Cross-Border Shopping

[Pam R]

A couple of weeks ago I spent a few days in Minnesota and North Dakota. I generally do this once every few months. The main purpose of the weekend away (other than rest) was to go grocery shopping.

Two reasons for my frequent border-crossing shopping trips are:

• Kosher products are in abundance in the US and scarce in Canada.
  
• Many (but not all) things are less expensive on the other side.
  

With the value of the Canadian $ on the rise, apparently Manitobans are flocking to the US in numbers that haven't been seen in years. In fact, there were several articles about this issue in the local paper this morning.

Eggs cost more than $1/dozen less in the US. Aluminium pans, made in Canada, cost almost double north of the border. I bought some dried cherries for about half of what I pay here. In the article a store manager from Grand Forks, ND said that they check the calendar for Canadian long weekends to make sure they stock up on certain items (like Bush's baked beans).

Who else is crossing over to the other side?

What great food deals have you found?

[Saara]

Who else is crossing over to the other side?

What great food deals have you found?

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We do, but going the other way! Unfortunately we're not allowed to bring much back so we pig out a bit up in BC.

We'll usually hit a couple of bakeries right away for some lovely tarts (for him) and sausage rolls and meat pies (for me). We also stop at any interesting markets, import food shops, and whatever else strikes our fancy. It can be hit and miss, but it's fun.

We don't usually plan our trips and visits since we just follow our whims, but we normally end up with bakery treats, breads, imported jams and other condiments, cheeses and sometimes some interesting wines or ciders to bring home. Customs limits us to those "safe" foods so I tend to stuff myself with sausages and hams while there.

Not terribly exotic, I suppose, but it's different for us.

[CaliPoutine]

I cross a couple times a month( if not more) over to Michigan using the Blue Water Bridge( $35.00CAD for 20 tokens( 10 trips). I normally just go for the day. I have my choice of Kroger or Meijer. I usually check both grocery store ads online before making the trip.

I have my own personal chef business so I know my prices pretty well. The main items I always buy in MI are. Chicken breasts( bone in, .89-1.29lb), 1 gallon of milk(4L) 1.88-1.99, cheese( shredded and blocks, 1 dollar for 8 oz). Ricotta and Michigan brand cottage cheese. Philly cream cheese too.

I'll also buy ice cream( in the winter) Ben and Jerry's and Hagen Daz is a lot cheaper.

Additionally, I'll buy a lot of toilitries over there too( Target rocks!!). I've only lived in Ontario for 2 1/2 years. Moving from California has been a major culture shock. I used to visit multiple Target stores a couple times a week( they have the best clearance).

I also have a po box there and I get my food magazines sent there. I send out US mail when I go to the states as well, and I fill up my car.

In fact, tomorrow I'm getting my new back brakes on my Spouse's car. Its 150.00 cheaper there than here.

[Pam R]

We do, but going the other way! Unfortunately we're not allowed to bring much back so we pig out a bit up in BC.

I've never thought about what Americans could bring back with them. Are there lots of restrictions?

I have my own personal chef business so I know my prices pretty well.  The main items I always buy in MI are.  Chicken breasts( bone in, .89-1.29lb), 1 gallon of milk(4L) 1.88-1.99, cheese( shredded and blocks, 1 dollar for 8 oz).  Ricotta and Michigan brand cottage cheese.  Philly cream cheese too. 

I'll also buy ice cream( in the winter) Ben and Jerry's and Hagen Daz is a lot cheaper. 

Do you ever have problems at the border? Most grocery items are duty/tax free, but there are exceptions - specifically dairy, eggs, meats. I once had to pay a few dollars per litre of whipping cream. Now, I'm quite careful about what I bring back.

[snowangel]

Pam, as we head north or south from our cabin which is just south of International Falls (sometime considered a twin city of Fort Frances, Ontario), we are often amazed at the pick-ups we see with Ontario plates heading north with appliances and boxes in the back end and bags and more boxes in the cab, wedged between the Mr. and the Mrs. Has led us to believe that prices here are much better. On the rare occasion that we've gone to International Falls, it seems as there are almost as many cars sporting Ontario plates in the grocery store parking lots as Minnesota ones.

[Daniel]

We did this only once.. But we drove up from NYC to Montreal..There we bought Ice Wine, Raw Milk Cheese, cigars, and duck products... Still have some foie left from about a year ago..

[chickenlady]

We live in a rural community only 10 miles from the border, so I travel from upstate NY to Canada at least every couple of months. Even with the weak dollar, most of the high-end specialty products are much cheaper in Montreal than what I can buy here, if they are even available. I also tend to buy fruits & vegetables, but you do have to be careful at the border--there is a whole list of restrictions on what can and can't be brought in and one of my shopping partners does not have a poker face. There is also a butcher shop just over the border that lots of the locals frequent for pork products.

Around town, there are definitely lots of Canadians coming south to shop. Probably 20% of the license plates in the local grocery stores' parking lots are from Quebec.

[eJulia]

one of my shopping partners does not have a poker face

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This absolutely cracked me up!!!

Can you imagine needing a "face' to smuggle - OMG - butter across the border!!

What is wrong with this world when bringing locally grown and priced vegies is illegal???

[Saara]

I've never thought about what Americans could bring back with them. Are there lots of restrictions?

Yes, lots.

US Customs Food restrictions

For me the major annoyance is the meat restriction since there is a greater variety of interesting sausages up there. Before 9/11, I used to "smuggle" meats back, but I've stopped that. We've actually stopped visiting as often as we used to since the crossing takes so much longer now. With the boat moored in Blaine, dinner used to be an easy visit over to White Rock.

If we get to take a major sailing vacation, we do spend that in the Gulf Islands. We've been boarded by the Border Patrol on return before, but they weren't interested in the contents of our cooler. I don't worry about it so much then for some reason.

Either way, I will continue to cross back and forth with my meat-filled dog food regardless of all the mad cows and sniffly chickens.

[CaliPoutine]

We do, but going the other way! Unfortunately we're not allowed to bring much back so we pig out a bit up in BC.

I've never thought about what Americans could bring back with them. Are there lots of restrictions?

I have my own personal chef business so I know my prices pretty well.  The main items I always buy in MI are.  Chicken breasts( bone in, .89-1.29lb), 1 gallon of milk(4L) 1.88-1.99, cheese( shredded and blocks, 1 dollar for 8 oz).  Ricotta and Michigan brand cottage cheese.   Philly cream cheese too.  

I'll also buy ice cream( in the winter) Ben and Jerry's and Hagen Daz is a lot cheaper. 

Do you ever have problems at the border? Most grocery items are duty/tax free, but there are exceptions - specifically dairy, eggs, meats. I once had to pay a few dollars per litre of whipping cream. Now, I'm quite careful about what I bring back.

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knock wood, I've never had a problem. I know the restrictions, sometimes I exceed them, but not that often. One time right before Canadian Thanksgiving I was asked if I had any turkey's and I did not. ( you can have 1 per person)

[Pam R]

I've exceeded the limits on certain things more than once - usually you just have to pay duty. Occasionally they'll confiscate it. I'm very careful these days.

I remember a story that a friend of ours once told us. He was crossing the MB/ND border and had a whole cooler of food (he was driving to Chicago and kept kosher, so he had supplies to last him the whole drive). The border guard went through his car, checking everything. He got to the cooler full of food for the day and refused to let him take much of it into the country. So at about 10 AM, rather than leaving his food behind him, he sat at the border and ate his sandwich (containing meat) and his oranges and had an early lunch!

It actually really annoys me. I sell a lot of Kedem grape juice. When I was strolling through Sam's Club last time I was down, they had a 3-pack of juices for just a little more than I pay wholesale for one! I'm not sure where the price is going up - but it doesn't seem right.

[Pam R]

The Canadian dollar is approaching parity with the greenback, and now those lower prices in the US are even lower. It's always nice to find a food product for a dollar or two less -- heck, even saving 50 cents isn't so bad.

But here's where I can't understand the disparity in the price of a product on the two sides of the border -- and I'm hoping to take advantage of it.

I've been working on a cookbook and realize that it's time to purchase a stand mixer for my home kitchen. I've been busy and haven't had a lot of time to do my research, but a simple comparison between a few websites was all it took to see that the price gap is huge.

For example, if you look at the KitchenAid Pro 600 (6 qt) mixer, it's listed on many US sites (Target, Sears, etc.) for $399 US. The same mixer in Canada is listed for $699 CDN (or $729 at sears.ca). So, the dollar is almost par with the greenback, I only have to pay 5% sales tax in North Dakota vs. 13% up here - I know where I'm buying my mixer.

Another good example is cookbooks. You see the price differences all the time. A book will sell for $24.95 CND or $19.95 US.

So it's time to revisit this topic. Anybody else taking advantage of the value of the dollar to shop for food, books or appliances in the US?

[wattacetti]

I have been routinely doing this this year. Acquisitions so far include various All-Clad and Calphalon One pans, OXO corn zippers, Shun knives, potato ricer. Also buy a lot of computer gear (e.g. brand-name 750 GB external hard disks can be had for $129). Not much activity on the cookbook front: I usually get those from Amazon.ca since the associated shipping cost generally kills off an US-based savings.

Don't do food: hard to carry on an airplane.

I try and support local retailers even though Canadian pricing is higher. However, Best Buy is on both sides of the border (and they own Future Shop) so the computer side's essentially irrelevant. For cooking-related materials I really despise the owners of the two local major kitchen supply shops so I'm more than happy to not give them my money. The restaurant supply houses are okay for some of the things I need, but I'm generally not in the market for an 80 gallon stock pot.

I do continue to mail-order from D.A. Niels in your neck of the woods (they're nice).

[prasantrin]

Question about cross-border shopping, for those of you who have a US-based p.o. box, did you have to go to the UPS or Mail Boxes Etc. in person to set it up, or can it be done online or via fax?

I've been browsing their websites, and it only says to contact the individual stores. I'm thinking of doing a one-time pick up when I head to the US this summer. I think it's time I got a stand mixer!

Edited February 9, 2008 by prasantrin (log)

[sanrensho]

Question about cross-boarder shopping, for those of you who have a US-based p.o. box,

This might not answer your question, but the place that I use (just across the border in Washington) is a dedicated mailing service.

You phone them up, give them your name and telephone number, and they call you when a package comes in. No P.O. box, just their physical address.

[prasantrin]

Question about cross-boarder shopping, for those of you who have a US-based p.o. box,

This might not answer your question, but the place that I use (just across the border in Washington) is a dedicated mailing service.

You phone them up, give them your name and telephone number, and they call you when a package comes in. No P.O. box, just their physical address.

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UPS and Mail Boxes use physical addresses, too. At least from what I can tell...

I remember hearing about a service that would collect all your packages for you, then repackage them and forward them to any address outside the US. I wonder if there's a company that does that!

[CaliPoutine]

I went to Port Huron and set up my mail box at the UPS store. I pay 22.00 a month for it. They do have a service where you can have a package sent to them( in your name, with their address) and when you pick it up you pay $10.00 per package. Obviously, this is only worthwhile if you rarely get packages. I order lots of stuff thru amazon.com and I get 4 US based food magazines.

[Pam R]

Rona, I don't know the answer, but in Grand Forks, the post office is right by Columbia Mall -- (Click here for PO box locations and phone numbers and prices in GF). Or, there's one in Pembina, a couple of blocks from Hwy #29, but I can't tell if they have PO boxes.

I just tried phoning the Grand Forks post office to ask about setting one up from here (or there) - nobody there today. I can try again on Monday.

[CaliPoutine]

Btw, UPS and Fed Ex won't deliver to PO Box's. They'll only deliver to street adresses which is why I got my box at the UPS store.

[sanrensho]

UPS and Mail Boxes use physical addresses, too.  At least from what I can tell...

Sorry, I should have been clearer. The service that I use does not use PO boxes--all shipments are sent to their street address in my name. This circumvents the issue of certain carriers not delivering to PO boxes. BTW, the service I use only charges per shipment received in my name. No monthly or other charges at all.

Where is your desired pick-up point? Maybe you can post in the closest regional forum.

Edited February 9, 2008 by sanrensho (log)

[prasantrin]

I was thinking of picking up in Minneapolis (I always pass by Grand Forks, but I never ever stop there...not even at a Target!). I know both UPS and Mailboxes Etc. can be found in MSP, and UPS has a branch relatively close to where we usually stay. $10/shipment is quite a lot if I order more from more than two places, though. I'll give the UPS closest to our usual hotel a call to ask for more details, then if I don't like what they offer, I'll ask in the Heartland forum. If I can just do a one-month rental and sign-up for it off-site, I'll probably go with them. $22 for one month isn't so bad. Even if I only order three packages, it would still be cheaper than paying duty into Canada, or paying for shipping to Japan.

Thanks for all the help!

[CaliPoutine]

Rona,

You might want to ask the hotel if you can have your package sent there!! That might be cheaper( ie: free) in the long run. As long as you know where you're staying ahead of time.

Btw, my mail box place used to be Mail Boxes etc, but UPS took them over so now its the UPS store. They also have a 3 month minimum on rentals.