Canadian duty fees on U.S. purchases range upwards from 6 percent, depending on where you cross the border, and evading payment is illegal. But Canadian shoppers seem OK with risking time in the slammer to save money. “We see the clothes left in the dressing room and we’re not going to speculate about anything illegal, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s going on,” says James Schlesinger, CEO of Talisman Cos., which owns the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls. To make the best of the situation, Schlesinger’s mall now has charity bins outside the stores to collect the excess clothing. An average of 20 full containers are picked up by the Salvation Army and a local community mission each week. It gives a whole new meaning to tax-free donations.
