Opportunities
in the Canadian Marketplace
Canadian buyers are
within reach.
Canada
is geographically the second largest country in the world. However,
Canadian buyers and target markets are easy to locate. Over 80 percent
of Canada's 26 million population live within 200 miles of the U.S.
border. Of the total population, more than half reside in Toronto
and Montreal. And Winnipeg, the country's third largest city, has
a population greater than the entire state of North Dakota. This concentration
of population in modern, urban centers means that researching markets
and promoting products and services can be concentrated in these key
areas.
Technology, communication
systems and postal systems in these concentrated Canadian markets
are compatible with U.S. systems and are relatively easy to access.
Marketing efforts, such as telemarketing and direct mail, can be implemented
with strategies similar to those of U.S. markets. For example, a service
of the U.S. Postal Service is VALUEPOST/CANADA, an advertising mail
service for direct mail, catalogs and small merchandise samples sent
to Canada. This service connects the U.S. Postal Service and Canada
Post Corporation.
Canadians have a high
standard of living
Canadians
take great pride in their history, culture and standard of living...and
they should. Canadians enjoy one of the world's highest standards
of living. Consider the following:
More than 60 percent of
Canadian families own their own homes. Of those who own their own
homes:
- 98 percent own televisions.
- 99 percent own radios.
- 66 percent own VCRs.
- 99 percent own telephones.
A recent study by the United
Nations rated Canada as the second-best place to live in the world.
This standard of living can be translated into purchasing power of
consumer goods and services. Although income level is not the only
determining factor in a standard of living, people who have a high
standard of living often have the ability to purchase goods and services
to maintain or improve that standard of living.
Canadian business is
good business
Although
there is much discussion about opportunities in markets in far off
places such as the Pacific Rim or South America, Canada still remains
the United States' largest trading partner. U.S. exports to Canada
account for almost two million jobs. Dramatic increases in merchandise
exports to Canada is a growth pattern clearly identified by the U.S.
Department of Commerce.
Further efforts to stimulate
trading across the border have been negotiated by the U.S. and Canadian
governments. The U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and the more
recent North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) remove trade barriers
and tariffs, and provide incentives to do business across the border.
Canadians are also good
customers because of their excellent credit rating. Canadians, as
a whole, have a significantly lower bad debt rate than people from
the United States. This makes Canadian customers, as a whole, a good
risk, especially for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Interest in your product
or service and the ability to pay for products and services makes
Canadian customers a potentially profitable market.
Next
Chapter...
