Cross-Border Shopping Survey
2012-02-01
Following the HST change in 2010, the provincial government responded to the concerns of Cumberland Country residents by committing to research cross border shopping in the Cumberland region.
The Department of Finance hired ThinkWell Research to conduct a series of three surveys on cross border shopping between Cumberland County and New Brunswick.
The findings of the first two surveys (conducted in March 2010 and October 2011) showed that under one-quarter of Cumberland County residents make 25 per cent or more of their routine or major purchases in New Brunswick. Lower prices were the primary motivation for buying routine items on the other side of the border, while product selection/availability and cost were equally important drivers of major purchases.
Results of the third survey (October 2011) indicate that travel to New Brunswick for shopping purposes remains consistent.
- Most Cumberland County residents (76 per cent) make relatively few routine purchases in New Brunswick (0-25 per cent of total routine purchases)
- Similarly, most Cumberland County residents (78 per cent) make relatively few major purchases in New Brunswick.
- After New Brunswick’s increase on gasoline taxes (implemented in March 2011), 19 per cent of survey respondents indicated that they shopped less often in NB.
All three surveys were conducted by telephone with a sample of adults throughout Cumberland County. The first survey benchmarked the results against residents of Westmorland County New Brunswick.
The survey work carried out over 18 months was approximately $15,000 per survey.
November 2011 Results:
Final Report on Cross-Border Shopping (1.9MB PDF)
October 2010 Results:
March 2010 Results: