So FUNNY .... Costco is in the headlines again, and this time it has nothing to do with Joan Rivers. It seems the Costco in Bellingham, Washington, has become exceedingly popular with Canadian shoppers to the dismay of locals who are claiming "gridlock" in the aisles. The store's proximity to the Canadian border means Canadian shoppers need only to drive 21 miles south to take advantage of the exchange rate and lower sales tax. Angry locals have even created a Facebook page, "Bellingham Costco Needs a Special Time Just for Americans" which has received more than 3,000 "Likes." An opponent of the Americans-only plan wrote on the page, "Not only are you giving Costco a bad name, but the entire town of Bellingham. Just be happy your town is busy. There are a lot of places around America that would do anything for patrons to visit their businesses." Good point. Another user offered this proactive peacemaking suggestion: If Costco's so popular, how about it open another location? That way there will surely be enough giant jars of mayonnaise and pallets of cat litter for everyone. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trendin...canadians-shopping-nighborhood-170812607.html
Been there about a month ago, it's all Canadians for sure... LOL Bellingham is earning a lot of money, well stores are at least. Bellingham is the nearest somewhat big city near the border, there's a few smaller cities but there isn't much.
What struck me as a bit of a red flag was the idle comment made by one Canadian woman (at the linked news video), who offered that she saved about $20 - $30 per trip. IMHO, that seems like very little economic incentive. My point is, that the economic pressure of this is dependent on a price differential that is so narrow that it could just as easily dissipate. That town should thank the gods of business that they're getting such good turnouts, US or Canuck. In the blink of an eye it may just as easily evaporate, bearing out the old saw about getting what one wishes for.
Did people really solve all the other problems in the world or something? It seems with all these random bullshit "issues" lately, it's as if they have nothing better or more important to worry about.
I was curious about that too. Groceries are tax-free. Anything other than that, you would save 5.5% in terms of tax. Since Washington sales tax is 6.5% and PST+GST is 12% for BC. I'm assuming that applies to gas as well. However, its 40 miles one-way to the Costco. That's 80 miles both ways, about 129 km. Add the time it takes to wait to cross the border and gas burned idling during that time, I'm not sure its worth it. It seems like a lot of effort for the meager savings. Also, I might be mistaken but milk in the US has rBGH (bovine growth hormone) whereas it isn't allowed here in Canada. Why make a trip just to buy hormone laced milk just for a $2 difference...
The problem is that people don't realize that the amount they think they're saving gets nullified in the end. It irks me when, for example, people drive tens of kilometres to a gas station, simply because gas is cheaper by a few cents. Those few cents that's "saved" is basically nullified by the trip (exactly what you were saying). It's just short-sightedness. It's basically the reason why when there's a "sale" of any kind, unless it's a colossal sale, it'll get compensated elsewhere. Hence the power of marketing.
Pro- Americanism is really going a bit far these days. Who cares who shops there as long as the people are orderly and don't cause any problems? The US needs ANY boost to their economy anyway.
