|
Shopping / Business Hours
Business Hours
Canadian business hours vary depending on the company. A good rule of thumb for smaller businesses is 9-6 Monday through Friday. Larger companies and corporations will generally be open early and close late, so there won't be too much trouble getting what you need.
Shops
Stores, shops, and supermarkets are usually open Monday-Saturday 9-6, although in major cities supermarkets are often open from 7:30 AM to 9 PM. Most shopping malls are generally open until 9 PM. Drugstores in major cities are often open until 11 PM, and convenience stores are often open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Business Profile
Vancouver's central business district coincides with the main retail areas Downtown and is supplemented by eight regional town centres within the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD).
Traditionally, Vancouver's dominant industries have been in the primary sector, drawing on the vast wealth of resources in the province of British Columbia. Even today, the industries that represent the largest proportion of the hundred-or-so firms with head offices in Vancouver are in the forestry and mining sectors, followed by construction, food distribution, retail and financial services. The largest of these firms include Telus (telecommunications), BC Hydro (electricity), Jim Pattison Group (diverse industries), Finning International (heavy equipment), Teck Cominco (mining), HSBC (banking), Canfor (forest products) and Placer Dome (mining). Altogether, Vancouver is home to one tenth of Canada's Top 500 companies, although the number has been dropping due to mergers or firms consolidating their operations in Toronto or Calgary.
Other important sectors include tourism and conventions, agriculture and export and transhipment industries, taking advantage of the city's rail, road and sea connections. Vancouver's port is one of North America's busiest and ranks in the top 20 in the world. Around 70 million tonnes of cargo (principally coal, grain, sulphur, potash and wood pulp) pass through the Port of Vancouver every year, and the cruise industry adds around C$500 million to the economy.
The past years have seen an increase in film production in British Columbia and the majority of the C$1.1 billion spent in 2001 was in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
Around 80% of the working population are employed in the service sector, with the bulk of the rest working in construction and primary industries. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Vancouver was 6.5% in November 2004, about the same as the province at 6.4% and slightly better than the national average of 7.3%.
Business Etiquette
Normal business courtesies should be observed in Vancouver, although Vancouverites are less formal than Europeans and tend to use first-name terms after initial introductions have been completed. Business cards are usually exchanged on meeting a colleague for the first time - and a compliment on Vancouver's beauty is sure to be well received. Both men and women generally wear suits, although short-sleeved shirts are acceptable in summer. Appointments and punctuality for business meetings are naturally expected. Business hours are usually 0900-1700 weekdays, although may start or end an hour earlier or later, depending on the company. Lunch meetings are more common than breakfast meetings, however, these are rarely alcohol-fuelled affairs. Most business entertainment takes place in bars and restaurants and it is unusual for a business visitor to be invited into someone's home. If you are, a token gift (alcohol, flowers or chocolates) would be a nice gesture. Anything more expensive may be deemed unacceptable.
|
|
