With Canadian book retailers not dropping their prices to reflect the higher Canadian dollar (yesterday it was $1.04US), my impromptu trip south of the border is fortuitous indeed. My strong dollar will allow me to pick up a stack of titles which back at home would cost me more than 40% more.

And an editorial in Today's Star (of all places) is right here with me:

In a bid to keep consumer anger from ricocheting onto the government, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty summoned the Retail Council of Canada to Ottawa to stress he wanted to see prices reduced to reflect the soaring dollar. What Flaherty got in response was a long list of excuses why Canadian prices must be higher than in the U.S. After failing to get any movement from retailers, the only thing Flaherty could tell buyers was "to shop around and look for discounts. It's important for people to realize there is power to shopping around."

As gratuitous as that advice might sound, it contains much truth. It is consumers who determine which businesses prosper and which ones fail. It was shoppers who forced Eaton's to close its doors for good. And just yesterday, Sears Canada Inc., one of the country's largest retailers, blamed cross-border shopping for part of a 2.9 per cent drop in sales in its last quarter, which ended Sept. 29.

Consumers don't need Flaherty to tell them they can often get American prices on the Internet, or by driving to Buffalo. And where price discrepancies are big enough, that is what they will do.

As an aside, I'm surprised that the Star is touting the market-driven economy. It's not like them to support the consumer in his choices. Oh well, maybe it's a guest editor.

Labels: Books, Economy