Heading North: Jazwares’ Canadian Expansion

As a Canadian with extensive experience living and working in the United States before returning to Canada, I have seen firsthand the vast differences in our markets. In addition to obvious differences such as currency, MSRP, government and taxes, there are also significant differences in how Canadians spend their hard-earned money. New brands face more challenges in this regard, as customers tend to choose tried and true brands and products over unfamiliar ones. Therefore, merchants focus their attention where demand is strongest. I have managed brands in both the US and Canada and have always found it more difficult to succeed in the Canadian market. Competition for shelf space is fierce as populations shrink, stores become more compact and economies of scale less attractive to global brands. However, despite these challenges, our Jazwares Canada business continues to thrive.