J.Crew shocks Canadian customers with newly higher online pricing!

Like many others in the GTA, I was excited to see the first Canadian J.Crew Store open in Toronto this month at Yorkdale.  To finally be able to try things on before ordering them online, as I had done faithfully for years, was such great news!  Creative Director (and Oprah guest) Jenna Lyons even made it up for the grand opening, and legions of fans poured into the beautiful new shop.  My excitement proved very short-lived though, as I learned that as a result of this newly-opened Canadian store, the prices for products ordered online now (despite a slightly lower $9.95 flat-rate shipping fee) had all gone UP!  Yes, that's right, if you order from Canada now, or shop in their new Yorkdale store, you are subjected to brand-new Canadian pricing, which is far higher than what we used to pay just a week ago and for all the years leading up to the Yorkdale opening.  Citing "the cost of doing business Internationally", J.Crew feels justified in now charging us more for their products, despite the fact that they have been doing online business with us "internationally" for years, and the Canadian dollar has been worth more than the U.S. dollar for 7 of the past 12 months.  On Friday it closed at $1.01 U.S., so please explain to me why some items now have an increase of up to 50% when I hand over my credit card?  You can read more on how insensed Canadian shoppers are in today's Globe & Mail.  J.Crew has absolutely lost my business as a result, and I have already unsubscribed to their emails and will be tossing their monthly catalogue straight into my recycling bin from now on.

Fortunately, I have a great alternative at the Yorkdale location (and online) where I can get beautiful clothes with excellent quality at far more reasonable prices: Banana Republic.  Not only do they always offer free online shipping on orders over $50, but The Yorkdale location is currently undergoing a spectacular renovation!  Store Manager Katharine Barthel gave me a tour yesterday and I was blown away by the luxurious materials and the sheer size of the new Store!  While still a work in progress, just one look at the store's new facade (both inside Yorkdale and the new exterior entrance being built on the north side) is a telling sign of how stunning the finished product will be!  I shall be picking up some beautiful items today during their unbelievable 30%-off Friends & Family event, including this beautiful Mad Men dress and some gorgeous sweaters and denim for fall.  Hello again Banana Republic, and farewell to J.Crew!