I belive it probly mostly for buying power, they have been buying sporting goods store up here in canada for a couple years and opened a large Store in Red Deer alberta not long ago. They want to compete with bass pro (opening april 9th in calgary cant wait to get my 28 cup coffee purculator) and you need to be able to buy at very compeitive price to do that. Cost of outdoors stuff in canada is INSANE compared to what we can get if for down there with shipping and exchange, so it should give us comsumer a break.