Indigo set to launch revamped website By MARINA STRAUSS, Globe and Mail (Oct 28, 2004) Indigo intends to take on Amazon.ca. Watch for new site launch in the beginning of November.
Andrew Goodman hits the nail on the head about e-commerce in Canada -- he would buy online if he could. It's faster and easier than driving to the mall. But if you are outside the United States, the shipping and customs costs are monstrous. When will the shopping engines figure out that people can't buy if no one will ship to them? Tall Orders from North of the Border Traffick.com (Sep 8)
They Don't Get It (Yet): A Look Back at the Rude Awakening that Was SES
By Andrew Goodman. Traffick (Aug 20) - Goodman reports on the success of the Search Engines Strategies Conference held in Toronto May 11-12. In spite of poor coverage by media, the conference was well attended. Goodman has some suggestions for the press and for Canadian businesses - basically to get with the program - "If Canadian businesses large and small are about 12-18 months behind in their adoption of paid search marketing tactics, some purported tech industry pundits need to be held accountable for their lack of vision. "
Canada finally has an online service for renting movies on DVD. It's called VHQonline.ca. Price is $19.95 / month for as many movies as you wish and you can keep a revolving library of 3 titles. Movies are delivered by mail. There is a free 2 week trial and some bargains.
Traditional travel firms caught in Web By KEITH McARTHUR Globe and Mail Update (May 12) More Canadians are buying travel online. At the end of 2003, 46% of ecommerce sales in Canada was from travel. In the USA it is 44%. This means harder times for travel agents. Talk of the Town in Toronto responded by opening its own web site -- http://talkofthetowntravel.com/ -- with information and booking for flights, packages, and insurance.
More information about online spending in On-line spending up 20% By TERRY WEBER Globe and Mail Update (May 11)
On-line purchases flat by Jack Kapica. Globe and Mail (Jan 20) - Canadians are still not going online to shop. In the US, shopping jumped 30% over the Christmas time. In Canada, there was a slight drop in total dollars from $990 million in 2002 holiday season to $972 million in 2003. As to cause -- "Mr. Ferneyhough [Ipsos-Reid vice-president ] blames several different factors for the drop. The decrease in average spending, combined with the lack of an increase in the incidence of on-line shopping, a plateau of Internet access in Canada and an increase in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar all contributed to a lack of increased on-line spending during the holiday season by Canadians, he said."
Not mentioned is that it is not easy to shop online in Canada. There are a few well known stores - Chapters, Amazon, Canadian Tire, Future Shop etc. Chapters is not reliable for meeting deliveries (speaking from personal experience). Canadian Tire and Future Shop have limited stock. But the biggest holdback (imo) is that there is no comparison shopping engine or for that matter, directory site, where one can comprehensively search stores that are in Canada. It is not easy to find the stores or the products.
Window shopping without the walk Globe and Mail (Dec 10) More Canadians are going online to shop - or at least to scout around. Comscore Media Metrix Canada found that more than 15.1 million people visited retailers in October, an increase of 13.6% than last year. People are spending more time and looking at more pages.
"Among the traditional retailers that saw visitor growth rise were Ikea.ca (137.8 per cent), HBC.com (82.6 per cent) and Futureshop.ca (47.3 per cent). Other retailers, such as Canadian Tire, Sears, Chapters, saw double-digit growth."
Many sites have free shipping this holiday season - Indigo, Amazon.ca, Future SHop, Canadian Tire, Sears.
Amazon.ca broadens Web site with used goods marketplace by Marina Strauss. Globe and Mail (Nov 5) - Canadian shoppers will be able to buy and sell used goods at Amazon.ca as can be done at Amazon.com. It's expected to shake up online retailing. Good.