwjob to pull this one out. That's why you got sites like bizrate that lets customers review these online stores.

It's gambling if you're not careful when buying online and not using your judgement and get screwed, that's your fault because not every store in town is perfect either.

I was specifically thinking of DOA or wrong item shipments. What a hassle it would be to have to send it back and wait again. Who would pay for the shipping back to the company? Who would pay for the shipping back to you again?