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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steel_Wind" data-source="post: 5095571" data-attributes="member: 20741">I'm in Canada, where the competitive environment is very different than in the United States.In the USA, internet store fronts are very much a part of the business environment. The reasons for this are straightforward:1 - Far cheaper sticker "cost" of the product2 - Less and often no sales taxes3 - cheap and fast shipping.If all of those factors were present when buying via the Internet while living in Canada, we'd have a lot less FLGS' in the Toronto area.I expect many of you living in the USA are not aware that outside of the USA -- those same factors which give internet retailing an edge are simply not present. When buying over the internet from Canada, shipping costs are vastly higher.  Sales taxes are never avoided. If the retailer does not charge those sales taxes -- the Canadian government imposes both federal and provincial sales taxes, like it or not.  If shipping is via a private shipper like UPS or FedEX, the brokerage costs for the PRIVILEGE of UPS or FedEx collecting that sales tax is an additional approx. $45 per parcel.Shipping via USPS or Canada Post eliminates most of that "brokerage" fee and reduces it to only $5 per parcel. But shipping is slow. Buy it in the USA via the net, and you get your product in 2-3 days.In Canada? Unless you are buying through Amazon.ca,  (no brokerage costs at all as it is a domestic Canadian retailer) it will take 2-3 weeks to arrive.  Add in all the surcharges, the internet product is usually MORE expensive, too.  Sometimes, a LOT more expensive.Put that all together and it adds up to a simple conclusion: Canadians are far more likely to browse online and buy in a traditional brick and mortar store. Which is exactly what we usually do.  As a consequence, the FLGS is Canada remains a stable and profitable business model. In Toronto, there are many FLGS, but the two in particular which I give my business to continue to sell a very large number of products with good inventory and selection.  Pretty good prices too, for the most part at <a href="http://401games.ca/" target="_blank">401games.ca</a> and the <a href="http://www.hairyt.com/" target="_blank">HairyT</a>. I can't complain and I will continue to give each of them my business in the Toronto area.</blockquote>

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