Cross-border shopping: barely register$
moneyrelations :: Dec.14.2007
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Here’s another reason why you shouldn’t believe in media hype when it isn’t backed up with stats.
Cross-border shopping - we’ve all heard about Canadians taking advantage of our high loonie to do some retail damage in the States. However, a new study by StatsCan reports that the impact on actual sales have been minimal.
Here’s a graph from StatsCan showing the relationship between the exchange rate and same day auto trips.
Notice how the day trips closely tracked the exchange rate up until 2001 - the year of the terrorist attacks. Tighter border security has put a significant damper on shopping in the States, despite the fact that the loonie has appreciated over 40% since 2002.
Okay, so no driving because it’s a hassle to get across the border. How about online sales? Below average for 2007.
Canadians will make the effort to cross the border for cars but the impact is not as high as what was perceived:
While this makes vehicles the fastest-growing segment of cross-border shopping, the dollar amount still represents less than 2% of the vehicles purchased by Canadians in the first nine months of 2007.
Again, this just stresses the importance to question everything and wait for the facts.
And I wouldn’t believe me either so go read the study yourself.
Shopping ::
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Wow, that’s really interesting. I think I’m going to stop reading anything from the media. All they do is spew garbage and lies.
I actually work closely with communications specialists and I realize how carefully crafted each message is to the media.
And reporters or journalists on a slow day is more than happy to take a prepared pulled quote or a sound bite.
Maybe I’m just jaded but I question whether or not there’s a spin.
Haven taken a serious amount of media training in a previous life, I have come to realize that the only thing real in the various types of media is the weather. forecast……and maybe the headline story…but seriously that is it, everything is a spin… do you really trust your graphs? oops hope i didn’t open up a flood of traffic
hi there! thank you for your help! i appreciate it. you made it sound easy…this entrecard thing. is the whole thing, a good idea? are you finding it to help your traffic? what do you find to be the pro/con of it?
am i a pain in the butt?
melissa
@ Paul
You’re just full of surprises. What do you mean my graphs? This particular study or the reports I read in general? I take everything with a grain of salt but I’m not paranoid enough to demand testing methodologies, etc.
Or I might have totally misunderstood your question.
@ melissa
No, my butt is just fine, thanks for asking.
Yes, it helps with traffic and the con is that it takes up space
There’s really nothing much to it, you just drop your card where it says “Drop card”. And you visit other blogs by clicking on their ad. Nothing nefarious about it. Look up your Google Analytics to track your traffic increase.
It’s fun and you meet new blogs and new people so give it a try
My point is that statistics are created and published not for the reasons you think. ¥(0_-)V