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There are legal reasons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon.com_controversies#Canadian_site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon.com_controversies#Canadi...

by msg 15y ago

graeme 15y ago
That covers books. But amazon.ca also lacks the non-book products that are so plentiful on amazon.com I had assumed it was for import/distribution reasons, but I'd be interested to find out the real reason. The Canadian site now tends to have all the books the US site has.
- msg 15y ago
  Sorry for the lameness of this reference, but I think it covers the essential. If Amazon wanted to open a physical business in Canada, it would require Canadian partners that it might not have or want. "The bottom line: If you are a non-Canadian who wants to open a business in Canada, you will have to immigrate to Canada or find one or more Canadians to team up with." http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/startup/f/Non-Canadians-How-to-Open-a-Business-in-Canada.htm http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/startup/f/Non-Canadians-How...
  - int3rnaut 15y ago
    Yep, it has to do with Canadian law and the desire to retain a Canadian Cultural identity (thus we protect our Cultural industries). I don't think that applies any more though--or at least since 2010 when Amazon was permitted to open up a local shipping distribution center by essentially buying out our cultural protection laws with a couple tens of million (I think it was 20 mil). Books were the first step, and if you notice other departments have started to be available on our .ca-- I assume it's just a logistics issue before they establish a near identical system. In some ways it's kind of sad, because I do think it will hurt the Canadian arts in the same way Canadian film and television has become second-rate American entertainment-- but the damage is done and with the way things are set up and have been established over the last 20 years, it's inescapable.

There are legal reasons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon.com_controversies#Canadian_site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon.com_controversies#Canadi...

by msg 15y ago

There are legal reasons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon.com_controversies#Canadian_site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon.com_controversies#Canadi...

graeme 15y ago

That covers books. But amazon.ca also lacks the non-book products that are so plentiful on amazon.com I had assumed it was for import/distribution reasons, but I'd be interested to find out the real reason. The Canadian site now tends to have all the books the US site has.

msg 15y ago
Sorry for the lameness of this reference, but I think it covers the essential. If Amazon wanted to open a physical business in Canada, it would require Canadian partners that it might not have or want. "The bottom line: If you are a non-Canadian who wants to open a business in Canada, you will have to immigrate to Canada or find one or more Canadians to team up with." http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/startup/f/Non-Canadians-How-to-Open-a-Business-in-Canada.htm http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/startup/f/Non-Canadians-How...
- int3rnaut 15y ago
  Yep, it has to do with Canadian law and the desire to retain a Canadian Cultural identity (thus we protect our Cultural industries). I don't think that applies any more though--or at least since 2010 when Amazon was permitted to open up a local shipping distribution center by essentially buying out our cultural protection laws with a couple tens of million (I think it was 20 mil). Books were the first step, and if you notice other departments have started to be available on our .ca-- I assume it's just a logistics issue before they establish a near identical system. In some ways it's kind of sad, because I do think it will hurt the Canadian arts in the same way Canadian film and television has become second-rate American entertainment-- but the damage is done and with the way things are set up and have been established over the last 20 years, it's inescapable.