The full range of businesses in British Columbia, Canada, are nervous, cutting prices to their U.S. equivalent to keep shoppers from crossing the border.
But the pull of bargains south is strong.
With the Canadian dollar having strengthened against the U.S. dollar during in recent months, many shoppers from north of the border are looking to Snohomish County for bargain buys. As of Friday, the Canadian dollar was worth $1.02 U.S.
“We certainly have seen an increase in Canadian visitors,” said Amy Spain, executive director of the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau.
Snohomish County has seen a gradual swell of Canadians during the past five years. Some numbers are tracked through hotels, stores and retail centers as people use their credit cards. Reports are produced with information that shows the ZIP codes of where visitors are coming from, Spain said.
Canadian customers have always been part of the strategy for Seattle Premium Outlets on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. They do not have to be convinced to come to the mall, said Michele Rothstein, spokeswoman for the outlets. “That train has left the station.”
The mall has had an ongoing presence in print and broadcast advertising in Vancouver, B.C.
“We opened at midnight the day after Thanksgiving,” Rothstein said. “The number of people from Canada at 10 and 11 at night was just phenomenal.”
Rothstein said it has been the mall’s job to position itself in the minds of shoppers. Given the exchange rate, people traveling to Seattle Premium Outlets are getting a double bargain: first the strength of the Canadian dollar, then the mall’s outlet prices.
“We are seeing a nice bump right now,” Rothstein said.
Those traveling from British Columbia to Tulalip come in cars and in tour groups. Seattle Premium Outlets works with a handful of tour bus companies who bring shoppers to the mall. Making a reservation is easy for Canadians. They can do it online or by phone.
When those coming to the mall for a shopping excursion sign up for the VIP Shopper Club, e-mail registrations with Canadian addresses are logged in making tracking easy.
Some area hotels are offering shopper packages. The Hampton Inn and Suites in Lynnwood has a two-night outlet shopper special. Visitors receive a $50 shopping spree at Seattle Premium Outlets, a tote bag with extra coupons for the mall, a hot breakfast, and an evening reception beginning at $156.
The Snohomish County Tourism Bureau has an October through May off-season discount lodging program that is marketed in Canada.
The bureau conducted research of 530 past participants of a rooms-at-par program, which offers a discounted rate to Canadians, and 408 participants who were a general sampling of British Columbia residents who had visited Snohomish County. The rooms-at-par visitors stayed an average of about two nights while the general population stayed about one night on average.
Shopping was top of the list for activities, visiting the Tulalip Casino was next, and the rooms-at-par visitors spent double the amount while here.
Canadian visitors to Snohomish County can go to onto roomsatpar.com to check out overnight stays. They also receive an Amtrak coupon for a free companion ticket. “The loonie just goes much further,” Rothstein said. “Anywhere the Canadian is shopping in the U.S. is good.”
Christina Harper is a local freelance writer. She can be reached at harper@heraldnet.com.
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