Sunday Shopping

New Sunday Shopping Rules

Today marks the first day of the new shopping rules. The only party to campaign on opening up the law for local governments in Manitoba to decide was the provincial Liberals. The NDP and the Progressive Conservatives wouldn't touch the issue with a barge poll so as not to offend their base supporters in the unions and traditionalists and the religious respectively.

This is the problem of do nothing government and political parties beholden to their major funders. Neither the NDP or Progressive Conservatives wanted to act on this issue. None of them acted on behalf of the consumer.

So why did the law change? Well, it seems obvious that Manitoba having the toughest Sunday shopping laws in North America was not starting to damage the economy in the province. Also, with a bad news budget, the NDP were hoping to do add something that would be appealing to consumers in the province. The unions acted shocked and angry as to be expected.

The NDP have always done things half heartedly on the issue. It seems to stoke huge controversy with right and left incredibly angry about in 1987. What we ended up with at the time was the most miserable of laws that restricted large stores to four employees. However, once the law was enacted, people found it was convenient and useful.

The restrictions the NDP thought needed to be put in place were totally unworkable. They allowed Safeway to be open but with only four employees. It was an out and out catastrophe. Osborne Village Safeway was overrun and employees couldn't handle it.  They got in trouble just for hiring a security guard for their packed parking lot as that was counted as more than four people.

The NDP government of the day acted helpless to to do anything about the mess they created. Obviously, the law was changed in later years if for no other reason than it was unworkable.

And so Manitoba had the same old law from Noon to 6 with only minor changes over the years.

No nothing government until the province is the last one left behind. The two big parties not speaking on behalf of consumers.

However, is it all abut the consumer? No. This is a vital economic issue. The NDP has had ample evidence over many years on the impact of Sunday shopping. The British study back in 2006 showed  the increases in economic activity and impacts on various elements.

Robert Warren said the incremental changes were needed and the NDP acted smartly. As brilliant as the man is, he can be wrong as noted by his belief that Ikea would never come to Winnipeg. He had solid evidence the big retailer's past actions made them an unlikely candidate for the city but ultimately he was wrong. Ikea had such solid sales in the province catalogue-wise and were missing sales left and and right due to not being able to ship certain products. It didn't take long for the company to consider the possibilities of what a store would be like and they didn't just put a tentative toe in. The store is a giant.

With respect to Mr. Warren, his thoughts that the malls need to be kept in check with some restrictions belies the fact that where no restrictions are in place, retailers often limit their own hours anyway. No doubt he has the same economic impact studies as I have seen but Manitoba is a special case? I can't agree.

The changes to the act allowing for 9 to 6 shopping will be appreciated by those who are standing in lone line ups at noon to pick up items at the store. I have been in those lines. Not fun. I have worked Saturdays for much of my life. I can't always get some grocery items other times. Sometimes Sunday was a good day for the family to get together to do household shopping since more people were likely to have the time off.

A Free Press column on Sunday shopping ended up stating that some Sunday shopping amounts to a  personal failure somehow. A tenuous link to Sunday shopping and debt is made. I guess you can make that link if you want. I guess you can make the link between Sunday restaurants and obesity too. Or Sunday football and divorce. Or Sunday newspapers and depression.

I think the reproval of some people on Sunday shopping will not change. Nor will do nothing government beholden to special interests to change the law only when the damage is evident to looking at the stream of traffic heading south or shopping online.

The NDP government has a problem in this province with an exodus of shoppers. Their timid response is insufficient. Some stores like Menard's are the busiest in the U.S. in part because of their actions. The pick-ups at the border because of their inaction grow and grow.

Who speaks for the consumers of this province? Why are we at the back of the pack always and forever? The people saying moving slowly is good on this issue don't seem to realize the house is on fire.

Let retailers set their own times.

Winnipeg Makes U.S. National News - Cross Border Shopping

A weekend Grand Fork Herald story went national in USA Today about cross border shipments from stores such as Lowe's Home Improvement and Menard's. It was reported here on my blog quite some time ago abour how Menard's advertises in Winnipeg and ships so regularly that trucks leave at least twice daily bringing goods to Manitoba. Lowe's Home Improvement is now doing the same. And product shipped from Grand Forks in spreading out across Canada via Winnipeg.

From the Herald:

Shoppers from Manitoba have a tendency to travel far from home for a good deal, but their bargain-seeking is particularly evident when it comes buying things for their homes.

“At least once a day, maybe twice,” is how often Chris Nero, store manager at the Grand Forks Menards, said he has a truck delivering purchases north of the border. “We keep getting busier with Canadians every day.”

While many big retailers in the Grand Forks area draw crowds of Canadian shoppers, home improvement and building supply stores such as Menards and Lowe’s have been especially popular with travelers prepared to spend large sums for big projects and willing to go a long way for the savings available here.

“You see a lot of trailers in parking lots,” said Sandy Dobmeier, visitor services manager for the Greater Grand Forks Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has heard of cases in which shoppers could get a savings of $5,000 by shopping in the United States.

In an otherwise downbeat budget, the federal government under Stephen Harper allowed for ever greater amounts to be able to brought in duty-free from visits to the U.S. Many Winnipeggers are taking advantage of this and buying right up to $800 under the new rules.

And deliveries from the U.S. increase all the time.

From the Herald:

Menards has offered delivery service to Canada since 2007. Lowe’s began offering it in 2011 and makes two or three deliveries a month.

Even with the added cost of delivery, which the stores declined to provide, the savings are still an incentive for people to spend their money in the United States and ship their purchases home.

“They’re telling us the products they’re purchasing in Winnipeg is sometimes twice and even three times what they’re paying here,” said Melissa Bartak, assistant store manager for Lowe’s in Grand Forks.

A banner hangs near the entrance of the store informing Canadian shoppers of the delivery service. Lowe’s also places fliers advertising delivery at some area hotels.
The Grand Forks Lowe’s is the chain’s first store to offer delivery to Canada, and it trucks goods beyond Manitoba. The chain could eventually expand deliveries to other stores near the border, according to Bartak.

“We’ve gone as far west as Alberta and as far east as Nova Scotia,” she said. “It’s been a really good start to the program.”

However, even without the staying a few days, Winnipeggers are taking advantage of U.S. prices, selection and service. For example, free shipping from many companies within the U.S. has created a huge border warehousing program. In many towns just over the border, Canadians use a post box to receive goods. It has become such a huge industry in the U.S. that the Canadian government really needs to look at what they can do to make things better in Canada. Likewise, Canadian businesses sometimes find it useful to drive down to the States to use cheaper postal delivery service there.

Even the steady economy in Manitoba and more home starts has done nothing to mitigate people's desire to buy in the States for a variety of items.

From the Herald:

The Grand Forks Menards is not the only Menards to make cross-border deliveries, but the service has helped make it one of the top stores in the nation, Nero said.
“We’ve been up as far as Thompson and The Pas,” he said.

Both towns are in the middle of Manitoba’s northern region.

Like other cross-border retail in Grand Forks, the demand for home improvement goods is based in part on prices, usually lower in the United States because of Canada’s higher tax rates. But it is also based on the selection of retailers and a building boom in Manitoba.

“We are in a very aggressive new housing market now,” said Mike Moore, president of the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association.

Housing starts in Winnipeg were the highest in 25 years in 2011, he said, and are poised to set another record this year.

While the Home Depot has stores in Manitoba, including four in Winnipeg, Lowe’s and Menards have not followed.

“There’s always been a history of do-it-yourselfers always going down to Lowe’s or Menards,” Moore said. “It’s a store you don’t have so you want to go there.”

Moore also acknowledged that price differences could be large between the two countries, and that reports of prices in the United States being 50 percent lower than in Canada were believable.

“There’s no doubt our taxes are higher,” he said.

If this has the Harper government worried, they haven't shown any sign of it. The higher Canadian dollar hasn't seemed to have the effect of lowering prices on as many goods as Canadians would like. And they are showing their disgust by shopping down in the States. Some people have mentioned that it is the taxes that make the difference. That is a bit of a cop out. We pay higher prices even in Alberta which has no provincial sales tax. The 50 percent margin mentioned in the article is simply not just taxes but the fact that companies in Canada have higher margins.

From the Herald:

Nero and Bartak said their Canadian customers buy everything from kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, windows, doors, flooring and lumber. For projects that add up to four and five digits, 50 percent off is enough of an incentive to travel to North Dakota, even with the added cost of shipping.

“It’s still worth it,” Nero said. “And I think they like to come down and get a motel and go out to eat.”

The Grand Forks Herald article got noticed nationally. The fact that Grand Forks Menards is the busiest in the U.S. because of Canada is a wake up call.

Our provincial and federal governments have hung the "Gone Fishin'" sign up and won't rouse themselves till Fall. Meanwhile business is drifting south fast.

Forever 21 Open in Winnipeg

One of my posts consistently sees traffic. It is the one where I talked about Forever 21 coming to Winnipeg months ago. It continues to see traffic now. As many with young kids know, the store finally opened on March 12 in Polo Park. At 38,000 feet, it is the largest of the chain's Canadian stores and only slightly smaller than its largest U.S. cousin. For Polo Park, the store's arrival has been a Godsend in that it must have seemed daunting about how they were going to fill Safeway's space after the store de-camped to Madison Square.

The store's early morning opening drew the largest crowd in Polo Park's history. Hundreds and hundreds lined up to get into the store.

Now, to be clear, Forever 21 is just a store. It isn't the second coming. However, like Ikea, Forever 21 is a highly sought out store by shoppers. It becomes a "destination" store capable of attracting people from a larger region than just the city where the store is located.

This should not be a mystery to anyone about how this happens. Most people know that when Upper Fort Garry was set up, it became a destination for trade.

And yet some who works in the halls of power seem mystified about this and other stores that can draw a crowd. We can't rely strictly on mall managers to seek out top retailers or restaurants to set up shop in the city. It is a business like any other and development agencies within the province should be going to them and making a case for their opening a store in the city. In this it is no different than when the agencies seeks out manufacturers or head offices to locate to the city and province.

Cabela's started off as a purchase of S.I.R. in Winnipeg. It is now the head office, warehouse and first store for the company in Canada.

Winnipeg has not been all to successful attracting head offices or big manufacturers in the last years. Or if they have, it certainly has been below the radar.

City and provincial officials should be making a shopping list of restaurants and stores and seek to bring them to to city. Menards would be a good start. To that end, they should find people who don't look bewildered when you say Forever 21.

My Biggest Posts of 2010

It is sometimes amazing what ends up as being the most viewed posts on this blog:

Martha Stewart Gets Too Close To Polar Bear
Nov 6, 2010, 2 comments

1,066 Pageviews

Week after week and into its second month, this little parody of Martha Stewart's visit to Churchill, Manitoba gets the most visits.

Menards Coming To Winnipeg - Sort Of
Nov 24, 2010, 2 comments

745 Pageviews

The interest in Menard's store and Winnipeg is intense. The day they decide to open a store in Winnipeg will likely cause hysteria. Cats will fall out of trees and dogs will turn rabid in the mouth.

Black and White Police Cars
Jul 5, 2010, 1 comment

532 Pageviews

Thoughts on black and white police cars and the choice of the Winnipeg Police on the their new design drew world-wide attention. Who knew that black and white police cars were so popular?

Great Canadian Talk Show Ended... Shock
Nov 8, 2010, 2 comments

426 Pageviews

Think many people were a little stunned when The Great Canadian Talk Show was cancelled. Public affairs radio is a little bit lesser today for it.

Adrenaline Adventures To Open In Headingley
Nov 28, 2010, 2 comments

353 Pageviews

I think initially there was not a lot of recognition for how well this recreation venue would be regarded. It hasn't even been open a week and I get visits to hear more about it.

Fun Questions for the candidates for Charleswood-T...
Jul 16, 2010

232 Pageviews

Not sure why this post gets hit so many times even after the election. I think it may be how Google displays certain pages when someone looks for the blog. During the election though I tried to focus on Charleswood as much as possible. In the end, it was one of the closest ward races all night.

New York Times Manitoba Immigration Article
Nov 14, 2010

208 Pageviews

There was quite a bit of interest in this New York Time article when it came out on Manitoba immigration.

The Great Canadian Talk Show - National Post Story...
Nov 17, 2010

184 Pageviews

More interest in The Great Canadian Talk Show and the National Post article that revealed additional information.

Menards - Deliveries to Winnipeg
Dec 6, 2010

179 Pageviews

I received many questions about Menard's and their deliveries to Winnipeg. I actually called Grand Forks and got this information.

Corner Cars
Jul 15, 2010

176 Pageviews

There was some interest in this story from the States about corner cars and how people were giving up car ownership in exchange for car access in some cities.

It is hard to say what will be the most viewed posts for 2011. I suspect the provincial election might have a few posts. However, it is often the unexpected post that has the most interest.

Menards - Delivery Options

A reader has indicated that his company also receives deliveries of Menards products that can be picked up at a Winnipeg warehouse.

KND Marketing makes deliveries every two to three weeks to their warehouse at 60 DeBaets Street. Their website is up now and you can probably find out more about the products they are already stocking and intend to stock in the city in the future, most likely April.

It seems that there might be a few choices out there to look for Menards products and delivery to Winnipeg. Check them out and see if they work for you.

Menards - Deliveries to Winnipeg

I contacted Menards about their delivery service to Winnipeg and got a reply today.

For Manitobans wishing to order from the U.S., the store is making a delivery through Canada Cartage of Winnipeg once a week. Not everything will available for order. They are not sending items that won't fit on a pallet such as drywall or lumber using this service.

However, if someone is ordering something such a windows, they are the perfect item for delivery. By way of example, four windows fit on one pallet and the charge will be $50 for the delivery plus whatever duties that might be on the items. And don't forget the costs of the windows themselves. Get your calculator out. Even after those costs, the discount Menards is known for might make it worthwhile.

Canada Cartage is at 47 Gomez Street. The products are shipped from Grand Forks, North Dakota to their terminal in Winnipeg. The warehouse in Winnipeg has white glove service as well that will deliver the product to your home or job site. The additional cost for that is about $55 and rises if the shipment is outside of Winnipeg. They deliver Monday through Friday from 8 to 5.

As many people have noticed, Menards is putting their flyers in Winnipeg papers. It notes right on the front page that they are making deliveries. It is best to speak to their store and delivery people direct to ensure that you know all the products and fees available.

The number to call is 701-795-4796.

I asked about Menards opening a store in Winnipeg and was told that the company is looking very closely at the demand from the city and it is not going unnoticed. Much like how Cabela's and IKEA saw the demand in the province, Menards could feasibly open a store in Winnipeg.

Note to Winnipeg's tall foreheads in business and government: Call the Menard family and invite them to the city pronto.

Menards Coming To Winnipeg - Sort Of

I noticed a Menards ad insert in the paper a little while back. I don't think it is the first time either. Manitobans are frequent shoppers at this large scale hardware store in Grand Forks and Fargo. In fact, I would hazard a guess that the store may have been the first experience of a big box format that many a person from the province had.

On CBC tonight, the news indicated that the our friends to the south are expecting a huge onslaught with the U.S. Thanksgiving Black Friday sales. One of the places expected to do well is Menards.

Menards has announced that they will be opening a service center in Winnipeg to received shipped goods from their Grand Forks operation. The cost of purchasing items is about a 40% discount on what Canadians usually pay. It is not surprising that 30% of the customers at Menards in Grand Forks are from Manitoba.

I would do one better. Perhaps it is time for the an invitation from the bigwigs in government and business for Menards to open a full store and distribution center in the city. Perhaps it is time to join their fellow compatriots from Cabela's in setting up shop.