We Fixed It, You're Welcome - Replay: Canada vs. USA: Brand Battles

Episode Date: August 11, 2026

In this episode of "We Fixed It. You're Welcome," the hosts explore cultural and product differences between the United States and Canada. They discuss unique Canadian offerings like specialty sauces at Subway, higher quality fast food, and distinctive snack flavors. The conversation delves into consumer preferences, brand loyalty, and government regulations affecting product quality and availability. The hosts examine why some American brands struggle to expand into Canada and vice versa, highlighting the importance of understanding local markets. They also touch on the impact of government monopolies on alcohol sales in Ontario and the potential for cross-border product exchanges. The episode concludes with recommendations for Americans to explore Canadian products and for businesses to consider expansion strategies carefully. See Privacy Policy at ⁠https://art19.com/privacy⁠ and California Privacy Notice at ⁠https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey everyone, Aaron here. If you remember back to the World Cup earlier this year, there was an international phenomenon of tourists and visitors coming and tasting and enjoying foods that just blew their mind. We're talking about ranch dressing, chilies, and Taco Bell. These just exploded in the international palate, and everybody loved them. So we had our own cultural exchange back in season one. Melissa and I are from the US of A. She knows our resident Canadian. And we just took a minute. say, hey, what do you have that we don't have? What are we missing out on? What's superior on either side of the border? It was a really fun episode back in our archives of season one,

so a lot of you may have missed it, and I hope you check it out with us. Here you go. All right, here's how this works. In each episode, we pick a company we all know that has something going on right now. Then we put ourselves in charge and see if we can fix it. You'll be hearing from Melissa and Operations, Chino on people in culture, and me on marketing. My name's Aaron. As always, a quick disclaimer, we are going into this somewhat cold, and nothing we say should be construed as legal advice, financial advice, or anything that would get us in trouble. These are our views and opinions. We're here to ask the kinds of questions everyone's thinking, have an engaging conversation, and maybe come to some conclusions that we feel are worth

exploring. By the end, if we fixed it, you're welcome. All trademarks, IP, and brand elements discussed are property of their respective owners. Welcome back to We Fix It You're Welcome. Welcome. We are your fearless fixers. You know, last episode we talked about Subway sandwiches. It's a fun one. Go back and listen if you missed it. When we were talking about All Things Subway, Chino, who's our resident Canadian, made mention of Subway's line of sauces. So apparently they have these sub sauces like sweet onion terriaki, roasted garlic, something called a Mojo sauce, which is only available for a limited time only. To my knowledge, these are not available at all in the U.S. Now, Chino swears by them. And they got us to thinking, what else in Canada?

might be better than what we have here. Side note that according to last week's research, some northern Canadian subway stores still use the original subway logo, which is pretty retro-looking and cool. So Canada might have some things we're missing out on. I promise the episode won't be all about subway. We might touch back on it. But if we as U.S. Americans are open to the idea of Canada doing something's better than us, there might be a fix in here somewhere.

And we'll push back a little too. We've got the edge in some areas. and we know it. But remember, the we're fixers are objectives to strengthen diplomatic ties and not cause tensions between our respective countries. But, you know, if something's objectively better, it's just better. So let's start with Canada, see what we stateside have been deprived of. I've been to Canada a few times, Vancouver, Jasper, Calgary, but I'm by no means an expert. But like I said, we have a real-life Canadian right here. So, Chino, what have we been missing out on? Yeah, so I guess as our resident Canadian fixer, I had to be a lot of. I had to,

to ask, why can't I get all-dress chips or a jar of Kraft peanut butter the second I get across the U.S. border? It's no secret that brands love playing the dual citizenship game. Same logo, same name. But when they cross into Canada,

suddenly they have a whole new personality. So from Tim Horton's double-doubles and, you know, Putin, to McDonald's slinging McLobsters back in the day. And the fact that I will have to say, the Canadian Craft and Arraigned Supreme. We're going to be diving into why some products stay strictly north.

And this isn't just about ketchup chips and coffee, Chris. It's really about looking at how brands build identity, respond to regional pride, and navigate different manufacturing quirks. So today we're asking, why do brands tweak their offerings for Canada and go full maple? Let's dive into it. Now, you know, we have no idea what you're talking about with any of those products.

What topic? You know what? It's very interesting. Besides Subway, which we know Chino is now, should be an official sponsor for Subway, in Canada, at least, is that it kind of brings to the forefront a lot of the differences. And I love Chino, your perspective that you bring to this podcast based on that international flair. So, you know, the U.S. tends to always think of itself as the center of the earth.

And we're not. And it's so great to hear, you know, you say. sometimes, what are you guys talking about? Like, that's not, that's not a thing here. We don't worry about that. But we've had so many topics that we've discussed, including healthcare, including retail, including subway, including coffee, Starbucks. So we can get in the Tim Horton versus Starbucks, you know, all the things. And it's very interesting because these differences are the things that we want to talk about today. I think one of the things that I found interesting based on some of the research that, you know, you helped us kind of jumpstart was that Canadians

favor in-person shopping over e-commerce with only 4.5% of retail sales being online. And you've mentioned this before because, like, you were talking about going to a store, going to a party city, right? Yeah. Yeah. Party city? Like, why the hell would you do that? Why wouldn't you just go? Right? Compared to 7.7, so almost 8% in the U.S., right? Malls remain. vibrant in Canada. You just mentioned Toronto's Eaton Center, drawing more annual visitors than even the biggest mall in the United States, which is mall in America. I just wonder, you know, they're more price sensitive and willing to shop around for deals and doing that in person and also visiting multiple stores to get the best price. And I think about like,

nostalgically like doing that when I was growing up when I would go to the mall and you'd go to the different stores and you're all you're always looking for like one pair of sneakers or you're looking for one white the perfect white t-shirt and you go to like multiple stores within one shopping and then you go back to the one that you know drew your attention and we still emphasize in America different types of things and are willing to pay more for perceived stuff status, I think, and quality, which I don't really believe because of fast fashion, because I think we're the biggest consumers of this fashion. But it's just a very interesting thing because I think there's a cultural difference in the way that we approach these things. And that's why

Aaron brands and the marketing and changing the names and all the things happens and is very successful for Canada. Yeah. Well, you have to regionalize your products, right? So we, like you said, Melissa, we as Americans think that our way is the only way. But if you are a U.S.-based company, you'll find, and you haven't done your culturalization research, you'll find that you might be at odds with the population you're trying to reach. You know, the American stamp doesn't always fly. And there's recently been a pushback in Canada on products that seem to American. They're taking, you know, being hidden behind counters and by request only.

those types of things. So, you know, right now, it could even be a liability to have your product seem too American. Well, and I know Canadians, and I know Chino, you can speak to this more, have a super strong domestic loyalty, right? So when we talked about regionalization, they have strong loyalty to their domestic brands. And the product labeling and sourcing is even very, is very strict in Canada. So made in Canada means, at least 51% of it has the cost of labor or are Canadian, while product of Canada requires even higher at 98%. So this, like, having like the loyalty helping to drive it, I think also will imply, and maybe I'm wrong and Chino, you can tell me if I'm wrong, but like, that they

would be more willing to pay more for something that they know is local. It's not just a label, I mean, there are strict guidelines to those labels. Yeah, I think there's so much to this. And I want to speak to kind of a few of the things you've mentioned, Melissa. So first and foremost, yeah, you know, the consumer trend of 45% of Canadians prefer prefer supporting local brands. You know, I think there's something about that Canadian pride, you know, we the North, all of that ties to that.

And I think, you know, we're more willing to pay something a little bit more because the reality is when we look at like the Canadian dollar to the U.S. dollar, often if we're buying that same thing in the U.S., it's still costing us much more because we're not doing that great in the market right now. And so when you look at it as a Canadian, if I have to make a choice and spend about the same for the same product, often better qualities because it is made here and we can source some of the materials. Yeah, I'm going to get the better quality product at probably a better price than I would in the U.S. and support my country and feel that kind of national pride, which is really interesting. And so you can see how certain brands like roots, for example, who have been around and established, I think, since like 1938, 1948, whatever the EST at the bottom of the sweater says. And they're a really great example of they have, you know, since Canada's inception, where one of those. brands that have continued to have this loyalty. And, you know, for my niece and nephew who,

you know, live elsewhere in the UK, I'm able to give them a Roots, but to remind them literally of their roots. And it's like kind of that signal. And I think as a Canadian, when you're, you know, traveling abroad, having something with a little Canadian flag is important. And, you know, we have to talk about the tariffs as well, right? I just had, you know, I love a good deal. I think that's also very apparent. I love my coupons. I love my discounts. And so, you know, with all of that, I've had actually four or five emails today about a certain product I was looking at. And, you know, as of May 1st, they're going up in price because of the tariffs. And so, you know, it's, that is a big piece of that. But I do think.

I think as a Canadian, you know, there's nothing like the subsets. There's nothing like an all-dress chip. And it's hard to explain to Americans because you have some pretty good things to you. I can't say that we, you know, everything that we have is better. That's not true. Like, you know, you have Trader Joe's where, you know, not only are they made within Trader Joe's. And I'm not even sure how that really works. But as a Canadian, when I go to the States, I'm bringing some.

suitcases of stuff back with me because we don't have that. And so far, so much so that in BC a few years ago, someone had like a pirate Joe's essentially and they would buy a bunch of Trader Joe's product and sell it in Canada. And they were shut down after a few years, which was very, very, very sad for the community. But, you know, there's something to be said for Trader Joe's. And it's very much an American standhold, but same with roots. And, you know, a ketchup chip and putteens, I do think having, there is something to be said for kind of leaning in on the maple. Well, the Trader Joe's one's an interesting one.

They're a specialty grocer. They have roughly 600 stores. Over 200 of those are in California. Breaking news as of yesterday that Trader Joe's is set to open 21 new stores in 2025 in places like Alabama, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Oklahoma, but sadly none in Canada. And you, you know, you talked about this pirate Joe's story. It was a gray market business. Michael Hallett was bringing Trader Joe's products across the border,

selling them as an off market Trader Joe's and doing a markup so you can get, you know, make some profit as a business. They weren't officially shut down, but they were kind of lawsuit to death. So between 2012 and 2017, you know, Canada had, like I said, an off brand Trader Joe's for a moment. There was incredible demand. That wasn't the issue. It was the legality. So why doesn't, you know, Trader Joe set up shop in Canada.

What's going on? Right. That's a, I mean, that's a really good point. And I, you know, it's kind of interesting that Trader Joe's is viewing the expansion across the United States and in those regions, specifically that you mentioned, Aaron, versus, like, you know, a more international look when you think about going across the border. because I don't know. I mean, I feel like, yes, and, you know, Trader Joe's is great, but it's also kind of, it's kind of cultish, right?

Like, it's one of those things that people are like, oh, I always just go to Trader Joe's. And I love Trader Joe. I mean, I don't go there every week, but like when I'm, especially when I'm in California, I like to go to Trader Joe's. I don't know why it's different. But I noticed that, like, the one thing I don't like about Trader Joe's is that you don't, you can't always find the same thing, right? Like it goes out. Like you have this your favorite, I at least used to have this favorite frozen dish,

some curry or something, and then never saw it again. You know, and you're like, dude, I don't know if I want to stock up 20 of these because I'm not sure it's good. So I'm going to take one home, right, and try it. And then you like it. And then you go back and they're like, oh, no, that was just, yeah, we're not doing that one anymore. But if you live in Canada, you're going to stock up on 20 or 50 years.

Yeah, right? There's a quality issue as well because, for example, one of the things I research and found and tell me if this is true, Chino, you've been to both, but Canada's dairy supply means higher prices, right, for cheese and things like that, but Canadian cheese often has higher butterfed content. So more like a European standard cheese. So you may pay more, but the quality could be something. better than what you're getting with Americans cheaper cheese, right?

You know, same thing with like chocolate, like some of the fast food differences that you were talking about. Like one of the things that I thought was interesting that was brought up in my research was about A&W Canada. So that brand here in the United States seems to be declining. I love myself. I love a root beer float, but I noticed that our A&Ws are now ending up. combining with another fast food, like whatever fast food they're like combined with.

I don't know it's Taco Bell. I mean, I know there's Taco Bell KFCs together, but I don't know. A&W has been doing that because I think they don't, they can't bring enough people in. But what was interesting to me in my research, it was saying that like A&W Canada, though, is a really good fast, fast food chain on the rise. And you have grass fed beef there. you have like all this amazing stuff. So it's so I was like, whoa, wait a minute.

That's interesting too, right? That's a totally different situation than what we're faced with. And like actual real root beer, which is kind of funny that A&W root beer doesn't have real root beer in the United States. Yeah, same. I was at a Denny's in Canada. And I can't say they're all like this, but it was nice, you know, nice experience. And I felt like, we're eating, okay, we're eating at Denny's. You know, we're nicer menu and ambiance.

So, yeah, why does that happen? Maybe I think about fewer choices. Yes or no. So I live in Toronto where we have literally the world is your oyster and it comes to restaurants and fine dining. And yes, there's fast foods, but there's so many smaller niche, you know, fusions of like five times fusions versus you usually see two. But what I would say is so we're talking about.

about this a little bit earlier, Melissa, about, you know, why is in person a little more popular in Canada than it would be in the States? Well, you know, and why maybe Denny's is a little better here, Aaron, versus in the States. Well, the reality is we're a little behind when it came to all of these things. So when Amazon was here, we didn't get Amazon until later. And so the one day shipping for us was like, hey, we still don't really have that. You can't really get same day shipping. It's usually one day. And so, and that's, you know, obviously that's for some products. Sometimes it's two or three days, right?

And so we never had that fast access as much as America has. And going into fast food chains, they often started in America and then moved to Canada. So we're kind of behind a little bit. And in a good way for those franchises is, you know, with that Denny's example, you know, you had Denny's first. You were used to it. You got, you know, was popular. And then it kind of faded out where we were able to ride a bit on that popularity. And, you know, it lasted a little longer just because we had it later.

And so I think there's some effect there, cause an effect when it comes to timelines. But I also think, too, you know, we also have a milk mafia, right? And what I mean by that is the dairy farmers of Canada, they are a group. I remember watching the Super Bowl in Canada. and seeing dairy farmers of Canada ad. And it's why we have, you know, Canadian beef. Like in McDonald's and a lot of fast food chains, it has to be Canadian beef because we have a different food grade,

similar to our dairy as well. So it's, again, like you were sharing before, Melissa, a lot similar to, you know, European standards from that perspective. And again, a little bit, not again, higher quality, to be honest, because we keep it all inside forces importing from different places so that we can have that quality. There are, you know, we call it a mafia for a reason because they're the only ones that can do it. And there's some realities to and blowbacks there.

But what that has meant is that our quality for the same burger you would get is a lot different and higher standard than what you would get in America. And so again, as a Canadian, I've had A&W both in Canada and the U.S. And there is like a noticeable difference in the taste. And so that I think is why part of the popularity and the continued success for some of these franchises that are dying in the States happen. Yeah, I love what you're saying too because I do think it's a combination of all of the things that we just have been talking about. So it's a combination of, you know, the idea around I like the milk mafia. That's kind of funny.

Your milk mustache is walking around. but like that you're the controls that are in place and then the pride of local local food right the grass fed beef all the things that are Canadian but it ends up being ultimately about what's being produced and so it whether it's a service or a product in this case it's a food product that it's higher quality right and it actually plays to what the customer experience and what the consumer wants and so you know the taste of the Canadian is this, this is how we're used to having cheese. We're not used to cheese with a bunch of additives, so it makes it like last four, years, you know, or anything like that. And that's kind of also, I mean, I noticed that, like, they've talked about, you, you haven't talked about this yet, but, like, the Canadian Kit Kat is different than the U.S. Kit Kat, right?

And it's, they say it's because, you know, Hershey, even though Hershey's does both, or Hershey's and Nestle, whatever, the, the, the, chocolate is grittier and waxier in the United States, and it's because of these additives, right, versus Canadian's version of chocolate. Again, giving it a more superior chocolate experience for those chocoholics like myself. And the flip side is Americans tend to get, like, more variety. So the question is, like, you know, when I was saying, like, maybe too many different types of fast food chains, right?

tends to dilute the quality, right, for us here. But this is the life of an American, right, is about convenience. Want it right away. They want what they want, right? So then you have so many, like I said, so many different like hamburger chains, right? You've got five guys, smash burgers, Freddy's, McDonald's, Burger King, Jack in the all of them. And like in and out, right?

Like, you know, and then people get loyal to a brand, Aaron, right? Like they, like, they, like, variance. We talked about, like, you know, in and out's secret menu and, you know, all the things. And so it's just an interesting concept that, but to see that there's actually a difference in quality is something that, like, I guess the United States is just not ready to pay for it because we're cheap. We just want the cheapest. You know, I don't know. I mean, let's talk about in and out because Melissa, you mentioned a cult brand or, you know, chain with a cult following. That's in and out. They currently have no locations in Canada.

My understanding is they do have trademark registrations there. So maybe there's an eventual, you know, an IP protection or eventual plan to set up shop. It did test a pop-up in 2024. But, and they're very strategic about where they expand. They do it, you know, plotting. But when they opened in Colorado, there were drive-through wait times for 12 to 14 hours. They're estimated they've sold about 60,000 burgers during that opening weekend alone. They have 418-ish locations in the U.S. The majority are in California, 281 or so. But proven, whenever they expand, people go nuts.

And it's relatively, they're known for being high quality for a fast food chain. why doesn't it cross the border? Yeah, that's a good question. And again, someone, you know, when I do go to the States, I'm often in California for an extended time. So I feel like I'm a weird dual citizen, not really, but I make it a point every single time to at least stop it in it at once

because it is a stakeholder. It's a keyhold in, I feel like American society. And I think that is also part of it, right? In and Out, you've known about In and Out for a long time. It's a part of the American kind of history when it comes to fast food, right? We have, there's a ton of different franchises, but there's some specifically like In and Out that stand out. And because they had a whole West Coast versus East Coast and it was very much regional

specific, they were able to kind of build their brand on like, yeah, you need to come here and visit this. And it was this really nuanced thing, which is awesome. I'll say in Canada, sure we know about in and out, but we don't have that same, you know, history and the marketing for years from in and out as you would in anywhere else in America, right? So I think that could be part of why there's a gap in and hesitancy to move into Canada because we don't have that same brand affiliation. There are some people who do, but most people are folks that who go like myself to California. you're like, okay, when I'm here, you know, let me get, let me get a single burger. Not the animal fries.

I'll say in and now, don't love the fries, but I love your. And I think, too, because, yes, of course, they have the secret menu. And that is something that Americans do a lot better than Canadians. Like, there's less secret menus here than you would see in other franchises. But, you know, their burgers are great. For us, I'm curious to see what it would taste like in Canada because we have better beef, frankly. And so I do think there's potential opportunity, but is there the want for that? Do we care for that? Do we have the same affiliation for in and out for burgers when, you know, you can go to A&W, Canada and have a

really great burger for, again, similar pricing and all of that? So I think that's where the difference is, is, you know, the marketing of these brands to their respective communities, right? Same, same brand, same logo, but completely different markets and ads that you've seen throughout the years. So I think that is a big piece in Aaron. I'm curious to kind of get your take on, you know, why it might be great to brand as Canadian versus American. Or do you think there should be a mix of both? And, you know, you're the expert here. So I'd love to get your thoughts there.

I mean, you know, it's a great question, you know, and why does something like Tim Horton's, we'll flip it like Tim Horton's that has such a cultural following. Why doesn't it come here? And we have no connection, you know, apart from hockey loyalists from back in the day to Tim Horton, but call it Wayne Gretzky's, call it whatever you want, keep the same model. Do you really have to re contextualize it entirely for an American audience if people love it? The food's good and why, you know, it baffles me that there's not a presence here. So, yeah, go back.

It is interesting because when we talk about these, like, brands that are super well known in certain areas. Like, so for example, and not to not to dissuade Canada, but like if we talk about brands, for example, 7-Eleven. Okay. So in the U.S., 7-Eleven is like where you run in and you grab some chips like Slim Jim, a Gatorade, maybe whatever, right? It's a true, like, convenience store, but really processed food, not really anything like that. Whereas in Japan, 7-Eleven as a convenience store is like a location that you would go to get a fresh one of those amazing sandwiches, those egg salad sandwiches like you see on TikTok all the time, or a bento box or even sushi, you know what I mean. They have hot food counters.

It's an experience. And it's so funny. now that people are going to Japan and saying, oh, I want to go to the convenience store, right? Because I want to experience all this food and all the drinks and all the options. So like, you know, when you think about these global types of brands, right, Aaron, like, how do they like reconcile some of that? Because like, seriously, I work in downtown Denver and there was a, there was 7-Eleven, there still is, in our building. And it was so sketchy.

We tried to get it shut down a couple times because that's, That's where, like, all the homeless people would just hang out there in the morning. And it just made it unsafe for us to get our employees in the building because they were accosting them and things like that. So 7-Eleven to me, I mean, I remember growing up, like my mom giving me a quarter. Okay, I'm old. A quarter and saying go buy a piece of gum. You can go buy a piece of candy at 7-Eleven. But, like, I would never have thought, like, oh, I'm going to have a full lunch here, right?

you know, which is, you know, like I could see you nodding in agreement that like the convenience store, you know, culture in Japan is something that's totally different than what we have here. Well, and I think what you're both getting at is when you try to re-envision your brand for another culture, you have to be known for something culturally that has cachet or has a premium or at least a competency to sell it efficiently to that, you know, effectively. to the culture you want to bring it to. So in Canada's case, you know, maple syrup's a given. I'm going to generalize, but some types of beers, lumber, maybe, you know, what is Canada known for where clearly Americans will accept Canadian maple syrup, not knocking anyone in Vermont or anything like that. I know there's, I can start a whole whole thing there. But would Americans look at maple syrup that says made in Canada and say, this is good?

Yeah, of course, because you're known for that. Whereas other things that are Canada's version of an American, you know, company solution product that already exists, we may not buy it as much. It's not, you have to have that cultural superiority on something, be known for, you know, Swedish efficiency or Canadian syrup or, you know what I mean, in order for the culture to accept that we'll buy your version out of it as opposed to ours. Ours is inferior. Yeah. And I think there's something, you know, I visited Japan. I was in 2020, or 23, best trip of my life

if you haven't gone, please go. And, you know, we created a little photo book and at the end of this photo book I created, I have like an ode to the 7-Eleven because it was incredible. You can get everything there like you said, Melissa. But I think to your point, Aaron, what 7-Eleven

had done really well is they realized the regional brand, they realized their market and they said, okay, we're not just going to duplicate and do the same thing. We're going to apply different Japanese-specific products and, you know, tailor this to the Japanese audience. And again, true Japanese culture, everything is like top-level, the highest tech, the best of the best, and what they do.

And so it was really cool just to see just the efficiency and like, yeah, the same donut you would get, even in Canada, totally different than in Japan. And, you know, it became our lifeblood when we were there. I think there was one day. I was seven off and seven times. So that's another story. But, you know, when I look at Tim Hortons as an example, because they have expanded to America,

again, that brand loyalty of like the double-double, like you don't have necessarily the same marketing or advertising affiliation. I think there's been some incredible ads in the day where they've kind of brought that and taken that into the U.S. as well. But to be honest, you know, what kind of fell, Tim Hortons was bought by BK's brand. Brother King's like kind of Holdko. And so technically, Tim Hortons is now an American company.

And since it moved to America, the quality hasn't been the same. And so even in Canada, you've seen the downfall of our very beloved Tim Hortons. It doesn't hold the same kind of weight culturally because the double double that you got. five years ago, tastes a little bit different than it is now. Like they changed your supplier in marketing to kind of suit kind of this American kind of side. And to be honest, kind of lacked and have been lacking in quality. And so you've been finding places like Starbucks again where it has such an American tie, you know, becoming more popular.

And of course there's pop-up shops. And we've talked about it in our Starbucks episode of, you know, wanting to go local and having that experience, which you still can do. But the challenges is with important specifically that is very Canadian, once it was bought by Americans, they haven't had the same luck. So I think there's a piece of that too of, again, the quality that we have just by nature of the milk mafia and some of the governance that's around how we make and build and create our products. Yeah, you know, you make a good point, companies are capitalist driven. They're incentivized to grow. You have to tap into your domestic market once you've hit, you know, some kind of capacity there. You say,

where else can we go? And you look at other neighboring countries. You look at other market opportunities globally. But to your point, you don't want to lose your way in the process and to lose your base back home. Yeah. And I want to touch on kind of these government monopolies a little bit because you know, we can't talk about Canada, especially in Ontario and not look at the LCBO, right? And so in America and literally everywhere else in the world, but Ontario, you've been able to buy your alcohol pretty much anywhere. In Ontario, oh, it's a little bit different. We have Liquor Control Board of Ontario, which is the LCBO, and they are a government-run monopoly overseeing all-al alcohol sales. So essentially, you can really only buy your alcohol here or at the beer store

pre-COVID. Like, that was it. You couldn't get it anywhere. And, you know, again, as much as this episode is really talking about how Canadians do something's really great, I would say, this is where we falter. And because of that, we don't have the same brands that you get. Like, when I go to America, I love going into different cool shops where they import and just to, amount of gin and how much do you have or we have a slice of that, to be honest, because we don't have the same import. Again, going back into tariffs right now in the political climate, they pulled a lot of the American alcohol that's there. It was quite interesting. I went out for dinner with my husband a few weeks ago, and we went into the LCBO, and now it's not empty,

but they've completely redesigned it to remove all American things. And so as much as it's great, you know, I don't love Ontario wine. I do love a little pino noir from California. And, you know, not being able to have that in it being run by the government and being told you can't buy your alcohol anywhere else but here has been a problem. And I think, you know, since COVID, what has been great in a way is that allowed us to rethink. about how alcohol is being sold. So we started kind of testing it out in some grocery stores,

which is like beer and some Ontario mines. And now that's slowly expanding to other places where restaurants and other places can sell. It's still, again, very government-controlled. But this is one where I'll say Canada and not Canada, because literally it's just Ontario that has this monopoly here, where I do see, you know, we're not winning on this one. This is a big L.

Can you do that when we come to, like, alcohol sales? Yeah, that was an odd experience going to a Canadian grocery store and saying, oh, we should pick up some wine with dinner and then remembering there's, it's not there. You have to go to that store across the street with the line around the corner. Chino, probably when you come to certain counties in the United States, they have alcohol restrictions like that where you have to join an alcohol club, right?

You know, like, so there are definitely dry areas, and I've worked in places like that. It's very interesting, for example, in Utah. Like, if you wanted to go have a beer after work, you can't just go, even if it says, like, I went to a place and it said brewery. Okay. When I went to the bar and I said, I'd like a beer. And they're like, oh, and you want chips with that or a salad? And I'm like, no, that's a beer.

And he's like, a salad, no dressing. just lettuce. And I'm like, no, that's not what I want. The guy sitting at the bar said to me, that's what you want because you can't order a beer, right? You can't order alcohol without food. And I was like, what? Like, so it's a very interesting thing that, you know, you guys are regular, because there are states that are like that. So like, it's, it's funny because then there were people in my office, I'm not going to out them, that would say, oh, we would just drive across the border to Wyoming or to Idaho or somewhere else. Now, I don't think Idaho you're allowed to do it either. But anyway, outside of Utah, and we would go bring alcohol back because of the inconvenience,

like you're saying it, do it or whatever. But I think that, again, it just shows that there are some really strong reasons and actual great business and customer experience differences that lend to this entire kind of atmosphere. Because one of the big things that we know in the United States, and this is going to get even worse, but is that the United States, a lot of people go across the border to Canada for prescription drugs, right? Because like the cost of an EpiPen or a cost of,

you know, all of these kinds of things in Canada are way less. And I mean, this is a whole other episode. talking about health care. I mean, I know we had that health care discussion a little bit, but, you know, it's a thing for sure. So.

All right. We are getting our wrap up. So be true. If you're going to expand, be true to your base back home. Make sure you don't dilute or lose in the process. Canada cares about quality. America cares about variety. America does liquor stores better or integrated liquor sales better.

Canada has interesting. products that we don't know about. And maybe we've made a case for some more cultural exchanges. What do you think, Chena? I think there's definitely a place. You know, I'm tired of flying back and forth. It'd be really, really helpful for me to have everything in one place. I do think if you're going to move to Canada or vice versa, like you shared, Aaron, you need to know your demographic. You need to know what the market actually wants there and tailor it to that. You've seen the success in Japan with 7-Eleven. But I will say as the resident Canadian,

there's some things that we just inherently do better, whether it's because the government forces us to or because we have the products at our ready. You know, and I think for Americans might be a great time to explore, you know, maybe what a ketchup chip is or an old dress or taste some of our kick-cats and things like that because, sorry.

I would agree with you, Chino. I think that there is a cost. for a lot of these things. And I think that one of the ways to consider expansion and also expansion in the United States of Canadian types of things that have gone well is like weighing localization costs versus the return on investment. Right. So what's the ROI?

So for example, a pro might be like you guys have the Mcelopster, right? There are McDonald's in Massachusetts in Cape Cod. So like what about that, right? like having it be, you know, the PR buzz is like, oh, you can only get this in Canada and only in, you know, the Northeast, right, during lobster season, you know, and understanding that some of these things could be brought across the, you know, across the country's lines, borders, both ways. I also think that, you know, the focus on quality and the real standards, I think is super important, and I think it is really a great thing for consumers to understand the value of what

they're, you know, paying for is because of all of the work that the government is doing and the, and the bureaus in terms of making sure that it's Canadian, making sure that it's the best ingredients in organic. So I really think it's something that we should all think about. But there's a cost. Out of all of it, you know, what's the one biggest thing we're missing out on? Oh, my God. putting me on the spot. That's a really good question. I'm going to Colorado and California. No.

Oh my goodness. I will have to say, again, Subway, please, you know, if we're not sponsored by the end of this month, I'm going to be done. But like the subsauce, I think, is the best. And also, from a clue that we never talked about them too much, but Lulu Lemon as well,

if you love your Lulu Lemon, I never buy anything in America. it's always, even if it's the same product, I find that's slightly better in Canada. I'm not a manufacturing god. I don't know why. But if you're, you know, you love your loos, get it in Canada when you're here. That is true because the export of certain goods, like so, for example, Levi's, like we had a friend from the UK who would come over and he literally would buy like eight pairs of Levi's. And I'm like, what's the big deal? And he's like, the Levi's in the UK are not the same quality.

They're not as thick and they're not as good. And so he literally would make me take him to like, for us to get him. But that's interesting, Chino. Love it. We'll have to make a field trip, Aaron. Oh, yeah. Please do.

All right. So Levi's Lula Lemon and we'll end where we started with subsauce. That does it for We Fixed It. You're Welcome, Northern Edition. Thank you, Chino, for opening our eyes to everything we've been missing out on. You can get your fix of all of our past episodes and dip into our archives at we fixeditpod.com. And we will see you next time. This podcast is produced by Straightforward Media Group, All Rights Reserved.

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