It's not that Canadian Companies want to use USD so much as they have to buy things internationally. If Chinese suppliers are getting X price from the U.S., they expect the same price from Canada in whatever currency, which suddenly becomes a lot more expensive for us when our dollar is down.

My completely unrelated industry is feeling this as well. Our customers are Canadian and expect to pay the same old price. Our budgets have not increased. But our vendors are international, and their list prices often in USD, so we are suddenly paying 40% more for everything.

I went into Danier on Saturday and it was dismal. It looked more like discount store than the lovely space it used to be. It was all crap that hadn't sold over the holidays and big 70% off signs everywhere. There was one tiny rack of new arrivals in the back corner. The place was a mad house.

I'm sad about this. They had a fantastic alteration service and shortened my leather sleeves to perfection for just $25. I really hope they can turn this around but it's not looking good.

Canadian YLFers, I know it seems petty to complain about shipping prices but you know how spoilt we are this side of the border.

Even if Danier manages to find a buyer, which looks doubtful, it will have to drastically change its business model.

Women's retail is a hard slog for Canadian companies because Canadian consumers have been conditioned to expect a US experience in pricing, choice, and customer experience. Since Canada is a smaller market, meeting those demands makes for a narrow profit margin. A bad season, a decline in the dollar, and a fickle consumer is all it takes to make a tight situation a disasterous one.

I'm suspecting even Nordstrom's careful entry into the Canadian market bears watching. I'm wondering how their Calgary store is holding up? The last time I visited, the product lines had visibly decreased as had the number of SAs.

Gaylene - I noticed that too about the Calg Nordstrom last time I was there (mid Jan). Winnipeg is supposed to see a Saks Off Fifth (or whatever their discount version is called) as well as a whole slew of other new stores (including a JCrew ) in a massive new retail development going up in the southwest corner of the city. I can't help but wonder if all of it will go as planned . Prices are creeping up already in clothing - and I'm hearing that from local buyers in higher end clothing stores - and you wonder how much the Canadian market can sustain. Times are a little scary.

Another canuck who would feel utterly bereft if Danier disappeared for good. But I persist in feeling optimistic. There's a lot of love for the brand beyond Ylf, and there are no plans to close stores at this exact moment. I hope either restructuring or a buy-out will keep the dream alive for us all, i.e. the one and only retail advantage we ever have. :p