Stuck paying international shipping? Here are two stylish sites that will foot the bill for you.

Can you imagine handing over your purchase to the clerk at your local mall only to have her ask, “priority or standard?”… “Excuse me?” you ask in response. She explains, “do you want to pay the priority or standard rate to take your purchase home?” Hearing the annoyance in her voice you shy away from confrontation and whisper, “standard”. You fork over the additional $10, grab your purchase and scurry out the door. “What just happened?” you wonder.

Wouldn’t it be crazy if your local boutique starting charging you for the costs of running the store? From shipping, to international duty charges, to steaming-out wrinkles, stocking the shelves…can you imagine seeing those charges listed on your receipt as you walked out the door?

The reality of living in Canada and buying online is not that far off from the situation I’ve just described. The Shopping Supplement asks, “Why do companies charge loyal consumers like us these ridiculous charges?” The answer is something you may not want to hear…Because they can. Most online merchants pass additional costs, like shipping or duty, on to the buyer because they know that they can get away with it. Online shoppers, especially those in Canada, are so used to the “pay-to-ship” model that they don’t even think twice at checkout.

Let’s focus on what’s real. We don’t want to pay any more than we have to which is why I’ve put together a list of stores that get it. Free shipping, all the time, to everyone, period. It just so happens that these are also the sites I visit most and find some great deals:

  • ASOS.com: Chose your currency, style, size, color –you name it and the option is there for faster shopping. Oh, and don’t forget free standard shipping wordwide, no minimums. Find your country rates for priority shipping here.
  • Shopbop.com: What’s better than free shipping? It could only be one thing: Free Express Delivery, no minimums. Enough said. (But, btw: they also have every designer name you could ever want).

There are countless other sites that offer free shipping with a minimum purchase, but why settle? I know you’ll fall in love with at least one of the two I’ve mentioned above. And if I haven’t convinced you, check out an example of a “Savvy Sunday” deal at Asos that runs each week. Just another reason to love Sunday’s… and Asos:

~Chelsea

Always scrounging the racks for that hard to find size? Find yourself squeezing into the next closest size just to get the job done? Don’t stress about shopping for your size anymore! The Shopping Supplement brings you the Top 5 Sites for Hard to Find Sizes (ship to Canada).

 

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Designer Jeans are just a click away with The Shopping Supplement’s Top 5 Online Jean Guide (for Canadians!)

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Looking for some great places to shop on a rainy day or a brand name not sold in your city? The answer to your search is online retailers, but don’t be fooled – some are more trustworthy and Canada-friendly than others.

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Through the years I’ve come across numerous sites that will gladly overcharge shipping costs, provide poor to no customer service and make it extremely difficult to find what your looking for. However, there are a handful of online shopping sites that are stylish, ship to Canada, carry hundreds of brand names (unavailable at your local mall), will charge reasonable shipping and have great customer service. These online shopping sites are winning stylish shoppers over every day as they continually improve on service and product quality.

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If your a Canadian shopper searching for retailers that ship to Canada and want to enjoy online shopping again or whether your an online shopping virgin, use this list to ease the pain and find the brand names your looking for or score a great deal and deep discounts on designer clothes without any hassle or wasted time!

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That said, here are my favourite Top 10 Online Shopping Sites for stylish Canadian online shoppers, based on the Shopping Supplement’s nutritional-value calculator which considers: Style, Steals, Service and Simplicity.

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I love the strappy sandals that the models strutted down the runway wearing at the Spring 2010 BCBG Max Azria show (see below for where to shop online that ships to Canada!) There so versatile and bring a touch of attitude to any summer look. Check out the models sporting them in grey and black styles:

Photo Credits: Style.com

In case you can’t afford the real thing…or you want the dress and the shoes here are some great alternatives (all ship to Canada of course!)

Here’s a similar style (BCBG) at bluefly.com at 40% off:

And if you still would like some cash left over for your next sushi lunch with friends check out these options:

               Suede pump by Forever 21  $                  Colette heel by Martin & Osa $$ 

                                   

 

 

 

 

Now go ahead and strutt your stuff like you walked straight off the runway.

 

~Chelsea